For many legal businesses, automation may feel like a harder-said-than-done proposition. However, a large number of repetitive, rule-based tasks are ideal for automatization, freeing up attorney time to focus on client facing work and other strategic tasks that generate revenue.

The benefits of automatizing the legal process are clear. It allows lawyers to perform the tasks they were taught to do, providing a better customer experience while reducing the risk of human error. But what may not be so obvious is the cost savings that can be realized.

In a time of high staffing costs and other costs automating a process can make it easier to add more lawyers. This can help a solo or small business remain competitive on the same budget as bigger firms.

Document automation is a fantastic example. Legal teams can design templates for recurring documents such as NDAs, employment paperwork, or privacy compliance documentation. Instead of spending a lot of time in straight from the source meetings, or emailing documents back-and-forth, they can create and save templates. Once a template is set up, staff can then self-serve and make the document without the requirement for a lawyer be involved, leading to quicker turnaround times for clients and less rework for legal teams.

Automating a workflow will provide all legal professionals with the tools they require to be successful and increase efficiency. If you are unsure where to start, consider keeping a journal of your daily tasks for a week and identify any tasks that are suitable for automation. Then, look for technology tools that will allow you to automate these tasks. Start slowly so that they don’t disrupt your daily work.