Taking stock and wrapping up loose ends at year’s end is a great way for legal support service providers to get set for success in the year to come. Assessing your legal support software, getting current with the courts, updating compliance, running financial reports, and connecting with customers are some of the most fruitful actions you can take.
And good news—you don’t have to do it perfectly. If you can carve out an hour between holiday parties and gift wrapping to take even one action, you’ll see a payoff in the new year.
1. Grade Your Legal Support Software
More and more, litigation support service providers rely on software to run their business and stay competitive. It can be tempting to just “set it and forget it.” But in reality, you need to regularly assess your digital tools to make sure they’re delivering what you need.
Why this matters:
Every minute you spend juggling systems or fixing avoidable errors chips away at your profitability. Reviewing your tech now helps you tighten processes, reduce expenses, and start the new year with a more efficient, scalable workflow.
What you can do:
Take a few minutes to grade your tech stack: e-filing software, process serving software, mobile process serving app, accounting software, etc.
Evaluate your programs on the following criteria:
- Are you juggling multiple systems? Is it time to consolidate?
- How’s customer support? Do they respond right away? Is it included in the cost of the subscription or do they charge extra? Is the support knowledgeable about both the technology and the industry?
- Is the pricing plan working for you? Are costs predictable?
Ask these questions to evaluate your e-filing and process serving software specifically:
- Does it integrate with the software your clients use?
- Does it allow you to comply with regulations? (Like uploading photos and GPS coordinates.)
- Is it set up for online payments?
Use this scorecard to help you rate your software.
2. Stay Abreast of Court Rules and Fees
Staying up-to-date on court rules and fees is a big part of a legal support provider’s job. Courts often put into place new local rules on January 1.
Why this matters:
Clients want to hire legal support providers who are experts on court rules, fees, and schedules. Incorrect filings or outdated pricing can cause rejections, delays, and lost revenue.
What you can do:
- Compile rule changes, filing statuses, and schedules in the counties you serve. (You can start with our guides for California and Texas courts.) Any decent e-filing platform will have this information built into the system.
- Update your internal process notes and any customer-facing guides.
- Inform your staff and affiliates.
3. Check Your Compliance and Security
Like changing the batteries in your smoke detectors, checking that you’re up-to-date on compliance and security measures is one of those important, infrequent tasks you neglect at your peril.
Why this matters:
Law firm demand for vendors (including process servers) to show compliance and security is going up. Staying current on these measures ensures you maintain your reputation for trustworthiness.
What you can do:
- Verify your and your affiliates’ process server registrations are current.
- Renew or adjust company bonds and insurance (basic liability and errors and omissions are recommended).
- Check that your e-filing and process serving software offers top-of-the-line security. SOC 2 and PCI compliance are the gold standards. (What is SOC 2?)
- Strengthen your cybersecurity with multifactor authentication, password resets, and data encryption.
4. Close Out Financials (the Easy Way)
Tending to the financial health of your business is foundational to success. But sometimes business owners neglect it out of a lack of understanding. You don’t have to be an accounting wiz to take some simple steps to stay on the right track.
Why this matters:
Accurate accounting allows you to measure the health of your business. When you know where you stand financially, you can plan and make any needed adjustments. And when tax time rolls around, you’ll be ready.
What you can do:
Run reports: With most accounting software, you can run various reports—profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow—and you should. A certified accountant can help you with this or you can find accounting guidance from trusted sources.
But even if you can’t find the time for a deep dive, there’s one simple way to measure how your business is doing: Check your bank account. Is revenue going up or down? How does it compare to last year? That’s baseline knowledge that can indicate if you’re doing something right or need to adjust.
Clean up outstanding issues:
- Close accounts receivable. Collect payments to close out the year clean and ensure adequate cash flow. (Or consider transitioning to a pay-at-transaction model—you’ll have a lot less AR to chase down.)
- Confirm that all closed jobs have been invoiced.
- Check that advanced court fees are accounted for.
Adjust prices as needed: Account for increased court fees or operating expense increases. Check your prices against market rates. If you haven’t raised prices since last year, it might be time. Learn more about setting prices.
5. Engage with Your Customers
At the center of all you do is your customers. It’s important to engage with customers year-round through newsletters, phone calls, social media, or even office visits. But at the least, make sure you connect at year’s end.
Why this matters:
Client engagement is a proven way to strengthen your business. It builds trust and credibility, improves retention, and reduces miscommunication errors.
What you can do:
A newsletter (either printed or email) is a great way to update your customers on topics they care about:
- New court rules
- Any upgrades you’ve made to security or technology
- Data that demonstrates your value, such as turnaround times and rejection rates. (Some e-filing and process serving platforms support reporting on these measures.)
Other steps to consider: calling top customers to ask for feedback, visiting offices with a tin of cookies, or updating your marketing materials and website.
Call us when you’re ready to grow
Taking these steps might uncover some weak spots. Let’s talk about it. LegalConnect software can help you improve efficiency, productivity, and security and find new revenue opportunities.