The Role of eSignatures in Modernizing Legal Document Management

Legal document management is a large part of your legal firm’s responsibilities, and mismanaging this aspect of your firm could mean disaster. Therefore, it’s immensely important for you to stay on top of your legal document management. For years, this might have looked like having an excellent filing system and a well-organized team in place to get the necessary signatures and documents applicable to each client’s case. In modern times, this entire process has adapted to digital platforms and CRM software. This has led to the adoption of the eSignature. Read on to learn more about how eSignatures have helped modernize legal document management for the better:  

What is an eSignature? 

Before going much further in this informational piece, it’s important to define what an eSignature is in the first place. Even if you haven’t already begun using this in your own firm’s dealings, you have likely experienced it. It is, in fact, an electronic process, symbol, or sound that is associated with a record or contract and executed by the person signing the document. While the actual rules and regulations surrounding eSignatures vary slightly, generally, they will share most of the same basic principles that surround the actual in-person signing of documents. Therefore, this can be a huge time saver when a client can electronically sign documents, allowing a firm to proceed with their case without having to come in and physically sign documents. 

Benefits of an Electronic Signature

The digitized process of eSignatures can revolutionize your ability as a law firm to quickly help your clients form a winning case. Through client intake software, you can save your firm valuable time you might otherwise spend hunting down clients for a necessary signature on legal documents. You can obtain eSignatures securely by text or email as part of your client intake process and CRM software, freeing up your team to work on other matters. The following are even more practical benefits on both sides of things; helping your clients and your legal team: 

Convenience

One of the most notable benefits of eSignatures is convenience. With this software feature, your clients can sign legal documents or other forms of communication or permissions from virtually anywhere at any time. This means they don’t have to make time to stop by your office, and your team members aren’t spending valuable hours each day trying to track clients down to get those necessary signatures. 

Saves Time

Again, when the signature can be captured digitally by various means of communication, this saves a great deal of time. While not necessarily pertaining to the legal field, studies have shown that adopting eSignatures can save a business up to 22,000 hours annually as it can take more than five days to obtain a physical signature, while many times, an electronic version can be obtained in 30 minutes. This stat alone is reason enough to adopt this as a way to onboard clients.  

Increased Security

With the adoption of digital documents comes the risk of security breaches. Consequently, you might assume that getting client signatures digitally instead of in person is more risky. In fact, it’s much less so. The client intake system that includes eSignatures features encryption with a secure authentication process. This means that the software itself will protect your clients data from harm or from falling into the wrong hands. 

Efficiency

Another benefit of using electronic signatures and obtaining client information through software is the fact that it is a much more efficient process. This streamlines your entire client onboard process, reducing workflow disruption. Your team will no longer be forced to wait for a client’s response, like coming into the office in person to sign something, to proceed with their case. You will be able to obtain all the permissions and signatures needed to expedite the entire client onboarding process. 

Enhanced Client Experience

Having the convenience of being able to fill out all paperwork and give their signatures online instead of having to leave work or other tasks in order to come into your office greatly enhances the client experience overall. The one-click eSignature process has been proven to enhance client experience immensely. After all, clients in need of legal assistance are often already stressed and worried about whatever is going on, so freeing them up from at least this responsibility helps make the process of getting them help much easier and quicker, which can lead to a greater peace of mind. 

Types of Legal Documents That Can Be Signed Electronically

As part of the legal process, you know that your team often needs signatures from clients on fee agreements, retainer agreements, and legal documents. You and your team are forced to wait for these permissions in order to legally proceed on your client’s behalf. Therefore, eSignatures can greatly expedite the entire client onboarding process as well as help you obtain necessary permissions throughout your legal relationship to help you oversee your client’s case as efficiently as possible. Of course, with any client intake software, you can alter it to best fit your needs, but in most cases, in most firms, having eSignatures capacity for fee agreements, retainer agreements, and general legal documents is sufficient. 

More About Client Intake Software 

Client intake software involves an entire client onboarding process and can positively enhance your overall appeal as a legal firm. The eSignature tool is one aspect, though a big part of the process, to be sure. Other benefits of client intake software include the following: 

• Data Entry: As you know, the paperwork within the legal arena can be tedious. Client intake software streamlines this and allows for automatic updates and more to eliminate double entry. These custom and intelligent intake forms allow you to collect clients’ names, matter details, sensitive information, and addresses, which will then be stored and organized to make it easy to find. This software greatly reduces, if not entirely eliminates, most data entry errors and optimizes the way your team accesses client data. 
• Helps You Avoid Conflicts: As part of this client intake process, you will be able to see if there is any reason that you cannot represent a client from the beginning. This will save you time and save clients the hassle of beginning the process with you, only to have to move to another firm eventually when a conflict is discovered. 
• Boosts Leads: The client intake process also features a pipeline aspect that guides clients through specific steps, which enhances your leads. This means that you will never have to worry about a client falling through the cracks as this software follows up and guides them to the next steps, keeping your firm top of mind. 
• Helps You Assign a Team Member: This intake process can also help you establish which of your team members would be the best fit for this client’s case and help you establish that relationship at the beginning of the process. 
• Sign Documents Electronically: This element of client intake has been the focus of this piece. It gives your team the ability to capture signatures electronically and keeps your legal process from being disrupted as you wait for signatures. 

Contact us at Law Ruler 

Contact us at Law Ruler to learn more about the role eSignatures are playing in the modernization of legal document management. We are happy to share with you how this, along with client onboarding and intake processes, is revolutionizing the way you interact with your clients, leading to greater success and client satisfaction. Reach out today to schedule a demo and see for yourself the difference it could make for your firm.