Just a couple of months ago, it was business as usual for thousands of legal practices around the world. Today, like most of them, you are probably worried about the task of keeping your law office up and running amidst social distancing and quarantine. There is no denying the fact that millions of small businesses have been impacted by the consequences of the coronavirus outbreak. The regular operations of a law firm include holding client meetings, trial prep, discovery, and so much more. Meeting clients, insurance providers, legal professionals, and other stakeholders are critical to their existence. In the present scenario, all of that has hit the ground.
If you are worried about staying in business during the global lockdown phase, the solution lies in utilizing digital technology to work remotely. Many businesses have now shifted to this model and have transformed their business into efficient remote workplaces. You can also keep your business operational in these troubled times by making proper use of the internet.
Mentioned below are some simple tips to run your law practice seamlessly during the pandemic.
- The foremost criterion for shifting to the remote workplace model is to ensure that all your partners and staffs have access to high-speed internet. A minimum speed of 25 Mbps is recommended because anything less than this speed may not be sufficient for connecting to your cloud-based application or office VPN. If this facility is not available to them right now, contact your mobile carrier and explore the possibilities of a good group plan offering the required upload and download speed.
- As you already know, the CDC has urged everyone to wash their hands frequently. This is why it is extremely important to disinfect your smart devices and computers. There are many efficient UV-C sanitizing devices available in the market that can disinfect laptops and smartphones by destroying flu germs with the help of UV rays.
- Now, whether you are in the middle of a pandemic or not, maintaining an automatic backup of company data is essential. This ensures that the critical information stored by your law firm is safe and can be accessed by the employees from any location. If you still don’t have automatic data backups for your law firm, consider implementing a cloud solution right away.
- Now, as you are looking to operate remotely via the internet, you must pay proper attention to preventing cyber attacks. Providing training to your staff and associates is one of the best ways to avoid cybersecurity threats. Experts suggest that 99% of cybersecurity attacks take place because of user interactions such as unknowingly clicking on dangerous links. To ensure that your team members don’t fall into these traps, you may hire a reputed cybersecurity firm to do routine checks.
- Before your team starts operating remotely, you will have to decide whether your staff is going to use a remote desktop or log in to the office VPN. Google Docs, Evernote, iCloud (27%), and Office 365 are some of the consumer cloud services used frequently by lawyers. You may also choose from legal-specific cloud services such as NetDocuments, Clio, MyCase, or TimeSolv. You can use Zoom or Skype for Business for conducting face-to-face meetings with your clients or colleagues.
- To ensure uninterrupted operations, you must also invest in minimizing hazards and hacking. If any data is lost or stolen, you can remotely wipe the data off devices by using Apple, Android, or Microsoft’s “Find My Device” utilities. To keep company data safe, encrypt all mobile devices across the company. Finally, never use workplace technology devices for personal purposes.
- If your law firm doesn’t have a dedicated IT manager, consider having one or a trusted technology support team to look after your IT infrastructure.
