Resource — Guide
The ROI of Remote Staffing for PI Firms
Salary alone does not show what an employee costs the firm. This guide applies one consistent loaded-cost model, compares it with the published Telamanis member rate, and gives you formulas you can run on your own firm's numbers.
1. Loaded cost, not salary
For planning purposes, Telamanis models an in-house team member's annual cost as base salary multiplied by 1.4. The additional 40% accounts for benefits, payroll-related costs, training, turnover, and operating overhead.
- Base salary1.0 × salary
- Benefits, payroll-related costs, training, turnover, and overhead0.4 × salary
Loaded in-house costBase salary × 1.4
2. The managed remote model
Telamanis publishes a $3,500 monthly rate per managed remote legal team member, or $42,000 annualized. The Guided Systems Review and written proposal define team composition, workflow responsibilities, review requirements, deployment needs, and final commercial terms. The delivery model is designed around:
- A trained plaintiff-PI paralegal or legal assistant, screened for real case experience.
- Alignment to the firm's PI workflow and approved case-management systems.
- Daily management, supervision, and clear responsibility for team performance.
- Quality review and reporting that make work status visible to firm leadership.
- Human-reviewed Telamanis tools that support workflow and file-audit visibility.
3. Side by side
| Factor | In-house hiring | Telamanis managed team |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost basis | Base salary × 1.4 loaded-cost factor | $42,000 published annualized rate per member; final scope and terms are confirmed in writing |
| Employee burden | Benefits, payroll-related costs, training, turnover, and overhead are modeled in the 40% load | Compared as a managed service, not as an employee payroll line |
| Workflow setup | The firm designs and maintains the operating workflow | The team member is aligned to the firm's PI workflow and systems |
| Management and QA | The firm owns supervision, quality review, and performance management | Telamanis provides daily management, QA, and operating visibility |
| Staffing continuity | The firm owns recruiting, onboarding, and replacement work | Telamanis manages team preparation and continuity planning |
4. The ROI formula
Run the direct staffing-cost comparison first. Keep productivity or attorney-time value separate so you do not count the same benefit twice.
Loaded in-house cost = base salary × 1.4
Annual cost difference = loaded in-house cost − scoped managed-service cost
Cost reduction % = annual cost difference ÷ loaded in-house cost × 100
Example: $65,000 × 1.4 = $91,000 loaded in-house cost. Subtract the managed-service cost quoted for the firm's actual scope, then divide that difference by $91,000 to calculate the direct cost-reduction percentage.
5. Evaluate operating value separately
After the direct cost comparison, evaluate the operating changes the model is intended to create. These factors matter, but they should not be presented as guaranteed dollars.
- Workflow consistency: treatment follow-ups, records requests, and demand support have defined owners and review points.
- Management capacity: the provider owns day-to-day supervision and performance follow-up for the managed team.
- Quality visibility: review and reporting can make stalled work, ownership, and next actions easier for firm leadership to see.
- Continuity planning: recruiting, onboarding, and replacement preparation move into the managed-service operating model.
Run the comparison with your firm's numbers
A Guided Systems Review maps your current workflow, staffing model, and loaded cost against the operating system Telamanis would recommend for your firm.
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