The role of technology in the legal profession is becoming more important. Technological advances have made ordinary work in a law office easier and more efficient for everyone. For many law firms, the appropriate legal technology is the great equalizer. It allows them to run more efficiently, better satisfy clients, study cases faster, and produce work that can compete with that of larger firms. Technology isn’t going away, so it is important to make sure you’re investing in the correct legal technology and innovation to meet your company’s present demands.
With the world becoming increasingly digital in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping up with legal technology trends is more important than ever.
Why Is It Important for Law Business to Invest in Modern Technology?
The relationship between law and technology is undeniable. Traditional approaches are now being complemented or replaced by technological advances.
Here’s how technology is benefiting the legal industry:
- Eases Research
Lawyers tend to spend many hours sifting through documents to find relevant evidence when preparing cases. Email, mobile devices, database archives, and Internet-of-Things devices can store and provide key pieces of evidence. While some lawyers still use print, digital technology can better assist lawyers in staying up to date while also providing features that aren’t available in print.
Adapting analytics and automation tools in research can speed up the process. They can help search keywords and phrases and streamline the task by removing irrelevant documents.
- Simplifies Case Management
Many of the procedures connected with case management, such as scheduling critical dates, arranging contact lists, managing documents, and entering data for billing, may be automated with software. For simple access, all important data can be saved in a consolidated database.
When appropriate, digital case management makes it easier to share papers with other lawyers at the firm. Case management platforms can be web-based, allowing lawyers to work from anywhere using their mobile devices.
- Streamlines Lawyer/Client Communications
Technology allows lawyers to unify communication channels, enabling them to work from almost anywhere while also improving the ways they connect with their clients. Lawyers and clients can connect through instant messaging, email, voicemail, or web conferencing with unified communication and collaboration tools. Instead of visiting a law office, clients can communicate with their attorneys through the Internet.
- Develops Online Communities
Online communities can help underprivileged and underrepresented groups gain access to pro bono legal advice, resources, and counseling. They also connect lawyers and law students so knowledge can be shared and concerns in the industry can be debated.
Lawyers are increasingly using social media as a platform for networking and collaboration. Because of its emphasis on professional development and networking, LinkedIn is an obvious choice for lawyers. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, on the other hand, have their own set of advantages. Lawyers can take part in online debates or share educational videos and links to articles.
- Promotes Collaboration
With more productive platforms like Legodesk, Google Docs, Microsoft Team, Slack, and others, lawyers are now better suited to collaborate on crucial subjects, without having to sit next to each other to create petitions, prepare arguments, and discuss important points of the case. These practices are also making it easier for lawyers and law firms to expand their services outside geographic boundaries to serve more clients. Clients have found legal services to be more accessible and affordable as a result of this paradigm, and lawyers have become more competitive as a result.
- Enhances Client Service
Clients like being involved, so having easy systems in place to keep them informed is beneficial. A client portal may be useful in this situation. They can use it to return a completed form with the press of a button.
The advantages of modern legal technology products outweigh the costs. You can focus on what really matters: your clients. When lawyers are more efficient and processes are streamlined, it can boost your firm’s reputation and quality of work.
- Minimizes Human Error
This is probably one of the most significant benefits of legal technology. The time and energy required to create a document have decreased as most files are now prepared and kept electronically. The most significant task for a legal expert is the drafting of legal papers, and technology has made it possible to create documents that are free of errors and well-formatted for better presentation.
- Accelerates Filing
One impact of computers in the legal profession is that it allows legal documents to now be filed online. This has minimized trips to the court and unnecessary waiting for documents to be filed because everything can now be done online. Furthermore, applications can be tracked to see where they are in the process. When a document is filed online, with the court, or with any other body, it can be swiftly evaluated and approved. If there is an error in the document, it can be identified immediately and resubmitted when the appropriate modifications have been made. It is no longer necessary to wait days for a document to be returned in the mail if it is rejected.
The Supreme Court of Canada has released guidelines for filing documents both in print and electronic.
- Automates Administrative Work
The legal sector remains hampered by work done by people that could be handled more efficiently by technology. According to experts, 23% of lawyers’ work can be automated. Legal practitioners should be on the lookout for technology that transforms the way fundamental administrative tasks can be performed. Routine and time-consuming tasks, such as bookkeeping, payments, and client intake, can all benefit from automation, saving your staff time and improving the customer experience.
How Can You Get Started With New Technologies In Your Legal Firm?
Working with new technologies can be overwhelming. Fortunately, for those who want to upgrade and embrace legal technologies, here are a few easy steps to get you started.
- Determine Needs
To ensure that the technology is appropriate for your company’s needs. What are you doing presently at your law practice, and how are you doing it? What is giving you undue stress? If you had the chance, what would you change? What is the most important thing to you?
- Evaluate Options
There are so many legal technology choices that it’s difficult to keep track of them all. Examine the available technology and seek feedback from your friends and network on what they use. Rather than having product demos, talking to people who know what they’re talking about can provide better insight.
- Plan Solutions
Investing in and implementing new legal technology is a major undertaking. Assistance may be required to help your company set up, administer, and maintain the new solution. Consider hiring someone to set it up for you and show you how to utilize it.
- Onboard People
Setting up new technology necessitates administrative work. Be sure that everyone understands and can adapt to the product. Provide them with information and training on the new technology, new procedures or adjustments, and the technology’s benefits.
It’s going to be difficult separating law firms and technology. More than ever before, technology is revolutionizing the legal sector. You can drive efficiency, boost your firm’s productivity, and better serve your clients by investing in modern solutions.
Ready your law firm for the future, visit Accounting for Law Inc. For 20 years, we have been providing lawyers operations and financial peace of mind using law firm practice management software systems and solutions. Call us at (905) 492-5522 today!
