A One-Page SOP Template for Solo and Small Law Offices

Many lawyers carry their processes in their heads, and in a small firm they often live in one person’s head. That works until someone gets sick, goes on vacation, or you hire your next assistant. A standard operating procedure (SOP) gets a task out of your head and onto a page. It does not need to be long or fancy.

Why one page

Long manuals never get written or read. A single page forces you to capture the essentials and makes the SOP easy to update. If a procedure needs more than a page, split it into two.

The template

Copy this structure into any document tool:

1. Title: the task, such as “New Client Onboarding”
2. Purpose: one sentence on why the task matters
3. Owner: who is responsible
4. Trigger: what starts the task
5. Tools needed: software, templates, logins (never passwords in the document)
6. Steps: a numbered list of five to ten actions
7. Quality check: how you know it was done right
8. Last updated: date and reviewer

Write a sample

Here is a condensed example for new client onboarding:

• Trigger: signed engagement letter received
• Steps: open matter in practice management, send welcome email, create folder from template, add deadlines to calendar, run conflicts check record, schedule kickoff call
• Quality check: all items checked off in the matter checklist within one business day

Pick the first five tasks

Start with tasks you repeat often or hate doing:

• New client onboarding
• Matter closing and file retention
• Monthly billing and collections
• Responding to new inquiries
• Weekly marketing routine

Capture tasks as you do them

The easiest way to write an SOP is to record yourself doing the task. Open a blank page, do the task, and write each step as you go. Then clean it up and test it by having someone else follow it, or by following it yourself a week later.

Keep ethics and confidentiality built in

Include steps for conflict checks, trust account handling, and secure communication where relevant. Note who has access to client files and how documents are stored. Remember that supervision duties apply when you delegate tasks to non-lawyer staff.

Store them where you can find them

Keep SOPs in one shared folder with a clear naming system, and back it up. Review each one every six months, or whenever a tool or process changes.

Your next step

Pick one recurring task and fill out the template this week, using the steps as you actually do them. Save it in a dedicated SOP folder, then repeat for the next task on your list.