Posted 27 September 2024
Today’s legal clients are tech and cost-savvy - and they expect the same from their law firms. Not only are corporate clients under economic pressure to reduce legal expenditures, but they are also experimenting more with AI-powered tools to help drive internal efficiencies. To stay competitive, law firms need to rise to the challenge of helping clients meet their strategic objectives, while delivering maximum client value.
One of the most effective ways for law firms to address these challenges is by leveraging workflow automation to streamline operations. By driving greater efficiencies internally, firms will be well positioned to deliver higher-level strategic work and develop greater trust with clients. In this post, we’ll explore how workflow automation can revolutionise the way firms operate, benefiting both the firm and its clients.
Streamlining Client Communication
Effective communication is at the heart of any successful client relationship. However, managing emails, follow-ups, and document exchanges can become overwhelming, especially for law firms handling multiple clients and cases simultaneously. Workflow automation tools, like Sysero, allow firms to streamline these communication processes, ensuring that client interactions are timely, organised, and consistent.
For instance, automated client intake forms can collect essential information from clients without the need for back-and-forth emails. This information can then be automatically routed to the relevant legal team for review, reducing delays and errors.
Additionally, automated reminders and notifications can be set up to ensure that clients are kept informed about key deadlines, meetings, and case updates. For example, Spoor & Fisher Jersey leveraged Sysero’s low-code platform to build a robust workflow system designed to help its trademark formalities team quickly process and respond to trademark status updates. The Sysero Trademark Enquiry Handling Workflow pulls in data from the firm’s IP system to make it easy for team members to automatically access and aggregate the data they need to keep clients informed of their trademark status progress.
By automating routine communication tasks, law firms can deliver faster, more responsive service while reducing overhead costs. This improved efficiency translates into greater value for clients, who benefit from a more streamlined and organised legal process.
Speeding Up Transactional Work
Transactional work, such as contract drafting, review, and management, is a core function of many law firms. However, the traditional approach to handling contracts can be labour-intensive and prone to delays, as lawyers often spend significant time manually reviewing and revising documents. Workflow automation can drastically speed up these processes by automating many of the repetitive tasks involved in contract management.
For example, AI-powered contract automation tools can help lawyers quickly draft contracts using pre-approved templates, reducing the need for manual input and ensuring consistency across documents. These tools can also flag missing clauses, suggest revisions, and identify potential risks, allowing lawyers to complete their work more efficiently.
Consider Sysero’s legal workflow automation technology, which now features an AI chatbot accessible directly within Word. This tool enables users to quickly rewrite and revise contract clauses and drafts. If one party requests specific changes, a lawyer can use Sysero's AI tool to redraft the contract according to those requirements, without needing to consult multiple experts or worry about conflicting clauses.
Unlike public AI tools, Sysero uses in-house knowledge documents to generate content, ensuring that internal knowledge is never exposed to public search engines or external AI systems. This approach improves content accuracy and reduces the risk of "AI hallucinations"—instances where AI generates incorrect or fabricated outputs that seem credible.
By automating transactional work, law firms can complete higher-quality transactional work at scale. This not only helps firms meet tight client deadlines, but also reduces the cost of transactional services - giving firms a much-needed competitive advantage.
Delivering Higher-Value Client Services
One of the greatest benefits of workflow automation is that it frees up lawyers to focus on higher-value work. By eliminating time-consuming manual tasks, such as document generation, scheduling, and data entry, lawyers can spend more time providing strategic guidance and advice to their clients.
For example, instead of manually assembling routine legal documents, lawyers can use automation tools like Sysero to quickly generate them, allowing them to dedicate more time to understanding the nuances of their clients’ businesses and legal challenges. This shift from routine tasks to value-added services not only enhances the quality of legal support, but also strengthens client relationships, as clients receive more personalised and insightful advice.
In addition, by reducing the administrative burden on legal teams, workflow automation enables firms to operate more efficiently. This allows them to offer more flexible pricing models, such as flat fees or alternative billing arrangements, which can be more appealing to cost-conscious clients. Ultimately, clients benefit from more focused legal services, better advice, and predictable legal costs—all of which contribute to a stronger, more productive lawyer-client relationship.
Conclusion
Workflow automation is transforming the legal industry by enabling law firms to deliver more efficient, cost-effective services to their clients. From streamlining client communication and speeding up transactional work to freeing up lawyers for higher-value tasks, workflow automation empowers law firms to operate more efficiently while providing greater value to clients. As clients continue to seek faster, more affordable legal services, law firms that embrace workflow automation will be well-positioned to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
The future of law is automated, and firms that leverage these tools will be the ones to lead the way.Ready to future-proof your firm? Get in touch with Sysero to learn more about bringing workflow automation to your firm.