Since law firms are service-based, revenue earned in the legal profession is mainly based on hours billed for work on behalf of their clients. These hours include:<\/p>\n
These are the kinds of tasks and hours that law firms want to maximise, so they can run revenue-driven businesses.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, non-billable hours, like administrative tasks, are a fact of life for any law firm and can take up a significant amount of time per day. And this is where AI and legal workflow<\/a> automation can help.<\/p>\n Legal workflow automation helps law firms automate routine tasks. These processes allow lawyers and staff to focus on strategic tasks (or other areas that require their skills and expertise) and less on routine administrative tasks. With legal workflow automation, law firms can automate anything from billing to document management while reducing errors and decreasing overhead.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n Non-billable tasks are essential to the maintenance and growth of your law firm. But they also cost money to execute and consume time you could be putting towards earning revenue.<\/p>\n Non-billable tasks are particularly problematic for small firms and sole practitioners who may have fewer revenue streams (than large firms) to offset such expenses.<\/p>\n Non-billables are such a problem that, according to the most recent\u00a0Legal Trends Report<\/em><\/a>, the average lawyer only performs 2.9 hours of billable work each day. That means that compared to a standard 8-hour workday, the typical lawyer only has a 33% utilisation rate<\/a>. No wonder solicitor working hours<\/a> often extend beyond 5:00 p.m.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the good news\u2014with today\u2019s advancements in law office automation and technology, it\u2019s possible to reduce your firm\u2019s time on non-billable work. It all comes down to having a mix of priority-based planning, advanced technology\/cloud-based apps, and ongoing watchful management.<\/p>\n The short answer is, \u201cno.\u201d With law office automation and technology, you\u2019re not taking away the human element of the practice. Instead, you\u2019ll spend less time on time-intensive, tedious tasks and more time on activities that require your skills and expertise.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n Lawyers can automate a significant portion of their work with current technology. Automation gives your law firm the advantage of servicing clients and attracting new business more efficiently.<\/p>\n Law firm automation<\/a> can:<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re a sole practitioner or small firm, automation levels the playing field by enabling you to stay competitive on a smaller budget.<\/p>\n Automating your law firm might come across as an easier-said-than-done kind of scenario, but with the proper steps in place, the transition can be much easier than you think.<\/p>\n Here are six steps to consider when adding new automation technologies to your day-to-day processes.<\/p>\n The key is to start with one thing at a time. And in particular, start with one thing that you don\u2019t like.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve created a list of all the things you don\u2019t like doing. The next step is to decide which ones are good candidates for automation<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve determined that there are numerous tasks that your law firm could benefit from automating, create a plan of action so that you\u2019re able to tackle changes one by one.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also need to prioritise implementation as part of your day-to-day life without jeopardizing the attorney and client experience. Don\u2019t forget to consider the needs of other staff members using these programs\u2014for example, choosing the right software for your paralegals.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve prioritised which processes to automate, conduct research to find the best solution that fits your needs based on your implementation timeline and budget. The Clio App Directory<\/a> is a good place to start your research.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t find what you\u2019re looking for, if-this-then-that tools like Zapier<\/a> can help you automate actions between specific tools. Additionally, paralegal automation should be prioritised at your firm.<\/p>\n And, of course, there’s Artificial intelligence (AI). According to our research, 96% of firms currently have adopted AI<\/a> in some way. It may not be explicitly noticeable\u2014but it helps lawyers and paralegals do their jobs better. Specifically,\u00a0 AI in law firms helps legal professionals transform their practice by putting clients first in an unprecedented way.<\/p>\n By using the document automation tool<\/a>, legal professionals can:<\/p>\n Subscribe to our blog and get our blog posts delivered to your inbox!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n Technological change can be uncomfortable and intimidating for your staff, so ensure they are aware of the plan and have the proper training for the easiest transition. It\u2019s always better to communicate change<\/a> early.<\/p>\n Although one of the advantages of implementing automation is that you can \u201cset-it-and-forget-it,\u201d you should regularly re-evaluate your processes over time. There is plenty of opportunity for customisations using automation tools, and each vendor will offer unique features, so never be complacent with your technology.<\/p>\n Also, regularly asking for feedback from staff and clients will help you uncover valuable opportunities for improvement\u2014and further savings on overhead.<\/p>\n Legal workflow automation technology provides limitless opportunities when it comes to helping you save time on key law firm processes, like\u00a0 client intake, document automation,<\/a> client communications, payment collections, client reviews, and more.<\/p>\n By optimizing these areas, you\u2019ll be able to spend less time doing non-billable tasks. And, you\u2019ll spend more time creating revenue for your law firm.<\/p>\n Create a solid plan and take a step-by-step approach to integrate new automation technologies. Then, you\u2019ll be set up for success.<\/p>\n So, take advantage of those automation tools. You\u2019ll achieve efficiencies that will help you deliver better experiences for both clients and a better work environment for attorneys.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWhat is legal workflow automation?\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t
Legal workflow automation can increase your billable hours<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWill automation replace lawyers?\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t
Why automate legal workflow processes?<\/h2>\n
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6 steps to legal workflow automation<\/h2>\n
1. Choose what to automate<\/h3>\n
2. Evaluate the value of each task<\/h3>\n
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3. Create a plan<\/h3>\n
4. Research automation tools<\/h3>\n
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Want more Clio News?<\/h2>\t\t\t
5. Develop a change management plan<\/h3>\n
6. Review and iterate<\/h3>\n
Final notes on legal workflow automation<\/h2>\n