Working From Home

When working form home, take advantage of the benefits (drafting a brief in sweats, anyone?) but beware the pitfalls, which may sneak up on you.

Whether it is for regular weekend and night work, a flexible schedule, or an unexpected office closing, more and more litigators are completing key aspects of their jobs from the comfort of their living rooms. Of course, such tasks don’t include trial or hearing work, depositions, or face-to-face time with our clients and colleagues, but with technology as it is, we are no longer tied to our desks for so much of our writing, research, and phone calls.

When working from home, a litigator must be careful to consider when, where, and for what tasks doing so is appropriate, what we must do in advance to ensure we have access to everything we need, and how such work will affect our cases, clients, and colleagues. Once we determine what works — and, importantly, what doesn’t work — we can be just as effective as we are in the office.

There are so many benefits to being able to work from home on occasion (beyond the aforementioned comfortable attire): increased availability, flexibility with regards to schedule, general convenience, and freedom from the distractions of the office, to name but a few.

But the downside is the loss of separation between work and home, the feeling that you are always reachable and thus must always be available, and the ample distractions of the home and family (which may well outweigh those distractions of the office).

To be ready, think logistics.

Prepare your home workspace to be clear of as many distractions as possible. Keep all gadgets and entertainment units firmly off, in the same way you would in the office. Inform your family (or any roommates) that you are working and come up with a plan on how to address anything that may arise in the time you need. Block out a specific time within which you are working, so that there is always a clear dividing line between work time and family/home time.

Know how to remotely access documents and individuals at work, and make clear how all can reach you. Get comfortable and find a spot that inspires you (I am partial to a spot at my kitchen table under a sunny window), and also minimizes the risk of distraction. Switch it up if needed! But, most importantly, know yourself and what works best for you. Finally, be ready to go into the office if it is not working.

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Jillian L. McNeil is an attorney at Balestriere Fariello who represents clients in trials, arbitrations, appeals, and in consultation on transactions. She focuses on complex commercial litigation, including business disputes before federal and state courts in matters involving contract disputes, misappropriation of trade secrets and proprietary information, tortious interference with contractual relations, unfair trade practices, and defamation. Jillian also has represented plaintiffs and defendants in False Claims Act and Dodd-Frank Act litigation in courts around the Nation. You can reach her at jillian.l.mcneil@balestrierefariello.com.

Working From Home curated from Above the Law