Law Firm Planning: Reviewing Annual Performance

A new year is the perfect moment for law firms to leave behind inefficiency and adopt new, innovative solutions that streamline daily operations. The real obstacle to growth isn’t just about having more clients or a better organization; it’s about making, managing, and organizing cases, client communication, and all the administrative issues easier so the firm spends more time practicing law. However, making any plans for the future without thinking about improvement priorities is a missed opportunity.

For attorneys wanting 2026 to be their law firm's most productive year yet, now's the perfect time for planning. The most important step is understanding where the law firm currently stands. Consider the firm's primary pain points and address each of them with a comprehensive action plan.

Yearly Performance

The first step of law firm future planning is looking back. Analyzing the firm's performance helps attorneys know where the firm stands, what its strong suits are, and what areas need improvement. Asking the following questions especially help serve as a guide for review:

• • What are the law firms strong suits? It's pain points?
  • Did the law firm improve in any way from last year? Was there any area they were lacking in?
  • Did the firm grow in terms of case load, revenue, size? 
  • Consider the outlook for 2026.
  • Look at the competitive field - have new law firms opened, existing firms closed, etc.
  • Did the firm adopt any new software? How did that go? Was the adoption successful and did the firm achieve its goals?
  • Does the firm want to improve efficiencies in 2026?

Sometimes, looking back across multiple years helps attorneys identify any seasonal trends. Knowing how the law firm's performance changes throughout the year gives attorneys a more holistic perspective. For example, an immigration law firm focused primarily on a single visa type might see a drastic decrease in client traffic after its' registration period ends. Looking back just one year won't give the whole story.

Client Preference

Consider the client perspective. Knowing what they want helps determine what improvements get top priority. Asking the following questions helps attorneys gauge which improvements benefit clients the most.

• • What do clients expect most from the firm?
  • Are clients getting what they want? What are they not getting?
  • Are there any consistent areas clients are being left unsatisfied or particularly satisfied?
  • Is the law firm consistently asking and tracking client feedback?

Client satisfaction is good metric for determining a law firm's strengths and areas of improvement. Additionally, involving clients in the planning process shows the law firm actually values their input. Engaging in ongoing client communication helps build a deeper connection from the client to the firm, keeping them top of mind for their, or their acquaintances, needs.

Attorney Preference

Including the attorney perspective helps prioritize areas of improvement. Since attorneys ultimately deal with law firm operations the most, their insight has the greatest chance of helping improve the law firm's day-to-day operations.

• • Are there any tasks that attorneys dread doing? If so, how can the firm improve their operation?
  • How do attorneys prioritize tasks? Is there anything typically put off until absolutely necessary?
  • Is there an intersection between client and attorney priorities? If so, focus on resolving those issues first.
  • What's the importance of each task the law firm does? If something doesn't serve a purpose, why does the law firm do it?
  • How is the communication process? Does the law firm and its attorneys feel informed on matters?
  • How much time do attorneys and the law firm team spend just finding the information they are looking for?

Balancing attorney preferences with those of clients gives the greatest chance of improving law firm operations in a way that leaves both parties satisfied. What do attorneys prioritize the most and how does that compare with client priorities? Is reaching a middle ground possible? If not, deciding which groups gets top priority is an option.

Setting Priorities

Once the firm understands the potential areas to address, it's time to set the priorities. The biggest mistake law firms make is taking on too many priorities. Consider how the priorities relate to each other. Is there a single action that can address multiple priorities? Consider law firm roles, software solutions, and workflow adjustments. 

More often than not, making workflow changes addresses many priorities at once. For example, if the firm is using different apps to case and client management, consider adopting case management software. Centralizing all information, streamlining client communications, and leveraging the time saving benefits of automation addresses many of the most common pain points law firms face.

Conclusion

The time is now to start planning for 2026. No need to take it all on at once. Start with reviewing the firm's current status. Identify each pain point, and then start prioritizing the law firm's focus. Perhaps everyone already knows the law firm's biggest area of improvement. Start focusing on that area first. Be open to seeing more options, solutions to things that the firm didn't even know were an issue, and new benefits overall. And remember, not all costs and benefits of improvement are the same. Be sure to dig deep into the details of how the law firm performed over the past year, or even over a longer period of time. Knowing the full story of how and why the law firm reach where it's at now, makes planning and implementing future improvements much easier.

SimpleLaw streamlines all aspects of law firm planning in an all-in-one case management software program.

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