When economists pronounce that the “age of automation” is upon us, it casts fear and doubts into many hard-working Americans, 72% of whom feel “automation anxiety.” This term references the fear that automated or robotic devices will eventually replace workers.
However, automation is here to help humans, not replace them. With lawyers, those taking advantage of automation are reaping the rewards. They spend less time on repetitive tasks, reduce errors, spend more time with clients, and ultimately boost profits.
Here are three benefits automation could bring to your firm.
1. Increased Accuracy
Law firms are under increasing pressure to deliver more and more, under ever-reducing time constraints. The added pressure is leading to costly mistakes. Even tiny mistakes such as placing a comma in the wrong place can cost a company upwards of 1 million dollars. A misdrafted document can cost a whole lot more in the form of a legal malpractice lawsuit.
However, making sure every single document is exactly correct is a time-consuming process. That is until you employ the benefits provided by automation software. A recent study tested the performance of LawGeex (an AI-powered contract checking platform) against 20 human attorneys on reviewing and approving non-disclosure agreements.
The automated software was not only more accurate (94% vs. 85%), but it took a mere 26 seconds for the software to complete the checks. The human lawyers took just over an hour and a half to review the same documents.
2. Never Miss a Deadline
Missing deadlines is still one of the most common mistakes made by lawyers today. It’s not unusual for there to be hundreds of filing deadlines related to just one case, and when filing comes right down to the wire, there’s no room for error. What’s worse is that missed deadlines cost valuable clients’ money.
By using automated calendar apps, you can input all of the deadlines just once and receive timely daily reminders of what needs to be filed and when it needs to be filed by. You can also fill in important court dates, client meetings, and other professional duties to ensure you never miss an essential engagement ever again. Not only will this boost performance and efficiency, but it will also increase client satisfaction.
3. Find More Time for Clients
One of the biggest grievances clients have with their attorneys is that they don’t hear from them enough. Even though automation is faceless, it can help you create windows to meet with clients (or talk on the phone) by automating repetitive or fact-checking processes.
You can also use automated software to keep in touch with clients more often. A monthly email or weekly newsletter can help a client to feel more of a part of your firm. Better still, automated software can be programmed to send out a notification when a case has progressed to the next stage. This way, you don’t have to field daily phone calls from clients asking where you are with a case.
As you can see, automation helps to deliver a more personal experience, despite the lack of human involvement.
Take Advantage of Automation Now Before Others Leave You Behind
Automation within the legal industry is not something to be feared. It should be celebrated as a chance for lawyers to free themselves from the monotony of fact-checking and repetitive filing tasks, allowing you to focus on building client relationships instead. By embracing change instead of fearing it, law firms can: improve efficiency, automate workflows, remotely manage documentation, and better adhere to set schedules and deadlines.
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