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Strategies for Optimizing Legal Workflows: A Guide for Lawyers
“There has got to be an easier way to do this.”
Many of our best inventions as a species happen because we need a better way to do something.
“There has got to be an easier way to move this rock.”
We give you: the wheel.
“There must be an easier way to do math.”
We give you: the calculator.
“We really need a better way to drink coffee in the summer.”
We give you: iced coffee.
For law firms, case management tasks can often evoke the classic “there has got to be an easier way to do this.” Lawyers have so many things to accomplish in a day, and it just makes sense to look for tasks that make their jobs a little easier.
Luckily, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel all by yourself. (See what we did there?) There are easy changes you can start making today that will improve legal workflows and give you more time to focus on your clients’ case matters.
What are the common challenges lawyers face in their legal workflows?
The most common legal workflow challenges aren’t that different from general business challenges, though compliance and industry standards add an extra (important) layer for law firms to navigate.
- Team coordination and communication
- Client communication
- Insufficient information
- Case volume and workload
- Time-consuming document creation and review
How to implement effective legal workflow optimization strategies
Not all strategies or tools are created equal. Here are some tips to help you navigate the search for more efficient legal workflows.
1. Identify existing bottlenecks and areas of focus
There are many different ways to address legal workflow inefficiencies. Not every law firm will have the same issues.
If you’re looking to create more efficient legal workflows, take some time to write out the steps of your workflow and identify the pain points at each step.
Do you switch between programs frequently? Do you frequently have to clarify a matter’s status with your team? Do you spend 20 minutes looking for the exact document you need?
Once you have an idea of where you want to improve, check with your team members. What are their workflow bottlenecks? Is this issue specific to them? Their practice area? Or is it a firm-wide issue?
2. Choose the right automation tools (and start small)
Not all automation tools are created equal, and to be honest, you probably don’t need every single one.
Our advice? Don’t try to do it all at once. It’s really challenging to make a bunch of changes all at once. It’s much better to add things in slowly, one at a time, to your workflow to give your team time to adjust. Start with your most pressing issue and go from there.
Streamline Cash Flows and Get Paid Faster with Rocket Matter Pay
Law firms have plenty of good reasons to offer online credit card processing:
- Faster, more reliable payments
- Less administrative time spent processing checks and reconciling books
- Offering clients the payment options they actually prefer
- But why have so many firms chosen not to take advantage of all the benefits of credit card processing?
How does technology, such as Rocket Matter, contribute to optimizing case management in legal practices?
Legal practice management systems are designed to address the existing challenges that plague law firms, and make case management easier.
Rocket Matter, for example, can help firms:
- Automate document creation
- Track project status
- Track productivity and billable hours
- Manage your calendar
- Improve client communication
- Simplify billing
- Build your website
- And more!
One of the biggest advantages is that you don’t have to adopt 10 different systems to complete your tasks, learn to navigate 10 different interfaces, or sync data between different tools. It’s all in one place, making it easier to accomplish more tasks in less time.
3. Try visual project management
If you’re having trouble tracking the status of different case matters, on your own or across your team, visual project management is a fantastic strategy for staying organized. Kanban boards facilitate communication and collaboration and provide a bird's eye view of your case matters.
To (literally) see the status of matters and projects, you can set up Rocket Matter’s Kanban boards to create matter management workflows, such as:
- Unscheduled matters
- Investigation
- Discovery
- Motion practice
- Final preparation
As matters and projects move forward, simply drag and drop them between columns. Rocket Matter also helps attorneys and staff communicate better; you can leave comments and set up notifications to keep everyone informed.
4. Identify ways to leverage automation to simplify routine workflow tasks
Some tasks are better positioned for automation than others. The best candidates are generally routine, repetitive tasks. You still have to review outcomes, but you can cut out manual task creation and move on to the next step.
For example, in Rocket Matter’s practice management system, you can set up task workflows. Then, use automated task triggers to keep a matter moving forward. With the Milestone feature, you can set up your workflow so that once a certain task is complete, the system automatically triggers the next step.
5. Streamline document handling and collaboration
Document handling is often one of the clunkier parts of a lawyer’s workflow. To improve collaboration on documents, consider tools that provide:
- Secure sharing
- Version control
- eSignatures
Secure file-sharing and remote case access provide flexibility to teams (and clients!) that work remotely. When multiple people are working on a case matter, version control is critical to following task progression.
With Rocket Matter, teams can access these tools while operating from one central case matter database.
Another advantage is that Rocket Matter’s communication streams help keep everyone up to date, so you can continue moving forward without skipping a beat.
6. Improve client communications with legal CRM
Legal client relationship management (CRM) tools provide the features you need to build client-centric workflows that prioritize communication and transparency.
Legal CRM facilitates improved intake processes, increases client touchpoints, and keeps leads engaged.
With legal CRM, teams can build text and email campaigns that automate parts of the client communication process, while still providing a personalized touch. From sending appointment reminders to eSignatures, it can help law firms improve the client experience and ensure that clients have the information they need for their case matters.
7. Train your team
A tool is only going to help someone who knows how to use it. Just buying software won’t solve all your problems (unfortunately).
Give your staff plenty of time to get used to a new system or process. Encourage feedback. It may help to schedule demos or product walkthroughs with system support teams.
You may even find new use cases to leverage for your firm!
Explore the possibilities with Rocket Matter
Rocket Matter’s legal practice management system provides all the tools you need to improve your legal workflows, all in one place. Schedule a demo to learn how you can optimize your workflows today.
You can also check out our reviews to hear how lawyers have increased firm productivity with Rocket Matter.
Streamline Cash Flows and Get Paid Faster with Rocket Matter Pay
Law firms have plenty of good reasons to offer online credit card processing:
- Faster, more reliable payments
- Less administrative time spent processing checks and reconciling books
- Offering clients the payment options they actually prefer
- But why have so many firms chosen not to take advantage of all the benefits of credit card processing?
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