Top Mistakes Lawyers Make in Automation

by Terri Olson

As a group, lawyers don't always make the best use of technology. The practice of law is highly conservative, with many procedures remaining basically unchanged over hundreds of years. It's sometimes difficult to see where modern technology fits in to all of that. Couple this with the fact that lawyers often come from undergraduate programs, such as English or political science, that place little or no emphasis on computers, and you can see that law firms are not likely to be on the cutting edge of automation.

But whether you're still using your trusty 286 or looking into that new NT server, there's a right way and a wrong way to proceed. The following summarizes some of the most common problem areas I've seen in the law firms with which I work.

No training. Lawyers frequently have no interest in how well the staff understands the software they are using, so long as the finished product is what the lawyer wants. If the lawyer dictates a tape and gets a nice-looking letter or bill back, then what difference does it make what happened in between? Plenty. The time wasted by undertrained staff is mind-boggling. Understanding how billing software works can cut the time spent in getting the bills out from two days a month to two hours. Knowing how to automate the production of documents can result in discovery or closing documents produced in literally a tenth of the time it took before. Shutting down the office for a day so staff can play with new software or sending them all to a training seminar will reap huge benefits in the long run.

Bleeding edge technology. Even though most firms are very conservative when it comes to technology, you'll also find law practices out there that want to be on the cutting edge. Fine, but be wary of going too far and ending up on the "bleeding edge" of technology. If you buy the latest and greatest operating system, new types of video cards and modems, or the very first release of new software, you may find your firm in chaos from incompatibilities, buggy programs, and technicians who aren't yet familiar with the products you have. First and foremost, you are running a business, not a beta test site. Take the 1.0 versions and next year's operating system home and test them out there.

Software ignorance. You tell your clients that you can't provide "form" wills or divorce agreements for them because every situation is different -- and then you buy the same software the firm next door uses without stopping to consider whether it's right for your type of practice. Your software needs are as varied as the needs of your clients, and just as there are many types of solutions available for them, there are many highly specialized programs designed specifically for law firms. In the area of time and billing software alone, there are over a hundred competing programs, in all price ranges and with many different features. Look before you buy: the Law Practice Management Program can tell you what's out there and help you make a decision.

Treating automation as a one-time expense. Most businesses have by now realized that expenditures on automation will, and should, be an annual recurring expense as equipment depreciates or breaks down and software is upgraded or new software added. But many law firms still have the mentality of "we bought PC's in 1985; why are we spending more money on these things?" Given the speed at which technology changes, law firms must plan and budget for constant upgrades. Look at your law firm budget: is there a line item for hardware and software maintenance and repair? There should be.

Lawyer as techie guru. In most law firms, there's one guy who just loves computers. Everyone else relies on him for advice, and he's all too happy to get down on the floor and fiddle with cables, configure the network, and explain to the secretaries how the billing program works. Congratulations. You've just hired a technician who bills $150 an hour! My point is that lawyers should be practicing law, not building systems for their firms and running WordPerfect training classes. There are other professionals who will do these things for the law firm, at considerably less expense, and usually better.

The Law Practice Management Program at the State Bar gets dozens of technology-related questions a day from members and their staffs. If you have a question, we can discuss your needs and options with you, provide you with reviews and checklists, and go over proposals from vendors. The program maintains subscriptions to publications like Law Office Computing and PC Magazine to keep us and you abreast of recent developments. We have complimentary demonstration copies of many popular law office software programs that you can try out. Our staff can also go to your law firm and make recommendations for technology improvements or provide you with training for the programs you already have. Call us at 404-527-8773 (800-334-6865 ext. 773).