Virtual Law Firm: A Complete How-To Guide

Virtual Law Firms work for a multitude of companies, but it’s true that it doesn’t work for everyone (though it does work for the majority). For example, litigators can’t be 100% remote because they need to be able to actually appear in court often.

However, even then, consider what your day-to-day often looks like. Lawyers spend so much of their time researching, drafting, reviewing, and signing documents – all of which can be done from anywhere.

I understand that there are different practice areas and daily routines, but as with many other professions, much of what you do is done from a computer, which can be done from anywhere there’s an internet connection (with the right tools to support you).

Yes, this is always an objection. Understandably, you want to have a good rapport with your clients and need to be able to communicate with them effectively.

One of the good things to come out of the pandemic was normalizing video calls as an effective form of communication.

It’s no longer taboo to primarily meet clients over video, and clients often enjoy the perk of not totally disrupting their day to go to your office. If you get the occasional client who does prefer in-person, then you can always meet them somewhere.

Still, let’s plan for the majority of your work life instead of the occasional occurrence.

Working Remotely means that you are spending some time working from home – maybe even just here or there. It does not mean that you are completely set up to work from anywhere, only that you have the capability.

Virtual Law Firms entail a more deliberate approach to the lifestyle of working from home. It means that you are placing your law firm online, so you can primarily function with modern day tools made to make your life easier, more productive, and ultimately more successful.

In fact, let’s pose the question – What does it mean to be a virtual lawyer?

A virtual lawyer refers to a legal professional who either operates their own virtual law firm or works primarily remotely for a law firm. To align with the eLawyering Task Force of the American Bar Association’s definition of a virtual law firm, virtual lawyers are recommended to have a secure client portal.

The main differentiating factor lies in how a law firm engages with clients through online channels.

This dedicated client portal serves as the platform where clients and lawyers collaborate, share documents, and exchange information. More on this later.

With that being said, let’s actually dive a bit further into the “why.”

Being able to work from anywhere is already a benefit I know you’re aware of.

Even before the pandemic, I’m sure you would bring some work home or make sure it was accessible from anywhere, so you could finish a case, handle matters as needed, or have ongoing communication with clients.

If you’re concerned that your profession is not one that can fully operate in a virtual environment, allow me to take this moment to remind you that many lawyers have already opted for this work style.

From clients of ours, to lawyers in general, we know that the lawyers who do take the time to shift to a Virtual Law Firm are glad that they did.

Whatever reasons you may for working remotely, you have all of the necessary tools available to you. Implementation, while a process to go through, is not an exorbitant endeavor and is in fact quite attainable.

Traditional offices are no longer required, meaning almost any lawyer on the planet can work this way.

Just in case you’re not already convinced, let’s talk about the benefits of remote law firms.

Let’s dive right into these 10 benefits, complete with explanations and comparisons to traditional methods.

While we can’t say enough good things about a Virtual Law Firm, we must address a few challenges that come with going remote.

Rest assured, these challenges are easy to overcome with the correct software and implementation, but they need to be discussed, nonetheless.

As promised, I will now get into the how-to part of establishing your Virtual Law Firm.

This may seem a little daunting, but if you follow these steps and accept the guidance, your transition will be rather painless.

The biggest hurdle is not getting your firm to be remote but rather doing it optimally. The most important thing to remember is the goal is to create an appealing virtual environment for your work life, others in your firm, and your clients.

With that in mind, you can tailor your virtual environment to suit your needs and goals.

Let’s dig into just how to do that – each aspect considered.

Aside from your own concerns about security, some of your clients will inevitably question how secure Virtual Law Firms can be.

Luckily, after reading through this guide and properly implementing it, you’ll have the answers to quell both your and your clients’ concerns.

What’s one of the biggest concerns when it comes to security? Confidentiality.

Cases can have sensitive information that clients will be apprehensive about. However, remember the extensive measures that will be taken to ensure all information and communication is secure.

Some of these measures will include:

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Now that we’ve talked about the why and how, let’s go into detail about what technology you’ll need to be a successful Virtual Law Firm.

Technology is a tool that helps us achieve our goals. Whether you are working from home or not, technology is the foundation for most law firms’ daily workflow.

Good technology can make your life worlds easier, and poor technology can lead to frustration and impede your productivity. You don’t need to invest a fortune, but it’s important to consider each aspect of your law firm’s technology strategy.

Let’s dive in.

In order to successfully work remotely, you need 2 main things right off the bat – a good computer/laptop and sufficient internet.

No matter how you turn it, these two things are the basis of why Virtual Law Firms can even exist, so don’t choose unreliable options for either of these things.

There are various accessories that you may opt for to enhance your home office. You may find them to be helpful for fleshing out your setup.

In that case, I would recommend the following accessories:

Software can be a little tricky.

There are numerous choices when it comes to software, and part of the process is deciding whether you need software for certain processes or not.

Then, if you decide you do need software, you’ll have to decide what level of software you require, and who’s the best option to provide that for you.

But that’s why we’re here!

I’m going to lay this out as clearly as possible and hopefully you’ll find it easier to make the best decisions for your law firm.

On the off chance you don’t, feel free to reach out to us here.

Now, let’s get into it.

As mentioned earlier, there are a few tools that you may need to use, but you have the choice to have them as physical tools or virtual ones.

Of course, there is some personal preference, but I would recommend that if your virtual law firm is a certain size, or growing, you should truly consider the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of these virtual tools.

It’s probably a good idea to maintain your phone lines in some form.

A really efficient, mobile way to add, remove, and maintain phone lines is to use a Virtual Phone.

There are plenty of services that offer this, so you can choose one that has the features that you’re looking for. I would recommend considering how many lines are included in your subscription and how much it would be to add a line thereafter.

Here are some choices:

Signing documents is a regular task for law firms. Virtual Law Firms are no different.

If you have a document that needs signing, you’ll need a way to do it. Luckily, virtual signatures are much more commonplace now, and there are various tools that allow you to do just that.

Here are a few tools that you may find helpful for your consideration:

Of course, meeting a client face-to-face is an important aspect of the business.

Phone calls sometimes work, but there’s something about seeing someone’s face when you interact with them that leads way to better trust and connection.

Therefore, choosing a Virtual Meeting Software will help you form these connections with your coworkers and clients alike.

In this regard, here are a few options to consider:

As mentioned in the introduction, the eLawyering Task Force from the ABA recommends that you have a client portal if you have a Virtual Law Firm.

The specification of “Virtual Law Firm” contrasts with Remote Lawyers because the sense of permanence is taken into account, and the former is a more permanent solution. On the same line, the ability to properly communicate and share documents with your clients in an efficient, secure way is always important – especially if you’re virtual.

Note: Client Portals are typically offered with other forms of software (Document Management, Practice Management, or Customer Relationship Management), so this list will include software that we’ll cover in detail further in the article.

With that being said, I’ll list a few of your best options to consider for your Client Portal:

This software is concerned with the particular needs of law firms (such as trust accounting) or other applications of this software that’s commonly used by law firms.

Having a strong Accounting Software will definitely assist in the proper operations of your Virtual Law Firm.

When you’re looking at Accounting Software, here are some functionalities to pay attention to:

With those features in mind, let’s take a look at some of the leading choices for your Legal Accounting Software:

You did the intake, the research, the contracted work, the litigation, and even sent the invoice.

However, you still haven’t received payment.

You did the work, and now it’s time to get paid. That’s where Payment Processing Solutions come into play. You want to choose the platform that does the best job of collecting payments by means consisting of the lowest friction.

Here are some features that you should consider as you’re evaluating the best solution:

Keep in mind that if your firm does manage a trust account, you’ll need to ensure that whichever Payment Processing Solution you choose can handle this task.

With all considered, let’s look at the following options for your Payment Processing needs:

Being able to properly intake, market to, and manage leads is an important part of any business, but it’s especially vital to a Virtual Law Firm.

Law firms need to be able to gather information about potential clients in order to properly communicate with and guide them.

After a lead has transitioned into client status, you’ll find it helpful to have software that helps you manage your clients to ensure that everyone is taken care of, your clients’ communications are properly handled, and all relevant tasks are completed.

For both of these instances, having a robust CRM will assist you along the way, so you no longer need to remember everything, write it all down, or end up falling short for any client.

These are features to consider:

With these features in mind, let’s talk about some of your options for CRMs:

Odds are that you have some sort of Law Practice Management Software (LPM).

However, if you don’t, that’s okay, and this section will guide you through choosing one.

For starters, a LPM is software that law firms use for client and contract management, time tracking, billing, calendaring, and task management.

With that understood, let’s cover one aspect that is especially important when it comes to choosing Law Practice Management Software (LPM). You must know and choose if your software will be on-premise, server-based software or cloud-based software.

As a Virtual Law Firm, deciding on a server-based software would require owning, operating, and managing servers. If your law firm is more than just you, this will become an irrational route.

So, you have two choices following that determination.

Choice #1: You choose cloud-based software.

The upside is that the flexibility you need for your virtual law firm because all you have to do is login via a browser.

The biggest downside is that various cloud-based LPMs have been found to be too bare bones and lack the functionality that law firms need to properly manage their practice.

Choice #2: You keep your server-based software, but you utilize a cloud-hosting solution to access it on the cloud – as though it was cloud-based to begin with.

In this case, utilizing a Cloud Service Provider, such as Uptime Practice, would allow you the benefit of using your preferred, server-based software in the cloud, so you don’t have to give up the robust features you love and are probably used to.

This is not to be confused with VPNs, which are messy and glitchy. This is a hosted environment you, and your law firm, can access from anywhere.

Now that we’ve covered that, out of the 25+ options there are, here are some of the popular options you have when choosing Law Practice Management Software:

Reminder: Utilizing Server-Based Software as a Virtual Law Firm requires a Cloud-Hosting Solution, such as Uptime Practice.

Document Automation or Document Assembly Software is used to automate the process of creating and drafting legal documents (motions, contracts, letters, etc.).

Typically, you’ll want to look for software that provides templates and capabilities to create legal forms/documents automatically.

Having good Document Automation will save you tons of time and effort in this process, so you can spend your time handling more important endeavors. Plus, if you set templates up right the first time, you don’t need to constantly worry about human error.

Quick note: Document Automation is different from Document Management, in the sense that the former creates it for you and the latter is an organizational tool to manage them thereafter.

Here are some key features to consider as you’re choosing Document Automation Software:

With those features, and any other that you place value on, let’s go over a few options you have for Document Automation Software:

For starters, let’s talk about the difference between Cloud Storage and Document Management Systems (DMS).

Cloud Storage is typically understood as lightweight storage for your firm’s documents and data. It works to satisfy fundamental requirements.

Think: OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

It’s a useful tool for many, but there is a downside when it comes to utilizing basic cloud storage tools for law firms (especially with 3+ people).

Law firms simply handle way too many documents for their storage and organization to be successful with something as fundamental as this option.

On the other hand, Document Management Systems (DMS) functions like these cloud storage options, but it does so in a significantly robust, comprehensive way.

If you choose Basic Cloud Storage over a DMS, you are eventually going to run into frustrations that may be enough for you to graduate to an official DMS.

My recommendation? Skip the first part and choose a DMS that accommodates your needs for document organization and efficiency.

The only real downside is that there is a bit more of an investment, so if your budget is tight, then act accordingly and plan to upgrade in time.

If you decide that Cloud Storage is where you want to start, allow me to help you choose the best one for you.

Here are some qualities you can use to determine the best option for you:

With those features in mind, here are a few options for the Best Cloud Storage for Law Firms:

Document Management Systems, interchangeably used with Document Management Software, is used to store documents and manage them with robust tools and features. A good DMS will have more specific functionality tailored to this organizational goal.

As with the other software, it’s either cloud-based or server-based. Since you’re developing your virtual law firm, you will need to either choose something cloud-based or utilize a Cloud Service Provider, such as Uptime Practice, if you choose software that requires a server.

Just as a reminder, owning, operating, and managing servers is a hassle when you’re in the office, and honestly not a real consideration if you’re remote.

Here are some features that you can keep in mind when evaluating the various Document Management Systems:

Something to consider other than functionality – security.

Having good security for your, and your clients’, data is important for both privacy and productivity. The last thing you want is for your data to either get into the wrong hands or to get lost altogether.

Luckily, a quality DMS will ensure that your data is:

• Encrypted (in-transit and at-rest)
• Provides Multi-Factor Authentication (as a second layer of security)
• Instates Geographic Data Redundancy (in case one server location crashes).

Now that you understand what a quality DMS should provide, let’s cover some of your options:

I know that probably felt like a lot.

However, if you take the time to evaluate your options in each category, take notes, and possibly use a spreadsheet to organize them, you’ll be off to a great start on your technology strategy.

When you’re evaluating what technology and software will work best for your Virtual Law Firm, the balance between functionality and flexibility will be your best friend.

When it comes down to it, that’s the whole concept of a Virtual Law Firm, isn’t it?

Functioning optimally from anywhere you want to. It’s not only possible but just on the horizon for you.

Of course, if you find that you have any questions or need guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

That’s what we’re for. Contact us now.