How can you enhance your firm’s communications when the way lawyers and clients are communicating has changed with the constant development of technology? There are so many ways to communicate whether it being email, texting, instant messaging, over the phone or face-to-face, but which one is the most efficient within the work world?
Without a standard way to communicate it can mean that messages don’t correspond and can often be miscommunicated. So, shouldn’t law firms have one recognised method of communication with their clients? Firms should have one centralised area where any information, resources, ideas, feedback and data can be exchanged. Where all the information about a case can be shared, so the client and anyone working on the case can access all the data in one place. An extranet can provide a firm with a solution for this, so that the user doesn’t have to be in any particular location to access it, making it ideal for sharing information with clients who will be accessing it externally from the firm. Information is accessible on demand and no one needs to be contacted to share data, which will improve communications and client relationships.
Avoid Email
Email is a popular way to communicate; however it is not always secure for sending confidential information, as the data is often not encrypted leaving it prone to intervention. Choosing an extranet that stores and sends files with encryption would mean that information can be communicated securely. Adding an audit trail and the ability to set different security levels set for each user means that data about cases is communicated to the right people.
People often reply to all or the sender only, which creates countless replies to one email and the stream gets lost, deadlines missed as they are hidden away in long threads and frustration caused. Additionally, over the phone or face-to-face communications can cause disparate messages, as people may forget the action they need to take or what deadline they agreed to. Having one centralised place for data sharing, would mean that it would be the same between colleagues, clients, counsel and suppliers, and there would be no disparate messages or errors, so everyone is kept up to date regarding cases.
Invest in Client Portals
Firms should be making the most out of an extranet, as it is an effective way to share information; it enhances company-wide business communication and client relationships by providing on demand information in one centralised location.
Want to find out more, contact one of our team on how we can help.
