Talk to anyone who works at a small law firm and you’ll hear about the same challenges that are holding them back from success. Things, like organizing communication and managing an unstoppable flow of paperwork, are commonplace in the legal industry and unless managed, can bog any small law firm down. Here are three common problems that can limit the success of your small law firm and solutions for avoiding them.
Disorganized Filing
Oh the joys of paperwork. It is an entirely unavoidable entity in the legal profession, as each new case brings more and more of it into your office.If your firm doesn’t stay on top of its paperwork, you’re sure to become progressively more disorganized and make mistakes that could be detrimental to your client relationships. Luckily, we’ve made enough technological advances in recent years to help turn legal filing into far less daunting task. Practice management software like Smokeball offers your firm the ability to create and store all of your legal documents in the Cloud. Storing files this way helps eliminate or greatly reduce the amount of paperwork that could potentially be lost or improperly filed, keeping your law firm running more efficiently.
Client Responses
In today’s digital world, clients expect quick, informative responses to their questions via email and telephone. They also expect whomever they get in contact with to be well-informed and prepared to help with their matter. Law firms fighting a losing battle with file organization and email management usually struggle with providing, quick, informative answers to client correspondence. Emails often get lost in overflowing inboxes and phone calls can take up a significant amount of time if your legal staff can’t quickly access a specific client’s file. Through Smokeball’s digital filing system, legal staff can quickly search for and access client matters. In these files, staff can view all of the matter details, including email correspondence, notes and the documents that have been created. This feature enables you and your co-workers to quickly answer questions and maintain the highest level of client service.
Inability to Work Remotely
If you’re like many attorneys, you spend a large part of your week away from from the office. Whether they’re in court, at home, or at a closing it can be difficult to stay on top of emails and other tasks when you’re not at your desk. Not having access to all of your client’s pertinent information while you are away means issues may go unanswered until you can get back to the office. Smokeball’s hybrid cloud model gives you all the mobility and data backup benefits of the Cloud, without the necessity for a constant internet connection. Being able to access your files from any location can help you stay connected and informed while you’re away from your desk, making it easier to keep clients happy.
