In today’s legal climate, transitioning to paperless is a vital step for law firms. Going paperless is no longer all about convenience but also about efficiency, time management, and increased compliance. By going paperless, law firms can expect that their workload management will improve, that their attorneys will be more productive, and that they’ll easily be able to pull information whenever they need it, with no risk of it going missing from the file cabinet.
Transitioning to the cloud for both bookkeeping and firm management should be a goal for any growing law firm, but making this transition isn’t always easy. Today, we’re sharing some tips for transitioning to a paperless law firm and operating it effectively.
Should I take my law firm paperless?
If you plan on continuing to practice law in the future or even if you just plan on selling your firm, the answer to this question is a resounding yes. Going paperless boosts compliance, makes billing easier and speeds up cash flow, and more. It is especially useful for ensuring that all client information is stored in a safe and secure place, a concern that should be top of mind for any law firm.
Why are law firms going paperless?
The decision of going paperless as a law firm has become increasingly popular in the last few years and for good reason! Operating a paperless law firm comes with a ton of benefits, including:
- The ability to use electronic signatures and automatically send them to parties once documents have been signed.
- Easier organization of client documents and the ability to search for keywords and phrases in those documents using your computer keyboard.
- The peace of mind knowing that your clients documents won’t get “lost” in the filing cabinet and that you’ll never have to panic if a flat fee client calls you about the work you did for them months or even years down the line.
- More efficient workload management, resulting in the time to take on more cases and reducing burnout among your attorneys.
How to: Your Guide to Going Paperless in Your Law Firm
Now that you know about the amazing benefits of going paperless, let’s talk about what you can do to actually start transitioning to a paperless law firm. We recommend taking these vital steps:
Choose a Case Management Tool
The very first step you should take is to choose a law firm project management tool that fits your needs. Typically, this software will be the main place that you will manage client records, documents, appointments, schedules, deadlines, and even productivity KPIs. A few that we recommend to our clients include:
- Clio
- MyCase
- LeanLaw
Click here to read our analysis of how to choose which software is right for you.
Transfer Your Law Firm Data into Your Case Management Software
If you have paper files or things lurking about in a google drive, now is the time to appropriately scan and upload those documents to your new case management software. This process may seem tedious and time consuming, but the ability to easily search client data will pay off in no time! You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll regain your time from this activity. Plus, this is a great task to delegate to your paralegal!
Sync Your Law Firm Case Mangement Software with QuickBooks Online
To get the most out of your case management software and ensure your billing is paperless as well, you’ll want to be sure to sync your software with QuickBooks Online. In most cases, this will be an integration innately available to you within your software. This will allow you to track time and financial KPIs alongside each other, leading to much more efficient decision making for your firm.
Establish Standard Procedures for Your Paperless Law Firm
Now that you have these systems in place, the next step is to clearly set up and document your standard operating procedures. This includes developing systems for:
- How to store client data
- How to send and collect electronic signatures
- How to track and manage time
- How to appropriately bill clients & follow up on past due invoices
- How to manage trust accounts
- And more.
Most law firms need a little support when it comes to setting up the bookkeeping side of these SOPs, so if you need support, reach out to us! Our team is especially qualified to help attorneys transition their firm to paperless and establish a clear and simple bookkeeping system in the cloud.
