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Get ready to re-install Words with Friends and play some old-fashioned paper football at the desk, boys! Modern law firms have been using E-Discovery and Document Management (DM) tools to collect, aggregate and manage their discovery evidence for years now – but the latest tools pack more punch which means for you, more free time to surf the safe (and NSFW) waters of the web. If you do not already know how e-discovery works, take a moment to reflect on your current e-filing system. Modern systems are incredibly more expedient in assuring that the requirements and expectations of the courts and governmental entities responsible for statutory oversight are quickly and efficiently met.
Application software shops that focus on legal and accounting needs have produced quite a few variants on e-discovery tools that are scaled according to firm size and practice areas.
The result? Now, there is a document management and e-discovery solution for every size firm and budget. Not all are created equal. Here’s how it works:
Your firm most likely has some form of e-discovery tool already, but is it a true product with highly-tuned, advanced search features and industry presets? Or is it little more than a traditional document management tool? Your e-discovery system should provide MORE than just your standard reporting method. Your data and meta-data collection can be done much more simply: using highly advanced reporting functions to produce reports that are both timely and correct.
The question you should be asking at this point is: What makes an e-discovery tool worthwhile?
A good e-discovery tool knows it’s job, and yours as well. The ideal tool will provide presets already determined to both:
- Meet the requirements of the courts and,
- Provide the type of correct and accurate reports on a case or audit investigation, resulting in an out-of-the box solution for those requiring computer forensics.
As attorneys, you have obligations to both the courts and your clients. As technology changes, so do the requirements and expectations of regulatory agents and that of those who adjudicate. What separates the miniature poodle from the wolves (read: your e-filing system from ours) is quite important: our toolsets evolve to meet the coming changes on the horizon.
It’s an endlessly proven fact of the 20th and 21st centuries: you cannot rest on any technology – to maintain the competitive advantage in court and on behalf of your clients, it is imperative that you anticipate and then take the next step. Our e-discovery platform and methodology does this.
If you have not yet invested in an e-discovery tool and are still using older versions of document management software, you may wish to reconsider. Each year, the burden of proof on a firm becomes more stringent as both the courts and potential jurists become more aware of the types of results that technology can produce. Precedence and next steps should always be on your mind when considering a purchase of this type. Once a court is accustomed to seeing a particular format or practice it soon becomes standard.
Your firm cannot afford to be behind the times on technology. 5i Solutions, Inc., creates top of the line, advanced solutions for law firms and supporting industries. If you have not yet made a purchase or you are looking to upgrade your existing systems and procedures, give us a call today. We can help you better understand what to expect, and where this industry is going. If there’s ever a product that will save you (and your paralegals) time and effort, this is it. Then you can get back to the next new app or latest YouTube sensation, Safe for Work or not.
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