The latest advancements in technology have undoubtedly had a huge influence on many business sectors, including the legal industry. Over the last few years, this sector has undergone a significant transformation, with an estimated market value of $365 billion only in the United States.
While there are many factors behind this unprecedented shift, the one that is believed to have made the biggest stride is legal technology. This refers to the tools, apps, and software that legal professionals use to ease the practice of law.
However, despite all the benefits that come with using legal tech, many law firms are still hesitant about embracing new technology. They aren’t sure whether it will be worth the financial investment, which will help them grow more revenue over time.
The truth is adopting technology in the legal industry can do a lot of good. From improving efficiency and productivity to providing better customer service to clients, here are four reasons why law firms should embrace technology today.
Automation
Almost all in-house legal tasks, including those related to legal department operations, are performed manually. Whether it is accounting, billing, scheduling meetings, or filing documents, they all take a lot of time to complete.
However, you can easily automate these tasks with technological advancements, transforming traditional legal department operations. By adopting technology and streamlining workflows, you can significantly reduce the manual tasks that would otherwise take up a large part of a lawyer’s daily employment.
For example, if you own or are planning to open an immigration law practice, investing in a small immigration law firm software will increase your efficiency and give you more time to focus on helping your clients. With this software, you can send personalized questionnaires to clients, create and edit forms, safely store client information and organize your cases properly.
Increased productivity and collaboration
Another major reason why law firms should embrace technology is that it increases productivity and collaboration among lawyers. With the right technology in place, lawyers can work together on important matters and cases using certain tools, apps, and platforms that ease communication and improves their performance.
For example, if you have remote lawyers working outside of the office setting, but you need their immediate assistance on a pressing case, you can make use of various instant messaging apps, cloud-based tools, and management software to communicate and access any documents no matter where you are.
Besides this, implementing the right technology can also save you a lot of money on printing and labor as you will have all the important paperwork on your tech devices.
Better customer service and experience
Establishing and maintaining good relationships with clients is essential when running a law firm. One way of achieving this is by providing them with excellent customer service which will show them you are a reputable practice that can be trusted. For optimal experience, you can rely on various tech solutions to support you in this.
For example, implementing tools or software that work towards improving your calendaring processes can certainly improve your customer service. This will help you stay organized with all of your meetings while also preventing the chances of double-booking and losing clients due to poor organization or misunderstandings. It will also show that you value your client’s time and their commitment to your firm.
Enhances security
Client confidentiality and data security are critical to the legal profession. This is where technology can come in handy to protect both and ensure that your client’s personal information, documents, and other data are safely stored, organized, and managed.
For example, investing in cloud-based software can enhance security while also improving the productivity and work performance of lawyers from multiple locations. This software has strong cybersecurity protocols in place which prevent system breaches and monitors all activities done in and out of the office setting. It is the best solution for law firms that don’t have the technological expertise, or internal IT staff to undertake and maintain these tasks.
Final thoughts
Although the legal sector is known for its traditional methods of operating, the vast advancements in technology have completely transformed the industry. New tech devices, tools, apps, and software are now being implemented to ease the practice of law, increase efficiency, productivity, and accuracy and provide customers with better service.
For more information, refer to our post and learn why law firms should embrace technology today.