Two-thirds of lawyers do not believe their firm will adapt to technological change in the legal market over the next few years. This may come as a surprise to many following the mass migration to remote and hybrid working post-pandemic, especially as other industries have begun to digitally transform, seeking new ways to continue operating efficiently. So, what makes legal so resistant to change?
In an industry that traditionally operates with paper records, adopting electronic systems may initially seem daunting: only 1.9% of law firms’ revenue is spent on IT, compared with 4.2% across other industries. However, to keep up with trends, law firms must catch up and adopt these new ways of working.
Benefits of implementing tech
After people began remote and hybrid working, there was an expectation that teams should be able to work with each other regardless of their location. And, indeed, employees are no longer confined to offices, and court bundles and legal documents can be created at any time in any place. But the introduction of cloud solutions has also allowed for growth and higher productivity due to the consistency of data management.
In addition, having paralegals, lawyers and other legal professionals, searching through physical files and folders reduces the level of service they can provide to clients – a study from McKinsey discovered that employees can spend up to 19% of their working hours searching for documents each week. Agile solutions such as these are evidence of why adopting new technologies is important for business growth.
Having paralegals, lawyers and other legal professionals, searching through physical files and folders reduces the level of service they can provide to clients – a study from McKinsey discovered that employees can spend up to 19% of their working hours searching for documents each week
A study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that 32% of respondents cited business agility as the primary reason for choosing cloud systems. On-premises solutions have limits on the amount of data that can be stored – with cloud, you have more options when it comes to storage, ensuring that your employees can collaborate and create documents without limitations.
If security is something you are worried about, cloud solutions have robust cybersecurity protocols in place, with many having ISO certifications, and many forward-thinking businesses have already begun to incorporate cloud into their risk-assessment frameworks. With a greater emphasis on the benefits that new technologies can bring to an organisation, it’s hard to argue against the effectiveness of new technologies in improving the overall running of a busy law firm.
Changing traditions in court
Before the pandemic, e-bundles were scarcely used in cases. However, during 2020 and beyond e-bundles were used extensively as court hearings were held remotely, with documents becoming bigger and more demanding. The UK judiciary even introduced new guidance on the preparation of electronic bundles for court hearings in 2021. In addition to this update, Practice Direction 27a now states that, for family proceedings in both the high court and family court, universal formatting must be applied to court bundles.
The updated guidance was developed to ensure consistency in the creation of e-bundles for the efficient preparation and management of hearings. With a traditional institution taking the leap to adopt digital practices, the landscape is clearly shifting, and firms must navigate it.
Employees are looking for ways to easily collaborate with their colleagues, especially in remote or hybrid settings, and firms are realising the need to adopt agile solutions that address ever-changing court requirements – the move to cloud solutions is showing no signs of stopping. The good news is that these technologies are ready and available to be implemented.
What’s next?
We can expect to see many more changes in the industry as expectations change: from readily available digital documents to court bundles, the need for digital solutions will continue to expand. If you’ve been putting off adopting new technologies, now is the time to take action.