Why should you consider document automation?

Let’s set the scene. Your practice is smashing it: revenue is up, margins are looking great, and your recovery rates are at a perfect 100%. Your clients are thrilled with the high-quality documents they receive in record time, all at a price you are both happy with. Your team is energised, their legal minds are challenged and engaged, employee satisfaction is through the roof, and lawyers are eager to join your firm. If this sounds like your reality, then go ahead and skip this post.

But for those of us working in the real world - where competition is fierce, margins are tight, and firms of all sizes are finding themselves working harder just to maintain their position - the pressure is very real. Lawyers are being pushed hard to deliver, and stress levels are the ones going through the roof (not the PEP or job satisfaction levels).

So, what if there is a way to work smarter, not harder? Enter document automation (“DocAuto”). Not sure exactly what DocAuto is, don’t worry I’ve got you covered in Part 1 of my series.

DocAuto can transform your firm by delivering:

• Increased Team Capacity^* – Handle more work without stretching your team too thinly.
• Improved Margins & Reduced Write-offs^* – Boost your bottom line by minimising inefficiencies.
• Increased Efficiency^* – Get more done in less time, allowing your team to focus on what really matters.
• Enhanced Job Satisfaction^* – Lawyers can spend more time on high-value tasks, leading to greater fulfilment.
• Risk Mitigation^* – Reduce errors and give junior lawyers more autonomy, with less need for partner review.
• Consistent Quality Across the Firm^* – Maintain a high standard across all your work.
• Preserving Firm Knowledge^* – Codify your firm’s unique expertise, ensuring it’s retained and passed on.
• Peace of Mind^* – Ensure everyone is using the same, up-to-date template, and adhering to best practices.
• Better Client Experience^* – Provide faster turnaround times and keep clients happy.
• Supports Remote Supervision^* – Enable effective oversight and mentoring from anywhere.
• Aids Recruitment & Retention^* – A modern, efficient firm attracts top talent and keeps them around.

* Only if you do it right. Unfortunately, not all automation projects are created equal, and over time DocAuto has become one of the biggest graveyards of failed or struggling projects. 

So, what’s the key to success? Experts will tell you (they have the scars from learning the hard way): start small, keep it simple, and don’t overreach. Why? Because the more complex the automation, the more time and resources it will take to build and maintain. As you increase the depth of automation (i.e. its capabilities), the time and resource investment grows exponentially. You’ll also learn an awful lot along the way (including how not to do things).

But here’s the thing: a simple automation that saves maybe twenty minutes in a five-hour process just won’t bring those benefits listed above. In fact, it probably won’t even be used as it isn’t worth the effort – why would your busy lawyers change their current working practices for a marginal efficiency gain?

And that’s the unresolved tension with DocAuto - striking the right balance between how long it takes to automate and the value it provides. While rich, deep automations are necessary to deliver the potential of DocAuto, most firms never reach that point. Why? Because building and maintaining these automations can be too complex, except for the most straightforward of documents. So, while everyone loves the idea of the benefits DocAuto can bring, few (outside of our customers) ever get to experience those rewards fully.

In the forthcoming parts of my series, we’ll dive deeper into the “what” and the “how” behind automation - starting with how to choose the right documents to automate. Spoiler alert: it’s all about picking the documents that will have the greatest impact and deliver the best results for your practice. And trust me, they might not be the ones you expect...

Want to jump ahead and find out how Clarilis helps firms of all sizes, from off-the-shelf solutions to fully bespoke automations - learn more here.