In recent years, there’s been an uptick in legal tech startups, including Legal.io, RenewData, casetext, and Axiom, all of which provide different services, such as network platforms, e-discovery, legal research and online legal services, respectively. As these technologies develop and become part of a lawyer’s day-to-day, some have wondered if technology is replacing people. The answer is no. In today’s digitized world, more and more law firms are looking for software and technologies that assist lawyers in providing efficient legal services to clients.
For example, firms are utilizing cloud-based platforms for everything from drafting contracts to messaging to billing. Cloud computing allows all lawyers within a firm to access the most up-to-date documents whenever and wherever they may be. Early adopters of cloud-based platforms in their day-to-day have reported an increase in work productivity and client service. It will be no surprise that these platforms will move further into the cloud and onto mobile devices.
Communication between law firms and their clients is becoming increasingly transparent. Clients are interested in immediate access to data, documents and billing, as well as a clear line of communication. Tools, such as Slack, provide firms with an encrypted and private website primarily for messaging and file-sharing. By opening the lines of attorney-client communication, clients have reported an overall increase in service satisfaction.
On the other hand, it’s no surprise that lawyers are not the best change agents. In fact, studies show that some firms that are stuck in their traditional ways would rather pay more money than adopt some sort of change. The best way to get your firm to embrace these new technologies is to slowly integrate them into the workflow. In no time, these firms will start to see how cloud-based technologies are here to help them provide efficient legal services to clients—not replace them.
