Key Performance Indicators or KPIs can (and should) be used to measure the central aspects of a lawyer’s performance at file level and in terms
of business development. The data gathered via KPIs guide the decision making that will determine your success into the future – particularly in terms of revenue and growth – so the importance of measuring and analysing KPIs really cannot be understated.
Legal matter allocation per lawyer
The legal industry is rife with stressed lawyers carrying high workloads. It might seem bold to state that legal professionals have the capacity to take on even more work. But, with the right assistance, it is entirely possible. Automation affects productivity in one of two ways: either machinery completely replaces workers or it allows them to increase their output. The automation of legal processes means that lawyers will spend less time completing rote and repetitive work. Instead, they’ll be required to simply review the automated documents, freeing up time to focus on the complex legal issues presented by their clients.
Number of non-billable hours per matter
In the same vein, automation can significantly reduce a lawyer’s administrative workload. We’ve previously used the example of automation of the client intake process to highlight how duplication of efforts and inefficiencies in legal processes can easily be obviated by automation.
AdaptingLegal also provides legal customers with to- the-minute access to the status of their file. Lawyers no longer need to communicate with clients whenever small tasks are completed. Notifications about file status can be generated and sent automatically. Again using information provided by the client at file level to reduce errors in such notifications. Both of these highlight how automation can reduce the number of non-billable hours lawyers dedicate to each file.
Response Times
While response time of itself isn’t necessarily indicative of the quality of a response, it can offer insight into the satisfaction of your legal customers. With an increasing number of clients imposing response deadlines on the legal professionals who handle their files, managing response times is akin to managing client expectations. Legal tech can help you with that.
In addition to practice management software that allows you to set up and manage file deadlines (that duplicate across files, so you aren’t repeatedly setting up the deadlines yourself), automated communications that contemplate these deadlines can decrease the administrative burden on the lawyers sending them. For instance, communications acknowledging new instructions can be automated using the information provided by the client during their intake process.
When this is considered in conjunction with a secure online space where clients can see how their file is progressing, the lawyer’s response time diminishes significantly.
Percentage of cases solved/resolved successfully
Provision of Self-Services allows legal providers to rapidly and successfully turnaround files for their clients. Consider, for instance, the official parenting plans offered by De Nationale Advies Balie. The parents of the child/ ren answer a series of questions together. They’ll then received a tailored parenting plan to bring with them to their first meeting with their lawyer. Instead of the lawyer being required to draft the document, they will simply ensure it meets their clients’ needs. If so, the file can be successfully closed. If not, the lawyer will devote their time and attention solely to the aspects of the parenting plan that require specific legal intervention. This is faster (and more engaging) for the lawyer and more cost effective for the legal customer.
Total cost of the provision of legal
services
Legal tech is well positioned to reduce the total cost of
legal services. It reduces overheads, like printing, storage
costs and large upfront outlays traditionally associated
with software purchases. In the case of AdaptingLegal,
anticipated operational cost savings of more than 25%
can be expected.
AdaptingLegal harnesses the power of technology to improve legal services from the perspectives of the legal industry and legal customers. Provision of better, faster service leads to happier clients, while promoting engagement and efficiency on the part of the lawyer.