Evidence
Where margin leaks
Flat retainers absorb unmeasured time. Consultation economics remain unknown. Client communication is handled but not tracked, so the cost of keeping people informed stays invisible.
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Example business assessment · Client details changed
Trial preparation leaves routine office decisions waiting.
A criminal defense practice where one lawyer’s trial preparation competes with consultations, client updates and routine office decisions.
A composite: an example report with client details changed.
This example assessment report draws on previous client work. Identifying details are changed or combined to protect confidentiality. It shows how I reach a recommendation; proposed AI changes are hypothetical and would need their own testing.
IndustryCriminal defense law
Revenue~$650K
Team2 people
Operating9 years
Primary constraint
Trial preparation, client updates and new inquiries compete for the same lawyer’s attention. The office needs a shared way to see what that lawyer will need to handle next.
Several cases can need intensive preparation at the same time. The office lacks a shared way to flag that pressure early, limit new intake or keep clients informed while the lawyer is in trial.
Five operating functions
These five ratings describe how the business notices incoming work (Sensing), shares information (Signaling), prepares it (Processing), assigns decisions (Deciding) and checks results (Regulating). Functional means reliable in the work examined; Degraded means inconsistent or dependent on workarounds; Absent means there is no repeatable process around that function.
Sensing
Degraded
Signaling
Functional
Processing
Functional
Deciding
Absent
Regulating
Absent
Evidence
What routes to the owner
Lead time, emergencies, payment plans, and status updates during trial all route to the attorney. Questions that require a law license and questions that only require a rule travel the same path.
What should change first
The changes I’d consider first
1
Set a trial-calendar caseload ceiling.
When more than two matters are in active trial preparation, stop accepting new felony cases.
2
Define assistant authority.
Separate decisions that require the law license from decisions that can run from a written rule.
3
Standardize retainer scope.
State the work included in the retainer and name the events that trigger additional billing.
A possible use of AI · Proposed for this example
Prepare a case summary with references to the source documents.
I would test whether software could organize permitted case material into a draft summary with references to the source documents. The lawyer would review it and retain legal judgment. We would need to check access permissions, omissions and the time required for review.
This is a possible addition to the example, not a measured result. Before building it, I would check whether the necessary information is available and agree how to test the benefit.
Talk about your business
What would you like the business to handle better?
Tell me what the business does and what you’d like help with. If a detailed assessment would be useful, I’ll explain the $2,500 Read: a 90-minute session and a report with my recommendation.
Show me your workflowStart with a short inquiry. I’ll reply personally, usually within two business days, and arrange a free 20-minute conversation when I can help.