The lockdowns of the past few years have driven many law firms to adopt technology to enable remote work at unprecedented levels. As clients have similarly adapted to working remotely, they are now expecting that law firms will make interactions more convenient and that their attorneys will be more responsive. At the same time a study by Clio on legal trends in 2021 revealed that tech-centric firms experienced 6% year-over-year growth during some of the most intense periods of the pandemic and collected nearly 40% more revenue per compared to firms not using technology.
These changes are here to stay, and legal professionals who do not adapt will likely be left behind. Here are 5 of the best tech tools to help you build a thriving legal practice that is prepared to meet the demands of the future:
Client Intake & CRM
Why It’s Important
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- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and client intake software are important tools for legal practice management. Law firms can use CRM software to manage intake, keep track of what stage a potential client is currently in, and monitor conversations happening with each client firm wide. The 2020 Legal Trends Report even revealed that firms using online client intake and CRM solutions during the pandemic saw better year-over-year performance compared to those that didn’t, nearly doubled their growth compared to other firms, maintained better annual performance, and achieved growth.
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Who to Consider?
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- Clio provides cloud-based client intake and legal Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions, designed to help firms create a streamlined communications experience for clients. Firms can easily manage initial client intake tasks such as filling out forms, paying up-front fees, and booking consultations online.
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Benefits to Your Firm
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- CRM and client intake software can help your firm effectively track all client interactions and manage new leads and intake forms in one centralized location. A comprehensive management platform like Clio, can also offer integrations such as lead and revenue tracking to provide firms with useful data insights, and the ability to schedule consultations and take online payments. The right CRM and intake solution can benefit your firm by reducing overhead costs, streamlining processes, and free up more time for you to focus on growing your practice.
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Legal Research Tools
Why It’s Important
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- Detailed legal research is vital to the success of your law firm. Online legal research platforms can provide your firm with reliable access to comprehensive and searchable law libraries, statutes, regulations, rules, and more.
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Who to Consider?
Benefits to Your Firm
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- Online legal research platforms can offer unlimited access to cases, statutes, rules, regulations, articles, and briefs, helping your practice quickly and efficiently accomplish research goals and completion tasks.
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Online Payments
Why It’s Important
According to recent a recent study, law firms that accepted online payments grew up to 6% faster than those that did not during the pandemic and collected 2% to 3% more of those payments throughout the summer.
Who to Consider?
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- LawPay provides a user-friendly electronic payment solution designed just for lawyers. Their solution allows law firms to attach a secure payment link to an email, website, or invoice, allowing clients the ability to pay with just one click. In addition, LawPay is endorsed by the ABA and is available through all 50 state bars and over 60 local and specialty bars.
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Benefits to Your Firm
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- Electronic payment platforms not only help provide clients an easy, convenient way to pay but also improve overall client experience. They also make it easy for your firm to get paid faster and to deliver immediate payment confirmations.
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Invest in Technology
Technology is the future of the legal industry, and firms who take advantage of technology-based tools will bring more efficiency to their practices, experience more growth and free up more billable time. Don’t let your firm get left behind.