Tip of the Week Blog
October 2006, Week 4 Bates Numbering Made EasyFor Staff... Do that pesky Bates numbering an easier way by using the Label function in Word (also works in Casemap and Summation). Here's how: Pull up a blank Bates label document by going to Tools/Letters and Mailings/Envelopes and Labels. Choose Options to designate label size. Then click on New Document. Place the cursor in the first label. Then choose: Format/Bullets & Numbering/Numbered. Pick one of the choices, then click on Customize. Click OK. (Notes on Numbering: Key to getting the Bates series correct is to place the cursor before the shadowed area in the number format box, then type your prefix and number, i.e., CAM 00001. Also, when you get to 10, you have to go back into your customize and take out a 0 and start with 10.) Your first number is in your first label. Move to the next label to your right and use your automatic numbering button (in the button bar). Because of the spacing between labels, you will have to tab over to the next label each time before clicking on the automatic numbering button. Once the first page is complete, all the hard work is done. To continue numbering to the next page: Place the curser in the last label of the first page and just hold down the Tab key until the entire next page is complete. You can continue this for as many Bates labels pages as you need. (HOWEVER, you'll notice that there is now one extra row at the bottom of each page that won't print properly. So before you print, highlight the bottom row of each page and hit the automatic numbering button to turn the numbering off for the last row.) Now you can print. Thanks to Macel Haygood of Boyar & Miller, who participated in our recent Houston seminar and shared this tip with our Yahoo Networking Group. One Ringy-Dingy... Adopt a written firm statement of policy concerning telephone calls. It could include:
The Dozen Do's for Setting Fees Summarized from "How to Start & Build A Law Practice" by Jay G. Foonberg (5th Edition, Revised & Updated), pp. 321-323. 1. Be firm. If you're uncertain, clients will rapidly lose confidence in you. To be continued next week...
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November 2006, Week 1 Bates Numbering Made Easy - Now for PDFFor Staff... Scan the documents into a PDF format. Pull up the PDF document and click on "Document", then select "add headers and footers". Fill out the information needed. (It gives you various styles of numbering and even lets you add the date if you want.) When you click on "OK" it automatically stamps your scanned documents. If you want to change it up, just redo your footer and override what it did the first time. When you have it the way you want it, "Save As" the name of the file. The copy is already scanned into your file. All you have to do for the opposing counsel is print off your documents. There you have it! No stamping -- no stickers. All in the blink of an eye. Thanks to Kathy Taylor of Baird Crews Schiller & Whitaker, who shared this with me after seeing last week's Tip newsletter. One Ringy-Dingy... Redux Voicemail: In general, voicemail should not be used during regular office hours unless you are really on another call or away from the office. If you do use voicemail, give the caller the option of speaking to a live person. The voicemail inbox should be cleaned out at the end of each day, especially if the attorney is away from the office or for some reason, can't retrieve their own messages. Most importantly - when clients consistently get voicemail instead of a live person, they become upset. Make sure that someone is returning their call if the lawyer does not, even if it's just to let them know that their call was received and the attorney will contact them within a certain time frame. The Dozen Do's for Setting Fees Summarized from "How to Start & Build A Law Practice" by Jay G. Foonberg (5th Edition, Revised & Updated), pp. 321-323. 4. Distinguish between uncertainty in the amount of the fee and uncertainty in the manner of setting the fee. When it is impossible to tell the client what the legal services will cost in total, you should still confidently set the method of computing the fee. To be continued next week... | ||||||||||||||||||||||
November 2006, Week 2 More Ringy-DingiesFor Staff... Would you like to make calls from your cell phone but don't want your number showing up on caller i.d.? It's easy. Press *67 and then the number. That should block their caller i.d. from displaying your number. Bookkeeping and Taxes Only 50% of meals and entertainment expenses can be claimed on your taxes. However, networking expenses are 100% deductible. So if the meal is included as part of a networking event, the cost for the meal and meeting are 100% deductible. If you'd like to know more, contact me. The Dozen Do's for Setting Fees Summarized from "How to Start & Build A Law Practice" by Jay G. Foonberg (5th Edition, Revised & Updated), pp. 321-323. 7. Don't be tempted by the Client who wants you to take a case at a reduced fee with the promise of more cases later. There won't be any later cases. Tell the client that in your office, every piece of work has to stand on its own and pay its own way. To be completed next week... | ||||||||||||||||||||||
November 2006, Week 4 Easily Find Your DocumentsFor Staff... To automatically place the filename and path into your word processing documents, follow this shortcut: Word: Insert, AutoText, Header/Footer, Filename & Path. The filename and path are automatically inserted into the footer. WordPerfect: Insert, Other, Path & Filename. The filename and path are automatically inserted wherever the curser is placed in the document. IRS Announces 2007 Mileage Rates The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2007 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: 48.5 cents per mile for business miles driven; The Last of the Dozen Do's for Setting Fees Summarized from "How to Start & Build A Law Practice" by Jay G. Foonberg (5th Edition, Revised & Updated), pp. 321-323. 10. Suggest, when appropriate, that the Client borrow fees from a credit union or relative. If the Client doesn't want to go to relatives, be wary. They may not intend to pay. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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