I've found that attorneys in my area pay well and are grateful for help. I have one attorney client who calls me in the morning when he needs work done to be sure I am at his beck and call the entire day for revisions. He sends the check the next day. I would love to have another 20 clients just like him.

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.webmss.com
"We meet your deadlines...not ours!"

Hi Cindy,

Attorneys are my target group as well. I'm glad to hear you have a good client. Maybe he can refer you to a few of his friends and you'll be set.

Sue

I have been a legal assistant for over 20 years. I have been trying to get my virtual business off the ground, but I don't know where to start first. I like your idea about making attorneys a target group. I am glad I read your post.

Virtuoso: If you want to target attorneys in your area, make up a mailing list from the telephone directory, buy your state bar association lawyers' manual, or order a list from www.infousa.com. With Infousa.com you can choose the specifics for the list. I like to get the attorneys with only one employee. That way you know the attorney is probably the only employee and he or she needs help because they don't have an assistant. Send out flyers or introductory letters to let those attorneys know you are available. I wish you luck.

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.webmss.com

Hi

I too used to target attorneys. They can sometimes get so busy it's great (for us!).

I agree it helps to know their speciality so that you can target your marketing more towards how you can help in that specific area. Plus, some attorneys are busier now (with the economy) or at different times of year. You can kind-of tune into that as well.

If you are confortable stopping by offices the holidays are a great time to do that. You can take one of those cups of candy with the holiday cups (wrapped), and your business card attached. Their offices love those and will often set it up in their lunch area. It makes stopping in easier.

I used to look through the want ads too. I know many don't have success with this, but I did land one of my biggest attorney clients this way. They were desperate to catch up while they were filling the position. And fortunately they kept me long after they filled it.

Direct mail always worked for me too.

Good luck!!

Diana Ennen
Virtual Word Publishing

Wow, Diana, what a great idea. I can buy mugs and candy at the dollar store and wrap them up with plastic wrap and attach my business card. I might think about doing that next week. Thanks so much.

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.webmss.com

I look through the want ads and fax or email my resume and a cover letter telling them I can fill in when they need help. I have never gotten any work from it though. I also have a Maryland State Bar Association's Maryland Lawyers' Manual. I have typed some labels from the manual and send out flyers. I have gotten a few new attorney clients from those mailings. A friend of mine is a paralegal and we have joint flyers to mail to attorneys. It helps advertise each other's services, cuts down on expenses and we offer more services to attorneys. Infousa.com is a great way to get contacts for attorneys. You can request only attorneys with one employee. Those are the ones who really need help.

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.webmss.com

After 30+ years in the legal field, I decided to go full-time as a VA a few years back. Attorneys and legal-related work are my greatest source of income. They are also my best referrals for new business. If you can get in with one, you will get more. I have always loved legal work; I love it now more that I am no longer running around an office like a headless chicken. I also have a medical background and paralegal certification so attorneys find me very useful. Although many work with large offices (and I did work on a large multi-state class action suit for a firm based in Chicago for a number of years), I find solo practitioners and small offices are in great need of my services.

__________________
Karalyn J. Eckerle
"The RVing VA"

"I find solo practitioners and small offices are in great need of my services."

I agree with you Karalyn. I have been in business since 1997. I just started marketing more to attorneys as I find they need help, pay well, and really appreciate the help. You can go to infousa.com and do a search for attorneys with only one employee. Those are the ones who need the most help. I plan to get a contact list soon and mail out flyers with my own information as well as the information of my paralegal friend.

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.webmss.com

I did not get around to doing the mugs for attorneys. I discussed the idea with my paralegal friend and she said it may not be a good idea in this area. She said the assistants would eat the candy, keep the mug and throw the business card away.

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.webmss.com

The one thing I will caution you on --- having worked in everything from management to secretarial positions in a variety of small and nation-wide law firms is this: Make sure you either get paid immediately or get a retainer in advance. Lawyers are notorious for paying in 30/60/90/???? days. If you happen to work for plaintiff's attorneys who take cases largely on contingency, be especially careful to get a retainer in advance. Having worked both sides of the fence, you do not want to be the lowest/last person on the totem pole to get paid. And, sadly, it often happens. More then once I've had to deliver the message to a vendor that they will get paid when the case settles or the court awards judgment. You don't want to put yourself in that position.

__________________
Karalyn J. Eckerle
"The RVing VA"

That happens too. Same thing often happens when letters/faxes come in. Best thing is to make a personal appearance, find an attorney friend who will introduce you around, or join some local social networking groups where attorneys mingle. It's a bit of a closed shop sometimes.

__________________
Karalyn J. Eckerle
"The RVing VA"

I have several attorneys that I work for and they pay me regularly. However, I have one who still owes me money from work I did in March. Taking your suggestion Karalyn, I guess I will take retainers from attorneys from now on. I usually get paid for the work first but the attorney who owes me money didn't pay and he doesn't have his work either. Requesting payment before work is delivered doesn't help much as I did the work but never got paid for it. The retainer would be a better way and that way I would have the money in hand before I do the work. I think I will ask new attorney clients to give me a retainer. What amount do you suggest?

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.webmss.com

Cindy:

It really depends on what type of work you do, what you charge and how big the projects are. If it's someone I've been working for over a number of months, I generally ask them for an average of the prior 6 month's work. Someone new --- when I talk to them about their first project and get an idea of the amount of time it will take, I ask for an amount equal to what I think it will invoice out at. If you can't do an estimate, I'd ask for an amount the equivalent to 10 hours of work. Tell him if there is a balance you will carry it against future work for 30/60 days (only you can decide on that one). If there is a balance due when the project is completed, I expect it to be paid within 24 hours or I will not accept further work.

I did go to retainers, even on existing clients, last year. I had spent several years working on one lengthy project and when that case settled, I suddenly was a bit short on clients. I decided the only way I could function was to know how much I had coming in every month. So I notified existing clients that henceforth I require a monthly retainer. In doing so I gave them the option of purchasing retainer PACKAGES at different rates --- each one offered a small discount over my regular hourly rate. It was to their advantage to purchase a package, rather than just paying XYZ as a retainer monthly. If they purchased the package and my work for them exceeded the number of hours they had pre-purchased, the additional work was also performed at the discounted rate.

Hope that makes sense to you. If not, let me know and I'll try to explain it more carefully. In the end, you do need to cover yourself.

In this case, I presume you have talked with the attorney and perhaps his secretary to make sure they have your invoice and know it is still outstanding? If not, you need to start there --- with a phone call. Be very direct: this money has been owed since March and you are now charging monthly interest on it and it needs to be paid. Offer to fax over a duplicate invoice if it will expedite things. During your call pay attention to what is said: has this been turned over to the accounting department or "Ms. So & So" who has to approve payment?

Once you have that information, wait 2 days and call the main number and specifically request THAT person. If reception asks what it is about, just tell them you will discuss that with the accountant of Ms. So & So (probably an office manager). Generally if you get to the administrator or head of accounting and point out that this has been outstanding since March, you will get it paid.

The point is --- you have to be a squeaky wheel --- and not via written word only. Call every 2-3 days and talk to someone different. Offer to fax a copy of your invoice. Follow-up your calls with an email to that person AND copy the attorney involved. Let them know you are not going away --- after all, it's unlikely you will take further work from this attorney/firm --- at least without a retainer.

Since I don't know how large an amount we are talking about here, it's hard to give you additional advise. However, in most states the controlling Bar Association --- or whatever office supervises licensing and regulation of attorneys -- has a process for collection of money owed by attorneys. It does not look good on their records and can create issues for them. So if it's a large amount and you get no cooperation --- one this March rolls around, I'd be checking with the Bar Association to see how to file a complaint against the attorney for payment. Generally it does not come to that. But sometimes it will.

And, if you have not already, in the future before you start work on a project make sure you document in writing (email works) the agreement you are making with the attorney re payment. Ask him to confirm this agreement by return email. Print those out and keep them in his file. That way if you need to you can prove that he agreed to the conditions you set forth.

Good luck. Hope this helps.

__________________
Karalyn J. Eckerle
"The RVing VA"

Thanks for your help Karalyn. This amount is under $100 so I am not that concerned about it but I would like to get my money. The attorney has been disbarred and I have sent numerous invoices and have called numerous times. All the (former) attorney says is that he doesn't have any money and he will pay me when he gets it. I am ready to file a claim against him.

Cindy Freland
Maryland Secretarial Services, Inc.
www.webmss.com