Many law firm owners spend little time thinking about how the weather can affect their law firm.  But the reality is that the weather can have a huge impact on the overall success of a law firm.  It can also have an effect on the morale of the employees.

No matter where you are located, weather is some kind of a factor.  Some law firms might be in locations where there is snow, cold weather and rain.  Other law firms might be in locations where there are tornadoes, hurricanes or other adverse weather conditions.

Obviously, if you are a law firm owner or manager, you likely have no background as a meteorologist.  You likely can never know for sure what the weather will be, exactly.   You can read weather reports or follow the news the best that you can.  But the reality is that adverse weather can often come when it is not even predicted.  And, at other times, adverse weather that is predicted often does not come to fruition.

Practically speaking, adverse weather can have an impact on the number of new clients who might come to your firm for new services.  Whether it be snow, rain, sleet or other adverse weather, potential clients and clients often stay home and put off hiring an attorney when the weather is not ideal.

At the same time, the productivity of employees can take a hit when there is adverse weather.  At the best, some employees may be merely distracted by the adverse weather or the reports of adverse weather.  In some instances, some employees may opt not to come to the office.  In extreme circumstances, an office may need to be closed.

The reality is that weather can be that variable that many law firm owners and managers do not take into account when they are budgeting and planning for the year.  When weather is not taken into account, this can create a hole in the law firm’s budget or cause other problems in terms of productivity.

No matter your circumstances, the key is not getting upset about the adverse weather.  It’s also not helpful to be frustrated that potential clients are not coming into the office or employees who invariably are looking at a snowflake out the window from time-to-time versus getting work done.

The key, instead, is to plan for adverse weather in advance by expecting that there will likely be an impact of some kind — each and every year — and then plan for it.  If you plan for it, it is not nearly as frustrating.

If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them below.