Contacting Dawn M. Draper Owner of The Virtual Paralegal

If you are an attorney or other business entity interested in more information about how Dawn M. Draper “The Virtual Paralegal” can help you with your overflow work in a cost effective, efficient and professional manner, please send an email to info@thevirtualparalegal.com.

What is a virtual assistant?

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a highly-trained independent entrepreneur who provides a myriad of business support services virtually via phone, fax and internet based technology to support and meet the growing needs of businesses worldwide.

Partnering with a virtual assistant reduces stress, protects cash flow, eliminates administrative hassles, and enables business people to find the success they originally set out to achieve.

A virtual assistant is your right hand person helping you to succeed in your business. The irony is you may never meet your virtual assistant as odds are they live nowhere near you!

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What are the benefits of hiring a Paralegal Virtual Assistant?

• No overhead costs
• No need to pay for an employees dental/health or other benefits
• No overtime costs
• No need to train
• A virtual assistant is not an employee but contracted to perform specific work
• Virtual assistants are time efficient
• You won’t have to pay vacation or sick pay
• No need to purchase office equipment, supplies, or office space
• If you are a law office you can still benefit from billing hourly or our services

Hire your virtual paralegal today and start saving your business thousands of dollars.

Connecting Businesses and Staff – Alternative Staffing Solutions

Tools for the virtual office

If you are interested in seeking alternative staffing solutions, you may want to consider collaboration tools that make it easier to connect with your staff and colleagues.  Please visit my Collaboration PowerPoint presentation by clicking the link below.

Connecting Businesses and Staff, Tools for the Virtual Office

View more presentations from dawndmd.

Connecting Businesses and Staff

Marketing your Virtual Business

MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS

Any successful business owner must spend time and expense to market their business, services, and products. There are several ways to successfully market your business, with little or no cost. Before marketing your business, you need to ask yourself what market you are targeting, whether this market is local, national or international, and make a marketing plan of attack.

Website

As previously stated in this EBook, a web site is vital to a successful virtual business. Your web site provides clients with your contact information, information about your business 24/7, and it promotes your business by allowing your customers to view your services.

Newsletters

This is a great way to keep in contact with current clients and promote your business to potential clients in your target market. When considering utilizing newsletters emailed to potential clients, you must comply with the Can-Spam Act.

To comply with the Can-Spam Act, the following criteria must be met within your newsletter:

· You must state on your newsletter that it is an “advertisement”

· Your email address “To” and “From” must include the originating domain, and your email address and subject line can’t be deceptive

· You must provide your name, address, telephone number and email address

· You can’t send a newsletter to any business or individual whose web site publishes notice prohibiting the use of its email address for sending advertisements

· You must provide an opt out not to receive any further emails

Here is an example of a newsletter that is compliant with the rules and regulations of the Can-Spam Act.

Postcards/Mailers

If your target market is local, a cost-effective marketing approach is to design a postcard or mailer, which describes your business, services you provide, and contact information, and mail them. This can be a costly approach if your target market is national or international.

Online Networking

Online networking is a great way to build business relationships, share business ideas and get the word out about your business. There are several great online networking groups. You should set aside at least 10 minutes a day for online networking. It will pay off.

Check out the following online networking groups:

LinkedIn

Biznik

Twitter

Local Networking

If you are concentrating marketing locally, going to local networking functions is a must. You will build professional relationships within your community that will be priceless to the growth of your business. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, and other local business groups on how to join their networking community.

Public Relations

There is no better free advertising opportunity than utilizing public relations in local and online newspapers and magazines. Any time you reach a milestone in your business, you should write a public relations article and request that it be published. Milestones can include the opening of your business, changes in your business, and any continuing education or certificates you receive that relate to your profession.

Articles

A great way to get noticed is to write articles and publish them online, add them to your web site, and request magazine publishers to publish them in their magazines. Writing articles on the subject of your business shows the public that you are knowledgeable in the services your business provides.

Blog

You have a web site, so why should you have a blog? A blog is a great way to express yourself, show off your professionalism and provide potential clients or the general public, information about your business, how it works, statistics, and articles. In order for a blog to be successful, you will have to put in time every day to maintain your blog, by adding new content. A stale blog does not attract new visitors. Do not replace your web site with a blog. Your web site will attract more visitors, most of the time, than a blog will. You can view The Virtual Paralegal’s blog as an example. Here are a few great web sites that offer free blogs:

WordPress

Blogger

LiveJournal

Author: Dawn M. Draper, owner of The Virtual Paralegal

Is the economy changing the way attorneys think about utilizing alternative staffing methods and office locations?

I have been working at home as a virtual paralegal for attorneys in many states for some time now. I have been seeing a growing trend of attorneys seeking more information on utilizing a virtual paralegal. I would like to write an article on the growing trend and would like input from the group on their thoughts whether or not they would consider contracting a virtual paralegals vs. hiring an in house employee. There are many cost cutting benefits to utilizing a virtual paralegal and with the current economy, I believe that is why I am seeing a growing trend of interest in the legal community.

I am also seeing a trend of attorneys working from home as well.

I would very much appreciate your input. If you don’t know much about what a virtual paralegal can do, you can visit my web site before commenting at www.thevirtualparalegal.com .

Thank you for any input you can provided.

Dawn M. Draper

The Virtual Paralegal Featured in Legal Assistant Today Magazine

Virtual Paralegal Trend Grows
Practitioners cite flexibility, the economy as benefits.

By Tammy R. Pettinato

Employees striking out on their own is a growing trend in many industries and the legal profession is no exception. Enter the virtual paralegal, who works independently, typically from a home office, providing many of the same services as a paralegal who is employed by a law firm or company, while, according to Dawn Draper, a virtual paralegal based in Traverse City, Mich., giving attorneys a cost-effective option to get the work done.

“I am seeing a growing trend in both the use of virtual paralegals in law firms and the desire for paralegals to work in a virtual setting,” said Draper, adding that using a virtual paralegal can save law firms money in terms of office equipment, supplies and paid benefits. Draper spent 12 years working as a paralegal, handling criminal law, family law and civil litigation at various law firms and a corporation before opening her business, The Virtual Paralegal, earlier this year. In addition to Michigan, she has clients in Virginia, Illinois and Texas.

“I definitely see an increase in people looking at virtual assistance as a career alternative,” said Lauren Hidden, marketing director-elect of the International Virtual Assistants Association and managing editor of IVAACast, the association’s publication. IVAA, which incorporated in 1999, currently has 1,048 members and has seen significant growth over the past two years. “With the increase in corporate and small business layoffs, more people are looking at being in charge of their own destiny,” Hidden said.

Laurie Mapp had been working as a paralegal for more than 10 years when she decided she needed a change. While she had enjoyed her previous work, first specializing in civil litigation with two firms in Alberta, and later working in the tax law section of the Canadian federal government, she had grown tired of office politics, not to mention her commute. She was searching for something with more flexibility and longed to own her own business. “I knew that working for myself would give me control and still provide challenges,” she said.

Thus, in September 2008, Halo Secretarial Services, Mapp’s virtual paralegal business, was born. Similar to a freelance paralegal, most virtual paralegals perform work under the supervision of an attorney, and Mapp said the only difference is geography. “A freelance paralegal might look for customers locally, while the virtual paralegal looks for clients online and locally,” Mapp said. “You can do pretty much any work that you can do in an office from home.”

For Mapp, who works from her home in Alberta, job duties include, “drafting documents, correspondence and memoranda; researching legal issues; managing the lawyer’s calendar; and liaising with clients.” And, although Mapp works from Canada, she deals extensively with U.S. attorneys. “I’ve actually found they are more receptive [to the virtual paralegal idea], so far, than Canadian attorneys,” she said.

Both Mapp and Draper cite increased flexibility and control over their work as benefits to working virtually. “I have the ability to create my work hours, take vacation time or other necessary family time off without having to request that time from an employer,” Draper said. “There is no such thing as a typical day, really,” added Mapp. “One day might see me drafting correspondence for one client and doing research for another, and the next day might see me popping out to help out at my son’s school. Some days I get a lot done early in the morning and the other days I do all of my work in the evening.”

And the pay is good. “I think a virtual paralegal earns a little more per hour than some [staff] paralegals,” said Draper, though she notes geography will affect salary levels. Adds Mapp, “You can make great pay if you work hard to get and keep your clients, provide them [with] exemplary service and show them what a fabulous resource you can be.”

There can be disadvantages. Mapp notes that working from home is less stable. “There is no job security when you are self-employed,” she said. “You have to build in time for marketing and networking or you won’t have business.” Virtual paralegals also can face security or conflict-of-interest concerns for clients. Both Mapp and Draper offer nondisclosure agreements and perform conflict-of-interest checks before accepting assignments.

Though there are some drawbacks, the benefits are likely to draw more paralegals into the virtual world. In fact, Hidden believes that the recent economic turmoil could actually be a boon for the industry. “I see business looking at money-saving alternatives and that often means outsourcing roles once held by employees,” she said. “I’ve also seen small and medium-sized businesses hire virtual assistants in order to focus on their marketing efforts in this economy.” Hidden believes that the role of virtual assistants will continue to grow. “The future is very bright for VAs,” she said.

View my page on Virtual Legal Group

The Virtual Paralegal featured in Legal Assistant Today

The Virtual Paralegal will be featured in the Legal Assistant Today magazine in the December 2008 issue.  Dawn M. Draper, owner and paralegal, is interviewd about the virtual assistant paralegal industry on such topics as conflict of interest issues, security issues, rate of pay, and necessary tools a virtual assistant must have to perform as a virtual paralegal.  Article will be posted in The Virtual Paralegal blog upon it’s release.

Free Software for the Virtual Assistant

There is a lot of good software that is offered for free that you can use for your virtual office solutions. There is nothing wrong with free, when it works well. I am providing some links to various types of software I have found. Some I have personally used, and some I have not yet tried. Please let me know if you have any freebies you would like to share by emailing a link to me at dawndmd@charter.net. Also, feedback on the programs you have used that I have listed would be much appreciated to all as well.

Accounting Software

Quickbooks Simplestart 2008

This is a free version of Quickbooks by Intuit. This version allows you to record your expenses, invoice your clients, record payments on account and more. You can also run expense and income reports. Great free financial software to use to keep your business organized with your financial information for tax day. You can also create a backup so you never lose your important information. You can download this program free at Free Quickbooks Download

Wordprocessing

Open Office

This is a great completely free program that provides features similar to Word products such as Word processing, Excel, and PowerPoint. Open Office products are compatible with Word products and Wordperfect. You can save documents created in Open Office in word and wordperfect format so your client’s can still access the information. Go to OpenOffice.org

NEW Ebook Creator

Ebook Software 1 This is a free, powerful and user friendly ebook creator.

File Storage

Box.net

4shared (Backup your files)

Mozy.com (Backup for your files. Make sure you sign up for the “MozyHome Free” version. You can store up to 2 GB for free.

Yousendit.com You can send large files for free to colleagues and clients.

Calendars

Google Calendar

Google Calendars. Simply the best on the net. You can share your online calendars with clients and colleagues and you can access your calendar anywhere. Great for calendar collaboration with a client when you manage their appointments. Go to Google to sign up for your free account.

Airset

This calendar offers online collaboration with your clients, contact list, photo album, web site, messaging and more. Go to Airset to set up your free account.

Voice and Fax Machines

EFax

You can sign up with EFax for a free fax number that allows others to send you a fax and you receive the fax in your email. Does require software download, but that is free too. You can upgrade if you wish to have a fax number that looks local or if you want to purchase an outgoing fax number. But the incoming fax number is free. Go to EFax to sign up for your free account.

K7

K7.net offers free inbound faxes to your email and voice mail.

Remote Access

Work directly online with colleagues and clients with these great free remote access sites.

Logmein (Simply the Best)

Free Legal Documents for your business

Docstoc

Docstoc is a great free resource of legal and business documents that others have uploaded to share with you. You can find anything from sample business plans to simple correspondence examples.

File Converters

Zamzar.com

No software download required. Just go to Zamzar.com, select your file to convert, choose the format, enter your email address where you want to receive the file, then convert.

Primo PDF

You can download a free version that allows you to create PDFs from any file, even Excel and PowerPoint. Go to PrimoPDF to sign up for your free account.

I hope you all find these programs useful for your virtual assistant business. I will be adding more freebies as I come across them or if you share them with me.

Time Tracking

NEW Time Clock

Keep track of your tasks time with this free handy time task clock. Download it here

How to Avoid Failure and Succeed In Business

(I came across a great article by Manuel Salvacion about how to succeed in Business. His advice is great for any type of business entrepreneur from the virtual entrepreneur to the business owner whose offices take up half a skyscraper)

by: Manuel Salvacion

Many people dream of putting up their businesses and managing it by themselves. The idea of being your own boss and managing your own time lure many to engage in any business enterprise. But entering into business without the acquired knowledge and skills to run it may lead to failure and disappointment.

To avoid failure in business, you should remember the following fatal errors:

• Overexpansion
• Poor capital structure
• Overspending
• Lack of reserve funds
• Bad business location
• Poor execution and internal controls
• Inadequate business plan
• Unable to adapt to the times
• Ineffective marketing and self-promotion
• Underestimating the competition

One way of securing success in running your business is come up with a good structure. To determine the structure that suits your business, you need to consult a corporate lawyer who has knowledge of the current issues involving the legalities in doing business in Los Angeles.

Here are some types of business structures that you may consider in establishing a business:

1. Sole Proprietorship – This is the simplest, most basic business structure. The owner bears the entire responsibility for the business and reaps its rewards. You are your business. In many places, if you are offering a service like gardening, you don’t need to do anything more than name your business after yourself and it’s considered established.

2. General Partnership – If you take on a partner or two you share your rights and duties. General Partners are personally liable for the debts and obligations of the business. General partners are considered co-owners of a going for profit business.

The most important factor in determining whether a business is a partnership is determining whether the partners share profits and management decisions or not. The agreement to form this could be in writing or oral. A corporate lawyer is needed to draft the necessary documents of partnership agreement,

3. Limited Partnership – As your company grows, you’re next step could be a Limited Partnership, which has two types of partners, general as outlined above and limited who do not participate in management decisions and aren’t liable for partnership debts past their contribution of capital. This agreement must be in writing.

4. Limited Liability Company – An LLC is separate legal entities distinct from its members which can sue or be sued enter into contracts or hold property. The owners of an LLC are usually called members and are not personally liable for the debts of the LLC past their contribution, yet they can take a hand in management. It is governed by the laws of the state in which it is established.

5. Corporation – this is effectively an artificial person and is responsible for its own debts and contracts. Shareholders are only liable to the extent of their own investments. Shares can be freely transferred. Corporations are considered immortal. They are run by a board of directors that appoints formal managers. They come in many flavors including non-profit and for profit; public and private; publicly closely held and professional corporations. These are governed by state laws.

Unless you have decided on starting simply and establishing yourself as a sole owner or proprietor, it is time to confer with a corporate lawyers in Los Angeles to see which business structure is best for you.

About The Author Manuel Salvacion For more information on how to contact a dependable corporate lawyer to assist you in resolving your business’ legal worries, log on to our Los Angeles lawyers’ website at http://www.mesrianilaw.com/Los-Angeles-Corporate-Attorney.html

Practicing Law on the Internet

By: Vance A. Fisher, Attorney at law

Imagine a law firm where going to the office entails only logging on to the firm’s private web site. Client communications come in by email. Your advice is given by email. Your files are on web servers. Your databases are on web servers. You find and meet with your employees, and your clients, on the web. Meetings among the firm, and between the firm and clients, are held by real time live video on the Internet.(2) And your clients find you there, on your public site.

I have for some time pondered the concept of the “Virtual Law Firm.” Perhaps some of the readers of this article have, also. Such a firm would exist only in cyberspace, on the Internet. Its members, associates, assistants and clerks could be physically located anywhere in the world that there was a reasonably fast Internet node. Its clients could contact it via the Internet. Its case files would reside on the Internet. Its databases would reside on the Internet. It would solicit the assistance of temporary workers–legal, paralegal, and clerical–on the Internet. Their tasks would be assigned on the Internet. Their work product would be submitted on the Internet. And client advice would be given on the Internet.

What would be involved to make that happen?

Probably less than we think, and the tools are available now. The Information Superhighway is still under construction, but lawyers are traveling it every day in both directions. What are some of the opportunities, pitfalls, and implications of this new environment? Marketing considerations? Ethical considerations?

Internet Law Firms. I have found no virtual firms in the United States, but there is at least one in Canada, where one individual has created a “virtual firm:” Markus Cohen, of Toronto, Ontario, has established what he refers to, and has trademarked, as “The Virtual Law Firm.”(3) It appears to be a less formal and more flexible networking arrangement than the usual firm arrangement.

In the United States, there are some approximations of such an entity. ArborLaw,(4) for example is an “information resource” of 2 lawyers not formally connected in partnership. But such a partnership would be possible.

However constituted, such a firm would probably encounter local licensure issues, but no more so than in a typical firm. Partnership and networking agreement issues and distribution and compensation arrangements could be unusual, however, because likely the entity would not require the full time and attention of its “members” or “associates” or support personnel.

Additional ethical considerations arise under MRPC 5.1, which requires partners and other supervisors of lawyers to take reasonable steps to secure compliance with the Rules, and MRPC 5.3, which imposes similar standards concerning supervision of nonlawyers.

The conflict of interest rules concerning imputed disqualification, found in MRPC 1.10, deals with lawyers “associated” in a “firm” being subject to the individual lawyer conflict rules. Lawyers in a virtual firm on the Internet may not be willing to share their client information with other lawyers in that virtual firm to secure compliance with the rule, as freely as would lawyers in a physical firm. In that case, it would be incumbent upon the participants to find an alternative conflict screening device, such as a confidential neutral third party, to screen the cases.

The “former client of firm” rule of MRPC 1.9(b) and (c) may present equally thorny issues, although the proscription is a bit narrower, limited as it is to a “substantially related matter” and to the “use” of “information relating to the representation to the disadvantage” of the former client. The same solutions would be required.

As for the composition of the virtual firm, most likely, a few managers might be the only full time personnel, and the rest would be contract personnel or “temps.” An example of this type of firm, although not a virtual one, is Glidden Partners, Houston, Texas, which heavily utilizes temporary personnel.(5)

There are also vicarious liability issues. For example. the Uniform Partnership Act as enacted in Michigan provides in Section 6(1), MCL 449.6(1), MSA 20.6(1),

“A partnership is an association of 2 or more persons . . . to carry on as co-owners a business for profit . . ..”

If the virtual firm is a partnership, or appears to be one, the vicarious liability of the partnership for the acts of the partner is likely. If a Michigan Limited Liability Partnership status is elected, vicarious liability is lessened, under the Michigan statute:

“Except for a tax obligation of the partnership, a partner of a registered limited liability partnership is not liable directly or indirectly, including by way of indemnification, contribution, assessment, or otherwise, for debts, obligations, and liabilities of or chargeable to the partnership, whether in tort, contract, or otherwise, arising from negligence, wrongful acts, omissions, misconduct, or malpractice committed while the partnership is a registered limited liability partnership and in the course of the partnership business by another partner or an employee, agent, or representative of the partnership. . . . This section shall not affect the liability of a partner in a registered limited liability partnership for the partner’s own negligence, wrongful acts, omissions, misconduct, or malpractice or that of any person under the partner’s direct supervision and control.”(6)

Conflict of Law rules would have to be considered, however, and the laws of multiple jurisdictions would no doubt be involved.

The Internet as a Marketing Tool. Legal advertising on the Internet has certainly reached a fine art. One outstanding, non-Michigan site is that of Pepper & Corazzini, L.L.P.,(7) which has links to, and storage for, a wealth of legal information useful to clients and lawyers alike.

What ethical considerations do Michigan lawyers need to consider, in such a venture? Many lawyers will probably not intentionally seek clients in jurisdictions where they are not licensed. They may not be seeking clients in parts of Michigan remote from their offices. However, email may inadvertently cross jurisdictional lines, and Web sites of Michigan lawyers may be physically located anywhere, and are as easily browsed in Australia as in Grand Rapids. Different states and countries have different rules about advertising and solicitation. Currently, however, restriction of Web site access by persons outside of Michigan is not conveniently feasible.

I believe that a reasonable approach to the problem may be to disclaim whatever it is that we intend not to be doing in our electronic communications: advising clients in any jurisdiction, solicitation where unlicensed, solicitation anywhere, endorsement of or by the firm, or invitation of confidential communications.(8) Of course, if the site or communication is aggressively self-promoting or client-seeking, or in any event, disclaimers may fail of their intended effect.

In Michigan, the governing rules are Administrative Order 1978-4,(9) and MRPC 7.1 and 7.2(10) Both are anti-fraud rules, with the added concepts that comparisons with other lawyers are proscribed unless capable of “factual” substantiation, and that “unjustified expectations” or expectations of illegal conduct may not be engendered. Thus, it would not be expected that Internet communications would be subject to any special substantive restrictions that would not apply to other forms of advertisement.

There is, however, a Michigan record-keeping requirement that is more likely to cause trouble: the mandate that a “copy or recording of an advertisement or communication shall be kept for two years after its last dissemination along with a record of when and where it was used.” Typically, Web sites are updated directly by electronic file transfer from a workstation, via modem, to a Web server. A paper trail is not ordinarily generated. The workstation will contain the transmitted file, and its normal backup will preserve it, ideally, for the required period of time. However, what is less likely to be preserved is the data about its use.

If the word “use” refers only to the placing of it on the Web site, some appropriate discipline concerning downloading of the site, or printing it, may suffice. If it refers to the viewing of the site by others, normal Web site records, and even unusual site records, will not furnish that information. It seems reasonable to interpret “use” as it would apply to radio and television broadcasts, where listener and viewer data is similarly unavailable.

Another question occurs under Michigan rules: the possibility that a Web site is a “lawyer referral service” within the meaning of MRPC 6.3(b), which prohibits utilization of for-profit lawyer referral services, and not-for-profit services unless that rule is complied with.(11) If the Web site is that of the lawyer or his firm, certainly no problem should arise under 6.3(b). However, if the site is one provided by a number of lawyers not otherwise connected in a practice group or firm, a conceivable interpretation could include such a site. If so, no profit could be generated by the site, under existing rules, and it would need to be registered under 6.3(b)(1) through (3).

And if the virtual firm members’ affiliation is not sufficiently close, the arrangement would run afoul of Informal Ethics Opinion 221, October 13, 1994, which holds that the use of the term “Group” is misleading and inappropriate if there is only one lawyer in the “group.”

The Internet as a Firm and Client Database Repository. A law firm can approach functional paperless status, at least insofar as its own work product is concerned, and if it is willing to optically scan documents, with or without processing them with optical character recognition software, incoming documents and yellow-pad notes can be stored digitally also. Thus with an indexing programs or document handlers, firm data and client material can be retrieved from throughout a firm’s computer network. More sophisticated databases, in a client-server environment, are not unusual for larger firms, and these can serve a “paperless office” function as well.

But such internal networks, even if sophisticated, may not readily lend themselves to virtual firm geography, where access must be made by multiple persons from multiple and geographically-separated physical locations. What is needed, therefore, is a virtual database. The virtual repository would necessarily contain all the client data and accounting data, the case file, and the client’s own documents, however vast the collection. The documents can be entered digitally, scanned optically with or without OCR processing as needed for searching, and searched, viewed, downloaded and printed from the Web site.

No special wiring, Wide Area Networks, modems, or routers are required either as server or workstation: just a connection to a fast Internet node.

And with Web site access, the Firm’s files can be accessed while personnel are away from their main workstation, using laptops and radio modems, or off-site land-line telephone links.

At least one example of such a virtual database provider on the Internet does exist: The Virtual Repository.(12) It exists as a potential repository of databases of massive size. Arrangements may be made with the proprietors for a “test drive.”

The Internet as a Communications Device. Email messages and Web sites are powerful communications devices. Email programs can send messages to multiple addressees with a single command. Remailing email services can expand that horizon considerably.

There are privacy issues, however. Unencrypted Internet communications are not fully private, and sensitive information can be compromised, unless encryption is used. That being the case, there are confidentiality issues as well. The only safe course, therefore, is encryption.

The Internet as a Research Tool. Much has been written about the legal resources on the Internet, and reference is made to The Legal List(13) and a recent and excellent article by Aaron M. Grossman, “Great New Web Sites for Lawyers,”(14) which explains and discusses www.findlaw.com, www.lawcrawler.com, www.ilrg.com, and other Internet resources for the legal profession. The Virtual Law Firm would no doubt use such resources.

The Internet as an Employment Resource. There are many web sites on the Internet that put would-be employers and would-be employees in touch with each other. For example: www.careermosaic.com; www.careerpath.com; www.occ.com; and www.aarp.org/bulletin/webjobs. The Lawyers’ Counsel Connect web site, www.counsel.com, has job postings available for members. Employment it seems could be arranged over the Internet.

I have thought that, after the emergence of temporary lawyer firms which place attorneys in contract positions for limited periods of time, we would see the appearance of temporary or “contract’ lawyer placements on the Internet, for contracts to work on the Internet. I have not yet seen such institutions, however. But they would be of great benefit to the Virtual Law Firm.

Some Economic Considerations. We soon learn that computer ventures of any kind cost more than might have been anticipated by the users. And their are hidden costs of support and upgrading, as well. Moreover, as pointed out in a recent computer magazine article,(15) it costs $2,000 a month for a T1 line; low-power, cheap systems lack sufficient throughput for many Web sites, and lack security; and with 1 million “.com” Web domains, a Web site can become lost, without adequate marketing and advertising. And by way of comparison, amazon.com, a virtual bookstore, lost $0.3 million in 1995 and $5.8 million in 1996. And IBM is shutting down its virtual shopping street.

Conclusions. The Virtual Law Firm, on the Internet, may be an idea whose time has come. It will be interesting to review the subject a year from now, and see how many such firms exist. In the interim, I would welcome comment from readers as to their interest in supporting a Internet contracting clearinghouse, which would broker spare time blocks between lawyers to work on projects emailed between them, with the result delivered via the Internet.

If readers care to email their comments on the Internet Law Firm or the Internet Contracting Clearinghouse to fisherv@fisherlaw.com, I intend to submit the results for publication here.

Vance A. Fisher

Copyright 1997

All rights reserved

Vance A. Fisher is a lawyer in St. Joseph, Michigan, concentrating his practice in estate planning and administration, real estate, business, and computer law. He is also a mediator and, on a limited basis, does law office technology consulting.

(1) The term was used in 1995 by David G. Post. www.cli.org/DPost/X0019_VFIRM.html Domain names and links as used in this article are believed accurate, but may change at any time.

(2) Using any of the inexpensive ($100) digital cameras, such as Connectix, and public domain software such as Cuseeme (available from www.cornell.edu).

(3) www.interlog.com/~virtual/

(4) www.rust.net/~arborlaw/

(5) The Wall Street Journal, May 19, 1997, at B1.

(6) MSA MCL § 449.46(1-2) MSA § 20.46(1-2).

(7) www.commlaw.com

(8)For example, Fisher Law Office currently uses this disclaimer: “This web site is intended as a general information resource, and is not guaranteed to be complete or up to date. It is not intended as advertising, or solicitation of representation or employment. It should not be considered as an invitation for attorney-client relationships. Legal advice should be obtained only in consultation, and only from attorneys licensed in the appropriate jurisdiction. Fisher Law Office does not intend links to or from this page as endorsements. Fisher Law Office will not accept referrals from unapproved or unregistered referral services. Fisher Law Office does not intend to represent anyone who desires representation based upon viewing this site in a jurisdiction where this site fails to comply with any law or ethical rule, or where Fisher Law Office is unlicensed. Fisher Law Office discourages the use of electronic mail for confidential communications as there are security and privilege issues not fully resolved.” www.fisherlaw.com

(9) “A lawyer may on behalf of himself, his partner or associate, or any other lawyer affiliated with him or his firm, use or participate in the use of any form of public communication that is not false, fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive.”

(10) “Rule 7.1 Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services

A lawyer may, on the lawyer’s own behalf, on behalf of a partner or associate, or on behalf of any other lawyer affiliated with the lawyer or the lawyer’s law firm, use or participate in the use of any form of public communication that is not false, fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive. A communication shall not:

(a) contain a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or omit a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading;

(b) be likely to create an unjustified expectation about results the lawyer can achieve, or state or imply that the lawyer can achieve results by means that violate the Rules of Professional Conduct or other law; or

(c) compare the lawyer’s services with other lawyers’ services, unless the comparison can be factually substantiated.

Rule 7.2 Advertising

(a) Subject to the provisions of these rules, a lawyer may advertise.

(b) A copy or recording of an advertisement or communication shall be kept for two years after its last dissemination along with a record of when and where it was used.

(c) A lawyer shall not give anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer’s services, except that a lawyer may:

(i) pay the reasonable cost of advertising or communication permitted by this rule;

(ii) participate in, and pay the usual charges of, a not-for-profit lawyer referral service or other legal service organization that satisfies the requirements of Rule 6.3(b); and

(iii) pay for a law practice in accordance with Rule 1. 17.

(11) “A lawyer may participate in and pay the usual charges of a not-for-profit lawyer referral service or a legal service organization that recommends, furnishes, or pays for legal services to its members or beneficiaries, if that service or organization: (1) has filed with the State Bar of Michigan a written plan disclosing the name under which it operates, the name, address, and telephone number of its chief operating officer, the plan terms, conditions of eligibility, schedule of benefits, subscription charges and agreements with counsel; (2) updates its filings within 30 days of any material change; and (3) in January of each year following its inception files a statement representing that it continues to do business under the terms and conditions reflected in its filings as amended to date. The filing requirements of paragraph (b) do not apply to a not-for-profit legal aid association.”

(12) www.tvr.com.

(13) legal-list@justice.eliot.me.us

(14) 97 LWUSA 359 (May 5, 1997).

(15) Computerworld, May 19, 1997, at 6.

Fisher Law Office
Law & Title Building
811 Ship St., P. O. Box 83
St. Joseph, Michigan 49085
fisherv@fisherlaw.com
www.fisherlaw.com

How to Work with a Virtual Assistant

Article by: Patty Benton

When someone asks me what I do, and I tell them I am a Virtual Assistant, I am bombarded with questions. What is a Virtual Assistant? Who uses a Virtual Assistant? How much do they charge? How can they complete my work without being in my office? How is a Virtual Assistant more beneficial than someone in my office? How do I know that I can trust the hours they charge and that they won’t share my personal information? How do I go about finding a Virtual Assistant that is a “match” for me? These are all legitimate questions that someone considering hiring a Virtual Assistant needs to ask and have the answers to.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant is a person or company that completes a variety of administrative, web, and computer work virtually. This means that they complete the work from their office and send it to their client via email, web link, postal mail, or fax. Communication is mainly done via email and phone, with many Virtual Assistants never meeting their client face to face.

Who uses a Virtual Assistant?

Anyone can. Real estate agents, coaches, non-profit, churches, small business owners, and big corporations are a few that can benefit from the services of a Virtual Assistant. The benefit of a Virtual Assistant is that they can be used on an “as-needed” basis, or a client can contract them to work so many hours a month.

How can they complete my work without being in my office?

The power of technology allows work to be done from anywhere. Some Virtual Assistants will connect their computer to a client’s and work directly on the client’s computer. Other options are to send work via email, postal mail, and even put it on the web and have clients download it. Depending on the project, a Virtual Assistant can find a way to complete the work and make sure the client gets it.

How is a Virtual Assistant more beneficial than someone in my office?

The main benefits of a Virtual Assistant to someone in an office are financial and space. An average office employee makes $43.54/hour (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics March, 2003) with their benefits package and wage. By the time an in-office employee takes breaks, lunch, restroom breaks, and chatting with others in the office, think of how much money is wasted! A Virtual Assistant will charge their client ONLY for the time spent working on the project and they pay their own benefits.

The other benefit is space. Having another person in an office means somewhere to put another desk, computer, and other office equipment needed by that employee (plus the cost of all this equipment and maintenance). Virtual Assistants provide their own work space, computer, equipment, maintenance, etc. In addition, most Virtual Assistants will cover the cost of supplies, which for an employee, the employer must also provide. When adding up these costs, the Virtual Assistant comes out as a far cheaper option.

How do I know that I can trust the hours they charge and that they won’t share my personal information?

Most Virtual Assistants use some sort of software to track their time in and out. There are several software programs that allow the user to punch in and out, just like a punch clock. It tracks the time, and at anytime the user can create a “report” that vouches for time spent and can be sent to a client when needed. As a Virtual Assistant, I use TraxTime. This allows me to record my time working, and easily punch out if I need to take care of something personal. It also allows me to make memos as to what I am working on, so a client has an idea of how long something takes to be completed. All Virtual Assistants have their own preference of software they like to use, but all work under the same ethics that they charge only for time spent working on a project. They won’t charge you for their lunch break, or the call that came in from another client. Obviously, Virtual Assistants work on the honor system of punching out for personal time. Clients always have the right to find another Virtual Assistant to work with if they feel their Virtual Assistant is charging them for time not spent on their project.

As for sharing a client’s company information, clients need to be sure to have a contract in place that ensures their company secrets and information will not be shared. Many Virtual Assistants have “niched” an industry, and this results in them having competing clients. With a contract in place, they cannot share a client’s information or use it to help another client. And to speak logically on this, if a Virtual Assistant did this, they would lose the faith and trust of clients, which would result in the failure of their business. So, it is not to their benefit to share a client’s information. But, to protect themselves, clients should be sure to sign a privacy clause in a contract.

How much do they charge?

The general price ranges from $20 to $50+ per hour depending on the services requested and the Virtual Assistants experience and degree. Many Virtual Assistants offer a “retainer plan” for those clients that are willing to commit to a certain number of hours per month. With a retainer plan, a client can get a discount on hourly rates.

How do I go about finding a Virtual Assistant that is a “match” for me?

As I mentioned previously, many Virtual Assistants find a “niche” which is an area they excel in. A client needs to find a Virtual Assistant that niches in their area of expertise and that offers the services they need. Some clients find it beneficial to have 2 or 3 Virtual Assistants that have different areas of expertise. The most important thing in finding a Virtual Assistant is not cost, or even area of expertise, but do you match well? Do you have the same work ethics? Do you have personalities that will work well together? Finding someone you feel comfortable with is the most important because a Virtual Assistant will become your partner in business and will help your business become even more successful.

Patty Benton is the owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and JERPAT Web Designs, www.moretime4u.org, which provides affordable administrative and web design support to coaches, small businesses, religious organizations, and Realtors. Additionally, Patty is a coach for new entrepreneurs interested in venturing into the virtual assistance industry. She has developed a program that is affordable for all. Visit her coaching site at www.jerpat.org/CHome.html for program details and great business resources.

© 2005 JERPAT Virtual Assistants