Everything you need to run a small law firm
Automated Legal Content
The legal technology industry often focuses on providing accounting solutions for small law firms, rather than on creating advanced pre-configured and automated content that is the key to managing matters electronically. However, there are legal practice management software systems, such as LEAP, that prioritize content.
The term “content” has been largely undefined within the legal tech industry. It is commonly mistaken as a term synonymous with automated forms. However, content encompasses more than automated forms. In fact, content provides the foundation on which matter types are built and includes the templates and forms that lay at the core of matters. Additionally, content permits the selection of pre-configured matter types from various areas of law. These preconfigured matter types are specific to the area of law of the matter that an attorney is working on. For each matter type, there are input screens that are germane to the requirements of a matter. These input screens act as a checklist for the information needed. The checklist enables the essential information to be auto-populated across multiple forms and templates within seconds. By entering key details into the input screens once, they can then be used throughout the life of the matter—for letters, forms and time-recording.
Legal tech companies that emphasize content often allocate resources to have a skilled team with legal backgrounds. The team is devoted solely to conducting research to build intuitive software that automates information into multiple forms. Dedicated content teams also provide a comprehensive library of up-to-date forms. The library often includes an inclusive collection of forms that spans across all common areas of law and states. To keep forms in their latest versions, content teams forge close relationships with court authorities, so they can be informed of changes before they are enacted. Additionally, most content teams have automated systems in place that scan websites for any updates made to forms. Small law firms can now have access to their own archive of forms, with even the most complex forms at their fingertips.
On-the-spot automation is also made possible with content. Every form has been automated to work with the data recorded in the matter type input screens. In legal management software systems that are content-driven, lengthy forms such as, divorce financials, Client Information Statement (CIS) and Closing Disclosure Form have been automated to work with the data recorded in the matter type input screens. For the CIS, the gross income, deductions and net income, there are no manual calculations. Instead, the behind-the-scenes content team, which acts like a back-end staff, accurately completes these calculations and automates them throughout the forms. Small law firms are saved from manually re-entering the information more than once and can now practice smarter.