Why, now more than ever, do lawyers have to have the very best telecoms solutions?

Why, now more than ever, do lawyers have to have the very best telecoms solutions?

For almost all of us, the much-vaunted mass ‘return to office’ hasn’t really happened.  Instead of a total return, we now come into the office once or twice a week and continue to work at home for the remainder.

Lawyers are no exception.

In fact, it is arguably even more important that lawyers can work safe in the knowledge they are completely and reliably connected to both their clients and their colleagues.  The reason for this is a combination of the strict deadlines they work to and the sensitivity or in many cases, highly critical nature of the work they do.

We will look at how the right digital solutions can help lawyers communicate and collaborate more effectively in the second part of this blog.  In this part, we are going to focus on why it is so vital from both a commercial and strategic perspective to ensure your clients have instant access to the partners and other fee earners they work with.

While lawyers quite rightly focus on meeting the technical demands of their client relationships (how will use your understanding and application of the law to deliver your clients’ desired outcomes), studies being conducted for and by the legal industry and the independent client listening programmes most firms have now implemented tell a slightly different story.

Clients value communication above almost anything else.  Under the umbrella of communication, clients cite accessibility and speed of response as critical success factors.   They also value the ability to talk rather than communicating via email as important.  They feel it provides an easier – not to mention quicker – way to discuss the relevant issues and come to the right conclusions together.

In many cases this view has been cemented rather than altered by COVID.

During the pandemic phone calls came back into fashion.  This may be because we were just adapting to Teams and the other new technologies we were all suddenly given.  Or, it could have been we just wanted to talk to a wider circle of people than we were locked down with.  Whatever the reason, it has left clients wanting that contact whether it is provided via audio or video call.

Now we are fully ensconced in a mix of in-office and at-home working, it is more important than ever to review your telecoms infrastructure to make sure you can continue to provide the accessibility and speed of response your clients want.

From a client retention perspective this is particularly important if you are one of a panel of firms serving a major client and the others are currying favour by utilising a more sophisticated telecoms set-up.

It is also important from a new client acquisition perspective.

Location has ceased to be a leading factor when it comes to choosing a law firm.  The decision is now made almost exclusively on specialism and service and the most effective way to deliver specialism and service is via state-of-the-art communication solutions.

What should you include in a review of your law firm’s telecoms?

When you come to review your law firm’s current telecoms systems to work out where you can improve, we’d suggest the areas you look at should include:

1. The right VoIP Systems

VoIP (or, to give it its full name, Voice over Internet Protocol) is absolutely essential in this hybrid working world.  VoIP systems allow you to make and receive calls over the internet.  This means that as long as you have an internet connection, you can be reached directly by phone.

2. The right video call options

Almost every law firm has now been using Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet since we were first asked to work from home.  However, is your firm’s preferred solution working for you and clients?  You cannot afford to have calls freeze or drop out so make sure your chosen system is doing what it should or consider moving to an alternative.

3. The right business mobiles

As we’ve mentioned keeping in touch by mobile is something that came back to prominence during lockdown so even if you have got your VoIP system sorted, you still need to have a reliable mobile services (particularly for those fee earners who may not be connected to WiFi if they’re travelling between locations).

We’d also suggest you look at what you can do to make sure your landline/mobile connection is seamless.  Can you automatically forward a landline number to a mobile so clients have continual access via the number they know regardless of where their lawyer is working?  Can a mobile be answered by a colleague  rather than voicemail if the lawyer the caller wants is truly unavailable?

How can Right Digital Solutions help your law firm improve its telecoms and make sure your lawyers are always accessible to your clients?

We are specialists in providing exactly the right telecoms solutions.

Our offering includes:

• Providing hosted telephony (based on the latest VoIP technology)
• Finding the right digital solutions to enable you to work as effectively as possible from multiple locations
• Ensuring you (and your clients) are deriving the maximum benefit from your implementation and integration of Microsoft Teams

The first step in any conversation is our Digital Health Check.  This is a holistic analysis that measures where you are on your digital journey in relation to best practice and the latest solutions in your sector and provides recommendations and a possible plan as to how you could improve your law firm’s telecoms.

It is also completely free.

If you would like to book your firm in for a Digital Health Check, please contact us today.