Why legal tech still needs a human touch

The legal sector is rapidly evolving, and often time-poor solicitors are tasked with finding new ways to manage workloads and their ever-growing pools of data. This has led to many businesses shifting previously manual practice and case management processes over to digital solutions, investing significantly in systems designed to relieve the pain points and reduce time spent on a traditional, paper-based workflow.

With digitisation shaking up the role of practitioners, it can be challenging for firms to ensure that their software is not just working effectively for every user, but driving maximum value for their business and ensuring full compliance with industry legislation. Modern firms also require greater flexibility from their computer systems and we are now seeing practitioners increasingly adopting a flexible approach to case and practice management, introducing cloud and mobile solutions to complete everyday tasks. 

The age of transparency

As is sometimes the case with implementing new technology, firms can experience issues both during the onboarding process and  when completing specific tasks via a new platform. This can be because of new processes, a lack of effective training or differing functionality. Inevitably, this can take up large amounts of valuable time and resources, often burdening practitioners with pressures to resolve or update cases within tighter time constraints. 

As technology advances and practitioners juggle growing caseloads and time-sensitive tasks requiring utmost accuracy – whether managing legal accounts, tracking case progress or storing vital case documents – getting help from an online chat, or vague automated support line will no longer suffice. 

This is where the human behind the machine plays a vital role for users and technology providers alike, and providers can take action to ensure their solutions are provided in tandem with the necessary support for the end user. For example, putting a customer straight through to an in-house expert on the phone as opposed to a generic helpdesk will reassure them that their provider has the right people in place to offer clear guidance.

Adding the “human touch”

Although digital solutions are removing the need for manual processes, they can never fully override the “human touch” needed. Support from experienced legal and finance staff can successfully tackle user pain points due to their professional background – offering the vital input needed to help customers navigate their issues and resolve them quickly.

No matter how advanced and intuitive legal software becomes, technology within the legal sector will always need some form of human interaction. Regardless of their need to digitise, the demand for quality human support amongst law firms remains strong, and software providers must be prepared to put users at the heart of their business in order to thrive.