Why you could be RIGHT about using paper in your private client practice...

We have been agonising for some time over why there are those of you who are adamant that you still need to use paper in the time honoured tradition of drafting Wills and other legal documents. After many debates and meetings we have finally had a breakthrough and worked it out.

We now believe that we also know what YOU KNOW about the reasons WHY you are still using paper in your private client document drafting.

Here’s what we’ve concluded when it comes to what you know your clients want.

Clients are always happy to deal with lots of confusing paperwork

You KNOW that clients like nothing better than working through page after page of instructions and having to decipher someone else’s handwriting in order to check the information is accurate and being asked to sign their name over and over again in lots of different places and on numerous forms.

People actually prefer to wait for the things they have paid for

You KNOW that your clients are more than happy having to wait for their documents. Owing to the length of time required to key in all of their information and their instructions, in order to draft their documents. Documents which often will need amending owing to poorly written instructions, bad handwriting, unanswered questions, others not having a full understanding of the client’s situation, missing information and paperwork, and that they are equally happy to wait for new ones to be drafted.

Clients accept that the old ways are always the best ways

You KNOW that clients don’t expect Solicitors and Will writers to be up to date with modern working practices and technology, even if they would mean a simpler process for them to follow, better levels of efficiency, and an improvement on the overall customer service provided.

Most people have a total distrust of “gadgets and today's technology”

You KNOW that your clients would be unhappy if you used anything other than “pen and paper” and that the mere suggestion of using any form of electronic device to take client instructions would result in them “running for the hills”, especially your elderly clients who obviously have never seen, or used, such fantastical devices before in any of their daily tasks and activities.

Next, we considered the fact that you also KNOW using paper is better for your business and why this might be. These are our findings...

Money doesn’t matter

You KNOW that there might be a better, faster, easier, more efficient and less costly way of working but you are happy to pay staff to do more work than is necessary in the production of client’s legal documents. It’s more important to just stick with what you know.

Mistakes never happen

You KNOW that despite being human, you and your staff consistently work to the highest standards at all times, no matter what the circumstances, how well trained or how long they have worked for you, using paper in the document drafting process better ensures that mistakes do not occur and that nothing is ever interpreted incorrectly or omitted from client documents.

The increase in claims does not affect you

Professional Indemnity Insurers never place firms under scrutiny to ensure their practices are robust. Despite contentious probate claims rising year on year, there is no pressure for your firm to compile and retain better records than ever which could easily be achieved with a paperless system.

You are also 100% confident that even with so much focus on Data Protection these days loose pieces of paper do not pose any threat to your business.

Customer service is seriously overrated

You KNOW that despite all the hype out there about customers wanting the best value for money these days and having such high expectations about the level of service they receive, deep down they are pragmatists and so when it comes down to important matters such as writing their Will, they are happy to reduce these expectations to accommodate your own working practices.

We firmly believe that we have at last understood the mystery behind why businesses are choosing to continue working with paper but then again, we’ve been wrong before………..

If you want to know how paperless working can benefit your business and improve the service you offer to your clients click here.