The majority of law firms use just five or fewer unique software products, according to a legal industry study published today by the law practice management company Smokeball.
The study, How Technology is Changing the Legal Industry in 2023, which surveyed law firms of 50 or fewer employees, finds that 77% of those firms use five or fewer unique software products.
The smaller the firm, the higher this percentage goes. Among solos, 89% use five or fewer products. In firms of 2-10 lawyers, 86% use five or fewer products. Even in firms of 26 or more lawyers, half use just five or fewer products.
Using fewer products is a good thing, the report says, because too many platforms can create disparate web of software clutter and result in different tools with overlapping functionality. Scattered systems, the report says, raises the risk of overlooked tasks or missed deadlines, and can hurt productivity and increase tech burnout.
What are the legal tech products firms are most likely to use?
According to the survey, the most popular are:
- Legal research, 61%.
- Video conferencing, 61%.
- Microsoft Office suite, 53%.
- Document management, 47%.
- Accounting, 43%.
- Payment processing, 36%.Most of law practice use just 5 or fewer special software products, according to a legal market research study released today by the law practice monitoring firm Smokeball.
The research study, Exactly how Technology is Changing the Legal Industry in 2023, which checked law practice of 50 or less staff members, locates that 77% of those firms use five or fewer unique software products.
The smaller the firm, the higher this percent goes. Amongst solos, 89% use five or fewer products. In companies of 2-10 legal representatives, 86% usage five or less items. Even in companies of 26 or more lawyers, half use simply five or less products.
Using less products is an advantage, the report says, since way too many systems can create inconsonant internet of software mess and cause various tools with overlapping functionality. Spread systems, the record claims, raises the threat of forgotten jobs or missed out on deadlines, as well as can injure productivity and also increase technology fatigue.
What are the legal technology items firms are probably to use?
According to the survey, the most popular are:
Legal study, 61%.
Video clip conferencing, 61%.
Microsoft Office suite, 53%.
Document monitoring, 47%.
Bookkeeping, 43%.
Settlement processing, 36%.
Practice management or case administration, 34%.
Groups or Slack, 29%.
Record automation, 26%.
Client site, 25%.
Client message messaging, 23%.
E-discovery, 22%.
Google Workspace, 13%.
Trial technology, 11%.
Online reputation administration, 10%.Not surprisingly, the record finds that the occasions of the past 3 years have actually made it the status quo for law firms to embrace modern technology. One outcome of that is that is that remote and hybrid job have actually become extra common.
Before COVID, the study states, 70% of study respondents functioned full time in the office. Currently, 50% operate in the office full time. Those in solo methods are more probable to function from house than those in larger companies.
With higher tech adoption as well as even more lawyers functioning remotely, does that mean legal representatives invest their days hidden in their computers?
Not necessarily. The research finds that roughly a third (36%) of lawyers spend half or even more of their day utilizing modern technology. But 38.5% say they invest just 10% of their day using tech, and another 25.5% claim they invest 25% of their day, suggesting that majority of legal professionals spend less than half of their day using tech.
The moment spent on tech varies by technique area, the survey locates. Company, estate preparation, as well as family members law practice spent one of the most time in software, with concerning 3 in 10 spending 75% or even more of their time utilizing technology. PI and property companies invest the least time in software program, 10% or less of their day.
The complete study has a lot even more information, including descriptions of various sorts of legal modern technology and also ideas on selecting products for your company. (And, yes, it is released by Smokeball, so it consists of pitches for Smokeball.).
You can download the complete record free of charge from this page.
- Practice management or case management, 34%.
- Teams or Slack, 29%.
- Document automation, 26%.
- Client portal, 25%.
- Client text messaging, 23%.
- E-discovery, 22%.
- Google Workspace, 13%.
- Trial tech, 11%.
- Reputation management, 10%.
Not surprisingly, the report finds that the events of the past three years have made it the status quo for law firms to embrace technology. One result of that is that is that remote and hybrid work have become more common.
Before COVID, the study says, 70% of survey respondents worked full time in the office. Now, 50% work in the office full time. Those in solo practices are more likely to work from home than those in larger firms.
With greater tech adoption and more lawyers working remotely, does that mean lawyers spend their days buried in their computers?
Not necessarily. The study finds that roughly a third (36%) of legal professionals spend half or more of their day using technology. But 38.5% say they spend only 10% of their day using tech, and another 25.5% say they spend 25% of their day, meaning that more than half of legal professionals spend less than half of their day using tech.
The time spent on tech varies by practice area, the survey finds. Business, estate planning, and family law firms spent the most time in software, with about three in 10 spending 75% or more of their time using tech. PI and real estate firms spend the least time in software, 10% or less of their day.
The full survey has a lot more information, including descriptions of different types of legal technology and tips on selecting products for your firm. (And, yes, it is published by Smokeball, so it includes pitches for Smokeball.)
You can download the full report for free from this page.
