How to organize a small law firm in 30 days

Small firms usually run on personal effort: the lawyer knows everything by heart — until the day they don't. The good news is that getting organized doesn't require stopping the firm. All it takes is one step a week.

Week 1 — Inventory of cases and deadlines

• List all active cases, with number, client, stage and next deadline;
• Centralize deadlines in a single calendar;
• Define who is responsible for each case.

Week 2 — Clients and contacts

• Gather client data in a single record (ID numbers, contacts, address);
• Link each client to their cases;
• Record prospective clients who are still negotiating.

Week 3 — Finances

• List the current fee agreements and installments receivable;
• Identify overdue installments;
• Separate reimbursable expenses by case.

Week 4 — Routine and automation

• Define a daily routine for triaging court notices;
• Standardize templates for powers of attorney, agreements and frequent filings;
• Choose the three metrics you will track every month.

The most common mistake

Trying to organize everything in separate spreadsheets. One for deadlines, another for clients, another for fees: soon they're out of date and back to depending on someone's memory.

How IntegraLegal solves this

IntegraLegal brings cases, deadlines, clients, documents and finances together in the same system. You import your data with ready-made spreadsheet templates, court notices start arriving on their own and every deadline gets an owner. Instead of 30 days of improvising, you get 30 days of guided organization.

Start today: the 7-day free trial requires no credit card.

Read also

• 8 metrics every law firm should track
• Solo practice: 7 ways to save time without hiring anyone
• How to switch legal software without losing data (or your patience)

Notice: this content is for information only. It does not replace a lawyer's analysis of the specific case. Always check the legislation, case law and rules in force on the date of your consultation.