DEVELOPING AN OFFICE PLAN

                When you look at the State Bar discipline reports, do you notice how many of our colleagues are disciplined for failing to return client phone calls, missing deadlines, failing to refund fees or return client papers?

                We don’t practice law in a vacuum.  Most of the people who wind up in the discipline system are small or solo practitioners who have many demands on their time and resources.  Pressures are exerted from a variety of sources, from the actions of opposing counsel and judges, to dealing with equipment failures (the drum on the copier is out again!), personnel issues, and continuing education.

                As a result of the forces competing for our attention and time, we attorneys often do not give enough consideration to the manner in which we run our practices on a day to day basis.  Thus, a phone call from a divorce client with “just one more question” might be pushed to one side when something seemingly more pressing is at hand.

                Many practitioners thus wind up running their practices on a “seat of the pants” basis without really contemplating how the office handles issues such as returning client calls; keeping clients reasonably informed of significant developments in their cases; how employment is accepted or declined; providing clients with their files upon termination of the relationship; or calendaring important deadlines.  All of these areas mentioned above, as well as others, if not logically addressed in the way we operate our offices, are potential sources of trouble with the State Bar, not to mention our liability carriers.

                You may want to consider developing a written office plan to address how your office will deal with these and other items of practice on a day to day, logical and regular basis.  Before you dismiss such a suggestion out of hand because your practice is too small to warrant such a step, you should know that a simple office plan can be developed to cover the day to day operation of your office in five to ten typewritten pages.  Development and implementation of such a plan will result in a smoother operation of your practice, allowing you to concentrate on what you do best, and will lessen the likelihood that you will become a target of a State Bar discipline investigation.

                I am available to discuss the development of such a written office plan that will fit your individual needs and budget.