| The new buzz word is virtual. From virtual games, | | | | professional introduction and placed it on his law firm |
| virtual seminars, virtual phones and virtual everything | | | | website. The video has been one of the major keys in |
| else, the word is becoming a part of our everyday | | | | increasing the client base for the attorney. |
| language. Now virtual has extended to service | | | | 17. If you hire a VBA who is located in your area, they |
| providers. There are millions of virtual assistants who | | | | often provide free pick up and delivery to your office. |
| work for doctors, lawyers, small and large business | | | | Some VBAs assist their attorney clients at court also. |
| owners every day. In fact, the latest buzz is virtual | | | | 18. A VBA never leaves your side. They are as close |
| bankruptcy assistants who are trained professionals | | | | as your office or laptop computer, regardless of |
| specifically working for debtor bankruptcy attorneys. | | | | where you are located in the world! This doesn't |
| Below are 29 advantages for attorneys hiring a virtual | | | | happen when you hire employees to work inside the |
| bankruptcy assistant. | | | | office 9:00 to 5:00. |
| 1. With the changes in the new bankruptcy law, the | | | | 19. Now you and your staff can prevent "desk |
| bankruptcy petition is no longer considered a data | | | | overload." VBAs aide in the reduction of workload for |
| entry job. Instead, the bankruptcy petition is now at the | | | | your paralegals and other law office personnel. |
| heart of any bankruptcy practice. Therefore, drafting a | | | | 20. Forward your calls to a VBA and get more work |
| well-detailed petition is a high-level skill that now | | | | done with fewer interruptions. |
| requires professional training that VBAs have. | | | | 21. Some VBAs provide you with the option of calling |
| 2. Some attorneys consider virtual bankruptcy | | | | into a telephone number, recording your dictation and |
| assistants (VBAs) to be violators of UPL and refuse | | | | the VBA retrieves the audio for transcribing. |
| to entertain the idea of utilizing their services. But that | | | | Completed documents are returned to you in MS |
| trend is rapidly changing. Attorneys are now learning | | | | Word format so you can tweak them before filing. |
| that professional legal VBAs are an integral part of a | | | | 22. Unlike a salaried employee, if you are not happy |
| law firm practice. | | | | with the work a VBA provides, you don't pay the |
| 3. Some attorneys turn away bankruptcy cases every | | | | invoice. This will immediately reduce problems for law |
| day due to the changes in the new bankruptcy law. | | | | firms who seem to have internal employee issues. |
| With a trained virtual bankruptcy assistant, the process | | | | 23. VBAs are paid like any other vendor. They never |
| is minimized for the attorney and the law firm profits | | | | share fees and work under the sole discretion of the |
| are increased. | | | | attorney just like your office staff. |
| 4. Most VBAs have many years of experience and | | | | 24. Hiring VBAs helps to eliminate office gossip that is |
| love what they do. The only difference is that VBAs | | | | common with salaried employees and costs your law |
| work from home instead of physically in the law firm. | | | | firm money. |
| 5. VBAs take care of the everyday tasks which allow | | | | 25. VBAs are notorious for keeping backups of their |
| the attorney more time to grow and expand his/her | | | | client's work on CD-Rom. After the job is complete, |
| practice. | | | | you can request the CD-Rom be mailed to you or |
| 6. If you have an internet connection, it doesn't matter | | | | keep in the VBAs office as a back-up in case your |
| where your VBA is located. All communication is | | | | computers fail. |
| electronic. You now have the freedom to choose | | | | 26. Most paralegals are amazed with how VBAs |
| from thousands of VBAs and not be limited to your | | | | relieve their heavy workload. In fact, VBAs are not |
| area alone. | | | | taking the place of paralegals and your other office |
| 7. Expand your law firm services for the elderly and | | | | staff; they are providing an excellent support base for |
| handicapped that have difficulty traveling to your office. | | | | the entire law firm. |
| Send a VBA to conduct the client intake interview in | | | | 27. VBAs can be located in any state and still have |
| the clients home at the clients convenience. | | | | access to electronic court records to conduct criminal |
| 8. VBAs are normally available 24/7 and easy to | | | | record searches to ensure there are no additional |
| contact by cell phone. In fact, most VBAs stay | | | | debts the client has not revealed. They also can be |
| available for their attorneys after hours and on | | | | located in any state to draft a bankruptcy petition |
| weekends since they know everything cannot be | | | | since the Federal Forms and Schedules are the same |
| accomplished between 9:00 and 5:00. | | | | in every state. |
| 9. Keep your money in your hand. You don't pay a | | | | 28. Save the high cost of investing into software |
| VBA until after the work has been completed to your | | | | programs. VBAs have already made the investment |
| satisfaction. Hiring employees does not provide this | | | | and can export files in PDF format for cross-platform |
| luxury. | | | | review. |
| 10. Unlike employees, attorneys do not pay their VBA | | | | 29. When salaried employees are sick or on vacation, |
| for time they spend daydreaming or being | | | | the law firm normally still pays them. But when a VBA |
| non-productive. VBAs charge their attorney clients | | | | is ill or on vacation, you don't pay anything. VBAs are |
| either a flat fee for a particular job or an hourly fee | | | | only paid once the work is completed to the attorney's |
| based upon accurate reporting from time-tracker | | | | satisfaction. |
| software installed on their computer. | | | | Testimonials from attorneys who utilize VBAs: |
| 11. Utilizing VBAs, debtor bankruptcy attorneys can | | | | 1. When I passed the bar exam and started my law |
| increase their currently hourly fee by 400%. (See the | | | | practice, I was $100,000+ in debt with student loans. |
| book: How to Increase Profits for Your Law Firm, | | | | Utilizing VBAs has saved me thousands of dollars in |
| ISBN: 0976159198) | | | | office equipment and the costs of hiring and training |
| 12. Even if your VBA goes on vacation, your workflow | | | | new employees. |
| is not interrupted. Most VBAs have a network of other | | | | 2. After hiring two VBAs I now have time to plan the |
| professionals who can assist during their absence. | | | | direction I want my law practice to grow into and |
| 13. VBAs normally have several attorney clients they | | | | implement my ideas with better care. |
| serve. They often earn a higher income compared to | | | | 3. VBAs like Geoff Gratz of Monkey Productions |
| working as an employee which is why the majority of | | | | installed a remote connection on our computers |
| VBAs are highly professional, organized and | | | | whereby technical computer support is provided 24 |
| knowledgeable. The VBA and attorney both benefit | | | | hours a day, He doesn't need to come to our office in |
| financially. It's a WIN/WIN situation. | | | | Colorado which is 2,000 miles away. (Ref: Monkey |
| 14. The average VBA prefers working from home so | | | | Productions, 614-668-5037). |
| they can spend more time with their family and less | | | | 4. Unbelievable! Within 90 days after hiring a VBA, my |
| time commuting to and from an office. This makes the | | | | law firm profits increased from $7,000 per month to |
| field attractive for thousands of professionally skilled | | | | $12,000 per month. |
| women and men who provide high quality services to | | | | 5. I expanded my personal injury law firm to offer |
| their attorney clients every day. | | | | bankruptcy services. The VBA I hired does the |
| 15. Because VBAs work from their home office with | | | | majority of the intake work and client intake interview |
| fewer interruptions, they usually have more time to | | | | because she is so knowledgable in bankruptcy. This |
| provide attorneys with a higher level of detail that | | | | has given me a lot more free time and my law firm |
| saves law firms thousands of dollars as well as | | | | profits increase 250% in only four months. |
| mistakes that grow into huge problems! | | | | 6. Since I hired two VBAs and moved to my own |
| 16. Idea: One attorney filmed a 5-minute commercial | | | | home office, I now only need to put on a suit and tie |
| about his law firm with his digital camera. He then sent | | | | when I go to court. |
| the video on DVD to his VBA who edited it, added a | | | | |