leg cou physical set up

8/10/2019 Leg Cou Physical Set Up

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PHYSICAL SET-UP

The physical set-up of the law firm creates a very important impression not only to

prospective clients but even to visitors alike. It is even considered as the extension of the sense of

professionalism of the lawyers and other employees therein. The main advantage of having a

good set-up is to impress upon the client an aura of sophistication and respect. The clients would

be more pleased to deal with professionals in an organized and neat set-up as compared to a

cluttered one. Another benefit is that the clients would be more at ease because a good set-up is

more welcoming.

Economically speaking, the law firms set-up is a means of advertising. It is undeniable

that when clients are satisfied of their dealings with your office, the best form of advertising is by

word of mouth. Surely, they would refer your law office to others.

In terms of practicality, a good physical set-up is also advantageous to the lawyers and

employees of the law firm. A well planned floor area will make the work easier for transferring

from one room to another would be convenient. A systematic set-up will also help everyone be

more methodological in their work.

There are a lot of factors to consider in creating an office floor plan. The lawyers should

take into account the usability and needs of each room as well as the space needed. The

arrangement of the rooms and areas should also be practical for free movement. The proposed

floor plan for the small law firm is shown below:


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OFFICE AREAS, FURNITURE AND FIXTURES

The Reception Area

The very first thing that clients will see is the reception area. So, if you want to make a

good impression, one should invest in the reception area. This is where the law firm will receive

and entertain clients. Most firsthand encounters and inquires are done in this area. Consequently,

if you do not want to turn clients away from your office, make the reception area look and feel

more comfortable by providing adequate number of fixture and furniture where they can sit and

relax. Lawyers should choose the right chairs or even sofa for the reception area.


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What then is the main purpose of the reception area? This is where the clients stay while

waiting for their appointments. Thus, you can provide means of entertainment or anything that

can make waiting worthwhile such as magazines and newspapers. It is also a good opportunity to

introduce the firms beginnings and history to the client by posting or televising photos,

achievements and other recognition by the firm. It is also a good place to inform clients about

your services through brochures and other literatures and contact details.

One should never forget that the comfort of the clients is the most essential thing when it

comes to the reception area. You should also provide for a center table where you can serve

drinks like coffee, tea, beverages and snacks.

Proposed Set-up:

Secretarys desk Clients Lounge/waiting Area

The reception area comprises of the following items:

1

RECEPTIONIS

T /

SECRETARY

DESK

1 SECRETARY

CHAIR

Living Room

Set

1 COMPUTER

SET

BUDGETED

PRICE

P15,000 P1,500 (P10,000 each) =

P20,000

P18,000

SUGGESTED Xxx P1,500 P9,500 each P17, 999


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(w/ actual price)

The Lawyers Offices

One of the most important things that lawyers should maintain is a good reputation,

outstanding credentials and a good office. Indubitably, clients are usually concerned about who

they are dealing with. They would always want to know the educational and professional

background of lawyers. This is the main reason why the diploma or any significant legal

certifications to the practice of law should be displayed at a certain area in the lawyers office.

Other than that, it is also necessary to keep the paint, ventilation, lighting and the

furniture of the lawyers office in good condition at all times. The lawyers office is a reflection

of who he/she is. By looking at the office, clients would have an idea on how organized or

disorganized a lawyer is.

Moreover, the office should also provide the same or even exceed the comfort offered in

the reception area. This is because, the lawyers office is the place where the client will try to

open up and discuss the facts of his case as well as discuss complicated legal problems and

issues.

The law offices may differ in sizes and designs depending on the lawyers preferences.

This way, the office would have a sense of ownership as to the lawyer and that would also make

him more comfortable while working.


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Proposed Set-up:

Lawyers Office

The lawyers offices are expected to have these common items:

2 LAWYERS

TABLE

2 LAWYERS

CHAIR

4CLIENTS

CHAIR

2 COMPUTER

SET

BUDGETED

PRICE

(P8,000 each) =

P24,000

(P6,000 each) =

P18,000

(P5,000 each) =

P20,000

(P18,000 each) =

P54,000

SUGGESTED

(w/ actual price)

P6,500 P4,700 P4,900 P17,999


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The Researchers office space

Law offices nowadays have become more dynamic and may need more manpower. One

of the most essential professionals found therein is the researcher. The researchers should have a

comfortable area to work in. Furthermore, they should have adequate workspace. The

researchers area should be accessible to the lawyers. The area should also be near the filing

room.

Proposed Set-up:

To ensure that the researchers area is accessible and comfortable, here are the following

items which should be here:

2

RESEARCHERS DESK

2 RESEARCHERS

CHAIRS

2

COMPUTERSETS

1 PRINTER

BUDGETE

D PRICE

(P3,000 each) =

P6,000

(P1,500 each) =

P3,000

(P18,000 each)

=P36,000


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SUGGEST

ED(w/ actual

price)

P2,500 P1,500 P17,999

The Library

The library is also important in any law office. Aside from showcasing the law books, it

is also needed for research. The library gives the office a more professional feel. A set of SCRAadds up to the workability, efficiency and convenience of any law office. This is because, some

of the needed cases may not be available through the Internet or offline applications. The codals

and annotated textbooks will also help the researchers and the lawyers.

The library should also adopt a system of categorizing the books therein. The law office

can use the Dewey Decimal Classification or any forms of systematic organizing of the books so

that it may be easier to use the library. The library must also have a Jurisprudence software

application such as Lex Libris.

Proposed Set-up:


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The library contains the following:

VOLUME

S OF

SCRA

BOOKS

BOOK

SHELVES

2 CHAIRS 1 TABLE 1

DESKTO

P

COMPUT

ER SET

Lex Libris

Subscripti

on

BUDGETE

D PRICE

(P500each) =

P100,000

P8,000 (P7,000each) =

P14,000

P3,500

SUGGEST

ED

(w/ actualprice)

P6,600 P3,200

The Conference room

The conference room is needed especially for growing firms. If you are preparing to have

bigger clients in the future, the conference room should be able to hold at least 5-10 persons. It is


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advisable that the conference room is located near the reception area so that it is accessible for

clients and they dont have to wander off in the office premises.

Large accounts and big clients may have more needs than others. As such, the conference

room must have audio visual facilities like a projector, screen and a white board for writing and

planning and for your possible presentations. It may also be the area where you can conduct

depositions and other important fact finding activities.

Proposed Set-up:

The proposed law offices conference room can accommodate 10 people and contains the

following:

CONFERENCE

TABLE W/

CHAIRS

(good for 10

persons)

1 PROJECTOR

with Screen audio-

visual set

1 Built In WHITE

BOARD

BUDGETEDPRICE P50,000 P14,000

SUGGESTED(w/ actual price)

P47,257 P13,896


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The File room

The other areas are just considered as one of the most important rooms in the office.

Perhaps the most essential one is the File Room. This contains the salient data and information of

clients, the firm and just about any transaction the firm has been through. This is where the

documents and records of the firm are stored.

The file room should be well secured and only authorized persons can enter. This is to

uphold the confidentiality of the records kept therein. There may be a password protected digital

lock which only the employees know and can have access to. The room should have a photocopy

machine, scanner and fax machine.

Proposed Set-up:

The room should contain the following:

BUILT IN BOOK

SHELVES

6 Stackable FILING

CABINETS

1 PRINTER/

PHOTOCOPIER/

SCANNER/FAX

MACHINE


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BUDGETED PRICE P8,000 (P4,000 each) =

P12,000

P20,000

SUGGESTED

(w/ actual price)

P3,880 P18,995

The Pantry/Kitchen

Legal professionals especially the lawyers are known to be busy people. Most of the time,

they skip meals just to finish their job. That is the reason why it is really important to have a

kitchen/pantry in the law office. This is to conveniently provide for the biological needs of the

people working within. Aside from that, since clients would also need snacks and drinks, thekitchen/pantry is a convenient way to prepare the refreshments. The utensils should be very

decent such as made from glass or porcelain.

Proposed Set-up:


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The kitchen/pantry should contain the following:

1 REFRIGE-

RATOR

1 ESPRESSO

MAKER

1 MICRO-

WAVE

1 WATER

DISPENSER

BUDGETED

PRICE

P8,000 P3,500 P3,000 P5,000

SUGGESTED

(w/ actual price)

P7,995 P3,150 P2,998 P4,658


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3 WASTE BINS

(BIODEGRADA

BLE, NON

BIOEDEGRAD

ABLE,

CONTAMINATED WASTES)

1 DINING SET 1 SINK SET UTENSILS

SET and

TEACUP SET

(P100each) =

P300

P13,000

P80 each P12,400

Networks and Security

Finally, the law firms should also invest in the security and the network of the office.

First and foremost, the computers in the office should be in one network. This means that one

computer is connected to the other computers and devices especially the printers. However, the

firm should also have adequate firewall and confidentiality protections to those files, folders and

data that are deemed confidential to one or two employees. Furthermore, the law firm should

have security cameras in common areas such as the reception, hallways and conference room.

The needed equipments are the following:


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1 CCTV

SECURIT

Y SET

with 3

CAMERA

1

MODEM/

WIFI

ROUTER

1

FAX

MACHIN

E

TELEPHON

E

NETWORK

1 PASSWORD

PROTECTED

ENTRYPORT for

the FILING ROOM

BUDGETED PRICE

P8,000 P3,500 P3,000 P5,000

SUGGEST

ED(w/ actual

price)

P7,995 P3,150 P2,998 P4,658

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