Law Firm Data Utilization Strategies | Why Doing More With Less Isn’t Optional Anymore

Have you ever wondered how much untapped potential sits within your legal workflows and data strategies right now?

I think about this a lot. In today’s environment, creditors and collection law firms are under relentless pressure to do more with less. More placements. Less liquidation. More distressed consumers. Less availability to expand staff.

When I sat down with Chuck Pona, Managing Shareholder at Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., LPA , for the Receivables Podcast, I wasn’t looking for a summary of industry pain points. I wanted to understand – practically and operationally – what high-performing firms are actually doing about it.

And here’s the reality: the firms that will win aren’t the ones adding bodies. They’re the ones using law firm data utilization strategies to transform the way they prioritize decisions, and execute them.

I want to share my perspectives on where data makes the biggest difference, lessons I’ve learned leading in this space, and why doing nothing is the most expensive choice of all.

Prioritizing Data Before Process

Early in my career, I thought processes came first. Map workflows, then figure out what data you need to optimize them.

But over the past decade, I’ve realized the opposite is true.

Data comes first. Because if your data is incomplete, inaccurate, or unstructured, no process will produce the consistent results you need.

When I look at Chuck’s approach, they prioritize knowing:

• Can I find the consumer?

• Can I serve them effectively?

• Do I have verified asset information to enforce a judgment?

These aren’t just compliance questions. They’re ROI questions. Filing a suit without validated employer data or real property records isn't a process – it’s gambling with client money.

“Data-driven decisioning isn’t a technology initiative – it’s an operational survival strategy.”

Champion Challenger Testing: Beyond Vendors

One of my favorite parts of my conversation with Chuck was his approach to vendor champion challenger testing.

In collections, we often apply champion challenger to vendors – skip tracing providers, asset locate partners, data enrichment tools.

But what if we applied champion challenger thinking to everything?

• Which lawsuit filing strategy produces the highest net recovery?

• Which dialer cadence generates the most right-party contacts?

• Which attorney location reduces travel costs for rural courts?

When you think about it, champion challenger is just a fancy way to ask: “What’s working best right now, and can we prove it?”

The firms that embed this mindset into operations, not just vendor selection, outperform peers quarter after quarter.

Staffing Solutions Start With Value, Not Volume

Staffing is the elephant in the room for every collection law firm today. And it’s not just about collection law firm staffing solutions like pay bands or recruitment bonuses.

It’s about redefining value.

Chuck shared how Weltman restructured back-office workflows through outsourcing and automation so internal staff could focus on meaningful, high-value work.

I’ve seen this shift in many firms I advise. The questions leaders ask are changing:

• Not “How many people do I need?”

• But “Where do I need people to drive results I can’t automate or outsource?”

That mindset frees up budget to pay competitively, improves employee retention, and aligns staffing strategy with true value creation.

The Cost of Dormant Judgments

Plenty of judgments sitting dormant have unworked enforcement opportunities. The challenge is that you need to monitor and work those accounts while minimizing the cost. Debt collection focused data focused companies like RNN Group, Inc. have built entire services around monitoring judgments. I look at it like mining for gold in the mountains of dormant judgments. 

Think about that.

You’ve already invested attorney time, filing costs, skip tracing fees – and the judgment just sits there. No wage garnishment. No bank levy. No lien.

Chuck talked about how Weltman runs regular cadence reviews to identify new assets for dormant judgments. That’s not just good practice – it’s critical portfolio optimization.

In my experience, building a judgment enforcement strategy that produces outsized ROI without increasing placements or staff includes:

✅ Scheduled asset refresh cycles

✅ Post-judgment vendor champion challenger testing

✅ Dedicated dormant file work streams

Data Is a Leadership Mandate, Not an IT Project

One of my biggest takeaways from this conversation – and my own leadership journey – is this:

Data isn’t an IT project. It’s a leadership mandate.

If you’re a creditor, debt buyer, or law firm leader, your data strategy will determine your competitive position in the next three years. Not your number of collectors. Not your call scripts. Your data.

And that requires:

• Executive buy-in to prioritize data investments

• Operational leaders fluent in data application

• Front-line teams who trust and use data outputs

Because at the end of the day, data is just information. It only becomes power when your people know how to use it to make better and faster decisions.

Ready to Rethink Your Data Strategy?

Talking with leaders like Chuck Pona always reminds me that innovation isn’t about the shiniest technology.

It’s about using what you already have – smarter.

If you’re looking to unlock more value from your existing portfolios, improve staffing ROI, and future-proof your operations, data utilization strategies aren’t optional anymore. They’re table stakes.

How are you using data to drive smarter decisions in your firm today?

I’d love to hear your perspective.