Law Firm Technology And Automation Advisory

Law Firm Technology And Automation Advisory

What should the role of technology be in my law firm?

Technology should help your firm:

Make you more effective and save you money through automation

  • Technology automates routine tasks like document review, legal research, and timekeeping, freeing up lawyers to focus on more complex, high-value work.

  • Case management software streamlines workflows, improving organization and collaboration.

Ensure a “single version of truth” for all your client records.

  • Eliminate entering the same data to multiple documents and systems

  • Avoid conflicting information

Help you expand the reach of your legal services

Enable new ways to deliver your legal services

How can technology automate and simplify my work?

  • Your intake forms, document signing, consultation scheduling, etc. can be automated. The rule is: if an action has a clear trigger and you can define the process - automation is possible. Since most client interactions have distinct triggers, you can significantly streamline them. 

  • Research reveals that over one-fifth of an attorney's workday is consumed by mundane follow-up emails and calls. Think: signature requests, form reminders, invoice inquiries. A staggering 80%+ of these are automatable. Beyond the wasted time, there's the cost of missed opportunities due to forgotten follow-ups.

  • Same as above if you work with GenZs.

  • Your technology should be proactive, e.g., provide timely notifications for key events (like signed agreements), send deadline reminders, automatically assign and track team tasks, update clients on milestones, manage client portal uploads, and offer visual workflow progress through tools like Kanban boards. 

  • Creating invoices and receive payments for flat fee transaction (e.g., when client pays a consultation) can be fully automated, along with follow-ups on the unpaid invoices. 

  • Your system should do variety of basic compliance checks, e.g., automated conflict check, GDPR (where data is stored) compliance, document retention.

How much should my firm spend on IT?

2024 survey by International Legal Technology Association revealed that 80% of the participants spend anywhere between $5,000 and $21,000 per lawyer.

To put this in perspective, $5,000 per employee is similar to how much a basic manufacturing plant would spend, while $21,000 is in line with banking industry – one of the largest technology spenders. 

This inconsistency creates a significant opportunity for aw firms to differentiate themselves through strategic technology adoption, given the industry's overall low technology use.

… and what if I am a solo practitioner?

Then you likely have even more significant opportunity to get the best value from technology because:

  1. Unlike large Law Firms, you're not hampered by legacy IT issues such as multiple document storage solutions, outdated practice management systems, multitude of end-user platforms (e.g., Apple, MSFT) – you are clean!

  2. Because you likely handle all tasks personally, making the time, legal process automation frees up, exceptionally valuable, far more so than in larger firms where tasks are distributed to lower paid resources.

  3. You’re probably hindering your practice by significantly underinvesting in technology, a trend supported by recent Axiom Legal study showing Solo Attorneys lagging in tech adoption.