It's Not About Tech

A recent study from Wolters Kluwer, the 2021 Future Ready Attorney - Moving Beyond the Pandemic was released earlier this week. It's a great research piece that brings light to issues facing law firms and legal departments. There are so many insights and so many actionable items noted for law firms. If you have a moment, it's well worth the read. 

What strikes me most about this year's findings is that the top issues are much the same ones reported previously. Post-pandemic, as you would expect, the need for technology has increased. And although firms adopted some legal tech, it seems to be focused on point solutions, like eSignature or document/contract creation. While these are great solutions, the emphasis is on the wrong syllable. Rather than looking at it from the tech perspective, think about the client and their experience.

Efficiency

Even before the pandemic, clients looked for law firms that leverage technology. The days of paper documents or even adjusting templates in Word by hand, individually, are behind us. During the pandemic, law firms that already adopted legal tech fared better than those that did not, as you would expect. That's a repeating theme as well, by the way. Law firms that have adopted legal tech outpace law firms that have not across all metrics, like new clients, efficiency, and billings. 

The beauty of the client's demand for efficiency is it's also good for the law firm. Sure, the client prefers to spend less. They are looking and willing to pay for legal expertise, not time spent managing documents or gathering information that they are willing to enter themselves. What that means for the firm is more time spent practicing law. Whether you are a solo or small law firm, the extra time spent managing cases means more billable hours and more clients. 

Technology to achieve these goals is required, of course. But that's not the focus. That's the tool. And changing that focus is the key to ensuring you find the right technology for your firm.

Transparency

There are good surprises and not-so-good surprises. When it comes to legal cases, most clients, if not all, would say surprises are not welcome, at all. Being informed about the status of your case, being able to access information from any device, goes a long way to not only managing expectations but keeping the emotional impact of cases down. 

Unless a client won the lottery or something, most legal cases aren't due to a joyful piece of news. As such, stress and anxiety prevail. Tools to help address those client concerns go a long way to delivering a great client experience. So tools like a client portal where clients can log in at 2 am or 2 pm to check on their case go a long way. 

So the focus may be on transparency and using technology to address that concern, the real opportunity is to help alleviate client concerns and giving them 24/7 secure access to their case so they feel informed and relaxed. 

Expertise

One area where law firms are looking to adjust is providing more specialized services. Although not a tech-focused goal, tech plays a role here, too.

Imagine using a technology platform where the firm has the option to create the data fields needed for the case. And giving the client access to submit all that data on their own time. Exactly the information the firm needs for the particular case and area of expertise. It's like a custom software package. The good news, is there are options out there for law firms that give that flexibility but are not priced as such. Look for cloud-based software platforms, like SimpleLaw, that are built to provide flexibility for each law firm. Create the fields you want and need, let the client complete those information fields, and then put all of that to work for you and the client. 

Delivering specialized services does not require specialized and expensive platforms. Sure some time is needed to set up the data but that's true of any technology, including your Spotify account! Some time well spent in the beginning drives efficiency, transparency, and lets you deliver specialized services, too. 

We love technology, obviously. We get giddy about seeing our latest enhancements come to life in the real world. And our tech team works non-stop to continue to develop and evolve our platform. Good ideas are just that until the work is put in to realize them. So while we love tech, we know the ultimate goal is resolving legal cases and bringing clients peace of mind. How we get there, the technology, is a tool. Keep the emphasis on the client and their needs to grow your firm.