A lot of prospective clients call in and say, “I’d like to sit down and discuss my business needs, when is a good time to come in?”
This leads to a bit of a cultural shift in norms. Many people expect that they will have to get dressed, drive to a brick-and-mortar office, find parking, walk to the office, go in, and be shown to the attorney’s office, and then return home. In other words, lose time driving, parking, walking.
Many others expect: pick the time, call in, and let’s get business done over the phone or digital chat, without the need for travel. Efficiency, and frankly, the luxury of doing business in their pajamas.
A prospective client asked me, “yes, but why don’t you just have an office?”
In a nutshell? For the type of law I practice, an office is simply overhead that my clients would have to cover via higher legal fees. There is very little that an office provides that I don’t have within my home office…and rent, commercial insurance, and the various overhead costs that come with maintaining a brick-and-mortar space.
In the modern world, deals are done over email, chat, and apps. Signings through a variety of applications such as DocuSign or Adobe. Attorneys throw red-lined docx files back and forth through their email. Clients are texted, emailed, or called to update them on the status of their matter, developments, and pending items. Very rarely do attorneys sit down face to face and ‘hash out’ the details.
Attorney-Client Privilege remains sacrosanct. Under the current rules, the information clients share with their attorney by email, phone, and text remains protected.
This leads to the rise of the digital office. I can offer my services for less because the overhead costs have been reduced. I can focus my time and energy on what matters: your matter. You save time by not having to come in and talk. All you need to get a hold of me and discuss your matter is a quick text or email saying, “what’s you’re schedule like, I’d like to touch base.”
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