Where to Start – Assessing Your Current Technology – by Andy Adkins

It seems this past year I’ve seen a significant increase in consulting requests for “Technology Assessments.” Most law firms, law departments, and law schools I’ve consulted with recently have asked to assess their current technology environment, and in particular, their Information Technology (IT) staffing resources. There are many reasons for this sudden increase in awareness, but perhaps the greatest is a trend in law firms to recognize they may have too much technology (spelled “software”) and they are not able to take advantage of what exists.

There are no easy answers, but conducting a technology assessment is a very good exercise. Several “rules” before we start. First, this is not a one-man (or woman) show – there should be several different individuals involved. Second, this exercise should follow some guidelines and processes – one piece of information may lead to additional information. And third, you don’t necessarily need a consultant to do the assessment. But, you may find that an outsider may provide you with an objective viewpoint that can help address some technology issues.

It’s strange, but I often find that when I conduct technology assessments for law firms and law departments, I’m pretty much telling management the same story as IT or the technology committee, but for some reason management would rather believe someone who’s paid for their advice; go figure. I do, as many good consultants do, follow the philosophy that “Success Comes From Within,” meaning that many of the issues and ideas come from the IT staff, techno.attorneys or techno.staff. My job is to collectively present the information, the recommendations, and the costs and help to foster these technologies within the firm.

I have found more times than not many IT staff within a law firm who “know” the system inside and out, but because the system has grown over the years, they may not have the “big picture.” Often, the systems are configured the way they are because “that’s the way it’s always been.” And the old adage, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” is still very true. However, it is very much worth the effort to conduct this assessment – you will uncover several issues, problems and answers you didn’t know existed.

Assessing your firm’s technology must include the entire technology environment: computer software, hardware, networking, communications and staffing resources. Many times I’ve worked with mid­size and large size law firms who are obviously understaffed, yet can’t figure out why their users continue to have the same problems and same issues over and over again. So, when conducting an assessment, it is imperative you include staffing resources.

An assessment is just that – a review and evaluation of your current technology environment. What you do with that information later is up to the firm, but this gives you a start. In my experience, the initial assessment leads to immediate recommendations, such as standardizing on software applications or hardware platforms. The next logical step is to develop your firm’s strategic technology plan, but even then, you’ll need the baseline information gathered during this assessment.

Software Assessment . Assessing the firm’s software application environment is not really that difficult. But, don’t count on your memory or IT’s memory. There will be some attorneys and/or staff that have installed their own software, despite any policies in place. Simply determine the software applications used within the firm and the number of users accessing those applications. What you will want to keep in mind for the future is software standardization and skill sets. Your firm may want to standardize on specific applications, helping to reduce costs in upgrades and IT resources.

Lay out a spreadsheet or a table indicating the computer software and licensing (yes, there are still some firms that are not completely licensed for all the software they have). Break out those applications that run from the server and those that run from the desktop. You can use off-the-shelf tools to help you gather information. Larger firms with hundreds of computer workstations cannot afford to manually gather the information. Yet, automated tools may not be totally accurate. Check the final list before preparing the assessment.

I usually use the following categories, because it helps to organize the software into meaningful functions: Desktop Operating System(s); Core Software Applications; Accounting Applications; Substantive Software Applications; Legal Research Applications; and Utility Applications.

The whole purpose of gathering software information is to determine what your firm currently uses. You’ll probably find there are several versions of the same product. For example, you may have several versions of Microsoft Word or several versions of Corel WordPerfect. That may be OK - you don’t need to worry about that right now. After all, this is an assessment of the software.

You may also find there are several products that do the same function. For example, you may have copies of Microsoft Office Suite on several computers and several copies of Corel WordPerfect Office Suite on others. That means you have both Word and WordPerfect, both Excel and Quattro Pro, both PowerPoint and Presentations, etc. Again, this is an assessment; you’ll figure out later if your firm can or should support both.

Skill sets are basically functions within particular applications that users know, or should know. For example, you may want to have support staff know various functions within Word or WordPerfect. There may be a different set of skills for attorneys using word processing. There is no “correct” answer. What works is what works best for your firm. Skill sets also provide a correlation with the firm’s training.

Hardware Assessment – Servers . This is probably the easiest for most IT departments. They “rule” the hardware world and most IT staff probably know the server configuration like the back of their hand. The idea here is to lay it all out in a spreadsheet type format: CPU capacity & speed, RAM, hard drives and RAID configurations, backup configurations (separate tape backups or an “all in one” solution) and backup strategies (daily complete backups, incremental or differential backups).

Most importantly, include the purchase date. A Pentium/200 with 256 MB of RAM memory may have been plenty of horsepower five years ago, but now it’s a dog and wastes staff and attorney time because it is so slow. Many times, IT staff will find that one server may be slow compared to others and this exercise will help lay out the various other potential configurations, including load balancing, or better yet, server upgrades. This helps to give justification as to why the firm may want to replace particular file servers.

How often should servers be upgraded? Again, it depends on the use of the server. For example, a server purchased five years ago that handles the firm’s email (and nothing but the email) may continue to work fine today. But loaded with a few “newer” applications over the years, because there’s “room,” the server may be overloaded causing a slowdown for the firm’s email, causing the firm’s users to complain. There is no “perfect” rotation period for servers. Many IT staff look to replace or upgrade servers every two years, but then again, it depends on the applications run from the server. At a bare minimum, evaluate the server performance every two years and replace at least every three or four years. The idea here is to keep a steady technology budget in place. The last thing you want to do is have a server crash with no replacement or no backups because you’ve waited too long to upgrade.

Hardware Assessment – Computers, Notebooks, Printers . Similar to file servers, assessing the desktop and notebook computer environment is essential to a technology assessment. Make another table indicating the types of computer systems in place, (CPU & speed, RAM, Hard Drive, Monitor & Size, and purchase date). Many firms take this information and put it into their long-range technology plan for a three or four year desktop rotation schedule. This makes it much easier to budget for technology.

From this assessment of desktop computers, you can easily determine your current minimum desktop configuration. You can then determine if this minimum configuration will handle the needs of the firm. For example, if your firm intends to run the Microsoft Office 2000 Suite, you may determine that the older Pentium II/200 MHz systems with 32 MB of RAM will need to be replaced.

Most software applications are 32-bit which require a faster processor, more RAM memory and a larger and faster hard disk drive. When multiple programs are simultaneously open, the end user often experiences a drop in desktop performance such as slow downs during peak periods or even lock ups. This is a common problem and while there may be numerous technical issues, these problems usually boil down to one of three areas: desktop workstation CPU speed, amount of RAM and hard disk capacity. Slow downs and lock ups are probably experienced more by the users having the older desktop workstations. These will become apparent in the desktop assessment.

Notebook computers are a different story. Many firms choose to purchase notebook computers instead of desktop computers because “the attorneys want them.” What is typically missed in this decision is that notebook computers require additional training for the end user. File transfers to and from the server, dialing into the firm’s system or connecting to the Internet are all additional training requirements. And what about security? How many notebook computers has your firm lost over the last year? The cost of the notebook computer is not important – what is most important is the cost of the attorney’s time or worse, the proprietary and confidential client information that is on that computer. Yes, additional training should be required for those lawyers requesting portable computers.

Networking Assessment . Assessing a computer network is not really that difficult a task. Usually within a law firm there are only a few people that understand the configurations, the setups and the various applications running in the background. The most important thing is what the end user sees on his or her desk, how information gets to and from the desktop and the performance (or speed) of the system. Another equally important issue is stability and reliability. Stability and reliability simply mean the entire network system doesn’t go down unexpectedly. Many law firms these days heavily depend on technology and cannot afford to go down. Many of these firms often experience the “Friday afternoon at 4pm syndrome,” otherwise known as one of Murphy’s Laws.

Let me give you an example of an unstable network. You receive a “broadcast” message several times a day indicating “Emergency Reboot: The network will be shut down in five minutes.” We’re not talking several times a month; we’re talking several times a day. If that happens in your firm, you need to do some serious evaluation of your technology. A stable and reliable network is one that rarely goes down (all networks go down periodically; the better maintained ones are shut down for maintenance on a predetermined and scheduled maintenance.

The end user typically only sees the computer on their desk, the printer and cables. Most users know there is a “big” computer system called a server and somehow information gets to their computers over network cable. However, there is much more to moving information through a law firm than cables. The network infrastructure typically consists of several servers, high-speed switches, hubs, routers and a nest of cabling tucked away in closets, walls and ceilings. It is this infrastructure that is the “glue” to a law firm network.

This may be one of those assessments that should involve someone from the firm management. The reason is that it is important for management to understand wiring and network problems from a technology perspective. No one expects management to get down on their hands and knees to route cables, but when you can show them an unsecure wiring closet and explain to them the reason the network went down last week was because an air-conditioning maintenance man accidentally bumped into the network hub and disconnected the power, they’ll get the picture.

Training Assessment . Don’t forget to assess your firm’s training. This includes the evaluating the courses offered, the times offered and the amount of time in class. I know very few firms who mandate their lawyers attending computer software training sessions. I do know a few that have made a successful attempt; usually it includes financial incentives such as a bonus or additional dollars in their enrichment funds. The point being is that no training system works 100% of the time and firms with successful training usually adapt in many different ways.

One trend I’ve noted, however, is that successful training classes are shortened, usually to one or two hours at the most. Trainers concentrate on specific functions within applications. It may be generating tables in word processors or functions within spreadsheets. Lawyers and staff can usually get away for an hour, but not a day (or half day). This puts a burden on the training department and law firms are starting to “get it.” By increasing their training resources and providing incentives to get attorneys to training, law firms can provide the necessary training to become more efficient and more productive.

A good training department will have manuals, custom designed for their firm, and reference books. Training is often paired with the Help Desk and trainers often rotate through the Help Desk. This helps the firm understand the coordination between what is being taught and what problems may exist. Of course, if the same person in the law firm keeps the Help Desk busy with the same problems, but refuses to attend training – well, that’s a decision for firm management.

IT Staffing Assessment . There is a common perception that “those guys” in the IT department must really be working hard, we never see them and we don’t know what they really do. Well, most staff in an IT department are technically oriented, understand the network, but have a hard time communicating the inner workings in a language that lawyers can understand. Law firm management knows the number of staff in the IT department, but often fail to realize that usually at least one half are devoted to “behind the walls” type activities.

“Behind the Walls” support usually consists of network administration, cabling infrastructure, and server maintenance. These activities take place at the server level, not at the desktop level. These guys are rarely seen, but the firm must realize that they are there and help to support the firm’s technology infrastructure. Is the firm’s network reliable? That’s usually maintained by the guys “Behind the Walls.” Does the network ever go down or do you have wiring problems? That’s also taken care of by the guys “Behind the Walls.”

“Desktop Support” usually consists of those folks within the IT department that set up and configure individual users’ computers. They usually coordinate with the Help Desk (and often are the Help Desk) to troubleshoot problems and answer end user problems. They also assist with personal attention to specific issues, such as laptop checkouts, litigation support, case management administration, or word processing questions.

How many staff should be in the IT department? That’s a question everyone asks and there is not a definitive answer. Law firm management usually has a tough time justifying additional “non-billable” resources, but it’s because they often don’t understand the technology resource requirements. There are several resources most law firms turn to: ILTA (International Legal Technology Association), Altman Weil, and Hildebrandt to name a few.

ILTA’s 2006 IT Staffing Survey reports that respondents for very large firms (more than 500 users) have an average IT staff ration of 26 users for every 1 IT person. Small firms (fewer than 150 users) have an average ratio of 38 users for every 1 IT person.

The numbers typically depend on what you determine is IT. For example, if you only include the techies who take care of the computer systems (software, hardware, and networking) then you would use the higher number. If you include Litigation Support or WebMasters as IT you’d use the lower number. Other issues that would drive the number lower (more IT staff), would be if your firm implemented several large database systems, such as case management, document management, or SQL servers. In addition, telecommunications (such as Citrix, Wide Area Networks, or remote dial in) require additional resources. One of the differences between large firms and small firms, when comparing IT staffing ratios, is that large firms tend to perform more “in-house” functions than smaller firms.

You must also keep in mind that there are three types of techies: one is the pure techie, such as the one who sits in the corner of the IT office programming in some strange assembly language code and can actually mimic a modem connect tone by humming. Another is the “communicator,” one who can “talk the talk” and understand what an attorney means when she says “it just doesn’t work.” S/he may not be as technical as the first example. The third techie is the rarest of all – one who has outstanding communications skills and can also take apart the file server’s hard drive and lubricate the heads and have it back up before breakfast all the while explaining in layman’s terms the reasons why this exercise will help increase the firm’s bottom line.

The point is, computer IT staff have strengths and weaknesses, just like lawyers. Some can handle multiple tasks and duties, while others have a single strength. The IT manager must understand these personalities and make the entire IT department work like a well-oiled machine. You may find a super duper IT staff that can handle both hardware and software, and one that can communicate well with all types of users. IT staff are people too – they need to be recognized and appreciated, not yelled at for things they have no control over. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve listened to attorneys scream at an IT person only to find out their problems are not related at all to their job or their technology. We are all grownups and we all work in the firm. When we work well together, we all benefit.

Assessing an IT department usually begins with discussions about individual responsibilities within the IT department and the overall role of IT. The firm should have job descriptions for each position in the IT department. Discussions within the IT department as well as others in the firm should provide a good indication of how the IT department serves the firm. If there is mention of many of the same problems by various individuals within the firm, then attention needs to be placed in those areas. For example, if the Help Desk is not responsive in solving problems, then the firm needs to evaluate the process and procedures. It may be that the Help Desk serves as an “operator” to take messages and pass them along to the more technical folks within the IT department. If it’s broke, fix it.

I’ve also run into many problems with technology priorities within a law firm. If the firm does not have a technology plan or a strategic business plan, then most likely there are no priorities and spending is out of control. This is not the fault of the IT department – the responsibility lies with the firm’s management. The firm’s IT department mission is to assist, procure, and implement systems for the firm’s law practice ­period! It’s beyond the scope of this article to address the details of a technology plan, but rest assured, if your firm doesn’t have one, you’re probably experiencing many of these frustrations.

After Assessing Your Technology – By Natalie Kelly

Whether you have completed a thorough technology assessment with the assistance of a paid consultant or if you have just done the run down on your own, the next steps will be to devise a workable and reliable technology plan. The plan should include everything that helps you attain a comfort level - a standard level of reliability, if you will - with both your infrastructure and systems. This level of reliability for your technology does not have to cost an arm and a leg, but it will cost. You can begin to lay out your plan and budget as soon as you have completed your technology assessment.

Several years ago I presented a program entitled, “Plan is Not a 4-Letter Word.” That program covers exactly what needs to be relayed here. You have to plan. It needs to be in writing, and you have to commit to it in order to achieve any goals you set for yourself in terms of technology. Begin by understanding that the modern world of technology forces us to upgrade. Understanding that the legal technology world is not insular and also must deal with upgrades is at the heart of the planning process. In other words, the plan should have components that make the plan flexible. Too rigid of a plan will become easily outdated and undermine the steps you are taking to have more reliable technology in your practice.

The Technology Upgrade

The typical technology upgrade cycle for firms that I work with runs about 2 ½ to 3 years. Firms may, of course, determine that they want to hold on to systems longer, or keep up or surpass “the Jones” to stay on the bleeding edge of technology. These latter options come at a price.

If your firm waits too long to upgrade its technology, you can easily be left behind. You may find your firm not being supported by the vendor for older products. You can create disastrous results for yourself, if say, a database becomes corrupted or unusable and you do not have the option of sending it back to the vendor or to work with a consultant for repairs. Not to mention, that you may be effectuating inherent inefficiencies as newer versions of programs or products may address past bugs or provide functions you need to work more efficiently. Instead you may opt for older systems and programs that waste time and reduce productivity as strive to use workarounds to get some basic functionality. In a worse, but sometimes even unrecognized situation, you may simply do without a product or feature that directly addresses one of your major technology problems.

Firms that choose to operate on the latest systems, and even work to expand into future technology, run the risk of not having adequate vendor and/or consultant support, too. I have worked with a firm that tried to force the latest version of a particular program on an open operating system suggested by their IT guy. The result: countless hours of down time for the firm; my billable time to the firm was increased beyond the typical, and even budgeted, limits; and the vendor’s staff struggled to address concerns that were being expressed hourly on a platform they had not yet finished testing. Ultimately, this “running ahead of the pack” or “reading ahead” caused many problems for everyone involved. Does this mean that lawyers should not have a role in the advanced testing and use of technology? Certainly, not! However, technology-focused firms need to make sure they understand there are consequences when working under those circumstances.

The techie lawyers are sometimes so enthralled with the newer shinier things that they spend too much time on technology, and not enough time lawyering effectively. A balance should be maintained, and for practitioners seeking such balance reliable systems and hardware are a must. My tech mantra is “technology is a tool.”

In order to achieve a balanced and well-thought out process for implementing technology, you will need a plan. Here are some points to remember when you are ready to begin your technology planning:

1. Understand that computers have working parts that will fail on average every three years.
2. Understand that software vendors and operating systems will make changes to their products from year to year.
3. A firm can usually survive on a system for up to 2 ½ to 3 years before needing to change, unless an application is developed with some key features that warrant an upgrade.
4. You can reasonably decide that you will go to the latest systems that work (not bleeding edge, but just up to date) and stay there for a couple of years.
5. You must commit to the financial outlays involved with getting and keeping your systems up and running properly.

With all of the above in mind, you can develop a reliable plan that keeps up to date with your firm's time frame for automation. Years ago I came up with a short anagram for the steps in the technology planning. I think it’s worth repeating here.

Use ASSETS to Buy Legal Technology

• A ssess the Needs
• S hop for Solutions
• S tick to Plans
• E valuate the Progress
• T weak the Systems Start Over Again

Assess the Needs

• Know when it’s time to upgrade
• Make sure your need is really a need
• Get help if you need it

Shop for Solutions

• Do your homework
• Don’t reinvent the wheel
• Is leasing ever better than buying? (only enter into “smart” leases that give you some tangible return for your investment; i.e. low cancellation provisions, etc.)
• Can you justify the cost for this? RFPs and such (determine if you need to do an RFP for any project you are facing)

Stick to Plans

• Write out your technology plan
• use an implementation plan for the process, too
• roll the solution out methodically and as smoothly as you can

Evaluate the Process

• check for “survivors” (is the new technology actually working in your firm?)
• check system performance and go to “T” when necessary

Tweak the Systems

• have a maintenance plan or follow the vendors (get the latest service packs and releases as they come out; avoid betas or bleeding edge releases without adequate support being readily available)
• fix what’s broken when you can and should (don’t let problems linger if you are in a position to fix them)

Start Over Again

• if it doesn’t work and can’t be fixed, start the ASSETS process again

Remember, proper technology solutions are real ASSETS to your law practice!

These steps are very practical, but they are definitely the roadmap for working with technology in the law practice. Change is going to be a constant, so just keep reminding yourselves that this is a "process," and you will have to continually revisit what technology is going to work best for your firm.

Budgeting

Consider making technology purchases based on information you set in your budget. You can generally expect to budget for the following technology items:

• Server Unit with Backup Tape Drive
• Backup Tapes
• Other Backup Methods (Hardware/Software)
• Workstations with Monitors, Mice and Keyboards
• Laptops with Port Replicators
• Handheld Devices and Service Contract Fees
• Cell Phones and/or Pagers and Service Contract Fees
• Computer IT Administration and/or Computer Consulting Contract Fees (for networking and administration by outside sources; other contract labor can be handled under personnel parts of your budget)
• Printers
• Label Printers
• LCD Projectors
• Projection Screens

Of course this list is not exhaustive, and if you attempt a formal budget process for the firm, which I am highly in favor of, you should determine depreciation amounts and perhaps look to categorize your expenses accordingly. If you are not familiar with depreciation for accounting purposes, then check with your accountant.

Because technology changes so rapidly and you may not know who will immediately need a new Blackberry or the like, you can be a bit more generous in your budget amounts for technology. Once you have determined what your needs will be based on the budgeted expense items for technology, you can then do forecasting for the future.

You should approach the topic of automation with an eye towards the future. Set attainable goals for the firm and include technology in your marketing and firm mission. Understand that technology can positively affect many areas of your practice.

For instance, you can decide that you want to attempt a paperless office over the next year. You might be able to start marketing your services based on the fact that you can easily work with corporate clients who only deal with electronic billing, for example. This same decision will also force you to look at what technology is needed, i.e. scanners and PDF generation software, to reduce and even eliminate paper work product in your office.

Another project you may attempt on a smaller scale, as opposed to attempting to become a paperless office, is to examine your current workflow and think of ways to further automate. For instance, if you are not faxing from your desktop, you are wasting some valuable time in your firm. Instead of just having one or two main office faxes that you and staff have to go to, you can have faxes forwarded directly to the recipient's desktop via your e-mail client.

Overall, you will probably find that this process of investing in technology for your firm is one that is not very exact. The dynamic nature of technology and the fact that your firm's needs may just as easily shift, you will find yourselves constantly grappling with the issue of are we using our technology in the best possible way and is it the best technology of the day. To combat this uncertainty of when and how to invest wisely in technology, think of automation as a game you must play. You have no choice in playing, but you can make your turns at the game more productive and efficient by improving your technology planning and budgeting procedures.

Purchasing Options and Pricing

One of the most helpful things that we provide members is advice on what to buy in terms of technology. It is important to understand that a thorough assessment and a clear plan will make this part of the legal technology purchasing process much more effective. Because the information provided here can easily change, we would advise you to only use this information as a general set of guidelines.

Training

If there is only one thing that you want to increase your spending on when it comes to technology, then let that one thing be training. One of the biggest mistakes firms make in investing in reliable technology is not completing the process with adequate training. There are several options available for training, and in fact, large firms will often have their own training departments. It is vitally important and should not be left for last when it comes to planning and budgeting. Training for the legal-specific products on the market today can be best provided by consultants who have been certified directly by the vendor. These certified consultants can charge from $90 to $300 per hour depending on the project they need to handle. Training can be done remotely, online, in training rooms/labs or on-site. Many of the consultants also provide customization and on-call support services in addition to their training.

Hardware

Here are some basics for your hardware purchasing:

Servers - Solo practitioner and firms with fewer than 4 or 5 folks do not generally need to invest in a dedicated server. Firms of this size can use a peer to peer setup for their network. A machine in the peer to peer network can serve as the “non-dedicated” server. The server will serve as the location for storing files that have been produced from any point on the network. The local storage on a server makes for easier backup routines and can also have an impact on resources when the processing of data occurs on the server versus on individual workstations. Real servers can range from $2,800 up to over $4,000. Reliable servers can be found at the mid-point of this price range. Larger firms should consult their dedicated IT staff for appropriate server selection.

Desktops - Good CPU can cost from $800 - $1,200. Look for name brands as you are able to best leverage volume discounting and find appropriate service and replacement parts versus boxes that may be custom built for you. This pricing will include both the CPU and the keyboard. However, you can look to find specialized keyboards and other CPU accessories for well under $200.

Accessories - Items that you may decide to include along with your CPU can cost anywhere from $150 to $250 or so. CD/RW backup drives and other DVD drives can be added at this price point.

Laptops - Costing from $1,200 to $3,500 you should look to purchase only name-brand laptops. IBM, Dell, HP and Toshiba units are some of the first brands to come to mind. Laptops can serve as main units and can be plugged into your network via docking stations also called port replicators.

Color Monitors (17” - 21”) - The falling prices of monitors, which are now ranging from $250 ­$600, have made it a popular option to have 2 or more monitors to expand viewable working space. I have seen up to 4 monitors in one office! The flat panel models are real space savers.

Printers- Costing up to $350 for more stand alone units in smaller law firms, these can pull double duty when bundled with other functions like scanning and faxing. The multifunctional machines may be very good choices for solo and small offices. Mid-sized and larger firms will need to alter their offering with supplemental document management features to realize the most benefit from their printers. Consequently, costs for those environments are in the thousands.

PDAs - Deciding to work with a “personal digital assistant” unit will cost you from $150 to $500. This does not include monthly service fees that will be needed for some of these units. Blackberrys and Palms are the most popular handhelds on the market today. These mobile devices can come in the form of Smartphones (phone + PDA) or just e-mail capable PDAs. Use services like www.point.com to select service plans that are a good fit for your firm. Also, for practice management purposes, be sure to set up written policies for the use of these and all of your technology.

Scanners - On the low end, you can find mid-volume, sheet fed scanners from $150 to $300. There are even some models in the $800 to $900 range that are even more feature-packed. These units are the cornerstones of paperless office schemes.

Software

Word Processing Suite - With licensing from $150 to $350, every law office will need to have either Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect, or both, or the open source alternative, Open Office.

Case (Practice) Management - Licenses for this absolutely necessary system will range from $350 to $700. Be sure to acquire this system as soon as you can to handle all of the information that comes into your law office.

Time and Billing/Accounting - For $80 to $500, you will no longer have to do your bills manually in your Word Processor. Most good systems will allow you to track time and bill for that time in almost any billing format, from contingency to flat fee. You can also do trust accounting in most of these programs.

Document Management - If you want to be able to retrieve documents that have been generated by your office in an organized manner and create a scheme that makes tracking your work more effectively, you can spend anywhere from $600 to $1,000 a license for a good document management system.

Document Assembly - $250 to $500 is the cost range for most of the stand alone document assembly programs. These applications can help make document drafting a breeze as you are able to create libraries of clauses and build templates for generating documents easily.

Litigation Support - Starting at cost as low as $500, you can find some products that are designed to work in the trial process. These products can be timeline and fact organizers, or they can be tools that actually help support trial technology. With e-discovery issues being very prevalent, these systems are taking a more prominent role in the legal tech industry nowadays.

Voice Recognition - With licensing around $250, this technology has made its second debut. With more advanced recognition technology, the VR software of today makes it easy to dictate, even digitally, or produce work product directly without typing.

There are certainly many other categories of hardware and software that can be implemented in law offices. But, as already mentioned, you would be wise to do an assessment, write out a plan and purchase and implement technology with an eye toward the future. You really can make your office run more effectively and produce more with less effort when you are putting technology to its best use. You really can find affordable and reliable systems that are on balance with any other higher end products and services you use.