Dividing the work in a family-run immigration office

Small and family-run practices run on trust, which is an advantage until it becomes the reason nothing is written down. A few deliberate choices keep a 2–3 person office resilient.

Split by function, not by "whoever picks up the phone"

Decide who owns intake, who owns document collection and client contact, who owns the technical assessment and filing, and who owns billing and trust accounting. One named owner per function, even if people help across lines. Ambiguity is how a document ends up nobody's job.

Only regulated people give regulated advice

If one family member is registered and another is not, the unregistered person can do recruitment, admin, scheduling and document collection — not immigration advice, not form completion as advice, not representing the client. Put the line in writing and hold it. Regulators treat "my spouse handles the consultations" as a serious problem.

No single point of failure

Every active file should be legible to a second person: current status, next deadline, what is outstanding, where the documents are. If the lead adviser is ill or travelling for two weeks, someone else must be able to see what is urgent and act. Shared systems, not one person's inbox.

Money conversations, on a schedule

Family practices avoid talking about fees, draws and who brought in what. Set a monthly 30-minute review of the numbers — revenue, trust balances, outstanding invoices, pipeline — as a fixed appointment. It prevents the resentment that builds when it is never discussed.

Write down how a client leaves

Succession and exit: what happens to files, funds and the client relationship if a partner leaves or retires. Agree it while everyone is getting along, not during a dispute.