For today’s flourishing and expanding law businesses, knowing how to use and be fluent with legal technology is a must.
The legal world, on the other hand, has not made an easy shift. In reality, for a long time, attorneys did not place a high priority on technical advancement or felt compelled to do so. After all, business technology isn’t covered in-depth in law school.å
The appropriate technology is the game-changer for a law firm, allowing them to function more effectively, better satisfy clients, study cases quickly, undertake duties more quickly, and produce work that is competing with bigger firms.
Technology for the legal industry can also enable your employees to work remotely and on their schedules.
However, with so many technology options available, determining which would work best for your law firm may be tough.
This article covers advice for selecting technology that’s suitable to your law firm’s needs, the advantages of tech for law firms, and key
technology ideas to keep your law firm functioning.
Identifying your law firm’s technological requirements.
It’s critical that you evaluate the unique needs of your firm, lawyers, and clients before diving into our guide and designing your technology plan. While each component of your law firm makes a significant contribution, your unique needs might differ significantly.
When you have a better understanding of your firm’s particular requirements and wants, you can make the best technology adjustments for the legal practice as a whole.
Give the following areas some thought:
- Lawyer Requirements – Your firm’s lawyers rely on their ability to interact effectively with clients, prioritize projects and caseloads, and properly monitor time and bills. It’s critical to take notes and be active both in and out of the workplace.
- Client Requirements – Your clients must believe they can contact your staff regularly, get desired results, and get accurate and timely information about their issues.
- Law Firm Needs – Your legal firm as a whole needs a well-organized and efficient infrastructure to meet its demands. Safe data storage, finance and management assistance, and simple collaboration among team members contribute to your firm’s success and development.
What technology is efficient for law firms?
Microsoft Office
If your legal practice utilizes any software, it’s most certainly Microsoft office. Productivity suites, which include word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and email, give the basic minimum of capability needed to excel in the corporate world.
Many legal firms are beginning to embrace Office 365, which delivers the same functionality as the original suite but with the versatility and convenience of the cloud.
Scanners
In 2021, attorneys will need to be able to digitize papers; thus, a scanner (or a scanner app on your phone) will be needed. Lawyers deal with paperwork and documents regularly, ranging from legal documents to expenditure receipts, which they need to be able to access quickly and conveniently from any location.
Provider of VOIP services
You must be reachable at your company phone number regardless of where you are working. A Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone service allows you to answer calls from anywhere by redirecting calls to your business line to wherever you are.
Solutions for time tracking and billing
For a legal firm to be profitable, accurate time tracking and billing are essential. However, spending a significant amount of time manually tracking time and dealing with invoices detracts from your productivity.
Start by checking at your practice management software, which may include capabilities to aid with time and billing if you aren’t already utilizing legal tools.
EDiscovery software
The bulk of discovery is now, more than ever, electronic or eDiscovery. While the shift to electronic discovery saves time in and of itself, you may also employ legal tech solutions to speed up your discovery process.
Advantages of introducing new technology into your law firm.
Here are some of the reasons why you should embrace technology in your practice.
Effectiveness.
Better technology boosts productivity. Your investment may provide substantial rewards on everything from case management software to sophisticated scanners. With the correct equipment, attorneys and staff can execute their tasks more efficiently. For every business, including law firms, Internet speeds are a significant expenditure. A sluggish connection wastes both time and energy. Businesses may get an advantage by using the proper technology. It acts as a link between big and small legal offices.
Efficiency.
The majority of technologies claim to boost productivity. Many do, but you should consider which options are best for your practice. Look for gear and software that will assist your attorneys and employees in successfully managing their responsibilities. Over time, more quality work completed in less time translates to higher profit margins. Practice management software can boost your bottom line if you’re the sort of attorney who spends more time on administrative activities than practicing law.
Safety and security.
As technology advances, so does the security of your company’s sensitive information. You’re more exposed to a cyber-attack if your hardware and IT infrastructure are older. It’s vital to modernize if this is your company. When considering new technology for your company, make sure to inquire about data security. Learn about the dangers, create protocols, and train your personnel. Modernizing your case management solution might also help to increase the security of your legal practice. Many firms are susceptible due to outdated servers with insufficient security. It’s important to consider where and how you store your data.
Affordability.
The days of looking for a lawyer in the Yellow Pages are over. Over 90% of customers use the internet to investigate businesses or services, according to a recent study. Ensure that your legal practice has a website. Create and manage a website, and start a blog by claiming your social network profiles. This exposure will not only help you obtain customers, but it will also help you recruit employees and connect with other law firms.
Bring the most cutting-edge technology to your legal practice.
Because technology is always changing, every legal business should set aside money to upgrade its hardware and software solutions over time.
The appropriate investments will pay off in terms of client pleasure, staff productivity, and earnings, as we’ve already mentioned. Embracing technology is an important part of long-term planning in the legal field.
