As COVID-19 numbers start to grow, millions of people are currently adjusting to working from home. And that includes lawyers.
We’re all moving through uncharted territory. Fortunately, many lawyers have been working from home for years, whether as satellite remote workers of brick-and-mortar establishments or as members of an entirely virtual firm—their insights are priceless.
Many remote legal workers already rely on Filevine to keep them aligned as a team. Here are the top 8 features that help remote workers exceed their clients’ expectations:
1. Cloud-Based File Storage
Before the cloud, how did lawyers work from home? With the help of a gigantic briefcase. Or maybe through a complicated, multi-step remote desktop connection.
When lawyers suddenly find themselves working at home, they need a system that’s as simple and straightforward as possible. That’s where the cloud comes in. With Filevine’s cloud-based software, legal professionals can find all their information in the same way they do when they’re in the office.
There are no additional technological complications or headaches. No additional disruptions or extensive training required. Simply secure, accessible information from any device.
2. Task Lists
Accustomed to popping into your colleague’s office to ask for some help on something? Let this crisis teach you some less disruptive behavioral patterns.
Filevine users can easily assign tasks to other team members. You can see the list of things you need to do on your Task Page, where you can either focus on today’s necessities or look ahead at what’s due in the weeks and months ahead.
Even if your team is dispersed, your Task List keeps your priorities aligned.
3. Reports
Remote workers use Advanced Reporting to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. Here are just a few of the ways reports can help:
- Quickly view any upcoming deadlines.
- Manage your team with the knowledge of who’s struggling with overdue deadlines.
- Make sure your clients are still getting the attention they need by searching for cases that have seen no activity in the last month.
- In these tumultuous financial times, keep your finances in check with expense trackers, billing and invoicing tools, and ROI reporting.
4. Automatic Workflows
Get rid of that ‘what next?’ uncertainty for each member of your team. When you automate your workflow, the next steps are automatically assigned to the right team member. As each task is completed, the next tasks are assigned.
5. Text-to-Case-File
Your clients might be socially-distancing too, but they still want to keep in (virtual) close contact.
Many clients prefer texting as a way to receive regular updates or quick answers to their questions. By texting within your case files, you keep a secure record of the communication, other members of the legal team can respond if necessary, and you don’t have to give out your personal cell phone to every client. You can also receive photos or send out documents and contracts. Added bonus: you don’t have to type with your thumbs on that tiny screen.
6. Filevine Fax
Are there any home offices that still have a fax machine? Some medical, governmental, and legal institutions still insist on faxing. With Filevine Fax, you can ensure that you are able to receive and send anything you need from within your Filevine system.
7. Time Tracker
Even if you’re squeezing your work in between making lunch for your kids and taking the dog for a walk, you can still keep careful track of your billable hours. Filevine’s Time Tracker is inside the system where you do your work. That means you can quickly begin, pause, and switch projects on your timer. Filevine also helps you automatically generate accurate and detailed invoices for your work.
8. Edit-in-Place
As you change your work habits, you want to make sure nothing is misplaced. Filevine’s Edit-in-place can help.
The traditional way of editing a legal document requires several steps. You download a file onto your computer, open it in another program, make your changes, save them, and then upload the new version in the right location. Unfortunately, human error can enter into each of those steps. The result is lost and outdated documents.
Edit-in-place allows you to quickly change your documents and ensure the latest version is saved in the right place, without any extra steps.
Filevine can’t home-school your kids or make you change out of your pajamas. But in every other way, it’s the perfect companion for lawyers who have unexpectedly found themselves working from home.