Software as a service (SaaS) solutions were initially met with skepticism by the legal industry. Storing and sharing confidential and privileged information online rang risky alarm bells. But in the information age, the legal industry limped towards the use of cloud-based practice management systems. Now, legal professionals are starting to turn their heads to SaaS solutions as the nature of lawyering undergoes a monumental shift.
This article contains an overview of the potential benefits SaaS solutions offer to legal professionals:
Happier clients and lawyers through remote access
Leveraging SaaS solutions means you can securely access client files, communications and information from wherever you are in the world, on whichever device you’re using. All you need is your login.
Benefits of flexible workplace arrangements
By paving the way for your workers to work remotely, you unlock a host of benefits for both your clients and your lawyers. Amongst these benefits are two that you might not think could coexist: increased responsiveness (and happier clients) and improved work/life balance (with happier lawyers).
There’s increasing evidence that flexibility in working arrangements promotes productivity and engagement, while also helping your company to retain its talent. As your employees are more engaged, their productivity and responsiveness increase and business outcomes improve.
Meet the needs of a diverse client base
Everyone is getting used to the convenience of online platforms. From communications, to shopping, to organisation, there’s a platform for almost anything you need. To appeal to clients from diverse backgrounds, you need the tools your clients want to use. You need to cater to those who prefer online chat to your meeting room – no matter how great the ambiance is in there.
SaaS solutions can help you appeal to these diverse clients. From providing an encrypted space to communicate with them through to giving your clients the reins with self-service documents and services, SaaS solutions open doors to the provision of alternative services without significantly disrupting your current service model.
Increase competitiveness in a tight marketplace
SaaS tackles the rising costs of providing legal services in an increasingly competitive marketplace on several fronts:
Lower overheads
As a product, SaaS is more affordable than the leading server-based software. It’s significantly more scalable too – so you’re able to purchase the software for the number of users you want and you can add modules to the product as you grow.
Increase efficiency
Fewer hours are being billed by lawyers today than 10 years ago. While some put this down to dropping productivity, there are many others who state simply that competition within the marketplace means that what was billable ten years ago isn’t necessarily billable today.
By harnessing the power of SaaS solutions, legal professionals can automate tasks like client intake, document generation, billing, legal research, and predictions of judgements. The automation of these processes cuts the number of hours your staff spend on non-billable tasks – freeing them up to focus on what counts.
SaaS means continual platform improvements and reduced reliance on IT support
The cost of updates to the software form part of your subscription fee so, in using SaaS, you minimise your reliance on expensive IT support while retaining access to a platform that’s constantly being improved.
All versioning and updates are performed automatically by the SaaS provider across all of your devices. So your software is always compliant, always secure, and always available.
Go Green. Go Paperless.
Moving to SaaS solutions is a convenient way to decrease your carbon footprint. In a world that’s demanding increasingly green services, moving your files to the cloud and going paperless (or moving towards paperless) is an easy way to take those first steps.
Added benefits of going paperless include reduced overheads associated with printing and printer maintenance, as well as those associated with storage of hard copy files.
AdaptingLegal helps you decrease the cost of providing the legal services contemplated by our software by more than 25%, while maximising the quality and quantity of your output. You’ll achieve customer excellence, benefit from improved public perception from your reduced environmental impact, and you’ll be empowered to provide legal services moving in the direction of the future.