Stopping inbound paper is an easy and big step toward a paperless office.
Every law office has tons of incoming documents every day. The best form to receive them is electronically (e-mail, FTP, or even CD).
My method for reducing paper coming into my law office is asking. I place blurbs in my correspondence and my assistants are pretty vigilant on pushing the issue.
I’ve also found that if my firm corresponds digitally, the other party will do the same.
The result, I have far less paper mail crossing my desk than I did before moving toward a paperless office.
Here’s a sample blurb we place in our correspondence in any introductory letter with an entity:
“We are becoming a paperless office. We would be grateful if you could assist our efforts protecting the environment and conserving resources by corresponding with us electronically as much as possible. We welcome e-mail correspondence and we welcome document delivery via e-mail, on CD, FTP, and/or large file transfer service. We will do the same. If you do correspond by e-mail, please address your e-mails to myassistant@mylawfirm.com Thank you for considering this request.”
I find that this simple and polite request works very well. If I know a client doesn’t have regular computer access, I don’t include the above blurb. Yes, I ask every new client if they would like to correspond by e-mail. 70% say “yes”.
If you do get paper incoming documents and mail, consider streamlining your workflow with these types of services:
1. Seek out services that will collect and scan your documents such as Mediconnect Global. These services will then send you the documents in electronic form leaving only e-filing for your office;
2. Direct that your documents (especially correspondence – which isn’t collected by Mediconnect) be sent to a scanning service such as Earth Class Mail (not yet available in Canada. Another downside with Earth Class Mail is having a separate mailing address may be confusing). Again, all that remains for your office to do is e-file.
3. Set up a good scanning system. In our law firm’s early days of going paperless, I hired a college student who did all our scanning. He worked about 6 hours per week. He was a huge help relieving my assistants. Scanning and e-filing are time-consuming so be sure to plan for this. The upside is the days of filing hard paper is over. Scanning and e-filing is much easier and faster than filing paper.
As all college students do, they graduate and move on. I’ve since expanded the position, by hiring a permanent part time person whose primary job is the scanning.
4. Review the paper version before it falls into the possibly mountainous “to be scanned pile”. After reading it and dealing with it, get it scanned and e-filed. If you have lag time in your scanning system, you may want to use this method so that you review incoming documents sooner rather than later.
Reviewing and Sharing Documents
Develop a system for reviewing documents. Set up an electronic file where all incoming and outgoing electronic documents are deposited for your review. This is what I do and it works well. Minimize e-file and e-folder opening and closing. I like these folders in my case management system (or software) where I can access and organize electronic documents for my review very quickly. Also, it’s then very easy for me to transfer them to my assistant for filing and/or sending it outbound.
Speaking of e-mail, it’s important for e-mail management that you have as much incoming e-mail go to your assistant’s inbox. This is a huge time saver and is integral to efficient workflow. Your assistant will be able to take care of lots of the incoming e-mail that won’t require your review.
If you set out modes of service on your pleadings, then include e-mail as an acceptable mode of service. This is a contentious issue. I’ve know some lawyers won’t do this because they are worried served documents will get lost in cyberspace or overlooked in an assistant’s e-mail system.
I believe the day will come when there will only be e-service on law firms and that most law firms will be much closer to having a paperless office. Might as well set up for it now. It saves time and money for the law firm and the client if all lawyers would receive service by e-mail.
Tips: (1) avoid printing and scanning; and (2) have users go to documents rather than documents go to them.
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