If your Law Firm or Legal Department has tried outsourcing legal services in the past, then you will know that establishing a working partnership with an LPO service provider is a process. Regular communication and good understanding are critical to a successful working partnership. Here are four critical success factors that can ensure that you enjoy a successful LPO outsourcing partnership with your service provider:
1. Identify your legal requirements: Discuss with your team and understand exactly what you need to outsource. Based on your requirements, you can finalize on a service provider who can match your expectations. For example, if your law firm wishes to reduce your legal spend, but does not know what exactly to outsource, you will first need to discuss about the various legal functions that are costing your firm the extra dollars. Once, you understand your pain points, you can come up with a perfect legal solution that exactly fits your needs.
2. Avoid scope creep: Every time you hire a legal service provider on a project, you will need to scope the project thoroughly. This will help your legal firm to avoid scope creep. A scope creep is when a client asks for a per-document rate without defining exactly what they mean by a “document”. Is it a master service agreement or a single piece of paper? By scoping thoroughly right from the first meeting and by working closely with the service provider, your legal firm can ensure that there are no surprises.
3. Run a pilot: If you have not outsourced a similar legal project in the past, then it’s a good idea to run a pilot. Ask the LPO provider if you can outsource a small part of your project at the beginning. Based on the provider’s work, you can understand if they can meet your expectations. You will also be able to understand more about their turnaround time and accuracy level.
4. Visit the premises of the provider: Do not engage the services of a LPO provider without first visiting their premises and understanding how their work will be delivered. By visiting the service provider’s site, you can meet the project managers who will be managing your project, the legal professionals who will be working on your project and the quality assurance processes that will be followed.
5. Regularly communicate with the LPO service provider: Don’t make your service provider guess. Always ask for what you need. Tell them specifically if you want them to send you a report every day or if you want them to hold a weekly call with your firm.
Can you think of any other factors that play a role in LPO? Let us know, by leaving a comment in the box below. We, at Flatworld Solutions love to hear from you!
Read more about the popularly outsourced legal functions: Law office management, Litigation support, Legal drafting and Legal document review.
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