5 ways to save 60% of your day with legal automation
Lawyers spend only 2.3 hours a day on billable hours, according to a study published in Law.com.
A much larger part of their day, up to 60%, is spent on drafting administrative documents and legal documentation.
Every week, on average, a lawyer receives or shares 50-70 documents.
Streamlining the workflows related to these documents in particular, but also all the legal and administrative checks that need to be done, can save lawyers time, allow them to bill more hours and help them manage all the documentation they are responsible for more quickly.
The automation of exchanges and more transparent information can combine to help lawyers free up time in their calendars. This time saving allows them to focus on their core business: advice, strategy, preparing a litigation file, examining documents or exchanging with their clients to better understand their needs, etc.
Collaborative platforms for legal professionals such as Alf allow for the management of “time-consuming irritants”, so law firms, their staff and their clients all benefit.
The real benefit of using legal paperwork automation
Automation, when using a third party provider, allows for faster deployment, lower initial costs and a proven system that can benefit a business. The benefits of legal automation include:
Time Savings
Law firms were asked the following question:
Can the automation of their legal documents help them improve productivity?
Some 71% of firms said that automation helps them to increase both their profitability and productivity.
“Time is money,” and when time can be spent advising high-potential clients or trying to represent clients on complex or high-profile legal matters, it can be extremely profitable for firms.
The right tools are easy to integrate into existing systems, allowing for rapid deployment and a lower learning curve for employees. While automation involves an initial investment, the payback over time should also be considered.
Cost-Effectiveness
Cost savings come in many forms, with the right automation platform reducing costs:
- Manual tasks
- IT costs
- Productivity
Alf can reduce manual tasks by 40%, saving companies two hours per day per person and saving an average of €10,000 per year in IT costs alone. By integrating automation solutions, the investment costs are quickly offset by the time saved and the reduction in hours lost per day by employees. Since legal documentation is the work that is done most of the day, it makes economic sense to use automation in law firms wherever possible.
Client Satisfaction
Satisfied clients are clients that come back. When automation is in place, it is possible to create a form of standardisation and improve quality. Client satisfaction increases when the same legal work is produced more quickly and with better quality.
The same survey quoted above also asked whether clients would appreciate more automation in a firm: 47% responded that clients appreciate automation when it is offered by their counsel.
It is important to note that many firms have not yet fully utilised automation tools.
Maximising the use of a feature-rich tool could help many respondents save even more time and money. A tool that is easy to use, offers a clean interface, and integrates with other systems is one that law firms can integrate more deeply into their daily operations and service offerings.
More consistency in your expertise
Automation is about efficiency. When the right workflows are automated, and people are put back at the center to maintain control of those workflows, a higher level of consistency can be maintained across all practice areas and with clients. Consistency and information sharing ensures a higher level of quality of services and assignments handled by staff.
The initial configuration of the platform is critical and will allow human error to play a lesser role in the day-to-day operations of your practice.
Reduce Risk
Automation reduces legal compliance risks, ensuring that documentation is properly managed and that procedures are in place to follow legal guidelines.
Human error can lead to increased risk, but the use of some degree of automation ensures streamlined workflows with very little margin for error.
There are also fewer risks associated with the expiry of legal documents.
Reduced risk mitigates potential legal problems for law firms while improving client satisfaction.
The choice of platform and its potential evolutions, depending on its development axis, allows law firms to:
- Compose smart workflows, dossiers, and forms
- Communicate with clients via email automation
- Provide real-time updates on progress
- Organize documents through classification
- Approve, verify, archive, and centralize documentation
- Collaborate within teams to streamline workflow
- Connect through your existing site
- Offer electronic signature, connect to emails, take payment, store data and authenticate
- And much more
A lawyer for 20 years with international law firms and worldwide companies (Canal+, PwC Legal, Nomos, Amazon), I’ve had the experience on the inside: too much time wasted on regularly monitoring recurring tasks linked to files, with low added value. Alf, the first workflow automation platform for the legal files, was designed and developed to respond to this critical problem. Customizable, collaborative and accessible in all languages, Alf is also part of a GreenTech approach that encourages responsible innovation by reducing your carbon emissions. — Sabine Zylberbogen, Registered lawyer and Founder