At the time of writing, we’re in week three of ‘Lockdown 2’, with many firms asking staff to work from home again. The latest ONS data shows that almost a third of the population is working exclusively from home – many have been doing so for several months, despite having adapted their workplaces – and it’s looking increasingly unlikely that the picture will change anytime soon.
If the past few months has taught us anything it’s that good law firms shouldn’t need a physical building in order to be successful. With the right infrastructure in place – and this is critical to success – many lawyers have continued to deliver high quality legal advice to their clients right through the pandemic.
For those firms still grappling with technology and systems that aren’t fit for purpose, which is to the detriment of their commercial success, it’s more important than ever to assess how to create an effective, secure remote working environment for your fee earners, leaving them to do what they do best.
Osprey survey on working practices
Of the firms who responded to our recent survey on working practices during the lockdown, fewer than 30% said that some of their fee earners worked from home prior to Covid-19, compared to many fee earners (86%) working from home during the lockdown.
85% of those firms also said that post-lockdown, the intention is that either some, or most, of their fee earners will work from home.
It was encouraging that many firms (86%) noted no change in their ability to take new instructions or time record, despite them working across a range of devices, showing a need for greater flexibility whilst working from home.
Invest in good technology
There can be little doubt that home working is here to stay. Those firms that pulled together hasty tech solutions to see them through lockdown, with no plans to upgrade for the longer term, will no doubt feel a negative impact on their commercial success.
Firms that invested in good quality legal technology will continue to reap the rewards and can drive their business forward by
- Becoming device independent by using real cloud software
- Collaborating with stakeholders at home or in the office
- Staying compliant and secure to mitigate risks
- Working smarter on matters through technology
- Using your website to generate new business and accept instructions
- Providing real time client access to correspondence and case progression through your website and an app; and
- Integrating your legal and business accounting with your case management
Good quality, high availability legal technology will be the backbone of your business to support a mix of home and office working, so it’s vital to act now to protect your firm’s future.
At Osprey, we are continually looking at how we can best serve our clients. For us that means not only ensuring law practices run efficiently on a day-to-day basis but having an eye firmly on the future. To find out more, visit OspreyApproach.com
