SOHO Law Office:
Phones and more phones

Your old firm spent thousands on a phone system, yet it didn't work.  The speakerphone was useless, cutting off conversations and annoying callers.  Nobody could figure out how to make a conference call. 

You can do better than that.  You don't need a key system or complex wiring.  One good multi-line, full duplex speakerphone with caller ID and digital answering will do the job, and well.

Nowhere has technology helped the home office lawyer more than here.  Great two and three line phones  simply plug into the jack in the wall.

SOHO Telephone:  . This one is a Polycom, made by the company which does the fancy teleconferencing equipment you see in big firm conference rooms. It comes in 2 or 3 line models, and is headset compatible.  The Polycom Soundpoint's real strength, though, is the high quality speakerphone. If you like to use a speakerphone, this is a good one. Just click on the phone to visit HelloDirect.  They have everything.

Another good source is Amazon.com.  Click below to see more phones, including the cool Siemens Gigaset.  This is a cordless, multi-line system which is universally acclaimed.

I got a Siemens Gigaset  about a year ago and love it.  It's a wireless phone with two lines, good speakerphone, good answering machine, and many features. It comes with a base unit and wireless handset, so I can answer the phone while having breakfast, or taking a cast off the dock.  It takes a simple headset, with no amplifier, which I really enjoy. They cost about $300, which includes the base unit, one handset, and a charger for the handset. 

One cool feature about the Siemens is that you can get as many handsets as you want, and plug in the chargers anywhere.   

You'll find a speakerphone useful in the peace and quiet of your home office, but be sure to get a full duplex model, like the Gigaset or Polycom.  Otherwise, it is virtually unusable, cutting off one party while the other is talking.

Answering Device:  You have three choices here:  the phone company, an answering device in the phone, or a separate answering machine.

• The phone company can handle your voice messaging for about 5 bucks a month.  You call in for messages, from anywhere. Messages are taken even if you are on the line.

• Option two is an answerer built into your phone. That will save desk space over a separate machine.  You can retrieve messages from anywhere. I use this option, on my Siemens Gigaset.  It works fine, but will not take a message if you get a call while you are on that line. The phone company's voice mail service will do that.  When it becomes available out here in the wilderness, I'll sign up.

• A separate machine makes sense if you don't get a new phone.  If you opt for an answering machine, built in or not, be sure to get one with adequate recording time.  Many only give you fifteen or twenty minutes.