With the increase in competition, being innovative isn’t an option anymore but it has become more like a need for every firm, especially during this pandemic where firms are coerced into investing in new technologies to keep business running and digitally fueling their client’s requirements and firm’s expectations.
Unlike every other industry, it is not very common for legal consulting firms to work remotely. But, considering the fact that more and more offices are out setting online offering digital legal services, law firms must always stay ahead of the technologies to work efficiently and stay competitive.
The truth is, with so much increase in vying, being tech-savvy is not enough. Legal consulting firms need to be ingenious as well as technoid. We’re here with legal technology trends that are not only innovative but also will help you overcome hurdles on your way to success.
Workflow Automation
It is a valuable tool for legal consulting firms to stay productive. Attorneys spend way too much time on management and directorial tasks such as billing and accounting, which reduces billable hour efficiency. Automating time-consuming tasks cuts corners and delivers a smoother client experience.
Benefits:
- Increase staff efficiency: Automation increases staff efficiency and helps them work on billable client hours more methodically. Legal automation can handle cumbersome tasks like invoicing, billing, and client intake while attorneys get back to doing what they best can without wasting time.
- Increase optimization without time consumption: Automation is productivity. Therefore, when attorneys spend less time performing labor-intensive tasks, they spend more time executing billable tasks, hence enhancing profitability.
- Save money and intensify accuracy: Cutting costs is one of the major reasons for automation. Legal consulting firms spend way too much money on documentation. With automated workflow, law firms not only save money on supplies like pens, paper, etc. but also can make great use of saved money. Manual documentation opens doors to typos and errors which further leads to inefficiency. Therefore, automation allows documents to be automatically made with key information.
Software That Can Help:
- MailChimp
- HubSpot
- Marketo
- Customer.io
Increase Accessibility through Cloud Computing
Cloud computing refers to using services over a network. Since more offices are set up remotely employees should be able to access their firm’s software from anywhere. With the growth of cloud computing, attorneys can now practice all over.
Benefits:
- Cloud computing is cost-effective: Cloud services are available with a monthly or annual subscription which cuts out expenses spent on investing in servers and hardware that will eventually become obsolete.
- Secure: Legal consulting firms have important data of each client that needs to be stored securely. Cloud computing safely and efficiently stores data with maximum security to protect it.
- Improves effectiveness: All your essential business functions are centralized and are accessible from any place where you have an internet connection. This enables lawyers to work from any location, therefore, increasing efficiency.
Best Cloud Storage For Law Firms:
- OneDrive
- LexWorkplace
- Google Drive
- DropBox
Introduce Artificial Intelligence to your System
Artificial intelligence is winning over the legal world. Legal consulting firms have tons of data that takes massive time to analyze. It can be frustrating and error-prone when humans scrutinize heaps of information. Thankfully, computers have evolved. Artificial intelligence, not only performs tasks that they have been programmed to do but also improves their performance as they go.
Benefits:
- Saves time: AI saves time as computer systems can analyze information much faster and only in a fraction of time. These time savings can be translated into monetary savings as less manpower is required.
- Increases accuracy: Work produced by the computer can be truly free of error. Not only this but documents can be enhanced and maintained flawlessly including all essential key information.
- Reduces attorney stress: Document review is a tedious job but needs to be done. Ai has a solution! The software will do all the proofreading and legal research in just a matter of time. This allows attorneys to dive into confidence in the results.
Best Software for a Law Firm:
- Kira
- iManage
- Luminance
- LexMachina
Eliminate Obstacles and Enhance Techniques
Very often when legal consulting firms look towards expansion or increasing efficiency, they overlook the fact that numerous obstacles have to be tackled. A few obstacles that law firms can get rid of are:
- Eliminate passwords. Attorneys already have a lot on their minds, password management will just give them a headache. The use of IP recognition can achieve a win-win situation for firms.
- Making password saving easier. Even after you eliminate most of the passwords still it is required, saving passwords could be made easier by having a secure desktop.
You have innovations and you have the technology but both of them are useless if you don’t know how to put innovative ideas to use with the use of technology. This is why employee training is necessary and lawyer training and adoption are needed in every legal consulting firm.
Here’s how you can do that:
- Train your staff. Good staff training increases the efficiency of the firm.
- Use modern ways to communicate.
- Arrange regular conference calls and discuss issues with all members of the firm.
- Promote the solution and not the problem.
- Promote innovation.
- Acknowledge everyone’s efforts.
Software for Password Management:
- RoboForm
- 1Password
- NordPass
- Keeper
Why does your firm need to invest in tech?
With each passing day, there is a new evolution in the legal world and if your firm is not ahead of technology then you’ll be out of competition and lagging behind in the legal consulting sector.
You’ll need to invest in legal tech because:
- Attorneys and staff members need to work efficiently to resolve complex issues. Investing in tech will help manage legal matters.
- To enhance productivity and efficiency every legal consulting firm needs to invest in technology such as artificial intelligence and automation which will make their work easier.
- To provide better client service and to make client communications simpler and easier.
Legal technology and software can open up a lot of opportunities for your firm. However, this change is inconvenient and you somewhat will be chastened by this modification. But once legal consulting firms learn to use technology to automate routine tasks so that lawyers can spend more time practicing law and build a stronger clientele base, everything else is child’s play.
Lastly, as your firm goes all digital you’ll have to consider how to keep your data and information safe from cyberattacks. Legal consulting firms have gazillions of data of clients as well as employees which makes them prime targets for cyberattacks.
Here are some tips to protect your law firm against ransomware attacks:
- Ameliorate your security arrangements
- Make certain that all software is up-to-date
- Use strong authentication methods
- Conduct regular security awareness training
As it is said that “prevention is better than cure” therefore pennies spent on security measures are better than ounces spent on making things right. Keeping all data and information safe and secure is your job, and we’re sure you don’t want to fail in it.
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