So you’ve taken the plunge and opened your own law office. You have a business plan and a marketing plan in place and everything is humming right along. But you may have forgotten one of the most important plans any solo entrepreneur should have in place…
The emergency plan.
What if you were in an accident or had a sudden illness?
What if one of y our elderly parents was ill and you had to leave your practice for a week or even longer?
What if you decided to take a much needed vacation?
Could anyone walk into your office and pick up where you left off?
None of us like to think about the negatives in life but if you’re on your own as a solo practice attorney, you really need to think about what would happen if you had to leave your practice for even a short period of time. Deadlines still have to be met and filings still have to take place.
Here are a few things to think about when planning for an emergency:
1. Name Your Documents So That Anyone Can Find Them
This is something that few people think about. We know our files and what’s going on with them so we have a pretty good handle on where to find our documents. But what if someone had to walk in and pick up where you left off? They need to be able to go into your files and find exactly what they need on short notice. One of the best ways I’ve found to name your documents is with the computer drive: client name/brief description of the document/date/version number. For example: C:Smith, John/Client Letter/17Aug2010/v1. Put this in the footer of every document. If you don’t want it on the “public” version, that’s fine but keep it on your file copy. That tells anyone looking into the file exactly where the letter is on the computer system and what is the most current correspondence or document.
2. Always Keep a Current Calendar
This may sound like a no brainer but you would be amazed at how many solo attorneys “know” where they need to be or when they have a client meeting and, if they work solo and don’t have an assistant, forget to put the dates on their calendar. When you have a conference or a hearing or anything else come up that should go on your calendar, put it down immediately. Don’t wait until after you take that next phone call or get another cup of coffee. That’s a really good way to malpractice a client.
3. Make Sure Someone Knows Your Passwords
Many of us in the legal field are control freaks. It’s just the nature of the beast. And that can lead us to hording information or being overly secretive about protecting our files. Yes, your client files are confidential and the information in them should be protected at all costs. But you need to let someone trustworthy know how to access your files just in case something happens to you. Work a deal with another attorney to take over for you if necessary and make sure they have everything they need to take care of your clients.
4. Plan for Natural Disasters
Hurricane Katrina taught us all a valuable lesson about planning for Mother Nature’s interference in our lives. Make sure all your documents are backed up, preferably someplace secure and offsite. Check into a service like Carbonite or Mozy. The cost is minimal and the value cannot be measured if your office is flooded or worse. Keep a paper calendar that you can take with you just in case you have no power and cannot access your computer calendar. If you still keep paper files, make sure they are in a place that is as secure as possible and that copies are scanned onto your computer system.
The best way to start any practice is with a solid plan. And that should include putting plans and systems in place to make sure your clients are served if something happens to you. Sit down and think about who you would trust to take care of things in your absence and then talk to them about it. A little planning can go a long way toward giving you and your clients peace of mind in the event of the unthinkable.