AND THE SURVEY SAYS: SMALL LAW FIRMS ARE UNDER PRESSURE

Although many law firms are doing well, the pressure to continually adapt and compete in an increasingly complex landscape is unending. I recently came across an extremely illuminating infographic, complied by Thomson Reuters, that summarized the results of recent surveys conducted by Thomson Reuters, the ABA, Blue Hill Research and a few others. The results underscore the point and shed some light on the specific issues facing small law firms. The results focus on firms of 30 or fewer lawyers. You can review the infographic at http://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.com/law-products/news-views/small-law/law-firm-challenges-infographic

We’re not saying that SmartAdvocate is the solution to all challenges a law firm may be facing (we may believe it, but we’re not saying it). However, one of the recurring themes of the survey results is that firms need to manage workflow and time more efficiently, and be more cost effective in their operations. Clearly, SmartAdvocate helps law firms achieve these objectives.

Here are some specifics:

Small Firms Spend More Than 40% of Their Time on Administrative Tasks

One of the principal benefits of SmartAdvocate is the automation and reduction of repetitive administrative tasks. Our clients consistently tell us that they and their employees spend less time on a host of administrative tasks after implementing SmartAdvocate.

64% of Malpractice Claims Are Due to Calendaring or Administrative Errors

The calendar management and appointment features of SmartAdvocate, with their built-in notifications to those working on the case, reduce the possibility of missing a deadline or appearance. Just about everything in SmartAdvocate helps to reduce some type of administrative error. Moreover, the ability to sync court calendaring applications, such as eLaw, with and into SmartAdvocate case files, integrates data and information and reduces the possibility of missed appearances.

41% of Consumers Expect an E Mail Response Within 6 Hours

SmartAdvocate’s Outlook plug-in, and integrated e mail capabilities, including mass e mailing, make e mail management and response a lot more efficient. When handled remotely using our iPhone / iPad app, response times can become much shorter. The ability to e mail and text, either to a single party or en masse, is a great time saver and provides much faster responses.

21 States Have Adopted The ABA Ethical Duty of Technology Competence for Lawyers

This one is pretty self-evident and may be a growing trend. If you don’t feel comfortable, additional and refresher training is always available.

80% of Small Law Attorneys User Smartphones for Law-Related Tasks

Did I mention the SmartAdvocate iPhone app?

Firms Using Integrated Legal Technology Achieve 9% Higher Billings, 12 % More “Very High” Client Satisfaction Ratings and a 71% Increase in Referrals from Prior Clients

SmartAdvocate is a thoroughly integrated, all in one case management solution that lets you and the members of your firm collaboratively manage all aspects of your cases and your firm. We believe that it does more, in a single platform, than any other case management alternative out there. We’ve been touting the benefits of using SmartAdvocate; these numbers certainly appear to confirm that.

Small Firms with Practice Management System Need 40% Fewer Support Staff

We’re all about streamlining the process and increasing staff efficiency, and that means lower costs and increased profits. After implementing SmartAdvocate, clients find that because staff members are spending less time on repetitive tasks and functions, they are free to do more. And by being able to do more with fewer people, future employment costs are reduced or avoided.

Small Firms with Practice Management Systems Reduced Non-Billable Activity by 4-8 Hours Per Month

Administrative and firm management time is non-billable time. Every minute you don’t have to spend doing these tasks is a minute you can devote to actual law practice or business development. Think about the monetary value of those 4-8 hours in terms of potential revenue generated.

Conclusion

Practicing law, particularly for smaller firms, is more challenging now than ever before, and is likely to continue in this direction. One of the major keys to keeping pace and competing in this environment is the effective employment of technology. A powerful, all in one solution like SmartAdvocate is probably the most important tool you can have. These survey results explain why. If you are a SmartAdvocate client, make sure you are getting the most out of the system. If you’ve been considering a new case management system, call or e mail us. We’ll show you how you SmartAdvocate can help you.

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