Every law firm has been there or is still there—the point where attorneys and staff find themselves stuck in a status quo with outdated paper processes and older technology solutions. It’s often marked with phrases like, “That’s how we’ve always done it,” or, “There’s no need for change.” This attitude can arise from causes such as attorneys and staff who aren’t well-versed in technology, who dislike change or have no desire to learn new technology.
However, this status quo mindset can impair a law firm’s ability to achieve all it can with its technology. If technology cannot improve productivity or isn’t integrated, customized, or configured for optimal performance, the law firm risks losing billable hours to inefficiency.
Consider the steps involved when solutions aren’t used to their full potential. For each new client and matter, someone is required to manually input contact information into the case management and billing software—or any other solution that the law firm has implemented. Another inefficient example involves client correspondences that are manually populated with information cut and pasted between Word documents or a case information sheet. These processes accumulate large amounts of time that could be spent on billable tasks with more substantial results or impact.
That’s why law firms need to resist the status quo and periodically revisit technology to analyze drawbacks and the potential for increased productivity and profitability. A regular evaluation helps a law firm determine if it is truly using the technology to its fullest extent to benefit attorneys, staff and clients.
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