The daily pre-coronavirus life of any lawyer included a hectic schedule and long hours of meeting with clients, attending court hearings and filing legal documents. As the pandemic sweeps across the world, that daily schedule is changing along with everything else.
If you are new to working from a home-based office, it may be tough to adjust to your new surroundings. Thanks to technology, many professionals can conduct most of their vital business with the use of laptop computers, email and video conferencing. This allows most lawyers to keep up with their most important cases and clients right from home.
If your family is also at home due to school and work closures, it can be a challenge to organize your day so that you can still be effective for your clients. As a divorce lawyer, you know that communicating with your clients, no matter where you set up your office, is an essential part of your business. Let’s take a look at a few of the ways that you can work from home and still get the job done.
Dedicated Space
Although it’s great to be able to answer your emails and take phone calls whilst wearing your pajamas, there are drawbacks to working from home that can affect your productivity. It’s important to create a dedicated space with limited distractions where you can concentrate on your work.
A spare bedroom, home office space or even your garage are great substitutions for a temporary office area. It’s important to find a space that will give you both privacy and comfort. Keep in mind that if you are conducting any kind of video calls that your background is appropriate and not distracting to clients and colleagues.
A spare bedroom, home office space or even your garage are great substitutions for a temporary office area.
Set Boundaries
When you are at home, your spouse and family may draw your attention more than you expect. Make sure to talk with your family about when it’s alright to intrude on your working time. Create rules like “knocking first” to help you get the privacy you need and limit distractions.
Set A Work Schedule
Working from home can be a very liberating exercise where you can take total control over your daily schedule. However, it can be easy to get sidetracked if you don’t establish some sort of order and routine. Set a specific work schedule for yourself and stick to it. You can work whatever hours are convenient for you but, it’s important to keep to the same routine every day.
Communicate
There is so much uncertainty and fear surrounding the pandemic and your clients may be overly concerned about the status of their cases. It’s vital to take the time to communicate with all of your clients and keep them updated on what is going on. Any legal proceeding is stressful for clients, so it’s up to you to stay in touch and let them know that you are still working for them and their families.
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Connect With Colleagues
Your work culture is something that you may notice that you miss more than anything. Make sure that you communicate regularly with your colleagues so that you can stay updated on everything that is going on at your firm. You may not be able to see each other physically but, staying in the loop will help you to feel more in control.
Millions of people around the world are trying their best to adapt to life during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s important to be patient and vigilant about adhering to your local restrictions. Take the time to set up a productive workspace in your home and follow some of these tips to help you stay on top of your cases and clients.
