Many lawyers are now operating in the cloud—whether they’re working remotely part of the time or they’ve embraced an entirely virtual law firm. 

Law firms have rapidly adopted more technology throughout the past year, and consumers have done the same. A 2020 Legal Trends Report found 58% of consumers said that technology is more important to them now than before the COVID-19 pandemic.  The report also found that the shift towards remote work is likely to continue once the pandemic is over. What does this mean for law firms? It’s now more important than ever to embrace technology and tools that support remote work for lawyers.

Here are eight of the best examples of law firm technology for 2023 based on data from industry reports and trends we’ve observed in the legal industry, along with some pro tips to keep in mind.

1. Online File Storage Solutions

Pro Tip: Keep an eye out for online file storage tools that are cloud-based, secure, and easy to use.

When you’re working remotely or want convenient, streamlined access to documents to work and collaborate from anywhere, online file storage solutions are a must. They’re also incredibly common, with 79% of lawyers reporting in the 2020 Legal Trends Report that they rely on cloud technology to store their firm’s data. 

Dropbox—one of the world’s most popular document storage apps—is likely your first option for secure online file storage. According to the 2020 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report, Dropbox was the most popular cloud service, with 67% of survey respondents indicating that they were active Dropbox users.

2. Document Creation Services/Word Processors

Pro Tip: Use a cloud-based word processor to level up your document and letter drafting capabilities.

As a member of the legal industry, drafting documents and letters is a natural part of your daily routine. Using a cloud-based word processor to take your document and letter drafting up a notch is a great idea because now you can work and access your legal documents remotely instead of exclusively at the office.

Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365) is a popular business tool for lawyers that offers word processing via Word, as well as numerous other productivity tools. 

3. Document Scanning

Pro Tip: Get a document scanner like Evernote to digitize documents anywhere.

From legal documents to expense receipts, lawyers deal with papers and documents daily that they need to easily access on demand, from anywhere. A scanner (or scanner app on your phone) is key if you want to digitize documents anywhere.

If you go the app route, Evernote is a good option. The app integrates with your smartphone camera to empower you to capture (and organize) notes and documents.

4. VOIP Solutions and Virtual Receptionist Services

Pro Tip: a VOIP solution lets you answer phone calls anywhere, and a virtual receptionist eliminates missed calls.

You need to be reachable at your business phone number no matter where you are. A Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone services like Vonage, Corvum, and GoToConnect let you answer phone calls remotely by forwarding calls made to your business line to wherever you are.

Virtual receptionist services like Ruby offers live virtual reception and chat options and eliminates unanswered calls. As a bonus, it cuts the cost of having a full-time in-house staff member fielding calls. 

5. Billing Solutions and Time Tracking

Pro Tip: Use practice management software to alleviate time-tracking headaches.

Tracking your time and billing accordingly are critical to maintaining long-term profits. But spending a lot of time manually monitoring time and dealing with billing takes away from what matters most: serving your clients.

If you aren’t using lawyer tools to help with time and billing, start by looking at your practice management software, which may offer features to cover this.

6. High-Quality Legal Research with Fastcase

Pro Tip: Use Fastcase to streamline your legal research efforts.

High-quality legal research holds a large contributing factor to winning cases. You can conduct your legal research faster and more effectively by using services like Fastcase, which has one of the largest online law libraries in the world.

7. Electronic Signature Management

Pro Tip: Use DocuSign to streamline your legal verification processes.

E-signatures are more convenient to coordinate, make legal work faster, and save paper. While they don’t work in every situation, they are legally binding in many situations, as long as they meet the right criteria. While some states require wet signatures for documents like wills, using electronic signature management solutions is a great idea for your firm. 

Regardless, we recommend using DocuSign, the most popular electronic signature and cloud solution service globally.

8. Video Conferencing

Pro Tip: Secure video conferencing increases convenience for both you and your clients.

The aforementioned 2020 Legal Trends Report noted 37% of consumers prefer to meet virtually with a lawyer for a consultation or first meeting, and 50% would rather follow-up meetings be via video conference.

The best video tools for lawyers should be secure, easy to use, and clear with minimal interruptions. Zoom and Microsoft Teams are great virtual conferencing solutions that allow you to securely invite and speak with clients with password protection. 

Next Steps

By partnering with Internos, you’ll get a technology suite and the support you need to to reliably run your legal practice. Our IT support for law firms blends traditional in-office systems and cutting-edge cloud technologies that you need to work efficiently and in compliance no matter where you are.

Contact us or book a meeting to discuss your IT needs today.