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Strategic & Streamlined IT Support for Law Firms in Toronto

By August 22, 2019March 19th, 2021No Comments

Legal firms of all kinds are incredibly busy entities that collect and transmit large amounts of personal and confidential data. This means that efforts to communicate with relevant parties and secure data collection and transmission is of utmost importance for legal professionals. The fact is, in today’s fast-paced business environment, reliable and strategic IT services are critical if firms want to maintain a competitive edge.

Why Your Toronto Law Firm Should Consider a Strategic IT Consultant

Exploring how strategic IT optimization could change the game for your law practice

We recently heard from a local law firm who was looking to get on top of their IT infrastructure in a more strategic and secure way. These legal professionals were looking for an IT services provider in Toronto who could:

  • Optimize their network infrastructure
  • Streamline applications
  • Develop secure data storage and backup solutions
  • Provide ongoing network support and maintenance

This inquiry really got us thinking. Law firms work on tight deadlines and deal with a variety of sensitive information. As such, they need streamlined access to case and client information in a highly secure and compliant environment. Simply put, for legal professionals, streamlined efficiency and strategic IT security are of utmost importance.

It should come as no surprise that the right IT solutions can be a game-changer for legal professionals. Even better? Consulting a specialized IT professional can seriously take the stress out of a practice’s effort to streamline operations, optimize applications, and secure access to sensitive data. So, we’ve decided to create a fool-proof guide that will help legal professionals as they search for reliable IT support in Toronto.

Does Your Toronto Law Firm Need a Strategic IT Consultant?

What kind of data is your firm collecting and dealing with?

As mentioned, legal professionals deal with a variety of highly sensitive data. No matter how, when, or why this data is collected, upholding confidentiality is absolutely critical. Without an idea of the specific types of data your firm collects, you won’t be able to implement strategic IT solutions to protect it.

Take an inventory of all the kinds of data you collect and develop an idea of any additional regulatory compliance standards you should be aware of. The right IT consultant for Toronto law firms will be able to assess all the different types of data you collect and store and will be able to strategically organize your security and compliance effort.

How are you storing and accessing case data?

Once you have an idea of the kinds of data you collect, store, and transmit, you’ll be able to start selecting and designing the best options for streamlining and securing data storage and access. Does every member of your firm’s team need access to all case data? Do you need access on-the-go, or should data access be contained to the office environment only?

By matching your storage solutions with your access requirements, you’ll be able to select the IT solutions that will best support your operational effort while upholding tight security protocols. A strategic IT consultant for Toronto law practices will help you harness the power of Cloud technology and secure access controls to make sure the team members who require access to data, can access it securely no matter when they need it or where they are.

Do you have disaster recovery and business continuity measures in place?

Working to keep data safe and secure is one thing – but preparing for the worst-case scenario is another can of worms entirely. For professional law firms, backing-up critical data and preparing to recover from potential disaster is absolutely critical. Without thinking about and proactively preparing for the worst-case scenario, the continuity of your firm and the success of your case work is in serious jeopardy.

Working with a strategic IT consultant can truly be a game-changer when it comes to preparing for disasters and protecting your firm’s continuity. Whether its implementing data backups or drafting strategic disaster response and business continuity plans, a professional IT services provider can help your firm select and implement strategic technology solutions, designed specifically to help your firm bounce back immediately in the case of cyberattack or server failure.

Are your firm’s operations streamlined?

Data security is definitely the top priority for legal professionals. However, streamlined efficiency and operational optimization is a close second. Legal professionals are often balancing a heavy case-load and they need their resources to be organized in a way that promotes peak efficiency and streamlined access. Can you identify weak efficiency spots or redundancies in your firm’s operational effort? Are there areas where you know you could be making better use of technology to optimize operations?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you should definitely be considering a partnership with a strategic IT consultant for Toronto law firms. A truly beneficial IT services provider won’t just recommend solutions and make sure you implement them. They’ll work alongside you and your team to make sure every IT solution you deploy is being used to its maximum capacity. This means no features go ignored and your firm reaps the benefits of maximum optimization.

Is your legal software optimized?

Law professionals often require a variety of specialized software applications to get work done. In order to drive maximum firm efficiency, you need make sure that you’re using the right software applications and that they’re being deployed and optimized in the most strategic way possible.

For your consideration, here are some of the leading software tools for legal professionals:

  • Korbitec ACL

An easy-to-use Automated Civil Litigation (ACL) software solution that automates the entire process of creating court documents and letters. This makes it easy for lawyers and their support staff to prepare documents with streamlined accuracy.

  • GhostPractice

A practice management software solution that makes it easier for firms to increase profitability. The solution provides an all-inclusive approach that includes case management, document management, time-tracking, billing, and legal accounting tools.

  • Summation

An all-inclusive, web-based, legal review platform that makes it easy for legal teams to manage all post-collection stages of e-discovery. Summation combines processing, review, and case organization into a single cost-effective e-discovery tool.

  • Worldox

An award-winning document management system that allows legal professionals to reduce chaos, ensure critical documents are processed and accessed securely, improve operational efficiency, and drive increased value from intellectual property.

  • PC Law

An all-in-one practice management solution that is trusted by thousands of legal firms worldwide. PC Law allows lawyers to take advantage of increased control over trust accounting, client management, case and matter management. It also helps law firms optimize the tracking of billable hours, the capturing of expenses, and the management of billing and accounting.

  • WordLX

A template management system that helps law firms take a better approach to creating, formatting, and processing legal documents. WordLX transforms Microsoft Word into a simpler and more efficient tool designed for the creation of legal documents.

  • TimeMatters

A practice management solution produced by PCLaw. The solution differs from standard contact management software because in addition to contacts it manages calendars, email accounts, documents, case research, billing, accounting, and legal matters.

  • InForm

A court-form automation software that allows law firms to streamline the preparation of court forms. The solution is easy to use and offers the capability to quickly and accurately produce court forms using a transformed version of Microsoft Word.

  • Amicus Attorney

An intuitive case-management software solution that tracks and invoices billable time, automates important legal documents, and provides streamlined access to all your clients and matters. The solution works on-premise and in the Cloud (or both), all while keeping your sensitive data safe from cyber threats.

  • Phillips Speech Processing

A dictation software solution that allows lawyers to take notes and get work done more efficiently. The software allows practices to streamline their document creation processes and significantly reduce overall workload. Recordings can be made from anywhere and sent for transcription at any time.

  • DivorceMate

Innovative and easy-to-use software products and services that help lawyers streamline family law processes. DivorceMate has Cloud-based solutions to help legal professionals optimize expense and support calculations, create day-to-day legal forms, and draft family-law contracts of all kinds.

  • Copitrak

A document creation, collaboration, and publication software solution that can serve as the backbone for any legal practice. The solution offers a confidential, seamless, secure, and integrated paper and PDF management system.

  • Primafact

A powerful document management software designed for litigation practices. Primafact allows lawyers to take advantage of increased efficiency and improved advocacy. The solution is designed to help litigators better prepare by having key documents and critical facts at their fingertips.

  • Dragon Naturally Speaking

A dictation software solution that allows law professionals to work faster and smarter simply by speaking. From making status updates, to searching the web, or creating reports and spreadsheets, Dragon’s speech recognition solutions allow lawyers to do it all faster and more efficiently.

Working with an IT provider can be a huge asset for law firms who are trying to determine the right software to use. The right IT provider for Toronto law firms will offer strategic consultation and recommendations about legal software. They can also play a vital role in making sure software applications are continually updated and optimized to support compliance and maximum efficiency.

Consultation & Support: How to Select a Strategic IT Consultant for Your Toronto Law Firm

Simply put, a strategic IT consultant can make all the difference for Toronto law firms who are looking to secure and optimize their IT infrastructure. Even if you have an internal staff member whose been spearheading your IT effort, there really is no comparison to a team of experienced industry professionals. Partnering with a professional IT consultant means you and your team will have the support and resources necessary to stay secure and efficient.

The right IT consultant for Toronto law firms will have experience working with legal professionals and will be willing to customize their services to meet the specific needs of your practice. Further, they’ll be willing to work alongside you and your team members and share their expertise and knowledge. This way, your team has the support of the experts while still being empowered to be IT savvy in their day-to-day use of firm technology and resources.

If your firm is looking for legal IT support in Toronto, we encourage you to start your search by reaching out to the team of specialists from Checksum Systems. We have the experience and expertise necessary to help your Toronto law firm reach new heights with strategic IT solutions. Catch us anytime at (416) 572-2064.