Top Legal Assistant Technologies

A legal secretary's employment is mostly computer-based, thus being able to use technology to increase productivity is crucial. They should be able to quickly type, comprehend regularly used computer applications, and know how to use basic office supplies, among other abilities.

We have created a unique article about the technology tools legal secretaries claim to use on the job, every day, because technology plays a significant part in the role of a legal secretary.

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is a dated but still widely used programme that is still used by the majority of law firms. Legal secretaries must comprehend Word well in order to execute formatting, writing, proofreading, and editing activities because many businesses require them to write legal documents from scratch or use Word templates.

Excel

Another widely used Microsoft tool is Excel. Excel is frequently used by businesses to keep track of their billing hours, check invoices, and send and save estimates. Excel might also be required if you operate in a conveyancing practise to prepare completion statements and cash accounts for your clients.

Microsoft Outlook

The third most used Microsoft Office programme is Microsoft Outlook. Be ready to deal with many internal and external emails, as they are a constant in the legal industry. Outlook's ability to do so much more than manage emails is what makes it an excellent management tool in the first place. You may keep and share diaries, list tasks, and create reminders. Legal secretaries value organisation, so having one tool that can help organise all of these elements is definitely a benefit.

Email and diary management programmes

Other tools outside Microsoft Outlook might help you organise your emails. Finding one that meets your demands is essential if you want to have a well-defined system in place. Outlook, Gmail, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Opera are common options. It's possible that your place of business already uses an email system that you'll need to become used to.

Legal secretaries will frequently be in charge of one or more of their fee earners' diaries, hence electronic diaries are now more prevalent than traditional paper books so that both parties may monitor, track, and update the diary from anywhere at any time. This has introduced an entirely new sector of crucial technology to the law practise. You can pick from a wide range of diary management programmes, like Outlook and Osprey, which were already mentioned.

Systems for Case Management

There is a tonne of documentation involved in legal matters. And during the process, many parties must regularly track, share, update, and work on documents. Legal procedures typically include a number of steps and stages. For instance, there are several steps of conveyancing, and each one needs a different set of searches, paperwork, and documentation. Case management systems give the experts working on the cases a way to keep track of what has been done and what hasn't, giving a clearer knowledge of how the case is progressing. Additionally, it enables various individuals to handle each task.

Case and topic management are just two features of case management systems. Additionally, they make it much simpler to keep track of duties like time and expense management, research, communication, and cooperation, data security, storage, and archive accessibility.

Each firm's system will be slightly different because the majority of organisations will obtain case management software and then modify it to meet their unique operations. The concepts and procedures are typically the same for a legal executive using case management systems, making it simple to adjust if your function changes.

Translation software and currency converters

International legal firms must be able to communicate in a variety of languages and currencies. Legal secretaries are frequently given the assignment of altering these documents and data. Therefore, having access to trustworthy translation software and a good currency converter are essential. The XE Currency Converter, Wordfast, Smartcat for translation, and Google Translate are a few examples given by legal secretaries who are now employed.

These will also be useful for legal secretaries, making it simpler to plan and reserve travel arrangements for those whose fee earners travel frequently.

eCopy Program

An electronic copy of a paper document is known as an eCopy. Law firms frequently need legal files in paper and electronic form, which can result in a lot of extra work for secretaries who type and edit the documents. Paper documents are transformed into editable electronic files by eCopy software, making it simple to distribute, store, edit, and update documents. This is especially helpful for contracts that are frequently delivered in numerous versions between parties.

Numerous eCopy programmes are offered by reputable companies like Nuance, Adobe, and Kofax.

Apps

Legal secretaries and PAs will use the numerous apps available for their regular task.

Legal secretaries frequently utilise apps to manage their to-do lists and stay organised by having access to them while on the go. Applications like Microsoft ToDo (formerly Wunderlist), Todoist, and Trello are frequently used to manage various projects.

ToDo allows you to make customised to-do lists that can be synced throughout your devices to keep things organised. Multiple lists can be categorised, color-coded, and given a priority, and you can continuously add notes, reminders, and alarms. This app is ideal for those who frequently add to or build upon their written to-do list.

Instead than being just a to-do list software, Todoist is a task management tool. It gives the organisation and clarity that other apps do, enables collaboration across teams, and makes delegating simple.

Trello is a very user-friendly and straightforward programme that lets you make fantastic lists, boards, or cards to make planning and remembering tasks easier. Additionally, colour coordination might help you keep everything organised.

Apps help in communication as well. Secretaries can interact swiftly and privately with their coworkers or fee earners using instant messaging services like WhatsApp for Business. When fee earners are absent from the office, it is very helpful for organisation.