If business operations are to be optimized, it is a must for legal service request procedures to be efficient. This helps with managing risk and enhancing client satisfaction. However, inefficient processes lead to reverse outcomes such as frustrated clients and employees, reputational damage, missed deadlines, and financial costs.
Irrespective of whether we put law firms or a corporate general counsel under scrutiny, streamlining the intake process is a prerequisite for success. The benefits come at financial and operational costs and beyond.
Financial benefits
- Billable time is more
By leveraging a legal services assistant, lawyers need not spend as much time on administrative and non-billable tasks. This empowers them to bring the focus on legal work that generates revenue.
- Value addition
If a legal services assistant is used, corporate general counsel is empowered to become a strategic business partner and contributes to high-impact initiatives.
- Cost reduction
Keeping the processes efficient has direct repercussions over reducing errors that withhold the potential to result in expensive penalties or rework. Overall expenses are hence mitigated.
Operational benefits
- Streamlined workflows
As defined by centralized systems that facilitate automated routing, requests reach the right legal professional with no delays. Bottlenecks and mutual triage are hence overcome.
- Quicker action
Legal requests can be handled quicker as they are powered by streamlined processes and automated intake when a legal services assistant is used. Fewer delays translate to higher efficiency.
- Real-time visibility
With requests being tracked in real time, all stakeholders can clearly understand the matter’s status. Communication improves as the need for redundant inquiries is overcome.
- Scalability
In the case of organizations that quickly scale, a legal services assistant is best placed to manage legal requests in growing volumes. A proportionate increase in headcount is then not required.
Client and employee satisfaction
- Improved client experience
When the intake process is smooth, it makes a positive first impression on clients. They develop trust in the firm’s capabilities and professionalism.
- Morale boosting
Since low-value and repetitive work is automated, corporate general counsel teams bring their focus on high-impact and strategic tasks. Higher job satisfaction levels follow, and burnouts are fewer.
- Deeper relationships
Now that the service is timely and consistent, the relationship between corporate general counsel teams and the internal business units they support is strengthened.
After taking a look at the benefits of a streamlined intake process, it becomes equally important to understand the consequences of inefficient request procedures, which are likely to span the entire organization.
- Operational disruptions
Communication silos, manual workflows, and fragmented processes could lead to missed deadlines and significant delays. Project timelines across the organization could be disrupted.
- Higher financial risk
When errors stem from poor request management, penalties and contractual breaches follow, and at times, costly legal disputes could take place. If we consider the judicial context, when documents are not handled well, sometimes cases are dismissed.
- Reputational damage
Irrespective of whether it is internal business partners or external clients that experience mistakes or delays, it lays repercussions over a law firm’s corporate reputation and credibility.
- Inefficient resource allocation
If a clear, centralized system is not used, it becomes difficult to effectively assign requests upon tracking and prioritizing them. Inefficient resource allocation follows, and productivity is hindered.
Comments (0)