The legal profession is the product of hundreds of years of tradition, and while that tradition lends to the distinction and credibility of the profession, it has also created a system significantly adverse to innovation and technological advances. But lawyers who fail to recognize the value of legal technology also fail to recognize the potential benefits.
With the right legal software, law firms can improve their processes for greater productivity and potentially increased profits. The following are five reasons why your law firm needs legal software for improved productivity:
Reason #1 – Improved organization
A well-run law office is an orchestrated system of procedures, policies, and task management. No matter the size of the firm, lawyers are responsible for countless legal and administrative tasks on a daily basis.
While big law typically has the resources and tools to adequately handle these responsibilities, small and solo practice lawyers may have a more difficult time meeting them all. These attorneys often work with limited staff, so the organization becomes vital for the firm’s success.
When trying to maintain an effective filing system, meet court deadlines, track cases, communicate with clients and manage the billing process, small and solo law firms must establish procedures that make the most of limited time and resources. This is where the right legal software comes into play.
The market is filled with legal tech options that provide law firms with the organizational tools they need. Law office management software can be used for various tasks, including:
- Managing case files
- Document storage
- Maintain docketing schedules
- Tracking track billable hours
- Client invoicing
- Law firm accounting
With the right software, you can use technology to reduce your law firm’s reliance on paper by scanning documents into the computer instead of maintaining filing cabinets of vulnerable paper records. Electronic records are more reliable, and they can be organized for quick access and greater security. With the right law practice management software, lost and damaged paper documents become a thing of the past.
Reason #2 – Innovative automation
The legal profession is a practice of repetition. Attorneys handle the same tasks on a daily basis, often just changing the names and specific details to fit a particular case. Automation provides a time-saving system for handling these tasks more efficiently.
For example, attorneys must often recreate the same documents for their client matters, including retainer agreements, contracts, pleadings, and client correspondence. Legal software automation cuts down on the time needed to create documentation, while also minimizing errors. Law office automation may also include such processes as scheduling, calendar management, and client communications.
#3 Accessibility and mobility
We live in a mobile society. Business is no longer limited to the four walls of an office, including the practice of law. Attorneys now handle tasks and meet with clients in a variety of places, and this increased mobility requires greater accessibility for improved productivity.
Cloud-based storage is transforming the practice of law, allowing authorized members to access firm data without cumbersome and inefficient restrictions. Attorneys no longer have to be within the office to work on matters and access client documents. The cloud removes the physical barriers around your firm’s data, giving your attorneys the benefit of accessibility and mobility, while also promoting greater security.
Cloud-based software meets the mobile needs of today’s legal professional, so you can quickly and securely retrieve the data you need when and where you need it. This accessibility translates to improved productivity because it improves convenience for all members of your firm. Instead of being limited to the physical office, your lawyers can work from various locations to better utilize firm time and resources.
Reason #4 – Time tracking
Time tracking is an essential part of law firm success. For some firms, it is the basis for revenue, as they bill clients based on the amount of time spent working on their matters. But time tracking is equally as important for firms that use flat fee billing models. Effective time tracking provides firm leaders with a clear view of how time is being spent within a firm. This information makes it possible for leaders to identify inefficiencies and areas of wasted time.
The right legal time tracking software improves law firm productivity by making time tracking tasks easier to complete and providing firms with the data they need to promote the more profitable and efficient use of firm time. TimeSolv legal time tracking software puts simplified time tracking at the user’s fingertips. Right from the desktop, users can click a mouse to quickly start and stop tracking time spent on matters. When out of the office, the TimeSolv app I available on the user’s smart device of choice, allowing for accurate and accessible time tracking from virtually anywhere in the world.
Whether meeting a client out of the office, working on a pleading, sending an email, or appearing in court, the right legal time tracking software makes it easy to accurately track time and promote firm productivity.
Reason #5 – Improved oversight
Data is a useful tool in the management and building of any successful business, and law firms are no exception. You cannot adequately plan the future direction of your law firm with access to the information you need to make informed decisions. The right legal software allows you to easily and quickly track the ins and outs of your law firm’s daily activities, so you can better gauge what is working, what is not working, and what needs to change in order to reach your desired goals. With the right reporting features, you will have all the oversight you need to steer your law firm in the right direction.
Firm productivity is often compromised by unrecognized inefficiencies. Unnecessary tasks and senseless procedures result in ineffective processes that affect the efficiency and profitability of your law firm. With regular reporting, firm leaders can recognize these weaknesses and address them before they affect the firm’s success.
Available reporting depends on which law firm software options you choose to utilize. Some of the most effective options provide you with access to such information as:
- Invoice payment details
- Accounts receivable reports
- Case revenue information
- Detailed time entries for practitioners
- Expense reports
- Trust account summaries
- Detailed time entries for particular matters
- Case status reports
Improve your law office productivity with the right legal software
To learn more about all the ways that TImeSolv legal time tracking and billing system can help improve your law firm’s productivity, click here for a free, no-obligation trial.
