Digital technology is dominating headlines and discussions within law firms, from board level to water cooler. There is no avoiding the fact that Law 4.0 – the era of smarter automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-enabled large language tools, including ChatGPT and Bard – is here to stay and already radically transforming the way lawyers work. Of course, technology has been transforming the way the legal sector operates for decades. Earlier changes are embedded within the working landscape and although it has not always been an easy journey for a profession mired in tradition and historical process, there will be more disruptions and challenges to come and they too will become an accepted part of legal working life. Relatively new entrants to the sector include the Big Four accountancy firms – Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers – global giants that have already invested heavily in technology and are making inroads into the legal marketplace with this one-stop-shop approach. Law firms that do not embrace digital will be left behind in the races for competitive edge, securing talent, and driving greater client satisfaction. All of these make a dramatic difference to the bottom line. Here are the steps to becoming a digitalfirst firm: 1.Meet client expectations with online FAQs and customer portals that give people 24/7 access to the services and information they need. Automated replies to emails give clients assurance that their message has been received and will be actioned promptly. Chatbots can effectively handle the FAQs that would otherwise take disproportionate time to deal with over the phone, freeing up fee-earners and support staff to work on higher-value tasks. 2.Streamline billing and invoicing with digital tools that ensure more accurate time capture for more billable hours, thus higher productivity and profitability. Transparency for clients results in fewer disputed invoices and less time spent recalculating and sorting them out. Fewer disputes also lead to happier clients and more repeat business and referrals – crucial in an increasingly competitive marketplace. SPECIAL FEATURE 51 Special Feature In 2023, more law firms than ever before now view digital solutions as a key pillar of their business. Doug Hargrove, Managing Director of Legal and Education at Advanced, shares his advice on how law firms can best use software to enhance their operations in this article. How to Become a Digital-First Law Firm
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