3 Reasons Your Law Firm Can’t Live Without Expert Legal IT Services

Top-Rated IT Services & Computer Networking For Law Firms In Raleigh/Durham

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or manage a firm of multiple attorneys, you may find that you seem to spend nearly as much time on technology-related tasks (from scheduling and billing to tracking down a single line of text in a voluminous transcript) as you do on substantive legal work. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Learn more about the three main ways in which law office IT services in Raleigh can improve the way your firm operates.

Enhance Client Security

Attorneys deal with the most sensitive matters and personal information possible. Clients will disclose their full legal names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, children’s names and birthdates, W2 wages, and just about everything else under the sun. Attorneys are often privy to their clients’ innermost thoughts and fears surrounding whatever topic or matter is being litigated, whether a will contest between feuding family members or a felony charge stemming from an auto accident.

With this wealth of information at one’s fingerprints, the collateral consequences that may come from a data breach can be immeasurable. Something as simple and careless as losing one’s phone or using an unsecured internet connection to send an email can allow thieves and hackers to instantly access valuable information that lets them make your clients’ lives miserable.

In addition to the battered reputation and potential malpractice liability that can stem from substandard internet security, attorneys may even be subject to disciplinary action following a data breach. North Carolina’s code of attorney ethics requires all licensed attorneys to maintain client confidentiality; negligently allowing clients’ personal information to be made available to the public could result in a public reprimand or even a law license suspension.

Having dedicated IT services for law firms can ensure that your clients’ privacy is protected under all circumstances. Often, showing that you have an up-to-date data security plan can absolve you of any malpractice liability or potential ethical consequences if a breach is alleged.

Use Attorney Time Efficiently

Every minute of your day you spend searching for text in a document, trying to download an email attachment, or waiting on the umpteenth software update to complete its automatic installation is a minute you’re not spending on what keeps your firm afloat: the provision of legal services. By outsourcing your legal IT services, you’ll be able to concentrate your time and efforts where they matter most: drafting briefs, arguing motions, and marketing to prospective clients.

But you don’t have to hire a dedicated IT staff to achieve this goal. Remote or managed IT services can provide as much (or little) support as you need for a competitive rate. Being able to scale these services up or down as circumstances dictate can give you some much-needed flexibility in a constantly changing legal market.

And your newly freed-up time won’t just be generated through the delegation of IT duties to a remote service. IT services for law firmscan help bring your firm into the modern workforce. For example, using a VPN in lieu of an unsecured coffeeshop connection can allow you to safely access confidential data from just about anywhere, accommodating work-from-home arrangements or last-minute emergencies. The ability to provide legal services outside the office can be invaluable in this busy day and age.

Ease the Transition to E-Filing

North Carolina’s Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has launched an e-filing pilot program designed to work out some of the “kinks” of this new filing method before it’s launched statewide. Even if your county isn’t yet participating in this e-filing pilot, adopting a forward-thinking IT strategy can ensure that you’re well-able to navigate the e-filing process when it’s introduced in your area.

E-filing involves more than just uploading documents to a central website. Depending on your office’s current procedures, you may need to make some minor tweaks or major overhauls to the way you draft and share documents. For example, certain word-processing programs may not retain their formatting once they’re uploaded; knowing which programs are compatible with upload can ensure you won’t need to request leave from the court to amend an important brief.

The ability to anticipate e-filing requirements in your firm’s own software programs and corporate practices can put you a step ahead of the competition.