Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, law firms around the world are seeking new ways to support their clients and internal teams. Remote work, virtual collaboration, and a rapidly changing legal environment make for a complex set of challenges. Read on to learn how some law firms are using HighQ to solve key challenges, both for their clients and themselves.
COVID-19 FAQ and internal resources
Leveraging the HighQ Wiki feature, one firm created a repository that enables them to field common questions from multiple clients. Attorneys have instant, searchable access to questions, answers, and supporting resources for follow up.
In conjunction, the firm built a home page within HighQ that houses links to FAQs, internal firm resources, and external guidance like Practical Law’s COVID-19 resource center. These centralized resources have dramatically increased the speed and efficiency with which lawyers are able to respond to client requests. They enable the firm to stay up to date with changing laws and ensure every attorney has access to the best possible resources.
Virtualizing client service
While matters like trusts and estate planning have traditionally required face-to-face meetings between clients and lawyers, several forward-thinking firms have enacted virtual options for these matters via HighQ.
Using a secure HighQ extranet, clients can enter information required for things like a will, power of attorney, or healthcare directive. Then, using document automation, the documents are created and sent digitally to the client. Virtual meetings with attorneys are also available. Savvy firms use HighQ to build workflows that allow the client and attorney to select available times, find the best option, schedule an appointment, and send confirmation emails to both parties.
As an added service, some firms are offering curbside notary services to facilitate the completion of these documents. Others are arranging virtual notaries in jurisdictions that permit it. Some are even offering pro bono trust and estate planning services to first responders and other essential workers.
Legal project management and workflow automation
Even when most attorneys worked in the office, managing the numerous tasks and deadlines associated with dozens of matters was challenging. Simple things like document handoffs and clunky transitions between team members slowed things down and introduced opportunities for error. Sticky notes, email attachments, and reply-all email chains were annoyances in the office. During weeks of working from home, they’re potentially devastating.
Smart firms are using HighQ to create templates for common matter types and workflow automation to assign and move work through the firm efficiently. These turnkey templates enable lawyers to quickly spin up client extranet sites and establish a plan for completing work. Some advanced firms are even using automation for matter intake. As documents are shared, HighQ creates tasks and alerts that are triggered automatically and can be configured to assign tasks to different attorneys based on responsibility and availability. As work moves through the firm, HighQ triggers due dates for things like depositions or documents that need prepping.
Paving the way for tech adoption
A common theme at the firms employing HighQ revolves around the rapid acceleration of technology adoption in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also sparked conversations at many firms about what’s possible. The perennial disconnect between technology leaders’ vision and attorneys’ appetite for change, appears to be dissolving.
Platforms like HighQ offer the unique benefit of meeting firms where they are. Want to start with something simple like secure document storage and collaboration? HighQ can do that. Ready for advanced workflows and AI integration? HighQ can do that too. It’s clear that firms are at varying stages of tech proficiency, but they’re all working to improve.
Many legal tech products can solve individual problems in the short term. But this period of remote work is revealing new challenges that require new solutions. It is also likely to have permanent effects on how law firms work in the future. HighQ helps you solve for today’s problems, while empowering you to address tomorrow’s challenges.
