If you've been in law practice for a long time, chances are you've dealt with huge files that are vital for your daily operations. The trouble of finding a single document from a cabinet full of paperwork can be daunting.

Even if the documents are filed systematically to help access, you still have to spend hours going through the dusty cabinet each week looking for them. Physical storage has many disadvantages, and that's why law firms should embrace the cloud. Here are five reasons why cloud storage is superior to physical storage:

1. Cloud storage offers greater security

Law firms deal with stacks of confidential information from their clients. If an outside party can access the documents, your work can be compromised. With a physical location like a cabinet, it is difficult to limit access, a lock can quite easily be broken. With cloud-based storage, document encryption is the lock that enhances their security. There are two levels of encryption that a lawyer can use to fortify the documents from risk:

• Zero-knowledge encryption- With zero-knowledge encryption, only the account holder knows the password; even the cloud storage service provider doesn't know it. This gives you total security as there can never be a compromise. Just make sure you don't forget that password!
• In-Transit encryption- In-transit encryption helps you keep your documents safe by encrypting them while downloading, uploading, or sending the files. With in-transit encryption, your documents stay scrambled, so that if someone intercepts them, they will get useless data.

Both zero-knowledge and in-transit encryption together with two-step authentication process will keep your documents safe from any third party. 

2. Allows easier access by colleagues

It doesn't matter how meticulous you keep your files in a cabinet. Staff will require time to search whenever documents are needed. The time your interns, clerks or other staff spend looking for documents could be spent on more critical tasks. Using a cloud-based management system like LawMaster gives you ease of access to your documents. Using folio numbers to run searches, you will find your documents in less than a minute!

3. Cloud-storage allows you to share documents conveniently

How often do you need to share documents with your partners? There are several instances that you would wish for one-touch sharing of your files. With a cloud-based storage system, you can take less than a minute to share a document with as many people as needed.

4. Cloud-based storage gives you freedom

Suppose you are on holiday and receive a call from your paralegals that they need a document from you urgently, will you catch the next plane and leave immediately, or will you keep them waiting until you return? Perhaps you'll express post the file and hope it gets there in time? Whatever you chose to do, one party will be inconvenienced. With a cloud-based system, you can easily refer documents to colleagues to ensure they're not delayed. This activity will take less than five minutes, and you are back into the holiday mood. Cloud-based storage gives you access to your documents wherever you are as long as you have an internet connection.

5. Cloud-based storage favours collaboration

Cloud-based storage systems allow you to collaborate with your partners better than physical storage devices. With cloud-based storage, two or more people can work on the same document simultaneously. Let's say you are processing an invoice, both your account and your supplier can be collaborating on the same document at the same time.

Law firms are embracing cloud-based management systems more and more with each passing year because of the advantages it provides. You can enjoy these benefits, and promote productivity and efficiency in your law practice. If you need an intelligent cloud-based management system, contact LawMaster.