A tale of two cities..... By Linda L. Long, Q.C.
1. What was the inspiration behind the Virtual Law Office?
I was born in Lethbridge; my husband in Edmonton. We married 33 years ago, had three children, have five grandchildren – and two busy professional careers. Our hearts have always been in the prairies, but our work has taken us across Canada through military service, and back to Edmonton where we raised our sons. In 1986 I became a family law lawyer and in 1992 I added family mediation to my practice. My husband became a Health Services Administrator.
Important work came to Peter, the Edmontonian, in Lethbridge. Family law kept calling Linda, the Lethbridgian, to work in Edmonton. A commute began - and the challenge arose. How would we live and work in two cities half a province apart? It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. We needed a revolution....in our thinking. Fortunately, it was not 1789.
Faced with the desire to go south often (my husband now living there), I needed to be able to work more off-site. Expanding my practice into southern Alberta seemed to be a logical next step. And then, of course, since I was driving to and fro so often, was there any reason not to see rural clients along the way? There was a shortage of family law practitioners in the south, apparently....So……………..
And that is how I came to develop a virtual law practice using a six-inch notebook, remote firm access, and a smart phone. To answer the challenge of maintaining quality legal services while sustaining a long term marriage, I had to rethink my exclusively “bricks and mortar” service delivery and get truly creative - which meant going to the clients, sometimes in person, more often in virtual reality.
I entreated the universe to send me what I needed - an IT Consultant from heaven. My existing IT service provider could not respond to what I wanted - someone who could hold my hand during my growing pains and tell me what to buy, when to buy it, how to use it, and then provide aftercare and firm management support.
But, in response to my call, Casey MacDonald of SrvTools Inc. emerged out of the fabric of the universe. Casey had it all, and I was happy to hire him to be my “alpha and omega” techie and IT guru. I trained my staff in supporting substantive legal service delivery using the remote model, and as we all learned, they trained me in how to “think tech” ….
I was launched. Casey and I, along with my trusty office manager, Desiree Birch, began to develop and implement plans for a virtual law office. Since Casey will be joining this blog a little later, I won’t try to reconstruct our technical history. He’s the “go-to-guy” for that. But I was helped along significantly by a CBA webinar “Top Ten Technologies for the Small Law Office” and by reading everything and anything I could get by Stephanie Kimbro, the original virtual lawyer in the U.S. Her work has now been absorbed by a company called Total Attorneys, which expands the product daily. Although I don’t use them, I keep up with their developments and, in micro, try to advance my own boutique firm’s needs.
Along the way I acquired a single parent associate lawyer who needed time flexibility. The VLO operation suited her scheduling needs to a tee. She worked late daily by remote from home, came in for client interviews and support needs, and was able to meet client needs after hours without compromising her own parenting needs. She was with me four years working with this model.
2. What requirements did it have in terms of start-up and execution?
Casey will take this on in more detail, but from my perspective, there were a number of key needs to get started. I am sure there are many more, but these come to mind.
1. Team ethics, teamwork, goal and project focus.
2. A top notch IT consultant working with in-house tech manager - after hours on call availability..
3. A reliable web host and a static IP address.
4. Smart Technology - a tablet - networked.
5. Web Cams/Projector, Bizhub. Kick-ass server.
6. Encrypted remote access.
7. Backups on backups.
8. Exchange Server and network.
9. Strong anti-virus software and security protocols.
10. Lap top, 6" Notebook and a Smart phone
11. Advertising exposure province-wide.
12. Loyal and tech-savvy staff enthusiastic about doing things in new ways.
13. Policies and procedures promoting paperless files and remote functionality.
14. Investment funds.
15. And did I mention teamwork?
3. What benefits does it provide to you to operate virtually?
I accept family law clients from all over Alberta now. Thinking virtually has opened up new worlds and locations. I have been able to do some traveling while operating a small law office by remote access. I’ve upgraded my hardware as technology has advanced and I now use a Netbook, Iphone and Ipad.
My associate, initially my student, was able to maintain work life balance - a key value for her. Ultimately she relocated to Vancouver, her original home, but I understand she is seeking out the virtual model in that jurisdiction too.
4. Are there any aspects you would change?
I would spend less time on the bricks and mortar investments, and more time on firm exposure, sustaining technological change and training momentum, professional upgrading and skill development, research and growth of the concept to meet client needs. I would also spend even more time on team development, because a solid infrastructure is critical to the success of a VLO, unless you choose to practice entirely alone - and even then, in my opinion, you have to have some support anchored in a home base somewhere. It is misleading to think that one can live entirely in the clouds - at least, not in a divorce practice. Clients want real people helping during tough emotional times. A voice on the phone - immediate advice during times of crisis - quick written replies and case momentum, even when the lawyer is not physically present, are essential. I would spend as much, or more, on the technology - and even more on the staff who are important to the success of the model I have developed. Treating staff as what they are, members of our “case management team”, pays dividends in increased client case momentum, loyalty, and career satisfaction. It is important to clients that their needs are consistently met by the entire team.
5. Is there an experience working within the Virtual Law Office that is particularly memorable?
It was a Saturday and I was in my Edmonton location; a colleague in Grande Prairie had a client in his office in Grande Prairie who needed child support advice immediately about an unusually difficult situation. Using virtual resources, I video-conferenced the lawyer and his client into my desktop monitor, created a child support screen, gave visual control of the screen to the lawyer while I described what they were seeing through a speaker phone. Marc’s client was delighted with the information - and with her lawyer’s ability to answer a tough question with help from Edmonton.
It was exciting to think of the possibilities that lay ahead for remote work and facilitating access to justice to a rural public.
6. Do you see other practitioners implementing aspects of the Virtual Law Office into their practice; how?
Technological change is moving so rapidly that these days almost everyone can work remotely; Ipads and Iphones are changing the way I practice on a daily basis. I think that this model - call it what you will, virtual, or remote, or paperless, or offsite practice - is the answer for family law, which does not respect regular business hours.
Moving into this model has allowed me to travel and still stay in practice. These days the office is wherever I am, provided that I have invested in good systems and a team to support me when I am in the field - or in my southern Alberta home.
I often look behind me to see who the “hi-tech” person is that people acknowledge. It can’t be me, surely? I took my last bath at home at 19 in a tin wash tub. There were 100 chicks in a cardboard enclosure over the floor heater in the living room. The nights were still cold and the brooder house wasn’t warm enough yet. I heated the water for the bath on the stove, the house having no hot water heater, nor bathtub. And I flagged down a Greyhound bus out on Highway 2, carrying all my wordly effects in my single suitcase banging against my leg as I ran after the bus to carry me off to see the world.
Oh - yes - did I mention Champ, the divorce dog? Perhaps not - more about him later...................
I never imagined that a small firm would be big on technology… until I joined Long Family Law Group as a junior associate this fall. Having only been here a few weeks, I can already say that being part of this Virtual Law Office is one of the perks of this job.
Casey, our I.T. guy, set up my computer, set up remote access, and has been able to fix computer issues without even coming into the office. I have yet to put a face to the name. I anticipate that as my practice grows and I get busier, I will only come to love the VLO more. Access to email anytime, anywhere, has been great. At the end of a long weekend, as I am getting ready for bed, I find myself wondering what will be waiting for me in my email inbox when I arrive at the office the next morning, or I may ask myself if I ever did add that clause to that document I was working on Friday afternoon. All I have to do is log on remotely and do a quick check.
The firm that I was previously at did not have remote access. When I was out of the country, I set an out-of-office auto-reply stating that I would be without any access to email during that time. I asked staff to check my emails and contact me at my personal email address or at the emergency phone number I provided. I was certainly apprehensive about being entirely unavailable to my clients but there was nothing I could do about it. There was also an instance where I caught the 24-hour stomach flu and had a deadline to make for the next day. Since the file was at work and the draft document on my work computer, I ended up going in to the office after-hours when I was feeling slightly better.
At Long Family Law Group, we keep electronic files that mirror our hard files. I know that if I catch the 24-hour stomach flu again, I can make a deadline, since I can access everything I need from the comfort of home. When I am away from the office, staff can stay in touch with me by Spark – our inter-office instant messaging program. There is no longer a need for an out-of-office auto-reply to emails. In family law, where a client’s situation can change at the drop of a hat, the last thing that client needs is an auto-reply email that I am away and without access to email. The client comes first, and he or she needs to know that I am available, no matter where I am. I may be slower to respond while I am out of the office, but the client can be assured that after time away from the office, I am still up to speed on the latest developments.
I have been with Long Family Law Group family since December 2008. Everything was new for me and there was a lot to learn. I was trained to follow the office procedures and with time I could see how important it was to follow the process that was in place which eventually got even better.
For example, all of our documents, correspondences, court and meeting notes are scanned to our electronic file directory so our client files mirror each other in the hard copies and electronically. The clients are updated on their matter electronically as things happen on their case which eliminates the backlog. The lawyers are able to access the electronic files from anywhere so in the event a lawyer is travelling and there is urgency on a file, they are able to access client’s file, provide support, advice and instruct the team. The law office travels with the lawyer. We use all electronic methods available to us to ensure customer service and prompt replies to clients.
I also remember how great it was to see a young lawyer from Grande Prairie get the support he needed to launch him and get experience and training from a senior counsel, all occurring through a click of a mouse, camera, phone and an internet connection. Support to another lawyer was given immediately as the situation required attention.
In Family Law you should expect the unexpected and crisis does not ask what time of the day it is. With a virtual system the legal advice is provided to people in need as their life unfolds and junior lawyers are able to get the mentoring they need to ensure that client’s needs are met in the justice world. I have been a part of this client service virtual team model for three years and it works!
Danijela Strong
I have been with Long Family Law Group since December of 2006 in the role of Office Manager.
Our system is very simple … whenever possible, make an electronic copy. We extensively use encrypted email as a method of communication, not only between lawyer and client, but also between lawyer and other counsel. Family Law is definitely NOT a “9 to 5” profession. It’s one thing to have electronic documents accessible when you are IN the office … but having secure access to the firm’s systems and databases from outside the office is what has allowed past and present lawyers and staff flexibility that is sometimes needed in this hectic life.
When I started at LFLG, we had a student-at-law doing her articles, who had a young family at home. I saw her trying to balance her studies, her family, and trying to start her career at the firm. Without the flexibility of having the secure remote access to her computer, she wouldn’t have been able to work/study AND be at home with her child. Once she was admitted to the bar and started her practice with us, this flexibility continued to allow her to manage her caseload around the needs of her family. She could, and DID, work until early hours of the morning, but was still able to be at home.
In 2008, Linda ventured into a mentoring relationship with a young lawyer from Grande Prairie, Marc Delacruz. The virtual model that we had created worked very well for him as well. He was able to utilize the system that we had created, and model it at his own firm. We were able to give him access to our precedents – not only just court document precedents, but also everyday administration precedents that he would need to run his firm. Documents like client retainer agreements and questionnaires, to disbursement entry sheets, billing templates, and closed file spreadsheets. We had already “invented the wheel” so he didn’t have to.
I also had the opportunity to help mentor Marc on the administration side of running his law firm. I spent some in time person with him when he came to our office going through the ESILaw program, but the majority of the training that we did was over the phone or by email. I was able to teach him how to utilize the ESILaw program for his financial transactions – posting payments, creating and posting bills, etc., as well as teach him what systems he needed to put in place regarding his business to ensure he was meeting the guidelines of the Law Society of Alberta.
Linda has also been able to manage a very busy law practice, a relationship with her husband in Lethbridge, 3 kids, numerous “adopted” kids, vacations, … well, read her blog and she’ll tell you. While my position doesn’t allow as much flexibility for remote work, I have even been able to utilize the secure remote system several times to check emails and such, while being at home with a sick child.
It’s a wonderful system … the days of being chained to your desk are over.
Desiree Birch