8 Steps to Better Document Management for Small Law Firms

Transcription

1 8 Steps to Better Document Management for Small Law Firms

2 In today s busy world, document management is a hassle for even the most organized small law firm. With digital copies, hard copies and duplicate copies of documents from every matter floating around, it can be tough to find the documents you need, when you need them. Despite that, paperwork is part and parcel of working in the legal industry, and attorneys have to stay on top of every detail in order to keep clients happy. Does your law firm need to get organized and gain control of the never ending stream of documents that flows through your office? Our six steps will help you organize your documents and streamline all of your work into one place that s completely free of stress, hassle and mistakes.

3 Step 1 Identify key documents that your firm uses regularly This first step is critical. Chances are, your law firm has key documents that are used daily, and probably even multiple times each day! Your first step towards better document management is to identify those highly-trafficked forms and paperwork, and get them organized. Make a list of what types of work require them, how often they re used and what steps are required to complete them. Step 2 Mrs. Mary Singleton # Washington Street South Pittsburgh PA Re: Your Marriage to Jason Singleton STARK & ASSOCIATES 1 N 141 County Farm Road, Wheaton IL Pho Fax Dear Mary, You have requested we provide legal services to you with respect to your divorce to Jason Singleton. You have informed us that you have either not retained the services of another attorney for this matter; or, that you have told your other attorney of your wish to retain us. We note the date of your marriage was on August and you were married in Naperville, IL. Make digital templates for key documents The next step is to take those essential documents you identified and create updated templates for each one. Take this opportunity to clean up and improve your templates. Is all contact information correct, and is the design clean and modern? Is it the best example of this form that you have access to? Put your new digital templates in one folder so they are ready to use at a moment s notice.

4 Step 3 Let your clients provide signatures digitally If this sounds scary, it doesn t have to be. Digital signatures are used by businesses everywhere and these days, they are completely secure and confidential. Real estate agents, lawyers and countless other professionals ask clients to provide digital signatures to speed up the process and require less face time. After receiving an with a signature request, completed paperwork is just a few easy steps away with tools like HelloSign and Echosign. Step 4 Create centralized digital files for each and every client Once you ve got your digital template folder in place, organize every existing client file you can find. Sounds like a big task? It may be, but it s worth the effort for the time you ll save in the long run. Imagine having a client on the phone and knowing exactly where to look to answer all their questions and provide exactly what they need. It s possible just create a folder for each client that records everything from contact and case information to contracts and paperwork.

5 Step 5 Use a tool like Smokeball to keep everything in one place If Step 4 has you feeling a little overwhelmed, consider using Smokeball to do the work for you. Smokeball is productivity software designed specifically for small law firms. It integrates with Microsoft Word so you can preload forms and templates, gives your entire team cloud access to work from anywhere, and streamlines client communications. Not only does Smokeball put your new document templates in one place it also organizes all client records and s for you in accordance with your contact list. With Smokeball, you ll never have to search for an , document or phone number again, and every detail about every matter will be in one organized, easyto-access place. Step 6 Develop a formalized process that the entire firm will use for document management Whether you re tackling digital document organization yourself or allowing Smokeball to do the work for you, develop a plan to get your entire law firm on the same page. Everyone from the office manager to your senior partners should be using the same system in the same way. Only with a documented and reliable document management process can you guarantee that you ll have the information you need right at your fingertips whenever you need it. What steps will you take today to organize your law firm s approach to document management? If you need assistance, take a look at Smokeball s features, and reach out to the Smokeball Product Consultants at for a product demo before it s too late. Once you get organized, you ll enjoy happier clients, less stressful days, and yes, more income for your small law firm.