Sometimes, the simplest changes can have the biggest
impacts. And one of the simplest is to
have better organization of you files (both paper and electronic)
This is a real bugaboo for many attorneys – who often waste
hours looking for specific documents; who make multiple copies of documents to
avoid losing one, and who often drown in reams of paper.
The switch to electronic documents (and “paperless” systems)
hasn’t always had the effect on better organization that proponents would have
thought. Now, instead of searching
through paper, attorneys search through poorly named files to try to find the
right document or form.
Obviously, the best way to solve both these problems is to
implement (and, most importantly, follow) systems – a document intake
procedure, a set of standard folders (both paper and electronic), and file-naming
conventions (for electronic files)
Of course, though, the best system will fail if the attorney
and their staff don’t follow it.
Training oneself to abide by systems requires discipline and isn’t
always fun (especially for solos who might not enjoy “admin work”) but it’s
absolutely necessary and will reward itself many times over.
