“People don’t leave jobs; they leave memes on the office Slack channel as a parting gift.”

Every law firm or business has faced it: that dreaded resignation letter from a paralegal or admin assistant you finally got up to speed. Just when they’ve learned the difference between a Section 32 and a latte order. Boom. They’re gone. And with them? A surprising amount of your time, money, and mental peace.

Let’s break it down—because what staff attrition really costs your firm is enough to make even the steeliest managing partner weep quietly into their budget spreadsheet.

Chapter 1: The ‘No Big Deal’ Lie – What Attrition Actually Costs

You might think, “Oh well, we’ll hire someone else.” But losing a team member isn’t just about popping another ad on Seek or calling your recruiter buddy Greg.

Here’s what you’re really paying for when a paralegal or admin support leaves:

1. Recruitment Costs: The Wallet Punch

If you’re using a recruitment agency, brace yourself. According to a study called “Recruitment Costs in Australia” by HRM Online, the average recruitment fee in Australia is 15–20% of the role’s annual salary. For a $65,000 per year paralegal, that’s around $9,750 to $13,000 just to get someone new in the door. And that’s before they’ve made their first coffee run or spelled “precedent” correctly.

2. Onboarding & Training Costs: Time Is Money

Even if they’re brilliant, your new admin or paralegal will need at least 2-3 months to hit their stride. That’s:

• Billable hours lost
• Senior staff time used for training (i.e., “Don’t cc the client on the snarky internal email” 101)
• Processes re-explained
• Passwords reset for the fifth time

According to a study by Gallup, training and onboarding can cost firms around 30–40% of the employee’s salary. Yes, again. So another $20,000 or so down the admin drain.

3. Productivity Losses: The Knowledge Walk-Out

Here’s the kicker: it’s not just about the role. It’s about the institutional knowledge that leaves with them.

• That paralegal who knew exactly how to deal with that weird partner in conveyancing.
• The admin who knew when to chase invoices vs. when to “leave it to cool off.”
• The filing system only they understood (was it alphabetical? Chronological? Random? We may never know.)

According to a study by SHRM – Cost of Replacing an Employee, productivity tanks by up to 40% when you lose a well-integrated support staffer.

Chapter 2: Attrition is Not Just a People Problem. It’s a Competitive Threat.

Your competitors aren’t just firms with bigger coffee budgets or nicer offices—they’re the ones who don’t have to start from scratch every 12 months.

If you’re stuck constantly onboarding new support staff, you’re:

• Slower to serve clients
• More error-prone
• Distracted by hiring instead of growing
• Possibly losing sleep (and billable time)

Firms that retain support staff gain a crucial edge:

• Lower operating costs
• Faster turnaround times
• Stronger client relationships
• Higher team morale

Attrition, when unchecked, eats into your bottom line and your brand. It’s like death by a thousand tiny “Goodbye morning teas.”

Chapter 3: How Team SBA Changes the Game: Your Attrition-Proof Support System

This is where we come in. Let’s talk about how SBA flips the script.

With SBA, Attrition Isn’t Your Problem Anymore

We get it—people change jobs. Even our team sometimes has members move on. BUT—and it’s a glorious, job-saving but—you don’t feel it.

SBA absorbs the impact of attrition internally. If a team member leaves:

• We replace them.
• We retrain them.
• We get them up to speed on your preferences, systems, and quirks.

You don’t lift a finger. You don’t pay a cent more. You don’t spend three weeks explaining how to PDF a Word doc again.

We’re the Knowledge Vault, Not Just a Body Shop

Every task your SBA-assigned team member completes, we track. We build workflows. We document the recurring tasks and preferences so:

• Nothing is person-dependent
• Everything is process-driven
• Your support system is truly scalable

When your SBA admin or paralegal resource knows your systems better than your in-house team? That’s not a fluke—it’s SBA process management in action.

Chapter 4: Wait—How Does It Feel To Be Attrition-Proof?

Imagine this: You’re on a client Zoom call. Suddenly, they need a full bundle reformatted in 2 hrs. Your in-house admin is away. Panic?

Not if you’ve got Team SBA on standby. We’ve seen this movie before, and we already have the file tree structured, the forms templated, and the fonts matched (yes, even Arial Narrow 10pt with line spacing exactly at 1.5).

Your clients see consistency, professionalism, and efficiency.

You don’t have to apologise or say, “Sorry, we’re short-staffed this week.” Because with SBA, you never are.

Chapter 5: But Can’t I Just Hire Internally and Get Better at Retention?

Sure, and if you’ve got a crack HR team and a magic wand to stop burnout, go for it.

But remember:

• Staff want career progression. Admin roles are often transient.
• Paralegals move on to law degrees, other firms, or travel plans.
• Your firm becomes a training ground for someone else’s benefit.

You can throw money, perks, and pizza nights at the problem—or you can work smarter.

SBA isn’t here to replace your whole team—we’re here to be the solid base layer. The dependable resource. The support squad that doesn’t quit on you mid-month.

We’re here for the long haul. No pizza required.

Chapter 6: So, Why Haven’t You Made the Switch Yet?

If your firm:

• Regularly loses admin or paralegal staff
• Feels the pinch of recruitment and training costs
• Wants better continuity and peace of mind

Then it’s time.

Here’s what you get with SBA:

• Dedicated offshore team
• No attrition headaches
• Knowledge retention and documented processes
• Lower cost of operation
• Scalable support as your firm grows

Final Thoughts: People Will Leave—But That Doesn’t Mean You Should Suffer for It

We can’t stop people from resigning. But we can stop it from being a problem for you.

Because your law firm or business deserves better than playing Groundhog Day every time an admin leaves. Let SBA be your competitive advantage. The one that doesn’t take sick days, throw surprise resignations, or ghost you for a rival firm with better snacks.

Want to learn more? Let’s talk. No awkward exit interviews required.