The best document management software offers a myriad of legal software features that improve a law firm’s efficiency, productivity, and legal compliance. The software should simplify collaboration among members of your practice as well as communications with clients. Legal document automation is key to having the best legal matter management software.
What is legal document automation?
As the term suggests, legal document automation software enables lawyers to use templates to create intake forms, NDAs, retainer agreements, record requests, and other frequently needed documents. You might already rely on copy-and-replace to create documents: copying a recent discovery request and replacing all data relevant to the previous client with the new client’s data. This method is prone to error, however; it is easy to overlook an information element that needs to be updated for the new client. Such mistakes not only reflect poorly on your practice, but in some instances they can also violate compliance. Another benefit of legal document automation: it saves attorneys time, freeing them up to work on other matters.
How do you find the best legal document automation software?
In addition to providing sophisticated, easily modified templates so you can efficiently automate legal documents, the best legal document automation software facilitates collaboration by offering version control. This allows you to be certain everyone is working with the most updated documents while enabling you to track changes and, just as important, see who made revisions. Another feature to look for in legal document automation software is electronic signature functionality. This enables you, your clients, and any other correspondents to quickly and easily sign documents when needed. Certainly, the best legal document automation software enables users to securely access their information from just about anywhere.
What are other important features of legal document management software?
In addition to legal document automation, a document management system for your law firm should include:
- Document storage. You should have unlimited document storage that is compliant with industry norms such as ISO. For personal injury lawyers, it is also important that document storage is HIPAA compliant.
- Security. Cloud storage offers optimal security for several reasons. Server redundancy ensures that should one server be subjected to physical or cyber damage, that data can still be accessed via another server. Cloud computing also relies on sophisticated encryption, so that even if outsiders attempted to access your files while they are in transit from your device to a server, or stored on the server, they could not read the data. What’s more, cloud storage providers have cybersecurity professionals monitoring their networks 24/7.
- Access permissions. This feature enables you to define who can view, edit, and create documents in your system. In addition to maximizing internal security, user permissions allow for easier collaboration, by ensuring those who need access to particular files have it.
- Advanced search. Your document management system should have an advanced keyword search system so you can filter through case details or documents faster.
- Collaboration. Another important feature to have is internal collaboration access to documents. This feature allows you to co-author documents, track changes, and edit documents from anywhere.
- Electronic signatures. Clients should be able to easily sign legal documents electronically in the system. CloudLex relies on industry giants and the leaders in e-signature: DocuSign and Adobe Sign.
- Integration. Your document management software should integrate with document creation and storage software such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft Office. It should also be matter-centric, allowing you to link matters, contacts, and categories, and to label documents for each retrieval.
What is the CloudLex Matter Manager?
Part of the CloudLex suite of practice management software for personal injury lawyers, Matter Manager enables you to create, manage, and store matters ranging from contracts to videos in one secure location. It encompasses legal document automation, complete with version control, as well as legal workflow automation so that redundant tasks require less time and fewer resources. It facilitates collaboration among team members, no matter where each is located, and enables you to track and link to notes, documents, insurance information, and other matters. Because data is stored on the cloud, the program provides you with peace of mind regarding security while also boosting efficiency.
