Unbundled Attorney Mastermind

Episode 34: Automate and Streamline Your Practice: A Discussion of How Legal Technology is Transforming the Practice of Law with Michael Chasin, CEO of Lexicata Michael Chasin joins us to give an overview of Lexicata, an all-in-one CRM and client intake solution for lawyers, and how legal technology is impacting the practice of law. He outlines the primary features of Lexicata, and how lawyers are using them to streamline their intake and client conversion process. We announce Unbundled Attorney’s brand new integration with Lexicata, which enables lawyers to have our leads delivered directly into their Lexicata account in real-time. We also discuss how merging lead generation with powerful intake and practice management tools will help lawyers grow their practice tremendously, while enabling them to deliver services in a more efficient and cost effective manner. In this episode, you’ll learn: The main features of Lexicata, how lawyers are using it, and the story behind why it was originally developed The pri

Episode 33: Moving to a New City: How to Close Your Existing Practice and Start up a New One from Scratch, Tips for Hiring Staff, and the Benefits of Layaway Payments Have you ever considered moving to another city, but haven’t because you are reluctant to start a new practice from scratch? Maybe you want to be closer to family, or live in your dream community, but the pull of existing clients and income makes it difficult to pull the trigger? Last year, Aaron Walsch, took a leap of faith and moved from Columbia, SC to Nashville, TN after building a successful practice for over a decade. Today, Aaron shows us how to wind down your existing practice and launch a new one in a different community. We also discuss the importance of hiring great staff, how lead generation helps you grow a new practice, and the value of offering a layaway payment option for your clients. In this episode, you’ll learn: The steps involved in winding down an existing practice and then starting a new one in another community Why so ma

Episode 32: How Cultivating a Deep Understanding of Your Clients’ Emotional, Cultural and Political Context Can Help You Deliver Exceptional Service and Build a More Profitable Practice Originally from Cuba, Moises Kaba has been providing immigration, family law, and estate representation in southern Florida for over 30 years. Today, Moises joins us on the show to talk about the importance of cultivating an understanding of the cultural history and emotional fears of your clients. He explains how this empathy helps you become an exceptional communicator. This is one element of Moises’s three-part service philosophy which not only dictates how he relates to clients, but also determines the types of flexible payment options he offers. He breaks down the profitability of intelligently structured payment plans, and explains why so many attorneys not currently offering these options could be missing out on a tremendous amount of additional revenue. In this episode, you’ll learn: Major differences between the Cuba

Episode 31: Starting a Brand New Law Firm After 18 Years of Practice: A Step-by-Step Blueprint for a Successful Launch and Expansion, Hiring Virtual Contract Lawyers, and Empathetic Pricing After 18 years of practice, Maria Aguila decided to go back out on her own and start a new law firm. Today, Maria joins us on the show and walks us through the phases of growth and expansion she experienced during the successful launch of her new practice six months ago. She tells us why she hired a virtual assistant and virtual contract attorney to help build the new practice, and how she pays for their services. Maria also gives us a complete pricing breakdown and comparison between her full representation and Unbundled legal service options for immigration and family law. She explains the importance of cultivating empathy for the unique legal needs and special financial circumstances of your clients, and how that sensitivity will naturally give rise to implementation of flexible service options that meets clients’ needs

Episode 30: 15 Years of Solo Practice in the Big Apple: Relating to an Ethnically Diverse Clientele, Tracking Key Metrics, and Effectively Leveraging Paralegals David Zaslavsky has had his own solo family law practice in New York City for over 15 years. Today, he joins our show to share his insights about how he has learned to develop rapport and relate to people from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and personality types whom he encounters in NYC. David also shares his experiences from working with many lead generation companies through the years. He discusses how they compare to Unbundled Attorney, and he outlines some of the strategies he has found most successful. David talks about the high costs involved in running a practice in NYC, one of the most expensive business environments anywhere in the world. He also explains how he structures fees to ensure he provides affordable services for his clients, while still covering his high overhead. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of closely tra

Episode 29: Developing a Virtual Immigration Practice: Electronic Enrollments, Document Automation and Unbundled Immigration Services After working as a public defender in Manhattan, NY and commuting for two hours each day, Vaneskha Wilson decided to move to Orlando with her family and start her own virtual immigration practice. Today she joins on the show to breakdown how she has been able to enroll and deliver immigration services to the majority of her clients without having to meet them in person. This includes a walk-through of each step in the process from the initial call and enrollment, to how she leverages an online client portal and document automation technology to efficiently prepare and deliver immigration forms electronically. Vaneskha also shares the unbundled and “pay-as-you-go” options she offers, and the typical fees she charges for each service. In this episode, you’ll learn: How the election of Donald Trump and the subsequent changes in the political climate have impacted her practice Ho

Episode 28: Strategies Developed from Fielding More Than 50 Leads a Week: Text Messaging, Layaway Payments, and Relating Well with Clients Sean Lynch currently receives about 200 leads each month from Unbundled Attorney. Not only has he been receiving a high volume of leads since first starting back in September 2016, he converts over 40% of our leads into new paying clients. Today, Sean joins us on the show to share some of the strategies he has developed, as well as some creative payment options he offers that enable him to provide affordable services for so many of his leads. Sean explains when and how he offers “layaway” payments for clients who cannot afford his flexible up front retainer. He also shares some valuable lessons learned from his father that he uses to communicate effectively and relate well with clients. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Sean uses text-messaging to set up initial phone and in-office consultations, without disclosing his cell phone number The process Sean uses on initial c

Episode 27: How Shifting Away from a “Big Retainer Mentality” Can Transform Your Firm Brian Winters’ experience while working for a big law firm included what he calls a “big retainer mentality.” Success there was measured by how large the initial retainer would be. After some convincing, Brian started offering more affordable services including unbundled “isolated task” work to his clients, and this change in his mentality and approach helped transform his practice. Today, Brian shares how he went about making this important change, the kinds of options he offers now, and how he talks about them with his clients. He also talks about his expansion into other parts of his state, and how he manages his mobile practice from the road. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Brian overcame his self-described “snobbery” of wanting to charge a big retainer as a requirement to feel successful, and how this shift in mentality transformed his practice How he explains unbundled options for clients by describing how he can h

Episode 26: Deep Dive with Dave Aarons, CEO of Unbundled Attorney: How to Thrive in a Disrupted Legal Market and the Future of Unbundled Legal Services In our previous episodes, Dave Aarons, CEO of Unbundled Attorney, interviews the guests on our show. Today, the tables are turned, and one of the previous guests from the podcast, Sou Bounlutay, interviews Dave, and gets to the bottom of what Unbundled Attorney is really all about. Dave talks about the major changes that have occurred in the legal industry over the past 30 years, and how attorneys can adapt their practice in order to grow and thrive in the new legal landscape. Dave also describes some of the underlying values of the attorneys he works with, and the unique way they relate to their clients, as well as Dave’s vision for the future of unbundled legal services. To read the complete transcript of this interview, click here. In this episode, you’ll learn: The breakdown of what unbundled legal services are, and examples of the types of unbundled ser

Episode 25: Estate Planning Strategies Learned from 36 Years of Practice: Pay-As-You-Go and Fixed Fees, Probate Advice, and the Importance of Cultivating Empathy for Grieving Clients After over 36 years of legal practice, Robert Muehlenweg has developed a well-defined strategy that provides affordable and compassionate estate planning services for his clients. Today he joins us on the show to share some of the unique service options he has developed, including pay-as-you-go, fixed fees, full representation services, and how he prices these options. We talk about how he fields the estate leads we send him, including his approach to the initial consultation, and how it allows him to enroll many of his “new school” clients right over the phone. He also shares some of the emotional skills of estate planning and probate, and how important it is to relate to clients in an empathic and sensitive manner. In this episode, you’ll learn: The differences between formal and informal probate issues, and how Robert handles

Episode 24: How to Relocate a Law Practice to a New Region: Creating Relationships with Local Courts, Bartering with Clients, and Building an Efficient Firm Before Charles Skinner became an attorney, he worked as a machinist for over 10 years. That experience taught him a lot about how to streamline processes and build an efficient business model. Today, Charles shares how he transferred this approach to his law practice by building systems that streamline workflows. We also explore how he was able to successfully relocate his law practice from El Paso to Dallas, TX. He examines some of the mistakes he made and shares valuable lessons learned along the way. He also talks about the alternative fee arrangements he has implemented with his clients, such as bartering his services for assets or property, as well as some strategies he has developed in his mediation practice. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to evaluate the essentials of every process and task in your practice and build systems to automate and st

Episode 23: Launching a New Solo Practice: From Law School Graduate to 65 New Paying Clients in 3 Months Andrew Burgess is 9 months out of law school and has already built a thriving and successful solo practice. This growth is largely fueled by a high volume of Unbundled Attorney leads, his effectiveness in fielding those leads, and the affordable unbundled options he offers his clients. Today, Andrew shares the strategies he has implemented to make contact with almost every lead he talks to, and he provides a specific, detailed analysis of the economics of unbundling. He makes a very strong case to attorneys that by offering unbundled options they can provide valuable services to lower income families and still make a ton of money in the process. In this episode, you’ll learn: The strategies Andrew has implemented that allow him to make contact with almost every lead he receives How he handles the initial phone consultation that enables him to meet with 6 to 7 out of every 10 leads in his office How to res

Episode 22: Chronicling the Journey From a New Solo Practice to a Small Law Firm: Limited Appearances, Hiring Contract Lawyers, and Scaling Up a Practice After many years working as a prosecuting attorney and then as a contract lawyer for a firm on the east coast, David Gross decided to start his own practice out of Vancouver, WA, in March of 2015. In this episode David chronicles his firm’s growth from solo practitioner and “wearing all the hats,” to the small firm he has now, along with the many challenges he has overcome along the way. He shares valuable insights on the best practices for offering limited appearances, including what pitfalls to avoid. He also gives some very practical advice on how to hire contract lawyers and scale from solo practitioner to a small law firm. In this episode, you’ll learn: The unbundled document services David offers and how he explains these services to his clients The benefits and pricing considerations involved in offering limited appearances, as well as common pitfall

Episode 21: Building Blocks for Great Relationships with Clients, Mobile-Lawyering, and Strategies to Convert Estate Leads Bill Fix didn’t become a lawyer straight out of college. Instead, he worked in sales and as an investment advisor before enrolling in law school. These experiences taught him valuable lessons that later influenced how he manages his practice. Today, Bill shares many of these valuable lessons, including how to relate well and communicate effectively with clients. We discuss mobile lawyering, how to build a law practice from home, and strategies he has developed to call and convert estate leads effectively. In this episode, you’ll learn: The valuable lessons Bill learned from knocking on 100 doors a day, selling books door to door for two summers Strategies for cultivating a strong mindset that can empower you to overcome challenges The core principles of relating well to your clients, including the “community minded” approach to building relationships How Bill was able to build a brand ne

Episode 20: Lessons from 50 years of Practicing Law: Empathetic Listening, Limited Scope, and the Disrupted Legal Market Richard A. Shannon is an exceptional attorney with over 50 years of experience. After studying liberal arts and graduating from UT School of Law, he served as an Assistant Attorney General of Texas and Special Counsel to the Commissioner of Insurance, before starting his private practice in family law over 20 years ago. Today Richard joins us on the show to share his broad perspective on the changes that have occurred in the legal marketplace during the past 10-20 years. He explains ways that attorneys may need to adapt in order to continue to succeed. He also discusses practical strategies to improve how you serve your clients, including empathetic listening, limited scope representation, and the true meaning behind being a “counselor” at law. In this episode, you’ll learn: The difference between empathy and sympathy, and how expressing empathy and compassion can alleviate suffering Richa

Episode 19: Starting a Solo Practice in Your Forties: Embracing Tech, Leveraging an Assistant, and Flexible Payment Plans Kathy Orr has been practicing family law for over 15 years, and what makes her stand out from our other guests is that she took up the practice of law in her forties. After graduating magna cum laude, besting her younger classmates, she decided to start a solo practice right out of law school. Today, Kathy joins us and gives some practical tips for new lawyers. She also highlights the importance of having an assistant, and explains how her payment plans have helped increase monthly cash flow and serve more clients. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of keeping your overhead low when first starting a new practice How hiring an assistant can help increase your caseload, streamline your work flows, and keep you focused on high priority tasks How to find the balance between calling new leads and working on active cases How delivering flat rate unbundled document services helps you

Episode 18: Scaling Up Your Practice: How to Expand From Solo Practitioner to Small Law Firm in Under 3 Months Rhonda Telford Naidu has been an Unbundled provider attorney out of Oklahoma City, OK for about 3 months. During this time her client base has grown from 9 active clients to 51 which has required her to hire two new attorneys. She is also working on opening new offices that will allow her firm to expand to serve the entire state of Oklahoma. Today, she and her partner/office manager, Jayshree, walk us through how they have scaled their practice so quickly. They also give us a very convincing argument for why it makes both moral and financial sense for attorneys to offer payment plans for their clients. To read the complete transcript of this interview, click here In this episode, you’ll learn: The main phases for scaling a law firm, and the how to execute them in the proper order How Rhonda and Jayshree were able to leverage internet leads and acquire 41 new clients in only three months How to sourc

Episode 17: How Offering “Pay-As-You-Go” Options Can Dramatically Increase the Number of Clients You Can Profitably Serve Barbara Rogachevsky has been an Unbundled provider attorney out of Akron, Ohio, for over two-and-a-half years now. Today Barbara shares the types of unbundled and “pay-as-you-go” options she offers that can fit into the budget of almost any client she works with. She explains how she uses the script to determine her client’s legal needs, financial budget, and how to formulate a “plan” to help them accomplish their goals. She also shares a unique “risk-free” offer for her clients to meet with her for the initial consultation that allows them to feel comfortable taking the next step; while at the same time she screens out clients that don’t value her time. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Barbara uses the script to identify the client’s legal needs and financial circumstances so she can create a tailored plan to help them The impact of responding to leads via text messages, and some best

Episode 16: Proven Sales Strategies to Convert More Leads and Eliminate No-Shows Tera Lee is a long-time unbundled provider attorney based in San Bernardino, CA who has applied best practices and strategies he learned from his background in sales to calling leads. Today Tera joins our show to discuss the importance of embracing sales as a critical component of building a successful law practice, and how to develop systems to consistently improve your sales process over time. He also shares many of the effective sales tactics he has developed, including how to completely eliminate “no-shows” from your practice without having to charge a fee to secure an appointment. To read the complete transcript of this interview, click here In this episode, you’ll learn: How to employ a secretary who will respond to leads in real time when you are not available, and not lose prospective clients in the process How Tera’s strategy allows him to completely eliminate “no-shows” from his appointment schedule, without requiring

Episode 15: Streamlining Your Enrollment Process: Electronic Payments, Online Client Intake, and Creative Unbundling Obreziah Bullard is an unbundled provider attorney out of Atlanta, GA that converts about 75% of the leads she receives into paying clients. That’s an impressive conversion rate, but even more impressive is the fact that 98% of these converted leads retained her services over the phone, without ever meeting her in person. Today, she shares how she has used technology to develop a streamlined electronic enrollment process, and walks us through some very unique and creative unbundled options that have never been divulged on the show before. In this episode, you’ll learn: The step-by-step process Obreziah uses to enroll leads over the phone, without ever meeting her in person The importance of taking time to build rapport with your leads on their initial call Why the majority of her clients elect to retain her for unbundled legal services instead of full representation The ROI from following up w