What is this story doing on a blog about Legal Services International, LLC, a virtual law firm?  Well, when it came time for me to hire a real estate lawyer to complete the closing on my home I was already back in Houston, Texas.  I received a referral from the builder in Canada and called a local Canadian lawyer.  As expected, the lawyer wanted me to come into his office the next day.  I told him that I could not meet him in person because I was 3,000 miles away.  He accommodated me by sending documents via email and fax and the first time that I met him was two months later after I drove up from Houston to Vancouver to pick up my house keys.

Like most other lawyers, my real estate lawyer has a physical office where most of his clients visit him at least once.  In my case, the only reason I had to see my lawyer was to pick up the extra set of keys he kept “just in case” the set he’d previously sent via overnight messenger had gotten lost.  If most lawyers think about it for a second, I’m sure they could think of at least one time in which they practiced law “virtually”, that is, practicing law without the need for a physical office.  Granted, a virtual law firm does not translate well to all areas of law, but it is certainly a wonderful means for transactional lawyers like me.

The reason I mentioned my story above is to show that there is little need for reluctance for those who have not yet embraced the benefits associated with virtual law firms like Legal Services International, LLC.  Just think about your current transactional lawyer…when was the last time you were in his or her office?  I’m guessing you visited at once, most likely when you first met, and then the majority of communications were either by telephone, fax or email.   This begs the following question:

Question: What is the difference between hiring a traditional law firm lawyer and a virtual law firm lawyer?

Answer: (1) the fee you pay a virtual lawyer does not include the lawyer’s lease or mortgage costs; hence you pay less when hiring Legal Services International, LLC lawyers; and (2) when you first meet with your virtual lawyer, it will be via telephone or videophone over the Internet; therefore, with Legal Services International, LLC you can sit in the comfort of your own home, save time, gas, and money, while receiving your legal consultation.

The next time you’re thinking about hiring a lawyer to do anything related to starting up a business or work for an existing company that does not require stepping foot into a courtroom, remember this story and give Legal Services International, LLC a call.

About Legal Services International, LLC: Samantha M. Ferguson founded Legal Services International, LLC in order to address the growing demand for affordable yet high quality legal services for business clients of all sizes.  Through LSI, Ms. Ferguson provides strategic legal guidance and practical solutions tailored to suit your business model.  LSI does not merely represent its clients; our lawyers become your company’s virtual legal department and are with you throughout every stage of your business.   Contact us at:  http://www.legalservicesinternational.com/page_7_ContactUs.html Or directly by phone at:  1-877-LSI-3388  (1-877-574-3388)

© Samantha M. Ferguson and Legal Services International LLC’s Blog 2009-2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Samantha M. Ferguson and Legal Services International LLC’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

A truly virtual law firm is a law firm that has done away with costly, prestigious city offices.  This eliminates the firm’s need to charge higher fees to cover the overhead related to leasing or owning an expensive office.  With truly virtual law firms like Legal Services International, LLC (“LSI”) the only expensive building you’ll see is the one pictured on our website:  www.legalservicesinternational.com

Now onto the main question of how YOU can benefit by using a virtual law firm like Legal Services International.

1. Lower More Affordable Fees: By ridding itself of the expense of office ownership, LSI saves money and then passes those savings onto its clients.
2. Predictable (did we say) Affordable Fees: Unlike most firms, LSI charges an upfront flat rate fee for projects rather than billing by the hour, so our clients know exactly what they will pay at the start of the project.
3. Increased Efficiency: LSI virtual lawyers are by necessity and design, efficient.  LSI Virtual lawyers are technologically linked their “office” and to you.  We are not just a call away, but also an email away and we can even provide you with access to our secure file sharing network to view the status of your project as we progress.
4. Environmentally Conscious: As a green company, another added benefit is that LSI has a minimal carbon footprint.  Our attorney’s work by telecommuting rather than driving back and forth to an office on a daily commute.  Our lawyers save time, and the time we save allows us to spend more time working efficiently on your projects.
5. Technologically Advanced: LSI, like most virtual law firms, is technologically advanced.  However, at LSI, we go one step further to ensure your privacy and the security of your files.  LSI lawyers send documents and files to each other and to clients solely through a secure, encrypted, and password protected file sharing network.  If preferred over traditional email, clients can request and be given a password to access their files on the network and may also send and receive sensitive communications using the network rather than standard email.
6. Increased Communication: LSI’s efficient business model allows our lawyers more time to keep clients apprised of their project status.  We offer video web conferencing and of course, we utilize traditional telephones to maintain open lines of communication with clients.

About Legal Services International, LLC: Samantha M. Ferguson founded Legal Services International, LLC in order to address the growing demand for affordable yet high quality legal services for business clients of all sizes.  Through LSI, Ms. Ferguson provides strategic legal guidance and practical solutions tailored to suit your business model.  LSI does not merely represent its clients; our lawyers become your company’s virtual legal department and are with you throughout every stage of your business.   Contact us at:  http://www.legalservicesinternational.com/page_7_ContactUs.html Or directly by phone at:  1-877-LSI-3388  (1-877-574-3388)

© Samantha M. Ferguson and Legal Services International LLC’s Blog 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Samantha M. Ferguson and Legal Services International LLC’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.