We get it. You're a perfectionist. You cover all the possible bases in your legal research. You answer questions your client would have asked before they knew to ask them. You ensure every document is perfectly written… even when that means you spend hours editing your colleagues' work.

But ask yourself, if your client knew you were doing all that extra work, would she be willing to pay you for it? Sometimes, when the stakes are high, the answer will surely be yes. But what about the other times?

Your Tip: Are you delivering a Ferrari, when what your client wants (and needs) is the Ford? That's the waste of Extra Processing—the last of the eight wastes. It’s giving your clients more than they wanted, more than they needed, and more than they were willing to pay for.

Your Action Item: Identify at least two sources of extra-processing waste in your law practice. Once identified you can start to remove them, which is crucial for improving efficiency. Some examples of extra-processing waste are:

• Reports, memos, or documents that are excessively detailed and go beyond case requirements
• Extensive or repetitive research on straightforward legal issues or similar cases that came before
• Making unnecessary reviews and revisions to documents without a clear improvement in quality
• Working with complex processes that could be simplified and streamlined
• Creating custom solutions or documents for routine tasks that could be standardized
• Holding lengthy meetings or involving more people than necessary on matters that could be better communicated

Remember, the value YOU place on your work is totally irrelevant. What matters is how your CLIENT perceives the value. It all comes back to the Three Value Criteria. Ask yourself:

1. Is this what my client actually needs, given the risks or the facts?
2. Has my client ASKED me to do it AND would she be happy to pay me for doing it? If it’s internal work, would the firm be happy paying me for it?
3. Is it right already? Am I just making stylistic changes to satisfy myself?

Delivering the Ferrari instead of the Ford upsets clients and wastes your valuable time. And if clients push back...you might not get paid for it

Identify and eliminate all eight of the most common wastes that may be lurking in your law practice with our free guide.

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