The world started on the road to becoming more virtual long before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Going virtual meant business operations were faster, easier, and more environmentally friendly.

Law firms were no different in taking advantage of this phenomenon.

After the pandemic, going remote or maintaining hybrid business operations became the norm. Now, a paperless law office is a growing trend.

Paperless Law Firms

Law firms handle a large number of documents. Examples include the following:

  • Contracts,
  • Medical records,
  • Police reports,
  • Witness statements,
  • Affidavits,
  • Deeds,
  • Wills,
  • Briefs,
  • Memos,
  • Court motions, and
  • Other court filings.

Now that remote work has become commonplace, many businesses, including law firms, have moved toward becoming paperless. But what are the benefits and risks of going paperless?

Benefits of a Paperless Law Office

There are several benefits law firms that go paperless enjoy.

Fewer Lost Documents

Anything can happen to documents in a law firm. One problem is the misplacement of documents. Unfortunately, this can be common.

Humans make mistakes, especially when dealing with mountains of paperwork. It’s easy to lose track of one of them.

A paperless business will save a digital backup copy, so you have a copy even if the physical document is lost.

Document Protection

Documents can also be lost in a fire, a storm, a flood, or other natural disasters. Your office can be destroyed, along with any documents in it.

With a paperless system, documents are backed up on the cloud or to an external source, ensuring they cannot be damaged.

Save Money

With a paperless office, you can rent an office of any size. You can tailor your office to your budget and clients, and not to the number of file cabinets you need to have.

Or you can work entirely remotely and have a home office. Also, you will save money on ink and computer paper.

While you still need these, a paperless law office will reduce your reliance on paper and ink.

Increase Efficiency

You’ve probably had times when finding a document in your office took forever. With a paperless system, everything is organized and can easily be found in digital folders with use of the search bar.

This will also free up more billable hours to help your client.

Security

Digital documents can be protected by encryption and passcodes. These may be harder to break into than an office door lock. 

Environmentally Friendly

A paperless law office significantly reduces the amount of paper you use. Saving paper is a great step toward protecting the environment.

Concerns with Taking Law Offices Paperless

Despite the advantages listed above, there are some drawbacks to a paperless law firm.

System Costs

Going paperless incurs costs of its own. The software, the storage system, the hardware, and the IT team that installs and maintains the system have their costs. You must be prepared for these new costs in your law firm’s budget.

Security

Going paperless can provide extra security for your documents. However, the digital documents may also be vulnerable to hackers and data breaches.

And folders that can be shared with others anywhere may also be vulnerable.

Training Costs

The digital age is not for everyone. Some personnel in your law firm may not be tech-savvy or may not be familiar with a particular program or system.

In that case, training will likely be needed for your staff. So with a paperless system, you will have to allocate costs for computer training. 

Contact Mesilla Legal Center for Rentable Office Space

Mesilla Legal Center is the ideal solution for your paperless law firm. We offer office space for a range of purposes, such as the following:

  • Meetings,
  • Case review sessions,
  • Depositions,
  • Mediations,
  • Trial preparation, and
  • Witness preparation.

Our offices are equipped with video conferencing and high-speed internet. And we have full-time staff on-site to help you. Contact us to book your space with Mesilla Legal Center now.

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