Administrative Structure
Organisational structure, how is the business managed? Dependent on the size and extent of the practice, it can be organised along a number of lines. It is down to the partners of each practice to decide the best way to organise the internal structure and this will guide other business issues such as management reporting and performance appraisal.
Common structural criteria are:
- Geography – offices in different cities/towns or areas of the country
- Discipline – type of law practised e.g. Family, Commercial, Employment
- Function – type of work and source e.g. Legal Aid, Private Client, Corporate
- Matrix – a hierarchy using a mix of the above
- Management structure – this often follows the organisation structure and addresses issues regarding seniority and management accountability
There are separate issues around deciding the structure of, for example, management boards – how the checks and balances are operated, accountability of the board to the partners, the level of executive power, how members are elected and their remit.
