A virtual bankruptcy assistant can be the most helpful resource in your office, or the worst. And it all depends on how you approach it.
Every week I get at least 4-5 emails from bankruptcy lawyers telling me that they admire my use of virtual assistants in my office. They lavish praise and then immediately tell me that it would never work for them.
They’ve tried going that route already, but none of the virtual bankruptcy assistants they hire are worth their weight in salt. Plus, they charge a ton of money.
It’s tough to justify bringing on a virtual bankruptcy assistant when you’ve got that sour taste in your mouth, right?
Wrong. You’ve got to get over it and realize it’s totally worth it.
Let me be clear – I do not know the formal training process undergone by those who are certified as virtual bankruptcy assistants. Nor do I care. My concern is solely with the quality of the work product as it compares with the standards and practices established by the individual law firm.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can worry about getting the right virtual bankruptcy assistant for your office. Here are my top 4 steps to training a VBA:
Establish clear lines of communication. By speaking regularly, you and the outside professional can keep things clear.
Create A Detailed Guide. Your trustees prefer that you not break out every single type of household good? Your courts look at Schedule J more closely, disallowing any food expense above $200 per adult in the household? You like credit reporting agencies listed on Schedule F? How will your VBA know unless you tell him or her?
Consider Video. I’m not talking about a movie. Rather, consider using a screen recording program such as Camtastia (I use Screenflow for my Mac, and it’s awesome) to walk a VBA through the actual buttons you press for each part of petition preparation. I’ve used this method to train countless people to handle petition preparation for my office, which allows me to educate from the ground up rather than looking for the most experienced person.
Manage Your Own Expectations. Your virtual bankruptcy assistant isn’t going to be able to read your mind. Mistakes will be made from time to time, and that’s OK. After all, no in-house legal assistant gets it right 100% of the time either, do they? Though there are differences between a virtual bankruptcy assistant and a staff member, here’s one place where there is very little differentiation between the two.
Have you hired a virtual bankruptcy assistant in your office? How did you train him or her? Add your comments below!
Photo courtesy of fdecomite.
