How Document Management Solutions Can Help Your Legal Practice

The success of any legal firm depends on its ability to achieve the desired outcome for its clients while protecting client information in the process. At the same time, few industries generate as much paperwork as those operating in the legal sector.

With no shortage of red tape, case files, and an overabundance of other data both in physical and digital forms, the scope for losing something important is shockingly high, at least if you don’t have a reliable system for keeping everything organized.

Even for legal practices not in the habit of mislaying important files, a lack of proper organization can quickly stifle productivity. Consider, for example, all the time employees might spend locating and accessing the information they need to do their jobs. From managing different digital file formats, to sharing copies with other parties, to printing and storing ream upon ream of paper, the possibilities for interruptions to your workflows are just enormous.

That’s why document and records management solutions were invented. By streamlining workflows in legal practices, these specialized programs have proven invaluable in the modern workplace. These solutions also provide the tools you need to help protect sensitive information as per Canadian regulations and increase operational efficiency across the board.

Below are just a few ways that document management systems can help:

Simplify Case Management

A case management system is crucial in any law office, since it provides a relational database that consolidates all paperwork and other materials associated with a case.

When it comes to handling case information, you might be thinking of an old-fashioned filing cabinet filled with folders. However, thanks to technology, it’s now possible to put all this information in digital form, including by scanning printed content using optical character recognition and adding it to your database.

Not only does storing digital copies of everything reduce costs and allow technology to take over when it comes to document management – it also makes it much easier to collaborate with colleagues, partners and clients themselves.

Thanks to cloud-based document management systems, all relevant parties will be able to access the information they need when they need it, regardless of where they are. For example, managed services providers like Vertex can configure workflows that automatically manage document ownership and deadlines based on which step in the process they’re in.

Streamline Version Control

There are standard document management systems designed for widespread use in the workplace, and then there are specialized solutions tailored specifically towards legal firms.

Given the complexity and quantity of documents and data handled by such organizations, the need for specialized software is clear. One feature of such solutions is streamlined version control, which assigns time and date stamps to files. This way, your team can promptly and accurately respond to requests from clients.

Another key characteristic of document management systems for legal firms is the facility to automatically retain previous versions of files, archiving obsolete ones as necessary so that you can refer to them later should you receive a request to do so by a court or client. Every iteration of every document will be saved, allowing you to easily restore and compare previous case files and assign tags and other metadata to them as required.

Here at Vertex, we’re very familiar with the daunting mountains of information that legal firms need to deal with every day of the week. That’s why we provide cloud-based solutions that streamline your business operations while providing outstanding security for your data. If you’re ready to let technology transform your business for the better, give us a call today and get us on the case.