Stop Doing This Manually: 5 Tasks Every Solo Could Automate
If you're still doing these by hand, you're likely wasting hours every week
I used to spend way too much time doing things that made me want to throw my laptop across the room.
The big culprit? Communication.
Writing the same emails. Sending the same reminders. Following up with the same clients who forgot to send that one document (again). It felt like death by a thousand clicks.
So I automated it.
And now? I get more done, in less time, with happier clients—and I work fewer hours. Here's what I changed and how you can do it too.
1. Intake: Ditch the Back-and-Forth
Before: I'd get a new lead and spend 15 minutes just trying to schedule the consultation.
Now: All new leads go straight to an online scheduler on my website. They pick a time, fill out a quick form, and it's all logged into Lawmatics, my CRM and case management system. During the call, I use a built-in checklist to take notes and ensure I don't miss key questions.
Bonus: After the consult, Lawmatics generates a customized engagement agreement based on a few fields I filled in on my checklist during the consultation. Once signed, the client gets an automatic invoice and an email with next steps.
No more juggling Word Docs, searching for templates, or trying to remember what I told them over the phone.
Tools I recommend: Lawmatics, Clio Grow, Acuity (for simpler setups), Zapier for extra automation.
2. Billing: Stop Chasing Payments
The truth? Most solos are wasting hours every week doing what a simple automation could do in seconds.
I manually generate invoices for earned revenue to make sure the amount is right. But everything after that is automatic.
For new matters, it's even more streamlined. Once the client signs the engagement agreement, they immediately get an invoice with a unique link to pay by credit card or ACH. Reminders are automatically triggered if the invoice isn't paid after a few days, although most clients pay within 24 hours. No awkward follow-ups. No checks in the mail.
Tool I use: Lawmatics. It tracks trust vs. earned income, handles invoicing, and integrates with my flat-fee model. (One gripe: I wish they'd hide time durations on flat-fee invoices.)
3. Document Drafting: Your Four-Hour Task Done in 45 Minutes
I used to spend hours reviewing every clause, checking if it applied. Now? I use Gavel.
With conditional logic and custom questionnaires, I collect client info upfront. Gavel generates a draft based on their responses. If they say, "No, I don’t have pets," that whole section just disappears.
As soon as they hit submit, clients get a link to schedule a review call. I update final edits live. Most estate plans are out the door within a couple of days.
Before: 4 hours to draft an estate plan. Now? Under 1 hour.
The Cost of Manual: Right now, I have a prenup case where the other lawyer has been working on the initial draft of their prenup for six months. My client’s frustrated. I’m frustrated. I imagine her partner’s frustrated. And the kicker: I could’ve had the draft done in a day…six months ago. This is the cost of doing things manually.
4. Client Follow-Ups: Templates + Timing = Gold
Most of my client emails are 90% template, 10% customized. I use TextExpander to insert content instantly—follow-ups on document review, status updates, wrap-ups, you name it.
Why don’t I fully automate the sending? Timing. If a client told me last week they were out of town, I don't want a robot sending a "just checking in" email. So I send it manually, but it takes me 10 seconds.
The client experience still feels personal. I keep the human judgment, but skip the repetitive writing.
5. Add Personality, Not Just Productivity
Automation isn't cold. It's how I make time to be personal.
Throughout my estate planning and prenup questionnaires, I include casual, unscripted video explanations so clients feel like I'm talking to them directly. My emails sound like me because I wrote them. I just don’t rewrite them 50 times a week.
The point isn’t to remove yourself. It’s to remove the parts that don’t need you.
Automation isn’t about being fancy. It’s about being free.
You don’t need to build an automated law firm overnight. Start with the process that drains you most. The time suck you dread.
Automate one step. Then another.
Before you know it, you’ll be closing files faster, working less, and wondering why you didn’t do this sooner.