Why You Need Legal Process Automation in 2024

Unless you’re the most efficient law firm to ever exist, chances are, you need legal workflow automation.

But what is automation in the first place? And why is law one of the most suitable industries for it?

Let’s talk about legal process automation (LPA), how it works, and why you need to automate legal processes before your competitors take the lead.

Legal Process Automation is More Than Just Automating Tasks

When people hear “legal process automation,” they often think it’s just about automating repetitive tasks. While that’s a big part of it, LPA goes much deeper. It’s about using technology to create a more efficient, integrated system that improves every aspect of your legal practice.

Think of it like this: legal process automation isn’t just a tool for reducing paperwork or speeding up routine tasks. It revolves around transforming how your entire firm operates. With LPA, you can simplify document management, improve client communication, and make sure that every part of your workflow is running as smoothly as possible.

Let’s take a look at an example.

Traditionally, onboarding a new client is a manual, time-consuming process. Clients schedule consultations and share details during meetings, and then staff manually enter this information into the system. Standard legal documents are drafted, sent out for signatures, and followed up with multiple reminders. Finally, signed documents are manually filed.

This method is not only slow but also prone to errors.

Now, imagine an automated process. Prospective clients book consultations online. They receive automated emails with secure links to online forms, which gather all necessary details and documents. This data is then automatically entered into the firm’s system.

Legal document automation software generates standard engagement letters and retainer agreements, which are sent out for electronic signatures. Automated reminders help with timely completion, and signed documents are automatically stored in the firm’s digital filing system. The result? Less time and effort spent on such a simple task.

What Legal Workflows Can You Automate?

Legal process automation can simplify many tasks in your law firm to make everything run smoother. Here are some key areas you can automate:

• Creating and managing documents: Quickly create, store, and organize standard documents to cut down on errors and save time.
• Onboarding clients and data entry: Use online forms to gather client info and automatically enter it into your system for a faster start.
• Handling billing and invoicing: Automate time tracking and invoicing, plus send reminders for overdue payments to keep the cash flowing and maintain law firm profitability.
• Reviewing contracts: Let AI tools handle the contract review process to spot key clauses and ensure compliance without the manual hassle.
• Conducting legal research: Automated research tools can quickly find relevant case law and precedents, which saves you hours of digging.
• Managing tasks and deadlines: Set up reminders and alerts to never miss an important date or task again.
• Communicating with clients: Keep clients in the loop with automated updates, appointment reminders, and follow-up emails.
• Managing cases: Manage all aspects of your cases in one place, from tracking progress to coordinating with stakeholders.
• Ensuring compliance and managing risk: Stay on top of regulatory changes and make sure your practice meets all necessary standards automatically.

Benefits of Automating Legal Processes

Automating legal processes doesn’t just keep you on top of tech trends—it brings real, game-changing benefits to your practice. Let’s take a look at a rundown of how it can make a big difference for law firms and in-house legal teams:

1. Increased Efficiency

Automation slashes the time spent on the grind of administrative tasks which, in turn, lets your legal team focus on the stuff that needs human judgment and expertise. For instance, why spend hours on manual document drafting when document automation software can handle it in minutes?

Take Briefpoint.ai, for example. It’s a generative AI and machine learning tool that drafts discovery response and request documents for you. Traditionally, this process can take hours as you would need to pore over the information and create an appropriate response.

With Briefpoint, the AI will extract information from the document for you and create a mostly finished document. The human touch comes when you add objections or responses to the document to complete it.

2. Cost Savings

Streamlining your processes through automation means you’re also cutting down on costs. Less time spent on routine tasks translates to lower labor costs and fewer hours billed. Plus, reducing human error means spending less on fixing those errors, which can really add up.

Such level of efficiency lets you redirect funds to areas that can help grow your legal services, like tech upgrades or marketing.

3. Improved Accuracy

Let’s face it, everyone makes mistakes—but automation keeps them to a minimum. Automated systems stick to the rules you set, which drastically cuts down the chances of slips and blunders.

Naturally, this is a big deal in law, where even a tiny error can lead to huge legal issues. For example, automating contract reviews helps make sure every document meets compliance standards without a hitch.

4. Better Client Service

Faster processes and smoother operations mean you can offer your clients a better experience. Quick turnarounds and efficient handling of their cases can make your firm stand out in a crowded market.

5. Increased Compliance

Keeping up with regulations is no small task, especially when they’re always changing. Automation tools can be programmed to follow the latest laws to the letter, updating automatically as new regulations roll out.

This not only helps you avoid penalties but also protects your firm’s reputation by making sure you’re always on the right side of the law.

Legal Technology Isn’t Perfect, But Neither Are Humans

In today’s fast-paced legal world, the conversation around automation is more relevant than ever. Yet, despite the buzz, many law firms remain hesitant to fully dive into the world of legal technology. The main argument? Legal tech isn’t perfect.

But here’s the thing—humans aren’t flawless either. Let’s unpack this resistance and see why it might be time to rethink our approach.

The Accuracy Anxiety

Lawyers pride themselves on precision and thoroughness. So, it’s no surprise that there’s a fear of automated systems missing critical nuances or making costly errors. Yes, AI can sometimes misinterpret data or struggle with ambiguous legal language. But let’s be real—humans are just as prone to errors, especially when tired or overwhelmed.

In fact, automation can help reduce these slip-ups by offering consistent, unbiased analysis and eliminating the fatigue factor that often leads to mistakes.

Cost and Implementation Hurdles

Implementing new technology isn’t cheap, and the learning curve can disrupt daily operations. Smaller firms, in particular, might find the upfront costs daunting. However, the long-term gains often outweigh these initial expenses.

Increased efficiency, fewer errors, and better resource management can lead to substantial savings over time. Plus, many tech solutions are scalable, making them accessible to firms of all sizes.

The Tradition Trap

Lawyers are traditionally cautious, which makes sense given the high stakes of their work. This cautious nature often translates into resistance to change, especially when it involves new and unfamiliar technology.

However, clinging to outdated methods and manual processes can be more harmful in the long run. As clients demand faster and more efficient service, firms that resist automation risk falling behind their more tech-savvy competitors.

Embracing Imperfection

Ultimately, the truth is that neither legal technology nor humans are perfect. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. The key is to find a balance that leverages the best of both worlds.

Automation can handle repetitive, data-heavy tasks with precision, while human lawyers can focus on the strategic work that machines can’t replicate. By acknowledging the imperfections on both sides, legal teams can create a more efficient, effective, and client-centered practice.

The Legal Automation Software You Need: Briefpoint.ai

What’s the biggest bottleneck in discovery? Most legal professionals will tell you it’s the paperwork or, more specifically, the standard legal documents like discovery responses and requests.

If you want to lift this burden off your legal department, it’s time to invest in artificial intelligence. Briefpoint.ai is a generative AI tool that creates discovery documents for you so you don’t have to spend hours manually drafting each one. Here’s a glimpse of what documents Briefpoint can handle:

• Requests for Production
• Requests for Admission
• Interrogatories

Make Small Changes But Get Big Savings

Discovery responses cost firms $23,240, per year, per attorney. $23,240 estimate assumes an associate attorney salary of $150,000 (including benefits – or $83 an hour), 20 cases per year/per associate, 4 discovery sets per case, 30 questions per set, 3.5 hours spent responding to each set, and 1800 hours of billable hours per year.

Under these assumptions, you save $20,477 using Briefpoint, per year, per attorney.

Test Briefpoint yourself by scheduling a demo here.