How Solo Attorney Joleena Louis boosted productivity through partnering with a Virtual Assistant

Joleena Louis Esq, Owner and Attorney at Joleena Louis Law, New York

When it comes to running a solo, boutique or virtual law firm, it’s not uncommon for lawyers to find the administrative side of things overwhelming to say the least.  With so many things competing for your attention on a daily basis, you can quickly find yourself juggling or multi-tasking, focusing on the legal work at the expense of the business development and administration or vice-verca.  

This is where a virtual assistant comes in. 

Many law firms have either never heard of the concept of a virtual assistant or are hesitant about hiring a virtual assistant because of the perceived barriers to utilising this type of service in the legal field.

I recently spoke (virtually) with Joleena Louis Esq, a New York Attorney who practices exclusively in the area of Family Law, about how outsourcing the administration of her practice has given her more time to focus on the things that make her business a success, as well as how she navigated the potential barriers of working with a virtual assistant.

 Joleena, could we start by getting a brief overview of your professional experience and the areas of law in which you specialise?

I graduated from Hofstra Law in NY in 2010 and have practiced divorce and family law since then. After working for boutique firms for a couple years, I started my own practice in 2013. 

With your years of experience practicing law, do you feel that the industry has been quick to embrace advancements in technology and the new ways of working it creates, such as such as cloud based software and paperless offices? 

I think the legal industry has be very slow to embrace new technology when compared to other industries. Especially lawyers who have been practicing for a long time. Newer lawyers seem more willing to fully embrace cloud technology.  

Can you tell me a little about the support structure you have in place at Joleena Louis Law? 

 Right now I am a solo attorney and I like to think of my practice as mobile. I’m always on the go have to be able to work from anywhere. In any given week I can work from my office in Manhattan, my home office in Brooklyn, or various coffee shops near courts in all 5 boroughs. Because of this, my office is paperless and I heavily rely on the cloud.  I’m at the point where I need assistance but I’m not quite ready to hire a full time legal assistant or paralegal. 

Having embraced the use of a Virtual Assistant, can you please provide some insights into your experience? Were you hesitant, or did you have any reservations about the use of a Virtual Assistant? If yes, what were these reservations and how were they overcome?

I was very hesitant about using a virtual assistant, primarily because I have a really hard time giving up control. Being responsible for everything on my own for so long made it really difficult for me to let someone else take over even minor tasks. I also had a hard time determining what to delegate to the virtual assistant.  Finally I decided to reach out to a few to talk about how they could help my practice and I became more comfortable with the idea of using one. 

What drove you to consider working with a Virtual Assistant?

I considered working with a virtual assistant when my caseload got so big that I need help, but I didn’t want to hire someone full time or pay for office space for them. 

A day in the life… How has the use of a Virtual Assistant changed your working day?

I use my virtual assistant’s on a project basis. I work with two right now that I contact when things start to get overwhelming. If one is busy, the other is usually available. This has been a life saver for me. I only pay when I need the services and it’s definitely made me a more efficient attorney. 

Do you feel that the absence of direct ‘face to face’ interaction with your assistant, given he/she is not physically co-located with you, has made your working relationship, style preferences and ability to communicate well, more difficult?

Not at all. With Skype and FaceTime it’s easy to get that face to face communication when you need it. Since my practice is on the cloud, it’s very easy to communicate and share information. 

A few of the reservations that I have encountered from the Australian legal industry around the use of a Virtual Assistant have been concerns regarding client confidentiality, conflict management and the ability to integrate with client systems – how did you overcome these barriers?

Client confidential was a huge concern for me as well. I include a confidentiality clause in my contract with the virtual assistant and, at this time, I only use my virtual assistant for administrative tasks and don’t share sensitive information. 

How has the partnership you’ve formed with your Virtual Assistant helped you personally?

Working with a virtual assistant has helped me personally by making me a less stressed in my everyday life. 

In forming the partnership with your Virtual Assistant, what did you identify as being the key traits and qualities of a great Virtual Assistant?

It was important to me to find a virtual assistant that followed directions, wasn't afraid to ask for clarification, and met the deadlines we agreed on.    They quickly responded to communication and had an open and friendly demeanor. 

Can you please explain some of the benefits you have experienced through your use of a Virtual Assistant? What have been some of the challenges? What has surprised you?

The main benefit of hiring a virtual assistant is more time to work on the things that make my business money. The biggest change for me was finding the right fit, but once I did it was smooth sailing. 

What final points of advice would you share with lawyers considering partnering with a Virtual Assistant?

My best advice would be to give your virtual assistant clear instruction and expectations about what you need. And don’t be afraid to work with more than one if they have different skillsets. 

Engaging a virtual assistant will involve an initial investment of your time in understanding what you need support with and how you can best work with your virtual assistant.  This said, the reward and time savings that come from forming a efficient and well functioning Lawyer-VA relationship are well worth it.

If you are interested in using a virtual assistant or to find out a bit more, please contact Katie Leupin of KDL Virtual, we would love to speak with you today.