How can law firms analyse time management to improve efficiency?

Outside of people retention, given the current economic climate, internal efficiencies and costs are currently high up on the management agenda for law firms.

The best place to start on this topic, is the current use of people’s time. As such, you may wish to ask your people (including the senior team), on an annual basis, to analyse where they spend their time.

This analysis will enable meaningful conversations about return on time employed and add value to the business. It may also identify ways to save time and areas that could be more efficient.

However, when undertaking the analysis, it’s easy to fall into the trap that ‘chargeable time is good, non-chargeable time is bad’. Non-chargeable time, particularly at senior level, has huge potential to add value to the business, whether this be people development, brand awareness or business strategy.

A good way to further analyse time is:

• Client service
• Team/firm development
• Personal development

I’ll be speaking about time recording at our upcoming Legal Update Webinar. We’re teaming up with the Norfolk and Norwich Law Society on 29 March 2023 to bring you a topical update on Basis Period Reform, SRA rules, succession and structure, and much more.

For more information on the webinar and to book your place, please visit our events page here.

If you wish to discuss how Larking Gowen can assist in practice management or general business advice, please get in touch with our Legal specialist team. Call 0330 024 0888 or email enquiry@larking-gowen.co.uk.