Do you want to grow? Then “outsource!”

Q: Ed, can Outsourcing really make a firm more productive and profitable?

A:   Outsourcing is just another way to delegate work; appropriate delegation is another aspect of leverage; and leverage is what makes law firms more profitable. If you want to grow a practice, serve more people, or increase your personal wealth, you will need to understand and use the principles of delegation and leverage. In truth, almost every lawyer does this now—having a secretary to type, file, and do other office tasks is an elementary form of this concept.

However, managing the legal process and overseeing the quality of the work product of others is the reality of the legal profession. And this is outsourcing. In such circumstances, whether the “outsource” is someone in your office or someone in India or someone located in between, YOU, the lawyer, are still responsible for setting the strategy of the matter, the quality of the resulting work product, and the management of the entire process.

Outsourcing is a heavy burden, and one no outsourcing lawyer should take lightly. When it comes to ensuring that client work is done correctly, the buck stops with you, the lawyer — no matter who has actually done the work.

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