Electronic discovery (e-discovery) software is the process of recovering and producing digital information for use as evidence in a lawsuit or similar legal consulting matter. It can be used to acquire electronic records from specific online sources, such as social media websites. It is similar to the discovery of paper documents.
Before we move further make sure that you have all the required hardware and software for installation before making a purchase, including an understanding of the technical specifications, compatibility requirements, and e-discovery tools within your current software. E-discovery frequently occurs in specialized computer environments where both legal consulting experts and clients must understand how information can be found or destroyed on electronic devices relevant to a case.
It is highly recommended that before any new system is purchased, an analysis of what will be required should be done. This would include but is not limited to: How many users are expected? What types of cases are they working on? What functions does the software need to perform? Compatibility with existing systems.
Now let us take a look at all the important factors you should keep in mind before you get your hands on E-discovery software.
Budgeting
An e-discovery trial version is often free or much less costly than a live subscription. Check to see how much storage space and access you receive for your money. Consider the costs of upgrading the software as well as adding users, if necessary, since most services charge additional fees per user on top of monthly subscription rates. Charges are typically assessed based on the number of searches conducted, documents retrieved, etc., so keep track of all actions taken by employees who have access to your account because these can affect costs at renewal time.
The initial investment in e-discovery software can be extensive, depending on the particular needs of your business or practice. There are options for both in-house and outsourced processing. If you choose to process information in-house, it is important to have a well-thought-out budget that covers all costs involved with this option before moving forward.
Data Collection Method
You must understand how data will be collected from multiple systems when using an e-discovery tool to perform data processing for legal matters involving electronic discovery. The chosen system should allow you to collect specific information related to legal consulting so there aren’t limitations on what can be collected. This also allows to access legacy applications and data that are part of backup files.
Time to Process E-discovery Requests
The speed at which you can complete your task is dependent on the software and hardware configuration. It’s important to understand how long it will take to extract, review, and produce relevant information for legal consulting matters, such as litigation hold notifications and compliance with mandatory discovery deadlines.
Scalability
It’s important that you choose a system that securely stores large amounts of data and has the capacity to handle growth in volume without becoming unwieldy or difficult to use. You should be able to easily add additional resources and processing power, depending on the needs of your practice or business. If certain features are required to meet discovery deadlines, they should be available immediately after the purchase.
Compliance
It’s important that you understand how to configure your e-discovery software for compliance with any industry regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Many times, this may require manual workarounds because of limitations within certain systems. If there are specific legal consulting requirements related to e-discovery, it’s crucial that these are not only integrated into your chosen system but are also well documented to avoid time-consuming troubleshooting later on.
Security
Be aware of what security measures are in place if any at all—especially since it’s likely that personal information will be collected from users. Ensure that data storage is secure and that information cannot be publicly accessed without proper permissions. Some services even offer encryption features to protect files during transmission over the Internet so you may wish to consider these options as well. E-discovery software should have quality security features built-in designed to protect data both at rest and during transmission. Depending on what type of information you’re working with, these can include virtual private networks (VPN), encrypted channels, and secure socket layer (SSL) certificates.
Retention Policies
E-discovery software should provide the ability to automatically delete the information after a specified amount of time, based on predetermined retention policies. This ensures that data is not inappropriately held for an extended period since it could be costly to maintain. It also helps comply with legal consulting hold requests or records management policies designed to ensure compliance with rules set by laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Workflow Management
The e-discovery process involves many moving parts within your organization, so being able to centrally manage workflow tasks is essential to keeping things running smoothly. This may include processing e-mails, placing legal holds, or performing document reviews. The system you choose should provide the ability to define roles within your organization and assign them specific tasks in the workflow process.
Ease of Use
The ease of use varies considerably between different e-discovery systems, depending on how much customization is needed for a particular situation. It’s important that an e-discovery tool allows easy integration with other applications used within your organization so people don’t have to switch back and forth between multiple systems to carry out tasks throughout the discovery process.
Support
When problems occur it’s crucial that you’re able to contact customer service right away to troubleshoot issues as soon as possible to avoid significant delays. The support team should be knowledgeable about the product and be able to provide assistance.
Choosing the right e-discovery software is a crucial decision that can have far-reaching consequences. It’s important to take into account these ten points before making your final choice, as it will help you avoid costly mistakes and improve efficiency in your workflow management process.
Do follow:
Legal Drafting: Why You Can’t Live Without It
