How Filevine enables the firm while mitigating burnout
Lean Firm Operations
Blade operates as a solo practitioner with his wife Melissa working as the chief operations officer. Melissa’s professional background brought experience in business and CRMs, but working as COO was some of her first practical experience in legal.
The organization of Filevine helped her not only learn the platform quickly but also the processes of the legal field. One of Melissa’s favorite aspects of Filevine is the support team who are “legit rockstars.”
“The support team not only helps me resolve my issues but also shows me how to handle things on my own. Filevine is hands down my favorite management software and makes Salesforce look ancient and difficult.”
Achieving Work-Life Balance
Like many young attorneys working their way up the ranks in large firms, Blade found himself working extreme hours and still feeling behind. There was little time to take breaks for vacations with his family, and when he did, he was often tied to his laptop answering emails and working through an endless docket.
He recalled that work even interrupted his honeymoon in Europe when he got a phone call about a matter that “only he could handle.” In 2021, with the help of Filevine, he was able to take over a week of vacation with his wife and daughter while managing to recover settlements with a few quick calls.
“Using Filevine, I even recovered settlements while I was on vacation without actually doing much. The reason I say that is, when I worked at a law firm with 80 lawyers, I wasn't able to take off for vacation like this.”
Optimizing Client Communication
A key Filevine win for Blade is the ease of integrating other tools. Blade uses Case Status, a mobile client portal and communication tool, to allow clients to check in on their case. He also uses Case Status to send his clients quick messages.
“If I want to take a day off or even a week off, I can notify my clients with a click of a button, thanks to Case Status that integrates with Filevine. I can mass message all my clients and just let them know ‘I’ll have a paralegal get to you or respond when I return.'”
Maintaining Success
With a strong system in place, Blade does not need to expand his caseload unless he decides to scale his firm. He’s able to save an average of six hours each week with automation and case processes. Filevine has empowered him to provide top-tier client service in a way that “keeps his clients coming back.”
“I get things done fast. I close cases faster than anybody else, I get documents signed faster than anybody else, including disbursement agreements. I don't know any faster way to do it.”