The Gazette 1994

GAZETTE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1994

cheque and cheque stub or counterpart. Install a house rule "no reference, no cheque". Allow no cheques to be issued in anticipation of payment or transfer from another matter, "no money, no cheque". Insist on the bank returning your paid cheques, without charge. - Don't allow chargeable expenditure to be swallowed in the nominal ledger. Don't post office cheques to client account or vice versa; you'll either lose money or be struck off the roll . . . or both! Index bills furnished by means of a card-index or computer listing. Take them out regularly and send reminders. If you are not paid, get nasty, . . . sue. Preparing a budget is not as difficult as it sounds. Once you start, it is easy to keep up. This can be modelled manually or on a computer using a spreadsheet. Some computerised accounts systems include this option as an integrated part. When you set budgets you have to consider office costs in every area e.g. salaries, phones, insurance, heating etc. You will be shocked when you realise the constant increase in these costs as related to your income whether recovered or charged. A solicitor who obliges himself to set his budgets for the year will be more likely to charge his clients realistically. For further details, see Professional Management of a Solicitors Practice Andrews & Purton (Longman). 8. Delegation/Structure. Who Does What? Lawyers must delegate. This needs a system. Decide who delegates what and to whom, and stick to it. Don't allow poaching or hoarding, for any reason (it's surprising how many clients survive despite the death of their solicitors). If you delegate, keep an eye on the work. Have meetings about it; ensure that it gets done. Track the work using a reporting system that obliges the delegate to report progress (or lack of it). This requires a system to be put in place. Whether it is a list on the back of an

envelope or a diary based computer system, it is important that the rules of delegation be followed carefully. Delegation implies a structure or profile for the legal firm. The legal firm will benefit from a system whereby the roles of every member of the firm are spelled out. Prepare an office manual. If you don't want to write one from scratch, a sample Office Manual is available in book or computer disk from the Law Society of England and Wales (Contact Cillian MacDomhnaill, Practice . Management Committee, Law Society, Dublin). 9. Time Recording Time recording is used as an internal method of assessing better ways to do work and can assist in preparing bills for clients. It requires commitment to implement it successfully. A computer is not necessary for this purpose but, if you wish to run such a system profitably over a number of members of staff, it is not feasible to carry out time recording without a computer system. Manual time recording is available from Safeguard or alternatively is described in a publication known as The Expense of Time (available from the English Law Society). If you take the trouble and time now to install a time recording method you will be in a position to benefit in the future if time costing becomes the norm. 10. Computers, "The Lies" What about computers? Some firms thought that they would cure all ills and make pots of money by computerising. No ills were cured, new ills caused, offices in turmoil and nobody made any money (except the computer companies). The cause? . . . solicitors know as little about computers as computer companies know about solicitors' offices. A computer system will give you word processing, access to precedents quickly, the ability to list clients,

properly. The writer has heard more nonsense talked about computers than any other subject, particularly by lawyers. Computers are not easy to deal with (no matter what the salesman says); they won't run your office; they won't get you out of a mess and they do break down, usually at the wrong time. But, if you want to introduce system and method to your practice, computers are the only real answer. Computer suppliers to the legal profession are set out in the Technology Handbook of the Law Society Technology Committee,

available (free) on request to Veronica Donnelly at the Law Society. •Frank Lanigan, Solicitor, is a member of the Practice Committee of the Law Society.

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Management

'Royal College of f Surgeons in Ireland

ALEGACYORDONATION

in favour of The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland contributes to medical education and training and important research.

Please think of us!

For further details contact: The Registrar, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2. Tel: (01) 4780200 Charity No. CHY 1277

English Agents: Agency work undertaken for Irish solicitors in both litigation and non-contentious matters - including legal aid. Fearon & Co., Solicitors, Westminster House, 12 The Broadway, Woking, Surrey GU21 5AU.

Tel: 0044-483-726272. Fax: 0044-483-725807.

wills, deeds, closed files, accounts and record time . . . provided it is handled

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