Improving the flow of documentation in a law firm

For various institutions, including law firms, a properly functioning workflow of documentation is of key importance for the fulfillment of their contractual obligations. In law firms, letters from clients and clients, court institutions and offices as well as replies to these letters are of key importance for the conducted activity. Losing a document, handing over the documentation to an inappropriate person, or failure to reply to the letter on time may result in losing the case conducted on behalf of the client.

The circulation of documentation must therefore be correct and free from the possibility of making mistakes. This is crucial for the efficiency of the office's work, but also for ensuring data security. So how to improve the flow of documentation in the office so that it works flawlessly?

What is the circulation of documentation in a law firm?

The circulation of documentation is the path of a given letter from the moment of its receipt at the office to the preparation and sending of a reply to the letter. Depending on the size of the office, the number of lawyers involved in running the client's case and the complexity of the case, this cycle may be shorter or longer. This means that the letter can pass through the hands of several or even a dozen or so team members. The longer the way of the letter in the office, the greater the risk of losing the documentation or missing the deadline.

Sample workflow in a law firm:

1. A clerk of the secretariat accepts mail.
2. tracking the process of selling services - knowing the preferences and needs of clients, the law firm will find out which services will be the most profitable.
3. The document is handed over to the managing person for distribution.
4. The letter is forwarded to the lawyer responsible for the given case.
5. The reply to the letter is sent to the secretariat and for dispatch.

Methods of processing documentation in the office without modern technologies

Different companies and institutions use different methods of document circulation. The most popular are the log-free and log-based methods. As the name suggests, the first of them indicates that the documentation is not subject to too precise records. It is abandoned because it allows too many errors and omissions in the documentation flow. State institutions or law firms, for which documentation is crucial for the performance of work, cannot afford any negligence (loss or flooding of the document).

The log method , on the other hand, while it provides a higher level of security, is unfortunately time-consuming. Based on the above (short) flow of documentation in the office, you can see what actions must be taken after the document is accepted:

• the person responsible for mail enters the document in the journal and provides basic information such as the sender, date of receipt, case reference number
• the manager or owner of the firm must review the letter and assign it to the lawyer dealing with the case
• the lawyer responsible for the case reads the document and prepares a reply to the letter, bearing in mind the binding deadline for the reply
• the letter goes to the secretary's office, where the responsible person should register the letter, supplementing the recipient, subject of the letter, date of sending and reference number

Improving the flow of documentation in law offices

Law firms using the journal method can improve the flow of documentation by training all employees in the procedure of document circulation and the security of documentation processing in the office. An even better solution, however, will be to use new IT technologies to improve the management of the office. In the system dedicated to law firms, the flow of documentation is electronic. Such a method not only significantly speeds up the entire process, but also eliminates the possibility of negligence and errors that can be made in the journaling method. In addition, a law office using such a system provides employees with constant access to all documents and information, including incoming and outgoing mail. As a result, the lawyer responsible for the case has direct access to information regarding the receipt and dispatch of mail.

Document workflow in LegallyCRM

LegallyCRM, an innovative CRM system for lawyers, also has a mail module. A law office using LegallyCRM has the ability to connect its scanning devices with the system, thanks to which it is possible to scan incoming mail directly into the system to the undeclared mail folder.

By adding e-mail to the system, you can:

• indicate the date of creation, date of receipt and the shipment number
• add it to incoming or outgoing mail and indicate the sender or addressee (an additional advantage is the ability to create an address book in the system)
• assign the letter to the case already underway and to the attending lawyer
• send a message to the responsible person and the customer about the receipt of new documentation
• give the letter a name and pre-describe its contents
• convert a letter from pdf to editable text (thanks to the OCR module), thanks to which it will be possible to search in the writing system by keywords

Pros resulting from improving the flow of documentation

As we have already indicated, the smooth flow of documentation in a law firm is of key importance for its operation. Try the LegallyCRM system and improve the flow of documentation in the office, and handling cases will be easier and without the risk of error. Cases will be resolved quickly, which will positively affect the final result, and thus the financial results of the law firm.

Author

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  Izabela Praska

  Editor of Saleswizard.pl, specialist in legal marketing. Specialist in LegallyCRM, FooDeliver, OrderEngine and Bookable products.