In an article by Nicole Naoum, over 2,000 legal professionals were surveyed, sharing their experiences and the impact of the pandemic on their firms. The results were compiled within the MyCase Industry Report. Within this report, survey respondents explained how the pandemic impacted their firms, their steps to sustain and grow their practices during this time, and how those strategic decisions helped build the foundation for long-term sustainability.
According to survey findings:
The top remote-working tools that gained the highest levels of usage due to the pandemic were:
- video conferencing tools (32%)
- e-signature (22%)
- law practice management software (14%)
- time and billing software (13%)
- communication software (16%)
Additionally, the most significant challenges for their firms were:
- managing documents (57%)
- Document assembly (55%)
- document collaboration (48%)
- document sharing (41%)
The survey results showed that law firm efficiency is a challenge for 86% of law firms. According to survey respondents, “one of the keys to the successful transition to new software typically involved support from the software provider with both the data migration and implementation of the software.”
Firms valued providers that offer:
- Live training sessions (88%),
- recorded training sessions that are accessible online 24/7 (92%)
- access to an online knowledge base (93%).
Secure Communication and Client Portals have increasingly become more popular.
- 79% of survey respondents reported that their firms used text messaging with clients. Notably, 55% of those utilize online texting compared to 45% using cell phones to text.
Firms ran more efficiently with the right legal software during the pandemic, whether operating remotely or in-office.
The pandemic has transformed the legal industry regarding technology, client relations, and work styles, requiring many leaders to adapt to the rapidly evolving and uncertain environment. This transformation has swiftly shifted our standard operating practices and led to a more digital landscape.
The legal industry has always been heavily reliant upon personal client interactions. Now that we live in a digital-first world, staying connected and offering digital solutions is more vital than ever.
Advocate Capital understands the uncertainties firms face when preparing to adjust their operations. Our team has been instrumental in providing live training, tutorials and optimizing our client portal. We are thankful to our Training and Operations Team, who continually support our organizational needs and serve our national clients.