15 Tech Tools for any New Business

Michael Brennan • November 1, 2017

Make running your business easier by using the right technology.

To run a virtual law office or any new business you’ll need for all sorts of programs and software to be effective. From billing to research, and marketing to client communication, technology today offers some incredibly convenient tools that can be used to streamline the practice, enhance accessibility and convenience and provide security to all areas of the business. Here are 15 of the main tools the Virtual Attorney uses to operate its virtual law office. While some are geared specifically towards the practice of law, more can be used for practically any new business.

1) Total Attorneys : Without getting into the specifics of everything Total Attorneys does, it has a great practice management platform that I use to run my practice. From opening a secure line of communication with a client or potential client to tracking time, sending invoices or accepting payment, Total Attorneys covers the gamut. I use its calendar feature to stay organized and set up tasks daily to stay on top of priorities. The platform links directly to my website so it’s easy for clients to access their unique accounts or potential clients to open new ones. By far, I’d say this is the nucleus that keeps my practice organized and operating.

2) Skype : Most people probably know of Skype, but for the uninformed, Skype is a product that enables individuals to hold conferences by means of webcam. As a virtual law practitioner, I use Skype to interact with clients, conduct consultations, or even to briefly touch base on the status of something we may be working on together. The ability for a client to connect with his attorney eye to eye, read emotions and reactions, see enthusiasm and concern is paramount to establishing the trusting relationship necessary for attorneys and their clients. Skype provides a means to achieve that.

3) Google voice : Google voice is great for those who don’t see a need to rack up an unnecessary bill on a separate landline phone. After all, the virtual model is all about keeping costs low and passing those costs along to clients. For those of us that rely solely on a smartphone for communication- whether personal or business, sometimes it’s hard to separate the two. Google Voice helps you do it. It’s a free service that provides you with a separate number that you can then tie to whichever devices you choose. For example, I use my Google voice number as the Virtual Attorney’s business number, but calls are directly routed to my iPhone so I can answer immediately. It also allows you to set up a separate voicemail message and will transcribe any messages and send them directly to your email inbox. All in all, it’s an incredibly handy tool to keep business and personal calls separate without requiring the additional cost of additional phone lines.

4) Google+ Hangouts : I only started using Hangouts recently, but I immediately fell in love. Like Skype, Hangouts are a way to connect with clients or potential clients face to face but through the computer. What I really like is that it only takes a Google + profile to get started. It easily links to your Gmail inbox, so whenever you want to begin a new hangout, you can click the Google + icon, select anyone in your circle and you’re on your way. If you aren’t already connected to the people to whom you’ll be connecting, it’s easy to send out an invite to a hangout at a specific time and date (just like sending a meeting invite). While you’re speaking, you can also share your screen with the others in the meeting, or exchange documents via Google Docs.

5) Go! Animate : Go! Animate is a program that allows you to make videos for training, business or just for fun by using pre-programmed animation elements. Voices can be provided either by recorded audio file, or, through automation. I used Go! Animate to make a little intro video for my website and plan on using it more in the future to make additional explanatory videos. The videos can be easily embedded on a website, blog, or social sharing page, and they can be linked automatically to a YouTube account. Overall, a handy tool if you want to add a bit of visual zest to your business or law practice.

6) DocuSign : DocuSign is a handy tool to use when you need to get documents signed. Once you sign up for an account you’ll be able to upload any document from your computer that requires the signature of another party. You can then indicate where signatures or initials are needed with little tabs and sign for yourself (or wait until the other party signs). Docusign will send an email alert with a personalized message and link to the other party. The other party simply follows the link, e-signs where you have indicated and hits submit. The completed document is automatically uploaded to your DocuSign account where you can save and print the fully executed version. For items that need a quick signature, DocuSign provided a handy way to get a quick turnaround.

7) Dropbox : Think of Dropbox as a briefcase in the cloud. Once you upload a document to your account you’ll be able to access it from any computer or device regardless of whether it’s actually saved on that device. Unlike using a jump drive or other type of hard storage device, Dropbox helps ensure that you’ll always have the most up to date version of a document you started drafting on your PC, but modified on your laptop, smartphone, tablet and the library computer. Instead of remembering to email an updated version to yourself each time you think you may need to access it elsewhere, throw it in your Dropbox and forget the hassle. I’ve always been cautious not to use it for confidential documents I’m working on because I don’t know how susceptible it is to breach, but for less confidential items, its convenience cannot be overstated.

8) MyFax : I use MyFax for the same reason I use Google Voice- I don’t want to deal with the hassle or cost of a separate landline. While faxing may be going the way of the dinosaurs, it still pops up as necessary seemingly at the least convenient times. Instead of actually faxing anything, MyFax does it for you. You just upload scanned documents to your account and send them to your recipient’s fax number as PDFs. If you receive a fax, MyFax will convert it to a PDF and send it to your email inbox for you to print. It completely does away with the need for an actual fax line. For only $10 a month, it’s a great addition to any business’ operations.

9) VistaPrint: I use VistaPrint for my one stop shop for anything from business cards to letterhead to marketing materials. You can either upload your own design or use the site to come up with something new. It has a great range of product options as well.

10) Stamps.com : There are various options when it comes to business postage, but the one I particularly like is the model used by Stamps.com. Instead of using a postage meter or buying rolls upon rolls of stamps from the post office, the site allows you to pay postage costs through your account via credit card and print the exact amount directly onto blank stamps. I’m sure eventually I’ll move away from this, but for smaller businesses that don’t send huge amounts of mail; the ability to control the postage account practically down to the penny is great.

11) Quickbooks : I know there are tons of options out there, but when it comes to small business accounting, Quickbooks is the standard. Not only can you use it for accounting, but it can be used for credit card processing, invoicing, payroll and general bookkeeping as well.

12) Pageonce : Pageonce is one of many iPad/iPhone apps I use to run my practice. It’s basically a one-stop shop for all your bank account information, credit card balances, payment due dates, bills, etc. I don’t use it for much more than monitoring my accounts and balances (although it does have a bill pay feature), but it’s a nice tool for giving a quick overview on cash flow at any given time.

13) Buffer: Social media involvement in quickly becoming a necessity for any business, and there’s no replacement for actual interactions on Facebook or Twitter, but if you’re looking to shoot out tweets throughout the day, even if you’re tied up with something else, Buffer can do it for you. You fill your queue with the tweets you want posted and set a schedule for when they should be posted. As an extra convenience, you can download an add-on for Firefox that lets you tweet any page or add it to your queue with the click of a button. I think relying solely on automated tweets to keep a social media presence is a horrible idea, but it can enhance the tweeting you’re already doing.

14) The standards- Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter , Instagram , and Pinterest : Not much to be said here- social media involvement is imperative. Set up a Facebook business page, and accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Admittedly, the latter two aren’t really geared to a service profession like law, but I use them to add a personal touch to my practice and offer a little window into who I am and what I do outside of work. Clients and potential clients don’t want to work with a machine; they want to work with a real person. These sites offer a way to let them know there’s more to you than the computer screen.

15) Google Analytics and Google Webmaster tools : The crux of online traffic monitoring is (most would say) Google Analytics. If you don’t have an account, get one and link it to your website. If you’re just starting out, make sure setting up analytics is one of the first things you do. The tool lets you monitor all sorts of valuable information from who is visiting your site to where they’re coming from and how they got there to what they’re doing once they arrive. Don’t just guess- make sure you know how your audience is engaging with your site. Webmaster tools is great for Search Engine Optimization and market research. You can use it to look into keywords relevant to your product and site and analyze how those may play into a potential marketing campaign.

Starting a business is perhaps easier today than it has ever been. Whether you’re in the practice of law or have a great idea to start your own business , incorporating some of the above tools (and surely some others) gives you the opportunity to increase productivity, profitability and the quality of service you provide to your clients.

By Michael Brennan

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[WATCH] Illinois Just Made it Easier Than Ever to Make a Power of Attorney

By Michael Brennan • September 9, 2021

Illinois Just Made It Easier Than Ever to Make a Power of Attorney

By Michael Brennan • September 2, 2021
A power of attorney for health care enables an individual to appoint a trusted agent to make medical decisions on his or her behalf if the individual is unable or unwilling to do so for themselves. For example, if a situation arises where you are in an accident and need emergency medical care, doctors will look to a trusted individual to make decisions on your behalf. Typically, this is family members, and technically, most state laws set an order of precedence on who doctors should turn to in the absence of any specific (and legally binding) instructions from the patient. However, the most ideal situation is one in which doctors rely on the instructions the patient has detailed in a valid power of attorney. Powers of attorney for health care do not have many specific requirements for validity. But, they do need to be signed by the patient and at least one witness (this varies by state). Often, someone may decide that they need a health care power of attorney in a pinch. For example, an older parent may be going in for surgery and want to cover their bases if something goes wrong. They may decide the day of the surgery that they would like to name an adult child as their health care decision-maker if something happens, so that child cannot serve as the witness. Typically, an estate planning attorney could witness the document, but that may mean scrambling at the last minute for an appointment or coordinating a meeting quickly on the way to the hospital. Not ideal. Now, however, Illinois has amended the Illinois Power of Attorney Act to permit electronic signatures. The Act states that: “The signature and execution requirements set forth in this Article are satisfied by: (i) written signatures or initials; or (ii) electronic signatures or computer-generated signature codes .” The Illinois Electronic Wills and Remote Witnesses Act permits those witnesses not only to sign electronically, but also to sign remotely. So, instead of a mad last-minute scramble to sign and witness an 11th hour power of attorney, one can be e-signed online through video conferencing with the principal and estate planning attorney quickly linking up on zoom from the comfort of their home, office, or even the hospital bed, with much more simplicity and convenience. The Power of Attorney Act was further amended to permit powers of attorney for health care to be in electronic format. So, it is no longer a requirement to dig the paper hard copy out of the basement filing cabinet and remember to bring it to the hospital. Instead, an electronic copy can simply be sent to the hospital through its patient portal, once that functionality is set up by the health care provider at least. The power of attorney can now easily form a seamless part of a health care record, neatly kept in an electronic medical file. The pandemic of 2020-2021 forced institutions to make things more efficient and reflective of the technologically-centric world we now live in. That is not more evident in many places as it is the area of law. And, few practicing attorneys would tell you that’s a bad thing.

Illinois Electronic Wills and Remote Witnesses Act Enacted

By Michael Brennan • August 5, 2021
On June 26, 2021, Illinois adopted the Electronic Wills and Remote Witnesses Act. Plainly, the Act is a generational game changer for estate planning. Gone are the days of scheduling a formal office appointment with your attorney to sign estate planning documents as the law office staff witnesses and notarizes those documents on the spot.

Illinois' Electronic Wills and Remote Witnesses Act is a Game Changer

By Michael Brennan • July 30, 2021
Preparing a last will and testament has always required the inclusion of original signatures of both the person making the will and witnesses. Understandably, coordinating the signing of the will could pose some administrative challenges, especially for small law firms and solo practitioners—not to mention the many people who elect to draft a will without an attorney’s help—who may not have a crowded office full of willing witnesses. Along with wills, estate plans typically include powers of attorney for finances and health care decision making as well. Those documents also require original signatures from their creators, witnesses, and notaries. Predictably, COVID-19 and the resulting government shutdowns of businesses and encouragement of social distancing and remote work complicated the task of signing and witnessing these important estate documents (Notaries are also now permitted to act remotely under a separate but related piece of legislation). Luckily, in many states, temporary orders permitted the remote execution of many documents, and a framework for conducting remote document signings began to take form. On June 26, 2021, Illinois adopted the Electronic Wills and Remote Witnesses Act. Plainly, the Act is a generational game changer for estate planning. Gone are the days of scheduling a formal office appointment with your attorney to sign estate planning documents as the law office staff witnesses and notarizes those documents on the spot. Now, under the EWRWA, the need for the conference table signing is gone. Wills, powers or attorney, and other important estate documents can be validly signed and witnessed remotely through audio-video communications. More so, “electronic wills”—those not physically printed on paper—are now an acceptable form of will in Illinois that can be probated just as paper wills have for decades. Some of the highlights of the new law are below. Electronic Copies of wills are now valid. Electronic Wills are now an option. The new law defines an electronic will as simply “a will that is created and maintained as a tamper-evident electronic record.” What is “tamper-evident” exactly? Well, the statute defines it as a “feature of an electronic record by which any change to the electronic record is displayed.” So, popular document signature software like Docusign and Hellosign would do the trick. Individuals and Witnesses can now sign on multiple signature pages with one master document being compiled later on. If a platform like Docusign is not used to create and sign an electronic will, there is now an option to use multiple signature pages for the testator and witnesses. In practice, this enables a testator to sign a will while the witnesses watch over audio-video means, like Zoom. They can then each sign the signature page sitting with them at their physical location. The testator and witnesses can then send the originals to a central location (likely the estate planning attorney) to be compiled into one master document. Previously, this was impermissible, as the document would have had to have been signed in the conscious presence of each other. The Electronic Wills and Remote Witnesses Act redefines “presence” to expressly include, “being in a different physical location from another person, but able, using audio-video communication, to know the person is signing a document in real time.” Witnesses can witness signings (and sign) remotely through video-conferencing. As mentioned, witnesses to a will previously had to be physically present with the testator. Under the new law, witnesses can now be remote. If an electronic will is prepared for signatures, the witnesses can simply sign the electronic will after watching the testator sign. If a paper copy is being used, then the witnesses can watch the testator sign his or her own paper copy, and then sign a separate signature page in their remote location. For paper copies, the witnesses and testator must physically compile all the signature pages within 10 days. The person appointed by the testator to compile all the signature pages must state that the signature pages were attached within 10 business days of signing and that the pages were attached to the testator’s complete and correct will for the will t be admitted to probate. So, best practice is to attach those statements to the will at the time of its signing or the time at which the master document is compiled. Wills can be signed electronically. Electronic signatures have previously not been permissible forms of signing a will. Now, however, the new Act changes everything. Testators and witnesses alike can not e-sign wills. To do so validly, the will must designate Illinois as the state of its execution, be signed by the testator or by some person at the testator’s direction and in their presence, and be attested to in the presence of the testator by two or more credible witnesses who are located in the United States at the time of execution. The change of the “presence” requirement is revolutionary, as “presence” now includes being in a different physical location from another person, but able to know the person is signing a document in real time using audio-video communication. Additional Documents, like Powers of Attorney can now be signed virtually Wills are not the only estate planning documents that require witness signatures. Powers of attorney and living wills are just as essential to creating a comprehensive estate plan. Illinois’ Electronic Wills and Remote Witnesses Act also authorizes the witnessing of any document other than a will using audio-video communication. The signatures of the principal and witnesses may be on the same or different pages provided the master document is compiled within 10 business days. While COVID-19 forced the legal industry to adjust, it appears that some of those adjustments were just what was needed to bring estate planning into the 21st century.

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