Case study · Mitchell Legal Group
How a Sydney Legal Firm Saved 60% on Admin Costs
A mid-size Sydney legal practice scaled admin support without adding local headcount — cutting costs and improving client response times.
60%
Admin cost saved
30+
Billable hrs/month recovered
<2 hrs
Client response time
7 days
Time to shortlist
At a glance
Challenge, solution, and results
Challenge
Mitchell Legal Group's partners were spending 8+ hours weekly on admin — client scheduling, matter coordination, and document prep — while local EA hires quoted $75k+ and took months to recruit.
Solution
Apex Admins placed two dedicated virtual assistants trained on legal workflows: matter file management, client intake, calendar orchestration, and confidential correspondence — all in AEST hours.
60% reduction in admin costs, sub-2-hour client response times, and partners recovered 30+ billable hours per month.
The story
How Mitchell Legal Group scaled with remote talent
Mitchell Legal Group, a 12-partner commercial law firm in Sydney, faced a familiar problem: growth was outpacing admin capacity. Partners were handling their own scheduling, client follow-ups, and matter administration — time that should have been billable.
Local recruitment for an executive assistant returned candidates demanding $75,000–$85,000 plus super, with a 3-month hiring cycle. The managing partner needed a faster, more flexible solution.
Within seven days of their consultation, Apex Admins delivered a shortlist of three VAs with legal admin experience. After interviews, the firm onboarded two part-time assistants who integrated into Clio, Outlook, and the firm's document management system.
Within 90 days, average client response time dropped from 6 hours to under 2 hours. Partners reported reclaiming over 30 billable hours monthly. Total admin cost fell 60% compared to the local hire quote.
"Apex Admins transformed our operations. Our virtual assistants handle everything seamlessly — our partners finally focus on matters, not inbox."
Key takeaways
- Legal firms can scale admin without local headcount
- Part-time VAs cover peak workload flexibly
- AEST alignment critical for client-facing legal work
- Trial period de-risked the hiring decision
Timeline
How it unfolded
The key phases from first conversation to a working remote team.
-
1
Week 1
Discovery call, workflow mapping, and shortlist delivered.
-
2
Week 2
Interviews completed; two VAs selected and onboarded.
-
3
Month 1
Clio integration, intake SOPs, and calendar systems live.
-
4
Month 3
60% cost savings confirmed; response times under 2 hours.
Talent deployed
Roles Mitchell Legal Group hired
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