Lawyers, as a group, are often chided for not responding to technological innovations quickly enough. While there is some truth to this claim, it is important to comprehend that lawyers are in the business of risk mitigation—most notably when compiling legal documents—and hence why legal documents are often exceedingly lengthy. For every new potential risk a new standard verbiage is added into legal documents. It is also a reason that lawyers will never rush into situations—such as implementing new technology—without careful thought.
While it is certainly not a decision to rush, it is time that your firm starts considering document automation—if you do not yet have a system in place—as it has become a critical process for law firms to have in place. Here is a look at the most noteworthy benefits to be gained from implementing a document automation system.
Increased Productivity
When you think of automation, in any form, the exponential increase in productivity is the first thing that comes to mind. Ironically, while lawyers are one of the professional groups least willing to rely on automation, they may be the ones with the most to gain by doing so. What other profession benefits more by getting their work done quicker, without sacrificing accuracy (more on that later), than lawyers? When lawyers are able to produce legal documents at such an extraordinary rate, they can spend more time doing what they do best—practicing law.
Decreased Costs
While increased productivity may be the most outstanding feature of document automation, saving money is the most sought-after benefit. With a document automation system, the hours it takes for a human to manually key information into documents can be diminished to seconds. By eliminating such a time-consuming task, lawyers are able to work more efficiently and accelerate the delivery of legal documents to clients.
Improved Accuracy
This is where document automation truly distinguishes itself as a necessity. Anyone is capable of increasing their productivity, and in turn saving money, by simply amplifying the pace at which they work. If you are currently spending eight hours per week creating documents, surely you are able to cut that number in half by upping your work rate. However, can you do so with the accuracy and precision of a machine?
For all the areas that lawyers excel, quickly and willingly adopting technology still trails behind. Paradoxically, the legal field is one that can be well served by the use of automation, with benefits including increased firm-wide productivity, decreased costs, and improved accuracy. To begin automating your documents today, contact one of our expert consultants.
