The best Cloud-Based Apps for your Legal Practice
Cloud based apps can play a significant role in digitisation across your legal practice.
Utilising apps can free up time, stream line client on boarding processes and reflect well on a firm’s overall capabilities. In this article we will take a look at some of the best cloud based legal practice apps on the market, their benefits and potential return on investment for your firm.
Client Portals
Cloud-based client portals are among the most useful solutions for firm’s of all sizes. A client portal enables law firms to share sensitive data with clients securely.
For example, lawyers use client portals to share information like invoices, case documents, messages, and updates on ongoing cases. In addition, a cloud-based client portal enables time saving communication, moving away from emails and multiple phone calls.
For example, a client may require a copy of an amended document or wishes to know the progress of pending litigation. Rather than sending an email and waiting a long time to get a reply or calling the office where they may be put on hold, clients can easily log in to their cloud-based client portals and get the information instantly. The self-service capabilities of a client portal increase efficiencies and strengthen the relationships between your law firm and the clients.
Furthermore, deploying a client portal application on top of other cloud-based practice management solutions provided a law firm with greater flexibility. The cloud’s on-demand access and broad network access attributes enable lawyers to work from any location through any internet enabled device.
In addition, a cloud-based client portal allows lawyers to interact with their clients through a secure online environment which extends security and compliance beyond the typical unsecured email or SMS text. For the cherry on top, client portals are easy to use, have an interactive user design, and do not require special technological skills.
The client portal solution from The Access Group provides features like real-time progress updates, secure document sharing, collaboration and authorisation, integrations with multiple systems to optimise performance, facilitate e-signature management with access to real time data and reporting.
Additional client portal providers for law firms include Clio, Lawmatics, Practice Panther, Rally, and Decision Vault.
2. Cloud-Based Legal CRM
Law firms can also host a legal client relationship management (CRM) solution in the cloud. A cloud-based CRM software enables firms to manage critical business functions, including but not limited to scheduling and following up on client appointments, tracking revenues from different clients, intaking new clients, and client onboarding.
Additionally, a cloud-based CRM assists different staff members in collecting data on potential clients, generating client on boarding forms, assigning different tasks and reminders for scheduled appointments.
Depending on the law firm’s size and assigned roles, the people who can use cloud-based CRM solutions include lawyers, firm partners, paralegals, and other support staff.
Moreover, law firms use cloud-based CRM products to create and maintain specific databases for easier client management. The CRM solutions leverage the cloud’s capabilities to provide easy accessibility from any location or device, simplified management, and consistent updating to capture client information and requirements in real-time. It also utilises the cloud’s analytical and data intelligence capabilities to maintain automated calendars to schedule client appointments and structure client information. Additional features of a cloud-based CRM include:
· A centralised dashboard designed to enable easy user interaction and provide complete visibility into the clients’ statuses
· Using customisable tags to organise existing and potential clients allows you to locate clients
· Sending automated reminders to clients regarding scheduled appointments to ensure you never miss a meeting
Bitrix24 is a leading legal CRM solution that supports multiple languages and global operations and provides an intuitive user interface. InterAction is also an effective CRM solution that integrates Outlook contacts with multiple systems and has a centralised dashboard to provide increased visibility. Other legal CRM software includes Lexicata, Fynsis, Law Ruler, and Zoho CRM.
3. Cloud-Based Disclosure Apps
Disclosure is the legal process where law firms have the right to collect and produce non-privileged information to support their arguments in a court process. eDisclosure involves electronically stored information, such as databases, emails, financial data, and computer files. Cloud-based eDisclosure tools take this process to a whole new level.
For example, cloud-hosted eDisclosure software provides law firms with infinite scalability where they can provision scalable resources to meet the increasing computing demands. An eDisclosure process may involve thousands of electronic files that must be analysed and evaluated. The cloud provides corporate legal teams with the capacity and flexibility to handle any file size without investing in costly IT infrastructure.
At the same time, cloud-based eDisclosure enables law firms to optimise resources and improve collaboration. Specifically, a cloud infrastructure extends the eDisclosure platform to all teams involved in an ongoing legal case despite their locations. Thus, hosting the eDisclosure application in the cloud permits external counsel, alternative legal service providers (ALSPs), and corporate lawyers to collaborate seamlessly. They use the same cloud-hosted platform to work concurrently on an ongoing case without compromising the case’s integrity and confidentiality.
Besides, since the eDiscovery landscape evolves continuously, the legal teams require innovative approaches to pivot rapidly and meet emerging requirements.
Moreover, other data types like audio-visual and chat messages complicate the eDiscovery process. Fortunately, cloud-based eDisclosure software enables legal teams to future-proof emerging requirements since cloud vendors can deliver the required functionalities to address new needs. In addition, cloud providers extend eDisclosure applications’ functions to tap into the cloud’s computing power, including automated image identifications and speech-to-text transcription. The top providers of eDisclosure apps include Logikcull, Everlaw, Onna, Intradyn, and Nextpoint.
4. Legal Practice Management Applications
Legal practice management software is a vital technology that enables law firms to manage cases, legal operations, and other case workloads.
Hosting your legal practice management software on the cloud unlocks numerous benefits, including access to future-ready tools. For instance, a cloud-based legal management app updates itself automatically and routinely, eliminating the need to schedule manual upgrades that often comes with downtime challenges.
Thus, your law firm receives the latest features that leverage emerging innovations to ensure compatibility with other legal technology tools deployed within your cloud environment.
Cloud-based legal practice management software is also affordable, allowing you to save the expenses incurred in hosting and maintaining it on-premise. Cloud providers offer a low and predictable monthly or annual cost, greater efficiency, and time-saving since a cloud-hosted solution is accessible from all locations and highly scalable to handle increasing case workloads.
Cloud-hosted legal practice management applications also enable law firms to attract top legal talent.
The current generation of talent is highly dependent on technology, and hosting legal practice management software on the cloud enables them to be more innovative, creative, and productive, which provides clients with better and more quality services. Some of the best legal practice management app providers are Clio, Smokeball, MyCase, CosmoLex, Zola Suite, Rocket Matter, PracticePanther, Lawmatics, PCLaw®, and CASEpeer.
Getting started with the Cloud
In order to adopt applications to enhance the productivity, stability and end client experience of your firm, your technology landscape needs to be able to host and support these systems.
Cloud Geeni manage the cloud adoption process from start to finish. Cloud Geeni have been a trusted supplier to the legal sector for over 15 years , successfully migrating hundreds of firms with thousands of end users.
Removing on premise infrastructure removes the cost of upgrading and maintaining physical servers, with configurations handled by Cloud Geeni’s in house team of Microsoft Gold certified engineers.
With the freedom to access systems from any internet enabled device, your legal firm can undergo a digital transformation in a cost effective way.
At Cloud Geeni the end user experience is always our primary focus, with 24/7 support staff on hand to assist with any issues.
Get in touch with a cloud expert today to start your cloud adoption journey.