The Legal Industry and Document Management Software

Law firms are overwhelmed with a truckload of paperwork and information piling up each day since a law firm’s revenue is generated by creating, reviewing, revising and summarizing documents. With most conventional law firms, this information is stored based on clients and cases, with sub-folders and standard folders. This system works just fine in the hands of a select few but what if a new associate, paralegal or assistant joins the firm? Or some associate goes on a vacation or leaves the firm? It is quite difficult to sort through mountains of filing cabinets to find the pertinent file(s) created and named by someone else.

To minimize valuable work hours spent searching for misfiled documents, creating duplicate content and saving the integrity of work files, law firms are in dire need of document management software. Document management software, such as DocuXplorer, allows you to organize your data by clients, cases, types of documents (representations, pleadings, correspondence) or by practice area. The choices are unlimited and can be customized to cater to the needs of your firm.

Benefits of Document Management Software for the Legal Industry

The ease of searching for a document is phenomenal. Since all the documents are indexed, it gives you the flexibility of searching for a document by either title or content. In case the title of the document is not known or is incorrect, the article can be looked up by other search criteria, such as the name of the creator or creation date. Using metadata to store each file also helps to retrieve it without remembering the exact title or content information.

• Firms are not infallible, and documents are prone to theft or misplacement. A hard drive may crash or fail, causing permanent loss of data. Valuable time is splurged on recreating and retrieving lost data. Good document management software allows for the online backup of data so you retain all your information and notes in the aftermath of a calamity.

• Docuxplorer integrates with Microsoft Office and QuickBooks so your existing electronic data can be imported for safekeeping.

• Attorneys and associates can search years worth of a firm’s knowledge with ease. For instance, a new associate can seek out motions for summary judgments so that he can expediently learn and draft a similar document, alleviating the need for unnecessary research and labor.

• The ability to track, create and save appropriate case related items in a cost-effective and efficient manner would go towards maximizing profits for the firm and increases the firm’s credibility with its clients.

• Law firms deal with highly confidential information and run the risk of litigation and liability if the information falls into the wrong hands. Law firms are well aware of this and are switching to data management software for security. This type of software allows you to track each file and assign reading privileges to a handful of relevant employees. This prevents a major breach in your firm security.

These are just a handful of reasons why the legal industry should invest in professional document management software.