Small Office, Big Service

When Bill left his partners in 1992 and started his own offfice with an associate working for him, that office grew on the basis of two slogans: "Every client is the most important client we have" and "We're here to help" The firm stood behind those words, and grew to serve hundreds of clients over the years. Even though Bill's office is now only a fraction of the size of his old office, he finds that he can still serve clients with the same professionalism, dedication, and efficiency that marked his office in the past.

"Whenever I make a change to LawStream that can help other users, I also try to take advvantage of it in my own office" says Bill, sitting in his comfortable office on Gabriola Island. "I have an advantage, because I'm one of the ones who decide on the changes that should be made, and I'm the one who makes the changes." Even though I program those changes, I can still lose track of them on occasion: there are times when one of our users will call and remind me of a feature that I haven't used in a long while."

The Power of Automation

Bill Pope relies on LawStream to help him work efficiently. When a file is opened, Bill is able to use LawStream to help get quick results for his clients. One of Bill's favourite LawStream features is the "QuickLetter". Along with email, LawStream's QuickLetters give Bill an easy way to communicate with his clients. Whether it's just a short letter, or a longer one based on a precedent stored in his LawStream data file, Bill can easily get a lettter to a client in a few minutes. "Another handy feature in LawStream is its ability to store and display lists of other contacts associated with a file.", notes Bill. "Whenever I learn of a new contact for the office - whether a prospective client, another lawyer, or any other person or office - I immediately enter that name into the data base. That way, it becomes very easy to add a reference to that other contact whenever I get a new file that refers to that other contact."

Using automation in his office does not in any way detract from the personal approach Bill offers to his clients. "In a small community like this, where most people are very friendly, my clients are just as likely to give me a hug as they are to shake hands when they arrive in the office or leave it", says Bill. "I maintain a balance between a personal approach with my clients, and a professional approach to the work I do for them." The computers in the office help us get prompt results for our users. Even simple things like having a data base of contacts, can give the office more time to take a personal approach to serving clients. Using LawStream, that can include personal notes about the clients' preferences and needs, as well as reliance on LawStream's data base of clients' birthdays (Bill regularly sends email messages to clients on their birthday).

Bill's use of LawStream has given him a chance to live his dreams: software development and service to law office clients, while still having time for meditation, tai chi, walks on the beach, photography, and enjoying life with Pat.

Face It, Accept It, Deal With It, Let It Go

When Bill starts a LawStream session, he sees his current custom greeting: "Face it, accept it, deal with it, let it go". In his businesses and his life, Bill has learned to face all challenges and rewards with equanimity, and address them the same way: he accepts whatever arrives, deals with it as necessary, and then puts it behind him. With LawStream to help him organize the businesses (and aspects of his non-business schedule and contacts), it's a lot easier to deal with events, so it becomes a lot easier to let go of them. The result is increased productivity and less stress.