Work From Home Tips for Attorneys

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve, law firms and other businesses nationwide are making the decision to work from home. The CASEpeer office is doing the same and we want to share our own work-from-home tips to assure your days are meaningful and productive – no matter where you are. Here are a few tips from our team:

1. Maintain the Same Schedule & Work Breaks

Start off by staying consistent with your schedule as if you were going into the office. This means getting up, fixing breakfast, and beginning your day at the same times you normally would. So, if you start your mornings off by making a to-do list or answering emails, make that list and answer those emails. A structured day will help you stay productive.

Being at home, you no longer have the same cues for when to take breaks or lunch. That makes it even more important to schedule breaks into your calendar. Whether you make lunch or squeeze in a home work-out, scheduling interruptions will maintain the structure of your day and clear your mind.

2. Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries is important and this begins with creating an actual work space at home. By no means do you need an expensive dual-monitor setup with a fancy keyboard. All this means to say is you need a physical space dedicated to working productively and free from distractions.

Boundaries also apply to other people sharing your space. Whether a significant other, a roommate, or a child, be sure to set boundaries and adjust expectations accordingly. Doing so will ensure your most important times for working are respected.

3. Stay in Touch with Colleagues and Loved Ones

Practicing social distancing doesn’t mean you have to isolate yourself from colleagues and loved ones. In fact, we highly encourage staying in contact with others.

While the CASEpeer team certainly misses our face-to-face interactions, video-conferencing and workspace apps like Slack allow us to both stay connect and keep our team accountable. We can’t imagine running a business without staying in touch with colleagues, can you?

4. Harness the Appropriate Technology

Technology is what empowers many of us to work from home, so it’s vital to get your your tech organized.

For the hardware, you’ll obviously need a computer and a reliable internet connection. Law firm partners should communicate to associates and staff whether they can work from personal laptops or if they will need to take home their desktop computers. This includes gathering the accessories that will make things easier – keyboards, mouses, monitors, and ergonomic accessories.

For software, you’ll need to be sure to have the necessary apps installed to work remote. For office meetings your firm should be looking into functionality with services such as Zoom, Slack, GoToMeeting, and Skype. Moreover, it’s difficult to complete quality remote work without being connected to the Cloud. Using DropBox and Google Drive is a common tool for storing case documents, but having access to a cloud-based case management software is what will allow your firm to perform truly seamless work – no matter where you are.

CASEpeer is a case management software for personal injury firms that sits completely on the cloud. With CASEpeer, all you’ll need is a stable internet connection to remotely work through your law firm’s caseload – from client intake all the way to settlement disbursement.

Additionally, CASEpeer comes equipped with powerful management reports, to keep track of employee productivity so you can better evaluate how hard your staff is working. If your law firm is exploring its work from home options, schedule a demo with us to learn how CASEpeer empowers its users to effectively work remotely.

5. Be Adaptable

Current circumstances are changing every day. Your team may be working at home with their children, staff members may fall ill. We are all in this together. Law firms will continue to do their best to serve clients in this days and weeks to come, and clients will understand if things don’t happen as fast as they usually would.