Tweet

Using Law Practice Software To Go Paperless

Guest post by: Tom Dwyer

Article Overview: Modern law practice software makes the paperless law firm a reality. Version control, access permissions and automated distributions are just some of the features that practice management software brings to electronic document management.

Using Law Practice Software To Go Paperless

The promise of the paperless office has existed as long as computers and the Internet. It's likely that when the earliest computers were being built, someone looked at these room-sized collections of vacuum tubes and transistors and said proudly, "Someday this will replace my file cabinet." Thanks to advances in practice management software, the (practically) paperless office is possible in the legal profession. Document Control Capabilities - Then and Now

Saving trees is a laudable goal, but law offices need to know if paperless law practice software makes good business sense. And it does. Paper documents are inefficient. The manpower involved in sorting, filing, retrieving, re-filing, misfiling and searching for misfiled documents becomes astronomical.

Early efforts with electronic documents had challenges as well. Emailing the large files bogged down the network. Version control became impossible because there was no longer an original, just dozens of copies. No one knew who was responsible for changes, and the audit trail became muddled. Changes in one version weren't carried over to other versions because an attorney was working off an old copy.

Today, all of these problems are eliminated by using the document control capabilities in modern practice management software. A single copy of the electronic document is stored centrally on the law firm's server. Sequential versions are created, but changes are made to a single source with no danger of parallel versions.

Document Distribution Models

The simplest electronic document distribution system is the 'hot potato' method. A document which needs to be reviewed is passed to each person on the distribution list; the person looks at it, makes any needed changes, and passes it to the next person on the list. This system is simple and maintains a single version, but document editing is slow since each person has to wait for everyone before to finish.

A 'wide net' distribution system uses practice management software to simultaneously assign specific tasks to everyone who needs to review the document. Reviewers look at the document, complete their tasks, and then sign off on it. Document review is faster since attorneys and other contributors work simultaneously; but review status is more difficult to determine and the line of responsibility can become complicated.

Advantages of Practice Management Software

Advanced law practice software automates many document management tasks, reducing errors and improving audit trails. A new document is scanned, automatically named and stored in the correct folder, and distributed to applicable recipients. All changes are tracked. The original document is safely stored away, with all modifications made through the practice management software.

The paperless office no longer has to deal with misfiled records. Document searches that used to take days are done in minutes, if not seconds. Electronic files are both more accessible and more secure than paper. They are more accessible because authorized users have access to the firm's entire library at the click of a mouse. They are more secure because each document can be assigned permissions, so only people who need to see the information have access to it.

After many years of chasing the goal, features of today's law practice software like document control, automated distribution and access permission have finally made the paperless legal practice a practical reality.

Related Articles
  GREEN Business Practices
  Easy Law Practice Management Tips For Boosting Your Firm\'s Profits
  How to Pick the Best Autoresponder Software
  Law Firm Management Techniques That Improve Client Intake
  Law Practice Software Eases Transition During Law Office Splits
  How Long Do You Need To Keep Your Business Records?
  How To Choose The Right Law Firm Management Software
  Is Your Law Firm Drowning In Administrative Tasks? How Legal Software Can Help
  Using Law Practice Management Software To Help Create A Succession Plan
  Importance Of Choosing the Best Software to Run your Forum
  Paper Overload? Steps to Transition to a Paperless Office for your Financial Records
  Simply by Outsourcing your own Software Application Development, It can save you Cash and time Each
  All Work-No Life? Organize for Productivity, Profit and Peace-of-Mind (Part 1)
  Modular EHR’s: Small Investment; Big Gains
  Using Law Practice Management Software To Protect Your Practice From Liability
  Why You Still Need Attorney Billing Software If You Use A Flat-Fee Structure
  Are You A Busy Attorney? Using Law Firm Software Can Improve Your Work/Life Balance
  Business Plan Software Reviews - What to Know Before You Buy
  Improve Workflow at Your Practice with Electronic Medical Records
  Part 1: How to Pick the Best Email Marketing Software

Article Tags: law practice software, practice management software



Related Forum Posts
Seek Venture Capital & Funding - Hello, Greetings from India. I am Seeking Venture Capital for Offshore Software Company Start-up. Need advise along with Business Model Sample. I have a basic outline for an offshore company. 1. Technology - like Microsoft Dot Net, Java, LAMP 2. Talent Team - Found Good Technology Developers. 3. Where I can get the leads/potential customers - Leads have been identified who are willing to move forward offshore projects. 4. I do not have resources like funding. It is a very critical factor to me Industries: Manufacturing, Real Estate, Retail, Insurance, Distribution & Logistics, Healthcare, Industry Associations and Software Product Development, Agricultural Industries and Etc. Services: Offshore Software Development Company. Offices to be located: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India and USA. Products/Services/Applications in areas like POS & Billing, Sales & Distribution, Production Planning, Material Management, Inventory Control, Plant Maintenance, Purchasing, Accounting and Logistics. Dynamic Web Programming with Database Driven Content Management Systems, Online Stores for E-Commerce, B2B Solutions, Community Portals, Website Redesign and Development, Custom ERP with Enterprise Wide Functional Modules such as Marketing, CRM, Accounting, Inventory Control, Sales & Distribution, Production Planning, Purchase & Stores, Logistics and Supply Chain. Seek your further questions and help. Thank you, Best Regards, Jayapratap.
Re: How Do You Check Google Ranking? - I often sign out all Google account before checking Google Ranking and i use "Grease monkey" Software which make it very easy by giving the SERP's in serial order.
Re: You don't need the new iPhone - I am 110% in agreement with him. A friend was in my house yesterday asking me why the Software maker Adobe had to release another CS6 of their products when we have not fully utilized the good CS3 we are still using. I told me I will stick with CS3 because I am using it to design good website and enjoying the Photoshop part of it. I told him they need to keep on doing new version so as to make more money and keep their investors happy otherwise they don't need to develop new version
The Little Man Introduction - Good Morning, This is John Hoover from Little Man Consulting. Our company has been floating along as a after thought for a few years. This year we decided to make a go of it. So far we are doing great. We are Virtual Administrators, Web Developers, Database Designers, and Software instructors. Basically, if you have someone in your office to do it, we can do it virtually. Our company was created to "Provide Big Business Resources to the Small Business". Wish me luck, I plan on revolutionizing the small business world with this!
Grow - but always be "backward compatible" - Software engineers are taught different design methods - most with a twist on how "backward compatible" the code or product is. In this day and age you have to set goals, but achieving milestones is sometimes difficult if you are not able to change, be it technically, or via resources, etc. Just remember to have points at which you are able to "fall back" if your business or industry takes a sudden turn. Although this type of thinking is a must for a computer programmer, it can easily be applied to the business world at large.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Top Ten Feeble Follow-up Attempts to Fathom

20 MORE Must-Have Search Engine Marketing Tools

Coaching Tip: Identify Your Core Values

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.