Resources

Red Cave Law Firm Consulting's Technology Blog Series (from CEO Jared D. Correia, Esq.)

2025 Quarter 3

September 24, 2025: Bought & Sold: Law Firms Can Link Booking and Payment

Booking initial consultations are essential for most law firms.  That’s how the vast majority of lawyers vet their potential clients, and determine whether or not they are a fit for the firm.  It’s also a way to test your potential client’s payment bona fides, which is why the majority of attorneys who hold initial consultation meetings, charge for those.  Of course, actually collecting that payment, has always been the hard part.

But, now: it’s a whole lot easier.

Scheduling tools and customer relationship management softwares are beginning to incorporate scheduling and payment into a single process, or unified workflow, such that booking requires initial payment.  This makes the whole process seamless, for both the potential clients and their potential lawyers.

Calendly, for example, is an automated scheduling tool that integrates with Stripe for payment.  And, users of Lawmatics, a law firm customer relationship management software, are able to tie payment and scheduling together in a segmented workflow, using the software’s proprietary tools, in order to ensure that payment happens before booking.  Zapier, which allows users to connect all sorts of softwares together, offers even more options.

Getting paid for a consultation, is simpler than ever.

September 17, 2025: Visual Basic: Two Types of KPIs for Law Firms

Law firms have not necessarily used data to their advantage, like other businesses.  But, you know what they say: better late than never!  And, if you haven’t tried launching and managing KPIs in your law firm, there’s no time like the present, for doing just that.

Now, KPIs (key performance indicators) are simply numbers derived from statistics that define part of a law firm’s process.  For example, utilization rate is a function of how much work time actually gets billed.  And, net promoter score is a function of how willing your clients are to recommend you.  And, lean methodology offers a number of process-oriented KPIs for law firms.  You get the idea.

Law firms can launch firmwide KPIs, which would apply to the firm, as whole.  Or, law firms can generate individual KPIs, for specific staff, or employees.  But, really there are at least two ways to utilize KPIs in the law firm environment.  One option is to use what I would refer to as ‘baseline’ KPIs, which are those standards that the law firm chooses to establish.  For example, our closing percentage for new leads will be 75%.  That would be a ‘baseline’ number, that the firm’s staff would be required to hit.  Or, you could take that same KPI, and understand that your firm is currently not hitting that number – but, you want them to.  Then, that same KPI can be used in an ‘aspirational’ fashion, a number that you review consistently, to hit a goal, over time.  And, of course, ‘aspirational’ KPIs can become ‘baseline’ KPIs, over time.

This isn’t entirely surprising, because KPIs are really about motivation, and incentivizing law firm employees and staff, whether that’s to hit an established goal, or to establish a goal, to hit.  The question is, really, whether you’re there yet, or you’re getting there.

September 10, 2025: Filling Station: How to Prepare Your Law Firm for Document Assembly

Most law firms that aren’t yet into it, want to get into document assembly – because they understand the advantages related to quicker document preparation = more work volume, or more time off.

But, a lot of those potential document assembly users get caught in the starting blocks – because they don’t know to prepare toward the launch of a document assembly software.  If that sounds like you: here’s how to proceed.

First, identify all of your document templates (or, precedents).  You know, the types of forms you create all the time.  Then, organize them in order, from most-used to least-used.

Second, identify the fields, in each of those documents.  What is the information that you replace each time?  Names, dates, locations, etc. – that’s what the sofware’s going to fill in, moving forward.

Third, identify the logic in each of those documents.  Those are the clauses that change, based on the client’s particular situation – that’s what the software going to determine (based on your, or your client’s, answers to questions), moving forward.

Now, start with the most-used documents, and build down from there.  And, even if you’re not coding the documents yourself, there are contractors who can help with that process – and, that process will go a lot smoother (and, will be a whole lot cheaper), if you prepare in this wise.

September 7, 2025: Happy Happy, Joy Joy: Public Displays of Affection for Your Amazing Employees Will Help You to Get More of Them

Ren & Stimpy were both right: There’s nothing that helps more in bringing in your next great employee, than praising the ones you already have.  (Well, maybe they didn’t say that exactly.)

Now, most hiring attorneys recognize that the office environment is changing in a major way – and, that’s not only with respect to where lawyers practice law nowadays.  Modern employees also want more flexibility, new opportunities + (especially) more feedback.  And, if you can provide those things, and be (or, become) a good boss, your employees will talk about it, and word will get around.  Now, the problem with that is that each of your current crop of employees has a limited network.  So, you can’t just rely on them spreading the word, in order to find your next hire.  And, the next hire is always the important one, since hiring fuels law firm growth.

So, what do you?  You have to be more public about the work experience in your law firm, so that it’s easier for potential employees to access that information. 

Here are some ideas about how to do that:

-Create a ‘Hiring’ tab on your website – even if you’re not.  It’s always a good idea to talk to candidates for roles within your organization.  Not only will it increase the size of your mental rolodex of potential hires – you might also be surprised: someone may be so compelling, that you have to hire them, even when you weren’t anticipating that!

-Create a ‘What It’s Like to Work Here’ tab, to highlight that.  Potential candidates often want to know what it’s like to work for a business – heck: it’s the main thing they want to know!  So, give the people what they want – otherwise, they can only guess, contact you directly about it or find some other business who offers them more insight, of the sort they’re looking for.=

-Highlight the work of your existing employees.  Create profiles, record videos, make social media posts.  Shine a spotlight on your staff!  They’ll love it, and it will also give potential candidates the warm & fuzzies, with respect to how much you care about your employees, and how well you treat them.  They can project the rest for themselves.

And, who knows: Maybe the next time you hire, it will be because someone contacted you!

August 30, 2025: Duly Noted: Transcription Apps Can Save You Note-Taking Time

With so many meetings now taking place online, via web conferencing tools – your notetaking responsibilities may have just gotten a whole lot easier.

Yes, lots of attorneys take meeting notes – whether they’re talking with leads, clients, other attorneys or referral sources.  It’s kind of a thing.  Maybe it stems from law school outline-making . . . or, maybe it’s just ingrained into an attorney’s psyche.  But, while note-taking is something that lawyers feel compelled to do, it’s not often easy.  Maybe you can’t read your handwriting.  Maybe it takes you even more time to consolidate what you’ve done, after you’ve already taken a boatload of notes.  Maybe you just never want to hold a pen again, and are laser-focused on using automation tools to improve your law practice.

Whatever the reason you’d like to lighten your note-taking load, there are some nifty transcription apps, that might be a fit for you.  Some of those are built into the tools you may be using right now.  Zoom, the most popular web conferencing tool, features a native transcription feature, which is now powered by (stop me if you’ve heard this before) AI.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet also include transcription features.

Of course, there are also standalone transcription tools, that can generate meeting notes – which can be utilized as integrations of the major providers listed above, as well as other web conferencing services.  On that front, check out Otter.AI, Fireflies.AI or Vowel.

If you’re looking for a new way of taking notes, you’ve now got some options with which to proceed.

August 24, 2025: New Jack City: Authenticator Apps Are a More Secure Form of Two-Factor Authentication

If you just have passwords for your technology applications, without any additional factors of authentication, it’s probably past time to start looking at solutions in that space, to better secure your confidential data.  Now, while there are different authentication factors that exist (from biometric indicators, like a fingerprint or voice recognition) to 4-digit to 6-digit codes (that come via your email or smartphone, as secondary access protocols) – the primary option that many folks utilize for business softwares is that numeric code option.  However, savvy business owners have already moved beyond that option.  And, I guess you could view that as good or bad news, depending – because it may mean that you can skip a step 😊.

Now, the reason that this traditional method of access via numeric code, in addition to the password, is falling out of favor, is really two-fold.  In the first place, the second email account from which you’re drawing the numeric code could become compromised, as well; and, with respect to the phone/SMS option, there is a tactic called sim jacking, available to hackers, through which they could access the numeric code sent via text.

So, what’s the more modern (safer) option?  That would be authentication via app(lication).  The more secure way to generate authentication is through an authenticator app.  Whereby, instead of accessing a numeric code through email or SMS, the user authenticates their identity by confirming it through an app.  Both Google and Microsoft offer authenticator apps – in fact, there are a number of different authenticator apps, which can even be used for multiple softwares.

If you’re not yet using authenticator apps, in your business – it’s time to explore the option.

August 13, 2025: Inflation: How AI Features Will Add to the Cost of Software

Legaltech software vendors, are racing to add artificial intelligence features to their products, as demand has grown for tools built for law practices – so that attorneys can shift from attempting to utilize (or attempting to avoid) general use products, like ChatGPT.  And, even if the demand for AI among lawyers has been somewhat overstated (which it probably has), lawyers will pay for AI services.

The real question is: How much?

Because what differentiates AI software from non-AI software is that technology companies are charging separately for AI tools.  And, this has not been the case previously, when lots of software features have been added to platforms, at no additional cost.  When case management software providers had previously added proprietary or white-labeled esignature tools, that feature became part of the regular platform, at the regular price.  When case management software providers built their own epayment tools, users still had to pay processing fees – but, users still got a better deal, because they no longer had to pay the platform fee for those products; instead, that was wrapped up into the product fee for the law practice management software.  But, AI tools are being sold differently.  In some cases, a single use of an AI program costs more than the monthly payment for the law practice management software.

So, the question becomes: Will lawyers pay for AI tools at that rate?

Who knows?  But, the market will make the determination as to where this lands.

August 6, 2025: The Sound of Silence: It's More Important Than Ever to Turn Off Notifications

It used to be that you only had to worry about email notifications: popping up, binging.  And, that was annoying enough.  Now, lawyers are getting notifications from everywhere: case management softwares, CRMs, Slack channels, chat feeds, Zoom chat, etc.  It’s enough to make you want to pull your hair out.

And, though the game may have changed, as these applications have expanded – the good news is that the solution remains the same.  And, that is: to turn off all your notifications!  Don’t let them ping, don’t let them pop.  In every software you use, you have power over the notification settings.  You just need to access those, and make the changes you require.

The crux of any time management program centers on the ability to retain focus by refusing to try to multitask, and to limit distractions.  If you can eliminate notifications, so that you can review those messages and prompts, on your own time, your efficiency will crash through the roof.

August 1, 2025: It’s Not Me, It’s You: Website Design Is for the Consumer

I was talking to a business owner the other day, and he was reluctant to design a website.  He doesn’t want the focus to be on him.  He wants everything to be about the clients he serves.  Now, this person was not a lawyer; but, I also hear this sentiment from lawyers regularly, as well.  They believe that their websites have to focus on them, in order to be compelling to legal consumers.  And, that’s why so many law firm websites focus almost entirely on lawyers’ credentials.  Now, while that information is important for consumers to access, you can’t just stop there.

That’s because what consumers really want to know is how a lawyer can help them with their legal situations.  So, law firms and the attorneys that would work for them, should focus their marketing efforts in answering those questions, whenever possible.  And, not only does that thesis work effectively for designing websites, it’s also perfectly applicable to creating content, posting on social media and even conversing with new referral sources.

Attorneys don’t like to make marketing about themselves; but, neither does anyone else.  So, the more client-focused your marketing can be, the more leads you’ll entice, and the more clients you’ll convert.

It works out for everybody.

July 22, 2025: Regular Show: Client Maintenance Plans Are Picking Up Steam with Law Firms

As law firms (slowly) try to dig out from under the hourly billing model (trap?), a new sort of approach is starting to gain some ground.  It’s kind of like a legal insurance policy, and it allows law firms to acquire recurring revenue.  ‘Client maintenance plans’ are mostly being used by estate planning and elderlaw attorneys, at this stage – but, the model could also potentially be adopted by firms in other practice areas.

Client maintenance programs are a spin on subscription services, where the client has access to included services, as well as regular updates to documentation.  For estate planning attorneys, that could include access to lawyers, updates to estate plans and document libraries.  Here's a useful article on how to build a client maintenance program, for an estate planning firm.  And, here’s how one law firm advertises such a program.

But, launching a version of a client maintenance program, in another practice area, is just a matter of creative thinking – which it can also be in the estate planning world, as well, as lawyers seek to differentiate themselves from their competition.  It would be pretty easy for a thoroughgoing outside corporate counsel, for example, to generate a tailored program for her business clients.

If you feel like your pricing has been getting you down, and as if you’re far too often trading time for money – there may be another pathway available to you.

July 20, 2025: Forest for the Trees: Law Firm Business Management Requires Focus

There’s that really old saying that negates the value of hyperfocus, wherein some one person critiques another by saying that they ‘can’t see the forest for the trees’.  Basically, it means that you can’t see the big picture.  And, of course, seeing ‘the big picture’, in the sense that you have a vision for your business, is important.  But, you can also get lost in the big picture, too.

Many attorneys, especially solo and small firm lawyers, get lost in the sauce – they can only see the forest, and become overwhelmed; consequently, they are frozen, and can’t seem to take any positive action.  So, sometimes, it helps to look at just one, single tree.  In terms of a law firm’s business operations, that really means creating a project list, and focusing on just one project at a time.  That’s a great way to get unstuck, if you are – and, most business management philosophies strive to get business owners to concentrate in this fashion, anyway.

So, if you feel like you’re stuck in neutral, maybe you just need to focus up, and get that one next thing done.

July 7, 2025: Trial by Fire: Lawyers Don't Have to Be Perfect, When It Comes to Business Management

Running a business, really, is conducting one big experiment.  You’re continually testing hypotheses, and seeing whether they work.  You need to make frequent adjustments, to tweak things, for the better.  You could say that a business owner is like a scientist – perhaps a less glamorous analogy would be that it’s like owning an old car, that you constantly have to fix.

In any event, no successful business owner has a perfect record.  Though, that’s not a bad thing, necessarily.  Making mistakes, iterating on them, and improving – is basically what business owners do.

Of course, that can be a difficult thing for law firm business owners to get their heads around.  That’s because most of them are lawyers – and lawyers are trained to be perfect, to never make mistakes, with the ever-present threat of an ethics claim hanging over their heads.  But, running a business is not practicing law.  It’s okay to make mistakes – in fact, it’s encouraged.  So, if you’re a lawyer trying to run a business, you almost need to bifurcate your risk-averse and risk-taking sides between the roles of lawyer and business owner.  Obviously, that’s difficult to do.  But, if you can manage the trick – you can crush it, in both aspects of your personal life.

If you’re looking for inspiration on this score, check out this podcast, where an actual lawyer admits to making mistakes, and talk about how it benefitted him, and his practice.