Sadly, this congruency in communication isn't always the case in some law firms.

Many law firms function in a free-for-all tech environment that allows lawyers to perform tasks with highly individualised tech solutions that meet their comfort levels and needs. In such environments, it is common for miscommunication, inefficiencies, and frustrations to reign.

Associates, partners, and legal staff members will constantly struggle to understand other staff members' individual processes. Worst of all, these issues can easily lead to the loss of elusive clients. The good thing is that they can be resolved by using collaborative legal practice technology.

Here is why investing in collaborative tools is essential, and what to look for in one:

2020 Is Changing How Legal Proceedings Are Conventionally Handled

A year ago, the inefficiencies of not using collaborative tools in your law firm could have slipped under the rug. lawyers only needed to visit a different level of your legal practice to access the information they needed. As such, everyone could continue using individualised technology as they wished.

However, with the pandemic around, and many lawyers still having to work remotely, physical interactions are now a luxury. Having staff members that use tools that aren't interoperable makes it tough to deliver exceptional results to clients. Teams might have to engage in back-and-forth consultations as they struggle to understand different documents - an issue that eats into the efficiency of your service delivery.

How Having Collaborative Tools Can Improve Your Legal Practice

In today's competitive and ever-evolving legal marketplace, your law firm can easily get left behind if it fails to embrace the right technology. Collaborative tools will give you a competitive advantage by:

Increasing Efficiency

When everyone has access to the same legal information, your firm can accomplish more with less time. It will be easier to share documents, comment on the necessary changes, search for specific information, and collaborate on legal processes in an entirely paperless process. This will take away the frustration of having to personally follow up with specific colleagues.

Reducing Risks

Clients expect you to understand the ins and outs of your profesion with little friction. You ought to have access to up-to-date legal materials as well as anticipate and minimise problems that can complicate your client's legal processes. The right collaboration tool will help you reduce these risks. Lawyers should know that the document they're working on is the most up-to-date version so they aren't making edits that have already been made. These tools also come with state-of-the-art cyber security features that protect your firm and clients from threat actors like hackers.

Improving Overall Satisfaction

For any firm, information is power. Having the ability to share information quickly and collaborate with colleagues increases most lawyers' success rates and promises them professional growth. This means that you can retain your workforce for longer. In turn, this increased efficiency and success also means happy clients, which translates to repeat business and more referrals.

What Are The Must-Have Features For Collaborative Software?

Not all collaborative solutions are created equal. When picking a solution for your law firm, you need to look for a few features. The goal is to pick a solution that fits your needs and those of your clients. Some must-have features include:

• Easy scalability
• Time recording and billing
• Easy integration with other business solutions
• Email integration
• Optimal compliance and security support
• Form and document templates
• Matter-centric features (features that  are  unique to your legal practice.)
• The ability to search for specific documents and information
• Version visibility and control
• Portability and easy accessibility
• Quick access to legal research

When investing in a legal practice collaboration solution, you should keep in mind that laws tend to change from time to time. The right tool should make staying up to date with changes in the legal landscape easy. It should also source its information from authoritative and trusted resources. If you are looking to upgrade your legal practice technology, contact us at Law Master's legal practice solutions.