Everyone’s talking about legal tech. The usual narrative is about how lawyers should use it to remain competitive, streamline their processes, and save time and money. But the reality is that several legal tech options exist, each battling for your limited attention.
This post is for lawyers grappling with deciding which legal tech is most suitable for their business. By the end, you’ll be able to evaluate which solution is right for you.
1. Start with “why”
Starting with “why” may seem basic. But I’ve discovered that most lawyers don’t remember why they initially sought legal tech.
Crucially, deciding your “why” gives you purpose and direction. It’s also a beacon to return to if you stray from your original goal.
For example, a “why” statement may read as follows:
I’m searching for software to help us comply with the POPI Act.
2. Develop a business case
After establishing your “why”, you should develop a business case. A business case is a document that justifies the project by capturing various essential considerations. For example, it sets out:
- The scope of the legal tech solution. For instance, “I want legal tech to help me manage the consent requirements under the POPI Act”.
- The budget. Decide your budget for the project over the short, medium and long terms. Leave room for surprise expenses.
- The return on investment. Ideally, you can calculate your return using this handy tool.
- The total cost of ownership. Here you’d estimate the expenses associated with buying, implementing, using, and retiring a solution.
- Human resource skills. How many people from your team can support this project? Have you assessed their capacity against the time demands of implementing the solution?
- The required infrastructure. Does the legal tech require strong and unfailing broadband connectivity? Will loadshedding impact your ability to use the solution? Can employees use it while working from home?
- The intended benefit to the department. How will the solution benefit the department? For example, “The software reduces the risk of us getting fined by the Regulator for mistakenly capturing the consent of data subjects under the POPI Act”.
- Risk assessment. Assess the risks associated with projects and implement measures to reduce risks.
3. On-premises or in the cloud
You need to decide whether the legal tech will be hosted on-premises (on your hardware) or in the cloud (on a distributed infrastructure) managed by the service provider.
On-premises solutions are more expensive and more challenging to manage if you have no infrastructure. However, you have more control over the data and security.
Alternatively, cloud-based solutions allow for greater scalability. If you’re worried about security, search for a solution with enterprise-grade security features and robust data protection measures.
4. Implementation
Once you have access to the legal tech, who will implement it in your organisation?
Are there extra costs for implementation?
Will the service provider train your staff to scale implementation?
5. User experience
How intuitive is the legal tech? Remember that over 90% of lawyers are not tech-savvy. So, can the user simply open it and work on it readily, or does it require significant technical training? What is the cost of training?
6. Scalability
How agile is the legal tech for scaling across multiple departments?
Is the solution offered in multiple languages so you can scale across the continent and globe?
Last tip
You don’t have to do this alone. There are independent organisations out there that can help you evaluate legal tech and ensure it meets your needs.
About the Author
Nathan-Ross Adams – Data and Tech Lawyer, Michalsons
Nathan-Ross helps African businesses and governments design, develop and deploy trustworthy AI. He combines legal, commercial, and technical insights to partner with his clients to move toward holistic and sustainable solutions. He believes the best way to formulate these solutions is through collaboration, clear communication, and simple legal documents in immersive legal design.