Every matter needs someone to do the work. That decision gets made daily, often without a clear process behind it.

People in mid-sized firms usually want to keep track of who can do what and who has time. But no matter how carefully you update the spreadsheet, it always seems to lag behind real life. In practice, decisions about who does the work often come down to last-minute conversations, gut feelings, or simply who happens to be nearby when a matter arises. The result? Some people have too much to do, others are left waiting for meaningful work, and clients sometimes notice the difference.

It rarely looks like a process failure. It just feels like another busy week, which is why it keeps happening.

What does allocation really mean?

Work allocation is just about figuring out who should do what. Ideally, you’d match the right skills and availability to the right matter, and maybe even give someone a chance to grow. That only works if everyone has access to information that’s current and reliable. Too often, the spreadsheet shared on Monday morning is out of date by Thursday. Matters move, capacity shifts and partners lose time coordinating.

This pattern shows up in the numbers, too. In BigHand’s Legal Talent and Resourcing Report, 42% of mid-sized firms cited partners selecting resource based on personal preference as a key challenge. When information is disparate and unreliable, staffing decisions naturally default to familiarity.

Why legacy tools don’t work

There’s rarely a dedicated operations team handling resourcing in mid-sized firms. The job of updating a skills tracker or availability spreadsheet usually ends up on someone’s already-long to-do list. By the time everyone’s filled in their details, things have already changed. Cases move fast, and the tools just can’t keep up.

BigHand’s report also showed that 35% of mid-sized firms don’t have a clear view of associates’ skills, and 31% struggle to track availability. Records might exist, but they’re often out of date. Staffing decisions end up being made without knowing who is free or best suited for the work, simply because the information isn’t current when it’s needed.

What it costs your firm

Depending on your role, this plays out in different ways.

• Partners spend more time than they’d like chasing down who’s available, and sometimes end up second-guessing their choices. Every “who’s free?” eats into time that could go elsewhere.
• Practice and resourcing leads are often left piecing things together, trying to fill gaps without a clear picture. Instead of planning ahead, they’re busy tracking people down.
• Leaders notice what happens over time. Some people burn out, others lose interest, and profit numbers can be unpredictable. BigHand’s 2025 Legal Talent and Resourcing Report found that 41% of mid-sized firms aren’t focused on profitability when assigning work.

Clients feel the impact, too. In BigHand’s 2025 Legal Talent and Resourcing Report, 47% of mid-sized firms say client relationships suffer due to high associate turnover, and that turnover is rarely random. It often tracks back to the people who were quietly overworked or never given the matter that might have kept them. And it is seldom about money: only 9.4% of associates cite pay as their main reason for staying (BTI Consulting, 2026). What keeps them is the people they work with and the quality and interest of their work. Lose them and the client sees it, with matters changing hands and a new lawyer re-introduced to a relationship that was already working.

How do you know when allocation is working?

Even a little more clarity around who’s available and what everyone can do makes the day run more smoothly. People can focus on their work, and there’s less time spent figuring out assignments.

There are usually signs things are improving:

• Partners stop circling back to review every staffing choice.
• The person handling resourcing catches problems before they get out of hand.
• Leaders start to pick up on changes in balance, retention, and sometimes even profits.

A note on AI

Many mid-sized firms have invested in AI tools. Few have applied these tools to staffing, such as factoring in skills, experience, and AI capability when assigning work. That step will come, but most firms are not there yet. The foundation is visibility into people. AI-aware staffing is easier to build once that is in place.

Where to start

Work allocation does not need to be a large initiative to be managed. Most firms already have some form of record: a spreadsheet, a survey, or a tracker. The real need is to close the gap between when information is captured and when staffing decisions are made.

Join Dave Cook, Global Director of Resource Management, at our upcoming webinar on rethinking work allocation in a mid-sized law firm. In this 30-minute session, we'll discuss the challenges and opportunities uncovered in a mid-sized firm moving from spreadsheet chaos to a clear shared view of workload, skills, and availability. Register now.