For many legal businesses, automation may feel like a harder-said-than-done proposition. However, a significant number of repetitive, rule-based tasks are perfect for automation, freeing up attorney time to focus on client facing tasks and strategic initiatives that generate revenue.
The benefits of automatizing legal practices are clear. It enables lawyers to perform the work they were taught to do offering a better client experience, and reducing the risk of human error. What might not be as evident is the cost savings that can be realized.
In the current climate of expensive staffing costs and other expenses automation of a process may result in you not having to add additional legal staff members. This can help a solo or small business remain competitive on the same budget as larger competitors.
An excellent example is document automation. Legal teams can create templates for documents that are frequently used, such as NDAs, employment papers, or privacy compliance documents. Instead of spending a lot of time in meetings and sending documents back-and-forth, they can create and save templates. Once a template has been established, the team can self-serve to create the document without the need for legal assistance. This leads to faster time for clients to get their documents, and less rework on the part of legal teams.
Automating a workflow will provide all legal professionals with the tools they need to be successful and boost efficiency. If you’re not sure how to begin, consider keeping a log of your daily tasks for the week and note any tasks that would be suitable for automation. From there, research technology tools that could help alleviate the burden of these tasks and implement them slowly so as not to interfere with your daily work.