Why clients expect law firms to embrace new technology
Keeping pace with technology adoption is now a key differentiator for almost all industries. Perhaps more than most sectors, it’s making a particularly big difference in the legal sector, largely because law firms have historically been slow to adopt new innovations and new ways of working.
While the turbulence and unique events of the last few years have forced some law firms to adapt, one major driver of technology adoption is the ever-rising expectation of clients to get the service they feel they deserve. Clients want good quality service and outcomes, delivered faster than ever before, with minimal hassle and clear lines of communication. And in a highly competitive legal landscape where clients can increasingly pick and choose who they hire, law firms are having to turn to technology to meet those expectations.
In this blog, we’ll explore those key client expectations in detail, highlight the technologies best suited for meeting them, and explain why deployment of new tech is just as important as the tech itself.
Clients’ biggest expectations
There are three expectations that stand out among law firms’ clients more than any other. Responding to them is key to driving competitive advantage:
- Lower costs: savvy clients know that repetitive tasks like contract reviews and proof-reading are easily automatable, yet many law firms are still charging them for these services because they still do them manually. In most cases, artificial intelligence-enabled technologies can handle tasks like this better than humans (especially if they’re tired and overworked). Automating work like this can cut client bills, while at the same time freeing up staff time to add value elsewhere.
- More efficient service: connected to the previous point, clients expect to pay law firms less because they want jobs done quicker, which therefore means that fewer hours can be billed for. This can be achieved through technology, but only if it’s deployed in the correct way to complement and ease employees’ workflows. It’s not uncommon for tech deployments by law firms to be scattergun, with no real integration between solutions, making lawyers’ jobs - and therefore service delivery - more difficult and time-consuming than it really needs to be.
- Clear, frequent communication: not only do clients expect their law firm to be honest, but they expect to hear from them on a regular basis and to be kept fully up-to-date, all the time. That way, they won’t be in for any nasty surprises - either in terms of the subject matter or in financial terms - and feel like their input and custom is valued by the company.
The technologies that can help you meet these expectations
The technology stack needed to address these client demands starts with a strong cloud-based infrastructure. With this in place, firms can reduce IT and infrastructure costs by eliminating on-premise servers, and enable data and application flexibility that makes hybrid working viable.
A cloud infrastructure can support client/company collaboration anywhere and at any time, and make it easier to adopt the latest technologies that enable better customer experiences. However, this works even better when it’s used to deploy a Digital Workplace, from which the usual office-based desktop experience is perfectly virtualised, along with relevant data and application access. This enables seamless staff experiences at all times, and no disruption when moving from one place of work to another.
Allied to this, there must be a comprehensive managed security provision in place, so that sensitive information is kept protected. Given the increased potential attack surface that hybrid working presents, and the continuing rise of cybercrime, this is absolutely essential.
Getting the implementation right
With so many software solutions in the marketplace, it can be hard to know which ones are best to adopt to meet client expectations and take advantage of the technology available. Ideally, you should evaluate options that cover your communication; your document access, editing and sharing; management of employee workflows; and management of the practice as a whole.
Keeping to these four core areas will help you respond to client needs: they can all be served by solid solutions that get the basics right, rather than through innovative stand-out features that seem on-trend but don’t give clients what they want.
In summary
If your firm hasn’t implemented new technology (or hasn’t upgraded its technology for a while) then there really is no time to lose in order to stay competitive. An expert tech partner can be ideal for getting this step forward right, and Oosha’s Digital Workplace solution is perfect for covering all your needs in a simple, compact, user-friendly solution.
