We are gearing up for a summer filled with vacations, day trips, and time spent with family and friends.  So, of course, we are considering how we can actually disconnect when we are out of the office, whether that is for an afternoon or for a week.  

As an attorney, it takes more than just popping up your out of office response on your email. Especially in a smaller firm, there may be files or tasks that you are the point of contact, decision maker and advisor.  To be able to disconnect when you are at the office, and truly have a physical and mental break, you need to plan. 

Here are ten easy steps to help you plan to disconnect.

1. Plan ahead.  To the extent you can, schedule this time out of the office in advance so that your staff, clients, and colleagues know that you will be unavailable and you can prepare your files accordingly.

2. Review your files to organize and prioritize your open matters.

3. Delegate.  Now that you have organized and prioritized your open matters, go through the tasks and decide what you can delegate to other staff members to get done before you plan to be away, or to work on while you are away.  Provide clear direction and as much information as you can, including relevant contact information for other involved colleagues, so that your staff is equipped to accomplish the work you have delegated to them.

4. Set realistic boundaries.  After you have reviewed and organized your matters, you should have a realistic idea of what could occur while you are away.

5. Schedule and automate tasks.  If there are any tasks that you routinely handle, schedule these beforehand.

6. Clear your inbox.  Now, inbox zero is a scenario most only dream of, but prior to setting your out of office message, make sure you have gone through your email and responded to any outstanding inquiries.

7. Inform Staff, Colleagues and Clients.  Of course your staff should be advised of your out of office plans, but if you are actively working on a matter, a quick email to a colleague and client advising that you will be out of the office helps to set the expectation that you will not be available so that an outstanding matter can be dealt with prior to your leaving.

8. Keep detailed notes.  You should be doing this as we work on files, but particularly before time out of the office, make sure that you have kept detailed notes so that staff will have all the information they may need to work on a file.

9. Take care of personal matters.  Put your mail on hold.  Make sure your passport is up to date.  Schedule your transportation to and from the airport.  Book the pet sitter.  Make your dinner reservations. Take steps now so that your time can be as stress free as possible while you are away.

10. Mentally disconnect.  This is the hardest of all the steps.  By empowering your staff and partners, you can give yourself permission to mentally disconnect knowing that they can handle the everyday questions or matters that may come up in your absence.  

Preparation and communication is key to making your time out of the office truly disconnected. 

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.