Have you compared your hourly rate to your task load?
Insights from a Fractional COO
When I was brought in as a fractional COO to support a small law firm, the managing partners weren’t asking for a complete overhaul. What they wanted was simple:
“Help us run more efficiently without overburdening our attorneys.”
What we discovered together was that the biggest opportunities weren’t in complex systems or massive change—they were in understanding how the team was spending its time.
The key metric? Time Per Task or Average Task Time.
Seeing Beyond the Billable Hour
Most law firms are meticulous about tracking billable time. But when it comes to internal processes—intake, document prep, internal communication, admin—many firms are flying blind.
In this firm’s case, they had:
Senior attorneys spending 30+ minutes formatting documents.
Delays in onboarding new clients due to back-and-forth emails.
Routine client updates taking up valuable attorney time.
Paralegals overworked while admins were underutilized.
None of this showed up on a billing sheet. But it showed up in stress, client delays, and missed growth opportunities.
What We Did Differently
As a fractional COO, my role isn’t just strategic—it’s hands-on. Here’s how I approached it:
1. Mapped Processes
I broke down core workflows into tasks and assigned estimated time per step. For example, client intake wasn’t “one task”—it was six. Once mapped, inefficiencies stood out immediately.
2. Collected Actual Time Data
I used lightweight time-tracking tools (integrated into existing workflows) to capture how long tasks actually took. Not just billable time—but everything. My preference is always to start with excel, but there a a handful of simple tools that will integrate with billing software.
3. Identified Bottlenecks and Mismatches
I saw where high-value team members were stuck doing low-value work. Attorneys were spending time chasing documents. Paralegals were handling scheduling. Admin staff were underused. On the flip side senior attorneys were a bottleneck of approval on documents that could be templates they didn’t need to review every step of the way.
4. Redesigned Workflows
We created new standard operating procedures:
Moved intake tasks to admin.
Created templates for common filings.
Delegated status update calls.
Introduced weekly internal syncs to replace scattered emails.
The Result? More Time Where It Counts
In less than 90 days:
Average case onboarding time dropped by 40%
Attorneys gained back 6–8 hours per week for higher-value work
Client satisfaction improved due to faster response times
Team morale increased—less chaos, more clarity
And we didn’t hire anyone new. We simply reallocated time more intentionally.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a massive firm—or a full-time COO—to benefit from operational clarity.
Sometimes, just tracking how long things take can unlock insights that lead to real transformation. For this firm, “time per task” was the missing link between working hard and working smart.
If you're a managing partner or firm administrator wondering where your team’s time is really going, let’s talk.
As a fractional COO, I help small law firms uncover hidden inefficiencies and build workflows that scale.
#FractionalCOO #LegalOperations #LawFirmEfficiency #SmallFirmSuccess #LegalTech #ProcessImprovement #TimePerTask #LegalOps
