Top 10 Time-Saving Tips for Law Practices

Time is a law firm’s most valuable resource—so why waste it on repetitive admin, inefficient processes, and outdated systems? Adopting the right strategies and tools can make a difference whether you are a boutique or a more extensive practice. Automating client intake with solutions like Settify can drastically reduce administrative burden, freeing lawyers to focus on what really matters—their clients. In this article, we’ll explore practical time management tips that can help transform your firm’s efficiency and client experience.

Use Automation

When looking at tools to automate your family law practice, start with the areas that cause the most time drain. Here’s a simple roadmap to get started:

• Identify Repetitive Tasks: List of routine tasks that consume a large portion of your day. Typical candidates include client intake, document creation, appointment scheduling, and billing.
• Choose the Right Tools: Look for legal-specific automation tools tailored to family law practices. For instance, Settify’s client intake platform automates client information gathering, freeing up your time to focus on strategic case management.
• Integrate Automation into Your Workflow: Implement automation tools that seamlessly integrate with your current practice management system. This ensures a smooth transition and minimal disruption to your workflow.
• Monitor and Adjust: Once you’ve started using automation, regularly review its impact on your practice. Track the time saved and gather feedback from clients on their experience. Doing so will help you fine-tune your processes and make the most of your automation tools.

Track Time Precisely with Legal-Specific Tools

Accurate time-tracking is vital for profitability in law practices, but it can be time-consuming without the right tools. Using the best legal time-tracking tools for law firms simplifies this process, helping you log hours, manage tasks, and generate billing reports efficiently.

Top Tools to Consider

1. LEAP: This PMS includes intelligent timekeeping that automatically logs billable hours, simplifying billing and providing insights into productivity.
2. Smokeball AutoTime: Automatically records time spent on tasks, documents, emails, and phone calls, making time tracking effortless and accurate.
3. Toggl: A flexible, user-friendly tool that integrates with many legal systems.
4. Bill4Time: Designed for law firms, offering time-tracking and quick conversion of logs into invoices.

How Time-Tracking Improves Efficiency

• Enhance Billing Accuracy: Log hours directly against each case to account for every minute of work.
• Time Management Insights: Highlights inefficiencies to help optimise workflows.
• Reduce=Administrative Work: Automate billing, reducing errors and manual calculations.
• Enhanced Client Trust: Provides clients with detailed, itemised invoices that justify legal fees.

What to Look for in Legal Time-Tracking Tools—and Why You Need Them

The best legal-specific time-tracking tools do more than just log hours—they streamline operations to enhance accuracy and client trust. Key features to look for include:

• Matter-Based Time Logging: You can record hours directly against specific matters to ensure precise billing and reduce missed entries.
• Automated Invoicing: Generate invoices effortlessly from tracked time, saving admin time and reducing errors.
• Compliance Tools: Ensure your billing practices meet legal and ethical standards.
• Detailed Reporting: Gain insight into billable vs. non-billable hours, helping you identify inefficiencies and optimise your firm’s workflows.

Where to start?: Try free trials of various tools to find one that integrates seamlessly with your current workflow, including client management and billing systems.

Streamline Client Intake with Smart Legal Tech

Client intake is a critical but often time-consuming process for law firms. Traditional methods, like lengthy static forms and manual information gathering, can drain valuable time and introduce errors. Legal tech solutions, such as Settify’s client intake platform, streamline onboarding, ensuring all relevant information is collected efficiently.

Benefits of Using Legal Tech for Client Intake

• Efficiency: Automated intake speeds up data collection, reducing time spent on repetitive tasks.
• Accuracy: Automated forms minimise errors and missing information, leading to more productive consultations.
• Enhanced Client Experience: A smooth, online intake process puts clients at ease, helping them feel more comfortable.

Automated Document Collection

With a solution like Settify, clients can upload necessary documents through a secure online portal. Automated reminders ensure timely submissions, eliminating the need for manual follow-ups.

• Convenience: Clients upload documents at their convenience, reducing back-and-forth communication.
• Security: Sensitive information is securely stored, ensuring privacy compliance.
• Error Reduction: The intuitive guided submission minimises the possibility of missing key information or relevant documents.

Pre-Consultation Information Gathering

Collecting detailed client information before the initial consultation is essential. Settify’s platform simplifies this with online pre-consultation forms, allowing clients to provide key details about their matter upfront.

• Time-Saving: The dynamic, online questionnaire saves significant time compared to manual data collection.
• Informed Consultations: Lawyers are better prepared with all relevant background information.

Improved Client Experience: Clients complete forms at their own pace and space, reducing the stress of in-person paperwork.

Prioritise Tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple tool that helps you prioritise by categorising tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance:

• Urgent & Important (Do Now): Immediate actions like court dates and critical client consultations. These tasks need your full attention right away.
  • Example: Filing time-sensitive documents.
• Not Urgent but Important (Plan): Tasks that support long-term goals, such as case preparation and professional development. Schedule time for these to prevent future emergencies.
  • Example: Strategic planning and marketing efforts.
• Urgent but Not Important (Delegate): Tasks that feel pressing but don’t significantly impact your goals. Delegate these to staff or automate them.
  • Example: Routine admin work or non-urgent emails.
• Not Urgent & Not Important (Eliminate): Distractions that don’t contribute to your practice. Minimise or remove these activities.
  • Example: Excessive social media use or unnecessary meetings.

Get Started: Take a few minutes daily to sort your tasks into the four quadrants and adjust as needed.

Implement Time-Blocking Techniques

Time-blocking is a simple yet effective way to organise your day by assigning specific blocks of time to different activities. 

Steps to EffectiveTime-Blocking

• List Tasks: Identify weekly tasks, including casework, meetings, and admin duties.
• Estimate Time: Allocate realistic time slots for each task.
• Create Your Schedule: Block out time using a digital calendar, assigning high-priority work to your most productive hours.
• Review Weekly: Adjust your schedule based on what worked and didn’t.

Tools: Use Google Calendar, Trello, or time-tracking software like LEAP to assist with time-blocking efforts.

Use Document Management Systems

A Document Management System (DMS) centralises and organises documents, making them easily accessible while enhancing security.

Key Benefits of a Legal DMS

• Quick Document Retrieval: Advanced search features allow you to find files by keywords, client names, or dates in seconds.
• Organised Storage: Create folders by case, client, or document type for easy access.
• Collaboration: Team members can access and work on documents simultaneously, with version control to track changes.
• Enhanced Security: Built-in encryption and access controls ensure sensitive information is protected and compliant with privacy regulations.

Integration: Many DMS platforms integrate with legal tools like Settify, streamlining document collection during client intake.

Automated Document Creation

Some DMS platforms offer document automation, using templates to generate standardised forms like engagement letters. Information derived from the Settify questionnaire can be used to  populate forms, saving time and reducing manual errors.

Choosing the Right DMS

Look for a system that is:

• User-Friendly: Easy uploads, categorisation, and retrieval.
• Secure: Offers encryption and access controls.
• Integrated: Works seamlessly with tools like Settify.

 Delegate Non-Legal Tasks

Effective delegation helps free up time, reduces stress, and allows you to focus on delivering quality legal services.

Engage Reliable Support

• Leverage Virtual Assistants: For smaller tasks, use platforms like Upwork or Fiverr or virtual assistants familiar with legal work.
• Use Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO): Outsource complex functions, like legal research, to LPO firms while ensuring data security.

Tips for Effective Delegation

• Implement SOPs: Provide training and employ standard operating procedures to ensure consistency.
• Use Tech Tools: Project management tools like Trello, Monday or Asana can assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.

Delegate non-legal tasks and pair this strategy with automation tools like Settify’s client intake platform to streamline your workflow further. Learn how Settify can support your practice’s efficiency.

Automate Client Communication

Client communication is vital, but managing every touchpoint can quickly become time-consuming. Automating these interactions ensures consistency, improves efficiency, and keeps clients informed every step of the way.

Using Automated Tools for Smarter Communication

• Appointment Reminders: Reduce no-shows with automated meeting reminders.
• Document Requests: Prompt clients to submit necessary paperwork by set deadlines.
• Matter Updates: Send templated updates aligned to key milestones, such as “Your matter has been filed.”
• Post-Meeting Summaries: Automatically send a discussion recap and suggested next steps following client consultations.
• Regular Check-Ins: Maintain engagement with scheduled touchpoints throughout the client journey.

Choosing the Right Tool

Look for applications that integrate with your practice management system, offer customisable templates, and prioritise secure communication to maintain a consistently polished experience. 

Benefits

• Consistency: Ensure no missed updates or communication gaps.
• Time-Saving: Automated routine interactions free up time for complex tasks.
• Improved Organisation: The ability to track messages and ensure no missed communication.

CTA: Elevate your Client Communication with Settify

Settify enables seamless, automated client engagement—keeping your clients informed and engaged. Explore Settify today.

Invest in Continuous Training and Development

The legal landscape constantly evolves, making ongoing training essential to staying competitive and efficient. Regularly updating your skills helps you adopt new tools, streamline processes, and deliverbetter client service.

Focus Areas for Training

• Legal Tech Tools: Attend workshops and webinars to build confidence using tools for document management, client intake, and time tracking.
  • Example: When implementing a new DMS, invest in training to learn its advanced features and reduce the learning curve.
• Settify Platform: Take advantage of Settify’s training resources and online support hub to fully leverage its features, including automated client reminders.
  • Example: Regularly participate in Settify’s webinars to stay updated on new functionalities.
• Internal Training: Organise regular in-house sessions to ensure your team understands how to use core systems effectively.
• Quarterly Refresher Courses: Revisit tools and workflows with periodic training that covers updates, advanced tips, and addresses questions, keeping your team skilled and efficient.

Regularly Review and Optimise Workflow Processes

Periodically reviewing processes, you can identify inefficiencies, streamline operations, and enhance productivity and client service. Law firms that regularly review and optimise their workflows see increased productivity as they scale their practice.

Why Workflow Optimisation Matters

Regularly refining workflows uncovers unnoticed issues, such as redundant steps in client intake, time-consuming document management, or communication delays. This ultimately frees up time for billable work and reduces stress.

How to Review and Optimise Workflows

1. Conduct a Workflow Audit: Map out key processes—client intake, billing, case management—to identify areas for improvement.
   • Example: List all steps in the client intake process to identify bottlenecks or redundancies.
2. Identify Inefficiencies: Look for time-consuming tasks, such as manual data entry or document retrieval.
   • Tip: Gather feedback from your team to gain insights into recurring issues.
3. Implement Improvements: Automate repetitive processes using tools like Settify for client intake, centralise document management and use task management software for streamlined matter tracking.
4. Set Measurable Metrics: Define clear metrics to track your improvements, such as time saved during client onboarding or a reduction in overdue tasks.
5. Schedule Regular Reviews: Periodically review your workflows (monthly, quarterly) to assess the impact of changes and refine processes as needed.

Examples of Optimisation

• Automate Client Intake: Settify collects detailed client information online, saving time.
• Streamline Billing: Implement automated invoicing to reduce manual work and speed up cash flow.
• Centralise Documents: Adopt a document management system to securely store and access files.

Conclusion: Achieving Work-Life Balance through Effective Time Management

Excellent legal work demands time, attention, and focus. , It’s about working smarter, prioritising high-impact activities, and creating streamlined systems. Doing so reduces stress, minimises burnout, and makes room for what truly matters: providing quality legal services and enjoying life outside work.

Recap: Key Strategies for Better Time Management

• Leverage Automation: Use tools like Settify to automate client intake, follow-ups, and document management.
• Utilise Time-Tracking: Implement legal-specific software to track billable hours accurately.
• Prioritise with the Eisenhower Matrix: Focus on urgent and important tasks first.
• Delegate Non-Legal Tasks: Free up time by handing off administrative work to support staff.
• Optimise Workflows: Regularly review and streamline processes.
• Invest in Training: Stay updated on legal tech and best practices.

CTA: Try Settify’s Solutions for Streamlined Client Engagement and Intake.

Hundreds of lawyers globally trust Settify to streamline client engagement. Join them—book a free demo today.

FAQs: Answering Common Questions

1. What is the best time management tip for law practices?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, but prioritising tasks using methods like the Eisenhower Matrix is highly effective. It helps you differentiate between urgent and important tasks, ensuring you focus on high-impact activities like case preparation and client consultations.

Another top strategy is leveraging legal-specific technology like Settify’s client intake platform to automate administrative tasks. Automating client intake, document management and client follow-ups frees up time for billable work and improves overall efficiency.

2. How can automation help lawyers save time?

Automation streamlines routine tasks, reducing manual work and improving workflow. Here’s how:

• Automated Client Intake: Platforms like Settify collect client information online, saving time and reducing back-and-forth communication.
• Document Management: Automated tools organise, store, and retrieve documents efficiently.
• Ongoing Communication: Automated email tools handle appointment reminders, document requests, and case updates, keeping clients informed without extra effort.
• Billing: Automated invoicing ensures accurate time tracking, reducing administrative workload and improving cash flow.

3. How can lawyers implement workflow optimisation in their practice?

Workflow optimisation involves regularly reviewing and improving internal processes. Here’s a quick guide:

• Conduct an Audit: Identify key processes (client intake, billing) and identify inefficiencies.
• Pinpoint Bottlenecks: Look for tasks slowing your workflow, like manual data entry.
• Implement Improvements: Automate routine tasks and adopt tools like Settify for client intake.
• Set Clear Metrics: Measure time spent on tasks to monitor the effectiveness of optimisations.

4. How can lawyers achieve a better work-life balance?

Work-life balance is possible with effective time management. Key strategies include:

• Prioritising Tasks: Use methods like the Eisenhower Matrix to focus on critical work.
• Automating Routine Tasks: Automate client intake, follow-ups, and document management to reduce time on non-billable activities.
• Delegating: Handoff non-legal tasks to support staff or external professionals.
• Setting Boundaries: Use time-blocking to separate work and personal time, preventing burnout.

5. What are the best tools for time management in a law practice?

• Client Intake Platforms: Use Settify to automate client information collection.
• Document Management Systems: Tools like Smokeball organise and store documents.
• Time-Tracking Software: TimeSolv and Bill4Time accurately record billable hours and manage tasks.
• Automated Email Tools: Platforms like Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign automate client follow-ups and reminders.

These tools work together to create an efficient practice, allowing lawyers to optimise their time and enhance client service.