Case Study: Cashion Legal
We had the privilege of sitting down with lawyer, Mike Cashion, owner of Cashion Legal and a valued GURU by Achen Henderson client.
During our interview, Mike discussed the factors that drove him to Achen Henderson and the pain points that GURU alleviates for him and his law firm.
This case study provides readers with several valuable insights, such as Achen Henderson’s best practices in supporting the needs of legal clients and the benefits of outsourcing accounting and bookkeeping requirements to CPAs with proven experience in the field of law.
If your law firm is looking to improve its accounting and bookkeeping processes, evaluate outsourcing options, and build partnerships in the industry – this is the case study for you.
The Background
Operating in Calgary, Alberta, Cashion Legal is an employment law firm committed to acting for employees and employers in all aspects of employment law. From issues including wrongful dismissals, discrimination, and workplace harassment, Cashion Legal handles all aspects of employment cases, ensuring that their clients understand their rights and options.
“When I started my practice, The Law Society said I needed to work with a bookkeeper who had experience working with law firms” – Mike Cashion
As a relatively junior lawyer when he began his practice, Mike was told by The Law Society of Alberta that as a prerequisite to him practicing on his own, he needed to work with an experienced bookkeeper that was familiar with the legal industry.
More specifically, the selected bookkeeper needed to be well-versed in trust accounting due to the strict obligations that law firms have regarding these practices.
Not only did Mike need to find an experienced law firm bookkeeper, but as an active user of the practice management software, Clio, his legal accounting partner needed to understand and seamlessly integrate into his existing system.
The Law Society was able to recommend a handful of providers, but after being dissatisfied with their service, Mike began researching other options and was introduced to Achen Henderson.
The Challenge
Upon connecting with Achen Henderson, Mike felt that his past partnerships with external bookkeepers were lacking in two extremely critical aspects: communication and experience.
“I was having things communicated to me by the external bookkeeper in a way that [made me feel] like I wasn’t being listened to” – Mike Cashion
Due to ineffective communication, insufficient knowledge regarding his needs, and complicated processes, Mike was forced to expend an unnecessary amount of time and energy to fill in the gaps – valuable time and energy that he should have been spending attending to the needs of his firm and his clients.
Learn how to choose the right law firm accounting partner.
The Solution & Results
After gaining insight into Mike’s business, his goals, and his pain points, the team at Achen Henderson knew that he would benefit greatly from GURU by Achen Henderson.
Through GURU’s customized discovery, seamless integrations, smooth onboarding process, and ongoing support, Mike’s involvement in Cashion Legal’s accounting and bookkeeping was significantly decreased, which allowed him to focus on growing his business.
“I’ve been very pleased with the GURU services since the very beginning” – Mike Cashion
After transitioning over to GURU by Achen Henderson, Mike highlighted the following benefits of the platform:
- The quality of service
- The responsiveness of the GURU team
- Clear and effective communication
- An effort to make the parts that require his involvement as easy and painless as possible
- Streamlined law society reporting for his startup report and trust reporting requirements
“Achen Henderson prepares my prescribed financial records monthly as required by the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta. The records are always prepared well ahead of the deadline, so I have ample time to review and ensure compliance with the Rules. They have always been receptive to feedback regarding preparation of these records and respond quickly to all inquiries.”
The Right Accounting Partner
The case study of Cashion Legal and its partnership with the GURU Team at Achen Henderson demonstrates the importance of finding the right accounting and bookkeeping partner for law firms. Mike Cashion’s experience highlights how challenging it can be to find a partner with specific legal industry knowledge, effective communication, and expertise in trust accounting.
We are grateful that GURU by Achen Henderson was able to meet Mike’s needs and allow him to focus on his growing business and clientele – all while GURU takes care of the accounting, bookkeeping, tax and compliance requirements behind-the-scenes.
This case study serves as an excellent example for other law firms looking to improve their accounting and bookkeeping processes. By outsourcing these requirements to experienced CPAs, law firms can focus on what they do best – providing exceptional legal services to their clients.
Thank you to Mike Cashion for donating his time to participate in this interview.
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