Virtual Mail & Office

Why I use both Mailboxforwarding and Pacific Offices

Last edited 145 days ago by Ted Broomfield

Summary. This blog aimed at attorneys and law firm office managers explains why Mailboxforwarding and

Pacific Workplaces⁠

work best for me as mail handlers and virtual offices, though each has issues and raises questions. I strongly recommend against Regus.

Mail Handling

Even in this digital age, snail mail sent & received via the United States postal service, or private carriers is essential for the practice of law.

If an attorney does not want to be forced to check for mail at a single location, that attorney will need to use a service.

I actually use three different service providers, each for its own purpose.

⁠

Mailboxforwarding.com⁠

is the least expensive service for medium quantities of mail. However, you need to send your mail to Michigan. This is less than desirable in litigation, where clients, judges, and opposing counsel are expecting to see a local address. The lack of a local address can cost you credibility and time, and that is money. Nevertheless, a medium service package is about $25 a month and can handle most inbound needs. Plus, mailboxforwarding.com scans mail by the next business day. Watch out for high unexplained fees.

I also use Postscan mail for advertising. It has an even less expensive price per month, and is great for an address where you d not really expect to receive any meaningful mail.

Virtual Office

As a result, I use Pacific Workplaces virtual mailbox as a virtual office local address. On an annual basis, it costs four (4) times as much as Mailboxforwarding, but, I still use both. Why?

As discussed above, a local address is expected by judges, opposing counsel and clients. More than a handful of judges have seen my Mailboxforwarding Michigan address that uses the two-letter state code MI and commented that my office was in Mississippi. Clients simply don’t like non-local addresses.

Opposing counsel still may want to or even hand-serve. An attorney that practices in California does not need a service address for opposing counsel in California. However, under Code of Civil Procedure section 1011, if there is no known service address for an opposing counsel in California, an opposing counsel can hand-serve the papers “by delivering the notice or papers to the clerk of the court...”

Code of Civil Procedure section 1011⁠

(a).

Pacific Workplaces is a responsive company that has real human beings to answer your questions, and address your concerns. I find them friendly. Conversely, people do make mistakes.....

Services that I do not recommend

Unfortunately, as in any market, there are a number of companies to be avoided.

I do not recommend

Regus⁠

, at all.

I find Regus’ advertising is misleading. Regus’ personnel have been non-responsive to most of my requests. Regus’ pricing is aggressive, for example, simple mail handling requires a full calendar month cancellation. I do not trust that I will actually get all of my mail.

I booked one room at Regus and selected a room for three people, which required additional payment. When I arrived, the rooms that I was offered did have three chairs, but, none of those rooms allowed the three people to sit and face each other. I asked to use one of the many [many] empty rooms that actually accommodated three people that wanted to face each other and speak to each other. The office manager refused, stating that those rooms cost more money, and asserting that the rooms provided were sufficient for three people. We met outside the Regus center in a much more comfortable and private spot that is accessible to the public, but still provides reasonable privacy. An hour after the meeting, I terminated by virtual office agreement with Regus

Earthclass mail seems to be expensive.

Mail Handling

Virtual Office

Services that I do not recommend

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