02 December 2009
How a Virtual Assistant Can Help a Lawyer
A lawyer, even if able to do everything, will definitely benefit from a virtual assistant. This is to ensure relief of stress in the workplace, since you now have a consistent help from someone who is highly trained to do all kinds of jobs, sort of like a jack of all trades. Your virtual assistant will be able to handle enormous workloads with flexibility, minus the overhead costs and hassle involved in hiring and orientation of temporary staff.
So what exactly does a virtual assistant offer to a lawyer that your full-time in-house assistant can’t? Well, there will definitely be times when the work load reaches its peak, that there is no way your in-house assistant can do everything by himself. This is one perfect moment for your in-house assistant to focus on the more time-sensitive tasks and off-load the less time-sensitive work to a virtual assistant.
A lawyer’s practice involves a lot of wills, corporate documents, legal forms, etc. Your virtual assistant can actually prepare these documents, along with powers of attorney, agreements, court forms from precedents, and digital dictations, and even emails and fax messages. In your busiest of moments, he can answer your emails, so you do not leave any important matter unattended. Another important task that your virtual assistant can do is to assemble photos, documents and other vital information for the evidence books. He can also prepare accounts, work on the backlogs in document production, as well as transcribe the recording of very important meetings.
Other than these administrative tasks, your virtual assistant can also do some personal tasks for you, like arrange for courier pickups and deliveries, for instance, and make dinner arrangements, book flights, order equipment and supplies. In times when you are on vacation or an important work-related travel, and you do not want to miss important email messages, your virtual assistant can contact you with only the urgent messages. In fact, you can even forward your calls to your VA’s telephone, if you think he can better respond to routine requests and queries. He can even keep a calendar and give you constant reminders for you not to miss on any of your appointments, teaching classes, project deadlines, and many others. If you want to build a reputable name for your company online, your VA can help you with that as well, by submitting articles written by you or him to electronic newsletters and credible blog sites, furthering your company’s exposure.
Truly, a virtual assistant can be a lifesaver for any lawyer. He can save you time and frustration, even if he lives a thousand miles away.