How Scanning Plus Document Management Boosts Efficiency for Law Firms

Law Firm Document Management Let’s face it. Sometimes running a law firm can be tough. You can’t just keep raising your billing rates forever and expect to keep all your clients.

Passing costs to the client only goes so far, and this is especially true for any business that is not providing much-added value. So smart law firms are looking for ways to increase productivity and efficiency to improve client experience, and technology is crucial in making this happen.

The good news is, managing documents more efficiently can help reduce costs and improve efficiencies, which makes clients happy. Document management can be part of this strategy, and setting up workflows to methodically scan and electronically store documents can offer huge cost savings.

Challenges for Law Firms as We Enter 2023

Law firms have been under a lot of pressure since the pandemic. Finding qualified lawyers to fill roles has been one of the biggest challenges. There are too many openings and not enough talented lawyers, many legal experts say. This is leading to salary increases as a way to attract better talent. However, at a certain point, the salary increases become less sustainable.

Starting in 2021, direct expenses for law firms skyrocketed. In fact, by the end of 2021, they had increased by a whopping 7.2 percent, while billing rates increased only 3.7 percent. Much of this has been driven by the wage problem. However, inflation is also an issue.

There has been some rebound on the client side in terms of demands for services, with some clients willing to pay the increased billing rates. However, many firms are also predicting a downward pressure on rates tolerated by clients. In short, clients are skeptical of higher fees, especially when they have a lot of cheaper Internet legal options. Clients want law firms to deliver more value, and the more your firm charges, the better the value they expect.

Clients will highly value productivity and efficiency, and it's expected if you charge higher fees. The more value you can deliver, the better your clients will tolerate higher billing fees. And the more productive and efficient your firm is, the more clients will feel your firm is worth it.

Scanning Services and Document Management Can Help

Printing and scanning costs are often overlooked as a potential area for cost savings. This doesn’t just apply to law firms, but most businesses. Printer and scanner usage is necessary but often wastes unnecessary time and money – not just in paper and supply costs, but in time when workflows are inefficient.

A good scanning plus document management solution can be a huge boon to law firms, both in terms of cost savings and efficiency gains.

Law Firms Need Good Scanning Equipment

First, superior scanning equipment is essential. Good-quality scans are important when dealing with legal documents.

When documents are scanned, they must first be scanned at a high-enough resolution so that all information is captured accurately. Scanners that are combined into low-end multifunction printers may not provide the crisp quality needed for delicate legal documents. They may also be slow and unable to handle a large workload quickly or smoothly. So consider investing in quality equipment or a lease.

Streamlined Scanning and Document Workflows Need to Be Established

In addition to having the best scanners and equipment, law firms also need to have robust workflows to handle the number of documents that might flow through the business. Security and privacy are paramount for clients. Law firms cannot afford to let confidential information be leaked.

Therefore, law firms should have proper procedures in place to scan and electronically file documents. A document management solution that offers access controls is critical to be able to properly manage a large volume of digital files.

Scanning services provided by RJ Young can also help. We can handle her backfile scanning to digitize documents and safely and securely index them in a robust cloud-based document management solution.

Scanning Services and Document Management for Law Firms

RJ Young offers powerful technology solutions for law firms, including scanning services and document management. Our digital transformation experts can conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your document scanning and electronic filing needs, as well as your workflows with clients. We will offer a customized solution that can help enhance your law firm’s efficiency while managing costs.