Moving Your Phoenix Law Firm?

With the New Year comes new decisions like moving your Phoenix law firm. At Herder and Associates, we’re set to move our headquarters to the prestigious Renaissance Center in central Phoenix as we grow our court reporting firm. The move increases our ability to serve current and future clients in Arizona and across the nation. Relocating is exciting but it also comes with decisions and planning.

Why are you moving your Phoenix law firm?

Whether it’s to move out of your home office into executive suites, add people to your legal team, or to grab space at a prestigious location, there are considerations to be made. If you’re moving simply to be in the new development, we caution you to look at the complete picture before signing a new lease. Consider the following:

• What’s the cost to get out of your current lease? It could be cost prohibitive to leave your current location if you have to break a lease.
• What’s the cost per square foot at the current location versus the new location? Brand new offices tend to have a higher per square foot cost than older buildings.
• Why do you want to leave your current location? If it’s because you want less walls and more open workspace, think about renovating instead of moving. It may cost less and get you the same results.

It’s grand to think about having the corner office with a view of downtown but if your current office is suiting your needs, it might not be time to move. On the other hand, if your law firm is poised for expansion and has the resources to move, it may be worth it to have a new address and more space.

What’s the cost of moving?

The costs of moving aren’t as simple as packing boxes. In addition to the cost of breaking a lease that I mentioned earlier, there are costs like hiring professional movers and the design and build of the new office to fit the needs of your firm.

• Office furniture – Are you going to move old furniture into your new office? Either way you’ll need to either get rid of it or move it. If you get rid of it, there’s the cost of purchasing new furniture.
• Wiring for technology – The new space may need to be hardwired for internet, phones, and servers.
• Data Security – Even if you don’t have someone full-time on staff, consider hiring an IT firm to act as Chief IT Officer for you law firm ensuring your client and case information is securely stored and safe from hackers.

As your Phoenix law firm expands, there will likely be additional cost considerations.

What’s your plan for moving?

If you’ve decided it’s time to move your firm, plan ahead to make sure moving day is as smooth as possible.

• Hire professional movers. Ask their advice about what you pack, what they pack, and if the move needs to be over a series of days or weeks. The larger your firm, the more likely the move will need to be done in phases.
• Assign a team member to coordinate the move. They can communicate with the movers as well as with the rest of the team to develop a timeline of what needs to be done and by whom.
• Don’t move everything. Take stock of what you need to move, what can be placed in storage, and what can be thrown away or recycled. You may even be able to sell old office furniture though likely not for the same amount as what you paid for it.

With a fair amount of analysis and planning, we?re sure your move will be a good one!

For us, the investment in expansion reinforces our roots in Phoenix and enables us to serve our clients, delivering high quality transcripts accurately and on-time. Contact us today to schedule your next deposition.