The information is one of the most essential needs of law firms. Their records of contracts, case files, correspondence and billing information flow through their hands daily and any disruptions can impact deadlines, client trust and professional responsibilities. One document lost or a few hours out of the office can cause repercussions that extend beyond the office. That’s why more practices are transitioning from a reactive to a proactive technology support strategy, putting technology in a position to be secure, stable and accessible to the needs of their daily legal practice, and letting lawyers focus on matters rather than machines.
Why Legal Technology Is Different
There’s sensitive information and deadlines in the law! The loss of a document, a locked-out lawyer or a compromised mailbox is not simply an inconvenience it can involve a risk to the firm from a professional and regulatory standpoint. This can lead to a lot of stress for everyonefrom the partners to the support staff who is working on the files to the client whose information is being handledeven for brief periods when they’re near the filing deadline.
Specific practice management, document control, e-signature and time tracking software are also essential for the firms. They all have to function together and be backed by individuals who have a good understanding of how a legal practice really works. The benefit of customized support is that it addresses the pressure points that can make the most significant difference, including matter end billing, closing matters and filing any urgent court documents.
Proactive Support and Strong Security
Over time, managed IT services for law firms are changing the way law firms approach IT by moving from the “break-fix” model to a service that provides regular care. Rather than waiting for something to go wrong, a provider keeps an eye out for issues on devices, servers and cloud services, applies updates and fixes minor problems before they become issues that result in outages. The support, patch management, backups and onboarding of new staff are all managed in one well-defined process, eliminating unsure guesswork and ensuring that nothing valuable is overlooked.
Client confidentiality is the lifeblood of the legal profession and cyber criminals are aware of the value of data in law firms. A layered defence is provided with multiple authentication methods, email filtering, and controlled access of sensitive folders, while encrypted devices protect the data. Regular security reviews and training of the staff also decrease the likelihood that a person will fall for a convincing phishing e-mail, one of the most frequently used entry points for an attacker.
Continuity and Choosing the Right Partner
When systems go down, a company must be prepared to know just how fast it can bounce back. When a firm has tested backups and has a clear recovery plan in place, case files, emails and financial records can be recovered with a minimum amount of downtime, which helps to preserve the firm’s reputation and court deadlines. Secure remote access ensures that lawyers can work freely, efficiently, and productively, even when they are working from home, in court, or when meeting with clients, without risking the exposure of confidential information.
In selecting a provider, it is important to ensure they have experience working with professional services organizations and have time commitments and reporting available that is transparent. Having a regular monthly bill to pay is much simpler than responding to an emergency call out and freed up partners and practice managers from being an informal IT team. The right partner takes the time to understand your firm, and technology to your goals.
