Steps Toward a Paperless Law Firm

Everyone is going green. It’s good for the planet and it’s good for your firm’s bottom line. Law firms traditionally generate an awful lot of paper. Let’s explore a few ways to reduce the need for paper and steps you should take to go paperless.

1. Know what can Go

Find out what records you are required to keep and how long you need to keep them. Know what documents can be shredded, when they can be shredded, and which need to be converted to digital files (and how much time has to pass before this becomes an option) before you can shred them. Get organized around these parameters and then put a plan into practice. Be diligent.

2. Embrace Technology

Rekall writes about a lot of fantastic technology. Much of this technology can create efficiencies for your business. But you have to know how to use the technology before it can benefit you. Programs like Acrobat, Word, and Outlook offer seemingly endless tips and tricks that can help you reduce your paper load. But those tricks are only going to do you good if you’re using them. Invest the time (and perhaps money) in getting trained on the tools you’re already paying for in order to cut printing and faxing, go electronic. Rekall can of course help here.

3. Print Management Systems

Did you know that there are systems out there that will track each print and scan associated with a client or case and add a cost to each item? These systems to exist a literally ad money into the pockets of law firms. Look into Equitrac by Nuance.

4. Print Selectively

Ink is expensive, and color ink or toner is even more expensive. Consider that every time you go to print a document.

If you implement one of these solutions, I bet you’ll see an almost immediate reduction in paper, and with that an almost immediate reduction in the expenses associated with printing paper.