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Frequently Asked Questions Questions about the Law Firm Suites Community and Referral System
Is sharing space with other lawyers better for my practice?
YES! Law is not a profession that that is best practiced alone. Sharing space
with other lawyers will help your practice in the following ways:
- Increase strategic referrals. Law Firm Suites Referral System helps
facilitate referrals between our clients.
- Take on more matters and expand your bottom line. Opportunities
to co-counsel with attorneys in other practice areas allow you to take on
matters that may be outside your 'comfort zone,' increasing revenues.
- Reduce malpractice risk. Easy access to other legal experts to
talk though issues reduces the risk of malpractice and helps you become a
better advisor to your clients.
- Build better client relationships by making good referrals. You
have access to talented lawyers you can refer business to that you can't service
yourself. Clients will appreciate the referral, and you can easily stay on
top of the matter as it progresses.
- Impress clients with nicer offices than what you may be able to afford
on your own. Commercial office space in Manhattan is expensive. By sharing
office space at Law Firm Suites, you will have access to nicer offices and
better amenities at a much lower cost than if you rent office space on your
own.
- 'Competition'with neighbors makes you a better lawyer. Lawyers
are competitive by nature. Surrounding yourself with other successful lawyers
will force you to play a 'bigger game'. You will see growth in your practice
just by showing up to work.
- Be a part of Community of interesting people. We rent offices to
lawyers who have exciting lives outside of the office. You'll meet rock musicians
and photographers, golf journalists, snowboarders, skiers, sailors, foodies,
world travelers, game show junkies, new parents, grandparents...and more.
Law Firm Suites is a Community of lawyers who are eager to help you be successful.
What kinds of practices are there now?
Solo Attorneys
Law Firm Suites is a workhorse for the solo practitioner. You will instantly enjoy
the support of a law firm environment without having to tie up your finances--
and future -- with anyone else.
- Built-in networking increases referrals of new work
- Learn other attorneys' secrets for managing firm growth
- Opportunities to share resources and staff with other lawyers
- Focus your time, energy, and money on the most effective marketing strategies
- Leverage technology and systems developed by other LFS lawyers
Small Firms
Shared office space improves your bottom line when you have 2 - 3 partners or
2 - 3 employees.
- Enjoy the synergy and support of other lawyers in the same 'boat'
as you.
- Stay on top of changes and developments in the law
- Utilize back-up support while on vacation or are out of the office for
a prolonged period of time.
- Learn how other attorneys leverage technology to beat much bigger firms
How much business gets referred in Law Firm Suites?
We estimate that over $1.5 million in business gets exchanged each year. Of course,
business sometimes gets exchanged that we do not hear about which will increase
this number. Although no client is obligated to tell us about the referrals they
make to other clients in Law Firm Suites, we do our best to keep track of referrals
that get exchanged. As our clients' practices grow and Law Firm Suites continues
to expand the space we have available for rent, we expect this number to grow
exponentially.
What if I'm just starting out, is Law Firm Suites still a good fit?
Yes! Law Firm Suites is the stepping stone that will get your practice started
off on the right foot.
- Get the mentoring you need for marketing and practice development to
'hit the ground running'. Learn:
--What it takes to market a new practice.
--Low cost techniques to find more clients with limited time and budget.
--A deeper understanding of what it takes to become a rainmaker.
- Profit from co-counsel opportunities with other lawyers, or do contract work to
'fill in the gaps'.
Check out our Start-Up Package
How does Law Firm Suites' Referral System work?
Lawyers are naturals at giving (and receiving) referrals, but the process of
developing strategic referral partners is all about building relationships.
From our professionally designed offices that attract the right kind of attorneys,
to the way we methodically protect the integrity of the Community, everything
about Law Firm Suites' facility and operations has been carefully planned
to accelerate the relationship-building process between our clients in order
to maximize referrals. At Law Firm Suites, you will have access to:
- Group social events with the LFS Community (lunches and parties)
- Lawyer-only networking groups
- CLE opportunities
- Public relations and speaking opportunities
- Access to practice development experts & seminars
...and more!
Should I be concerned about lawyers with competing practices?
It's been our experience that lawyers with overlapping practice areas
actually exchange the most business. Lawyers with overlapping practices are
great referral partners because each lawyer tends to have a niche area of expertise
that opens the door to referral opportunities.
You will have a lot in common with lawyers who have overlapping practices. These
lawyers will become strategic 'partners' to whom you will naturally
go to with practice questions. These interactions will help you develop relationships
with those lawyers faster, which increases referral potential. Our suggestion
is to embrace the 'competition'!
Questions About Amenities, Services & Additional Costs
Do you offer telephone/fax service?
Yes. We have done our research and found the highest quality, lowest cost professional
phone system available. We make telephone services available on a low cost,
fixed rate basis. Our telephone system includes:
- All toll charges in one, low cost flat fee
- Auto-attendant capabilities
- Direct Dial
- Call forwarding
- #3-way conferencing
- Caller ID
- Voicemail sent to email
- Call recording feature
- Free bridge line (conference call) facility
- Phones for home office use
...and more
Is secretarial/law clerk space available?
Yes! We offer two options. For full-time assistants and paralegals, our workstations
are available. For lawyers who rent one or more of our offices, we rent workstations
at discounted rates.
The second option is our work carrels. Much like the work carrels you'll find
in a university library, we offer these work spaces on a low cost, month-to-month
basis to our clients. Work carrels are perfect for short-term and part-time
staff, like law clerks, bookkeepers, paralegals and assistants.
Can I get someone answer my phone?
Yes! While it's been our experience that most lawyers like to answer their own
phones, some of our clients want their phones answered by an assistant. That's
why we have a strategic partnership with Ruby Receptionists,
who provide our clients with low cost, professional call answering services.
By maintaining a relationship with Ruby Receptionists, Law Firm Suites can offer
the highest quality call answering service, while simultaneously keeping the
cost for our offices affordable.
Is conference room time included?
Yes! We don't believe in 'nickel and diming' our clients like other office suite
operators. Lawyers require frequent conference room access, sometimes for long
periods of time —like for depositions or closings. We currently have three,
well apportioned conference rooms available, and add conference rooms as we
acquire additional office space.
Reservations are made through our on-line reservation system on a first-come-first-served
basis. It's been our experience that conference rooms reservations are
readily available up to 24 hours in advance, and typically available within
a few hours of a meeting.
How flexible are the rental periods?
We offer very flexible rental periods. We have clients on one to three year
agreements, and longer.
However, building a Community of lawyers who regularly refer business to each
other requires a certain amount of trust among its members. High turnover makes
lawyers in our Community less inclined to invest time in building a relationship
with new lawyers who wo't be around for long. To protect the integrity
of the Community, we request that clients commit for a minimum period of one
year.
Workstations are rented on an annual contract, with a 30-day right to terminate.
What other charges will I be responsible for in addition to rent?
Your only additional charges will be your usage of our copy machine, high speed
scanner, postage meter and if you purchase coffee pods or supplies through us.
Here's a pricing table:
B&W copies or prints: 9¢
Color copies or prints: 60¢
High Speed Scans: 5¢
Faxes: Free
Postage meter: Your usage
Coffee K-Cups 75¢
We also make our technology and telephone staff available for special projects
at competitive rates.
Can I rent a furnished office?
Yes! For an additional $100/month, we can provide you with a furnished office
that includes a desk with return, desk drawers, bookshelf, guest chairs, executive
chair and chair mat.
All workstations come furnished with desk with return, desk drawers, executive
chair and chair mat.
Can I access my office late nights or weekends?
Yes! The building and the Law Firm Suites' facility is open on a 24/7 basis
with keyless entry. Our reception desk is staffed Monday to Friday from 9:30
AM to 5:45 PM, except for bank holidays.
Is storage space available?
Yes! For lawyers, client files can be an occupational hazard! That's why every
office and workstation comes with a six shelf (36" wide) storage rack in one
of our shared file rooms.
If you require additional storage space, we can assist you in acquiring low
cost, month-to-month storage space in the building.
Do I have access to a kitchen?
Yes! Our suite includes access to a kitchen pantry, with fridge, microwave,
single serve coffee service and water.
Questions About Technology
Is Internet access and Wi-Fi included?
Yes! We offer T-1+ bandwidth. Each office and workstation is wired for internet
access.
Can more than one computer (like for my assistant) be wired to file share?
Yes! All of our offices and workstations have been wired to allow file sharing.
Our tech staff will assist you in connecting your firm's computers. No
additional cabling is required.
Is someone available to assist with tech support?
Yes! We get you connected to the internet and get your computers hard-wired
together for free. If you need additional tech support (i.e., assistance with
networking software, file sharing setup, assistance with printers and servers)
we have on-site technology staff available to help you with any need you may
require at very competitive rates. |