Changing The Way Law Is Practiced

Technology Advantage

Leveraging leading edge technology:  We are one of the most technologically advanced firms in Michigan.  Our incorporation of technology into our case management process creates efficiencies, promotes collaboration and provides more legal value per client dollar. You get more value at a reduced cost.  We stay focused on delivering results.

Lawyers: Beware of Technology!

Monica Bay at The Common Scold asked an interesting question the other week which I finally got around to answering.

The Question: "Q: What's the biggest mistake small firms make when using litigation support technology?"

My Response:  Having been the point person at several law firms implementing various levels of technology, I think there are a few things that regularly get lost in translation:

1.  Technology is not a one time spend.  It is an annual budget which requires a big down strokes of capital, and then monthly expenses for maintenance, upgrades and add-ons.  I can't count the times someone has asked me whether we will have to spend any more money this year on the computer systems.  My answer is always the same, 'of course.'

2.  Technology does not always work as planned. Expectations are important.  The goal is not to eliminate down time.  It is to reduce down time and make sure support mechanisms are in place when things go wrong.

3.  Can we shift the cost of technology to our clients?  I hate this question for many reasons.  I suppose the answer may be yes, with adequate disclosures to the client.  But any firm that passes technology costs to clients is missing the point of technology. Technology allows lawyers to provide more efficient service to clients and higher quality services.  Technology to me has always been about client satisfaction and retention.  The value of that exceeds the investment you will make if technology is installed, maintained and used correctly.

4.  The alternative to investing in technology is being left behind. When lawyers wince at the cost of software or hardware, remind them what the pay for their Yellow Pages advertisements.  Do they make their cleints pay for ad space?  While the Yellow Pages may bring a new client in the door, technology and good service will keep them coming back and improve the odds of success for both you and your client.

What Can Technology Do For You?

Technology offers tremendous cost saving potential to both lawyers and clients.  Technology also creates an opportunity for lawyers and law firms to be transparent to their clients.  By transparent I mean that the client can have complete access to their digital file online and can see what the lawyer is doing day to day. 

At Traverse Legal, we believe that technology has created an opportunity to revolutionize legal practice.  We are a paperless, high-tech law office, perhaps one of the most high-tech offices in Michigan.  Technology allows us to do many day to day tasks much more quickly.  This saves the lawyer time and you money. 

Let me give you an example.  A lawyer receives a phone call from opposing counsel asking about an ongoing discovery issue, which remains unresolved.  In a paper based law firm, that lawyer has to go find all of the correspondence and pleadings relevant to the issue before calling the adverse attorney on the phone.  Finding that paper, let alone the file it exist in, takes a lot of time.  Lawyers bill you for that time. 

In a paperless office, we have complete access to all file materials directly from our laptops.  In a matter of seconds, we can pull up each piece of relevant correspondence and each pleading, which relates to the issue.  Not only does this make us more efficient, it also makes us more effective.  If the other attorney did not take the time to pull out all of the relevant materials, we are automatically at a tremendous advantage.  Instead of talking off the cuff, we can cite each and every key fact and case directly from our desktop or laptop computers. 

There are hundreds of day to day examples where technology can make a business person, including the lawyer, more efficient and effective.  This not only drives legal costs down, but also increases the quality of the representation you receive.  If you are not using a law firm committed to the use of technology to innovate legal practice, then you are spending money on legal fees needlessly.  Contact Traverse Legal today and find out what high-tech legal service can do for you.  If you are not absolutely satisfied with the service we provide and the price for that service, we will discount your bill to any level you find acceptable.