A Georgia administrator has set up an office manual that thoroughly trains every new staffer and attorney in every aspect of office operations.
Having the business information in writing means newcomers don’t interrupt other people or waste their own time asking about day-to-day things, says the administrator of the three-attorney, 13 staff firm.
In a law firm, time is money, and when staff members are interrupted in their work, they have to find where they left off and start over again.
The manual is a how-to that covers it all, from the organizational chart to the receptionist’s duties to how to request a check to the location of the bathrooms.
Drawing it up was a considerable investment of time, says the administrator. It is 80 pages long and took about 11 months to complete. But that time has been recouped by the amount of time it saves in training newcomers.
Step by step by step
The manual outlines the basic elements of the business of the practice, and it explains every task from start to finish. On opening files, for example, the administrator wrote down the procedure step by step by step from where to get the physical file to how to get it numbered and indexed and checked for conflicts.
Much more than the basics
The how-to manual begins like any other manual. There is a statement of its purpose, the at-will employment policy, and a summary of the firm’s goals. It also covers the firm’s responsibility to maintain a professional demeanor.
But it goes beyond the basics. For example, it outlines the firm’s organization and the basic duties of the individual attorneys and staff. There are also directions to the office. That’s helpful when clients or vendors call needing directions. And for inside the office, there are directions for where supplies are located and the names of suppliers.
The how-to for the entire office
From there, the book becomes a how-to manual.
There is a section on the record management system and how to open and close files.
Another section covers the word processing department—the type of work that can be submitted and how to submit it. One requirement, for example, is that the documents submitted have to be at least three pages long. Having that in writing gives the center the authority to turn away documents. Without it, the department would be swamped with small jobs.
There’s also a section on the copiers, including how to record client costs and under what circumstances is it appropriate to use an outside copying service for a project.
And there is information on computer and equipment maintenance.
A plan for danger as well
Another section covers security and emergency procedures.
It starts with a statement that clients and visitors are not allowed to walk about the office unattended. With that in writing, if employers see an outsider walking through the office unaccompanied, they know something is wrong.
Also included are emergency evacuation plans for fires, natural disasters, and bomb threats.
Money, communication and updates
Other items included are:
- The financial information staff and attorneys have to know, such as how to enter billable time and how client trust accounts are managed.
- The communication information—the switchboard hours, how to answers calls and forward them, and policies on employees’ and visitors’ use of the telephones. There is even a script for the receptionist to use in greeting visitors and showing them into an attorney’s office.
- Non-client travel such as that for seminars with the dollar limits on hotels, meals and plane tickets, and the documentation required for reimbursement.
- An updatable section for changes in policy and also for the firm’s master calendar. The calendar shows vacation schedules, general office activities and court dates.
- Court dates are important for the manual, the administrator says, because it is surprising how many staff members believe that a missed filing deadline or court appearance is a small matter.
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