The legal digital transformation has given rise to a brand-new style of law firm: the digital-native business. Even the pandemic hasn’t spurred widespread changes in the legal industry. According to a cloud computing poll by the American Bar Association, just 60% of businesses adopted web-based services in 2018, slightly increasing from 59 percent in 2020. And to make matters worse, only 35% of respondents said they used SSL to protect their data, and adoption of other security measures was significantly lower.
It was discovered that two essential aspects that potential clients require are simplicity of use and top-notch security. Security was the main priority. the idea that everything is encrypted and secure.
Presentation is crucial for attracting and serving distant clients in another way. The company has made investments in infrastructure to host better video conferences, such as high-quality microphones, superb lighting, and strong internet connections. Professional video and audio are crucial for virtual client meetings. The technology that enables the company’s remote operations also reduces costs. Documents that would have previously been delivered back and forth by international courier can now be signed digitally by lawyers. With remote workers in various places, this technique could not have existed even ten years ago.
Saving money wasn’t the main reason for the digital model of legal firms, though. The fact that the majority of our clients are international and cannot travel to meet with us was the main motivator. In that regard, we really had no option but to concentrate on digital, and the problem was to provide the same level of quality online as one would find in a New York legal office.
Client expectations, however, are what will eventually fuel digital transformation. When a lawyer can draft a letter with the click of a button and a brief review thanks to automation, clients will eventually object to being charged for two hours of labor. You can charge for so much more value, and the clients receive that value.
In certain ways, the legal profession has been technologically advanced. Managing the rising amount of documents and items subject to discovery required the widespread adoption of associated software more than ten years ago. E-discovery is the process of obtaining, examining, classifying, and providing electronic documents to opposing parties. In order to give internet access to federal filings, the federal courts established PACER (Public Access to Court Records) in 2001. The federal judiciary started implementing its Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system the following year, and as of this writing, all filings in federal litigation are done so electronically.
For legal companies, digital transformation is undoubtedly a journey rather than a final destination. Expectations from customers will always change. The last thing law firms want when working with you is to experience a sense of time travel.
