Automation in Law Firms: Increase Efficiency and Cash Flow
By Adrian Aguilera
For most law firms, non-billable administrative work is a necessary day-to-day duty that costs money and valuable time. With law office automation, your firm can automate some of the most time-consuming tasks, including document drafting, client intake, payment processing, and invoice reminders.
In addition, legal automation will help your firm stay organized, increase productivity, and boost payment collection. This article highlights the basics of law firm automation, its benefits, and how your firm can easily implement the process.
What is Law Firm Automation?
Automation in law firms involves using software tools that streamline a wide variety of routine, manual admin processes. Legal automation software allows your firm’s staff members to easily templatize, organize and auto-generate some of the most repetitive, time-consuming tasks. As a result, you can finally put the endless trips to the printer and mailbox to rest. You won’t need to copy and paste hundreds of routine documents mindlessly. You’ll focus more on billable casework and consultation with automated and customizable low-risk tasks.
Benefits include:
- Reduced errors when creating documents and entering data.
- Higher client satisfaction from better self-service options and an easier payment process.
- Increased time on revenue-producing casework from all law firm staff.
- Improved communication and transparency between law office staff and clients.
What Tasks Can I Automate for My Law Firm?
From contract drafting/review to invoice reminders, your non-billable work will no longer take up large chunks of your staff’s day. A legal workflow automation system streamlines low-risk, everyday tasks, giving your firm more time for revenue-producing work.
Lead management and client intake
Every law firm begins its work with client intake documents, which can take time from manual, old-school processes. For every practice area, you typically need basic information and signatures from the client before work begins. Legal document automation systems allow you to customize and templatize forms for specific clients. This benefits your law firm by reducing errors from repeated manual entry and eliminating paper forms. Your clients also reap the benefits as they can fill in the information online and sign e-signatures at their convenience. Once the documents are complete, the software syncs the electronic paperwork to your client intake.
In addition, lawyer automation tools paired with lead management software provide a dashboard for viewing the lead status of each client. With automation, your firm can spend less time manually gathering PDF client intake sheets and speed up the client lead and agreement process—which translates into more billable casework.
Workflow management
Creating, organizing, and reviewing case-management forms can be a messy process. You and your team shouldn’t need to scramble to find the location or status of a specific file. Legal workflow automation tools help your law firm’s team customize and templatize common, repeated documents and organize and separate them by case.
You can also easily access and keep tabs on the status of each document. In real time, you’ll know if a document is sent to a client, if it requires an e-signature, and when it’s completed. As a result, a process that can take hours (or even days) can be done in minutes, with fewer errors. Your documents are also more secure through cloud-based storage and safe as each is electronically encrypted when sent to clients.
Client communication
Automation in law firms can also improve client communication by providing clients with efficient, helpful responses. Not all communication fits in the automation bucket, as some more technical questions require human responses. However, your firm can auto-generate and send simple status inquiries. This ensures that your clients receive a timely reply, and your firm can focus more on questions and work that require your full attention. In addition to automation, case management software like MyCase Client Communication allows you to sync your phone calls and texts into a system. You’ll also have access to a built-in chat tool so you can speak with your clients at the office or while on the go. All you need is an internet connection.
Payment collection and invoice reminders
Lawyer automation improves the accounts receivable process through its electronic payment capabilities and automated invoice follow-ups. An office automation system replaces slow phone and mail payment processes with automatic electronic reminders. Clients will instantly know when their bill is due and any remaining balances. And if you pair this legal automation with Law Firm Billing Software’s credit, debit, and ACH (eCheck) payment options, you’ll receive instant payment. Clients can pay their bills on the fly while your law firm improves its cash flow.
Get Started Today With The Best Office Automation System
Automation in law firms is designed to enhance the productivity of routine, manual admin tasks so you can focus more on billable work. MyCase software makes it easy for your law firm to integrate automation tools into your current processes. Try MyCase today risk-free with a 10-day free trial. We offer affordable monthly and yearly subscriptions. Plus, there’s no commitment required, and you can cancel anytime.
