Meet the challenges of everyday legal matters

Legal research for drafting contracts can feel never-ending. The first step in creating a contract is finding a suitable existing contract or model. Limited resources and increasingly complex data sets can make this hard. Even when you’re experienced, you may find yourself in unfamiliar areas of law or practice. Your department may be stretched thin too – you’re juggling complex matters and tight deadlines which can cause you to overlook details, like customizing boilerplates or adding waiver clauses.

Research shows lawyers spend between 40% and 60% of their time drafting legal documents and reviewing contracts.

If you’re feeling the pressure, you’re not alone. Do the challenges below sound familiar?

Challenge #1: Not knowing where to start

According to research by Thomson Reuters, lawyers spend more than 15 minutes trying to identify a good starting point for drafts. You know that contract language must always be 100% accurate. You’re tasked with writing clear and comprehensive text, without extraneous language. Any missteps can have lasting consequences – the pressure to get every detail right can feel overwhelming.

Challenge #2: Bandwidth constraints and resource management

You and your legal colleagues wear many hats and juggle a wide range of tasks across various practice areas. When you don’t have enough time or headspace to focus on strategic work, long-term performance and job satisfaction suffer. You may also feel you lack the knowledge or experience to tackle every case, but budgetary constraints mean that outsourcing is hard.

Challenge #3: Keeping pace with regulations and trends

With new regulations emerging and industry best practices evolving, staying up to date is an immense challenge. And the risks of falling behind are enormous. From penalties to reputational damage, you can’t afford to miss any details or deadlines.

Challenge #4: Demonstrating business acumen and value

You’re expected to provide commercially focused guidance in terms lay people can understand. “Translating” expertise into actionable advice that aligns with the company's broader business goals is time-consuming and crucial for demonstrating your value.

Challenge #5: Maintaining consistency and effective communication

Drafting documents from a variety of sources can quickly lead to headaches. You’re constantly considering input from clients, colleagues, courts, government agencies, and authorities. At any given time, you likely have multiple sets of eyes on your work – and several different versions to manage. Mistakes are bound to crop up when you don’t have the tools to give your entire legal team a consistent view of every step.

Challenge #6: Proactive risk mitigation

Proactive identification and mitigation of legal risks are crucial to ensure your organization complies with all regulations. However, when you frequently spend your days playing catch-up, having the time and headspace for this kind of strategic work can feel impossible.

But what if there was a simple way to navigate these complex situations and create actional guidance?

Bridge the capacity gap

Upgrading your existing technological solutions can give your business access to dedicated research tools built specifically for legal teams.

When you can quickly complete routine tasks, you’ll have the headspace you need to proactively stay ahead of risks. When you have expert research right at your fingertips, you can work quickly and efficiently – so your organization stays ahead of the curve. A combined Westlaw and Practical Law subscription from Thomson Reuters helps you get there. Practical Law gives your legal team the global perspective and advanced insights they need to find clarity and close cases faster.

Want to know how Thomson Reuters’ solutions work better together to save time and costs? Find out more about Practical Law.