Transport the client experience to a digital world

Law firms are dedicated to client service. In fact, the level of service law firms provide has historically been second to none. Having become both expected and highly valued, their approach has involved clients speaking with their legal advisers on the phone or in-person. This level of ‘personal touch’ has reassured clients and left them confident that help is within reach whenever needed.

However, today’s clients are extremely busy – and so are their lawyers. It’s not feasible to expect lawyers to be on call to answer every question 24/7/365, especially when clients often seek information outside standard business hours. Beyond that, the Covid-19 pandemic made in-person lawyer and client visits nearly impossible – even when feasible, it’s frequently not been the preferred method of communication.

The value and opportunity for in-person client service touchpoints has changed. They are still extremely important and a staple of every lawyer-client relationship, but clients now expect self-service and access to key information at the click of a button. They both still want the traditional ‘white glove’, person-to-person version of client service, but also want options that favour expediency, convenience and cost savings.

The value and opportunity for in-person client service touchpoints has changed. They are still extremely important and a staple of every lawyer-client relationship, but clients now expect self-service and access to key information at the click of a button

This paradigm shift has bolstered the popularity of electronic client portals, in which law firms create a digital repository of the client’s matter and financial information available in ‘real time’. Whether it’s the middle of the night or over a weekend, clients can go to the portal to access bills, view and download documents, or understand the status and next steps in a case, without always requiring direct contact with their lawyers or the firm.

Breaking barriers

At first glance, the electronic client portal may seem to put up a barrier between client and lawyer, reducing the amount of human communication to impersonal, cold, digital transactions. However, the opposite is true when clients, and lawyers, realise these portals increase their self-service capabilities, allowing clients more instant gratification with minimal effort – particularly around requests for common occurrences.

To illustrate this point with an everyday example, consider how the tremendous convenience of online banking has made customers more loyal. By making banking services easily accessible from anywhere, at any time, banks keep clients satisfied and make them feel well served. The idea of being forced to go to the bank to make deposits, transfer funds or simply review account activity feels archaic. Legal clients are looking for the same level of accessibility and flexibility when working with their law firms, and portals make that possible. At the same time, portals free up time on both sides for the most important conversations and improve customer service and efficiency.

Certainly, the quality of the lawyer’s legal advice, strong communication and a trusted working relationship with the client are crucial elements, and no technology can replace a lawyer’s counsel. But portals provide an important, complementary role that augments a lawyer’s personal capabilities, functioning as a round-the-clock resource the client knows is there. Regardless of whether the lawyer is on a plane, unavailable owing to differing time zones or servicing another client, the portal is always accessible. Therefore, a well-stocked, user-friendly and high-functioning portal can be an incredibly important asset both to the law firm and the legal client.

Smooth transitions

Not all law firm portals are equally effective, so firms need to put abundant thought into which technology platform they choose and which data and documents they include. Both lawyers and IT staff should collaborate to determine the portal’s contents, and they should also try to determine which kinds of information the client wants to access, as well as how the portal can appear more inviting, helpful and organised.

Perhaps the portal should include access to documents, invoices or correspondence, and have collaboration functions that allow the firm and client to work together more efficiently. Above all else, it’s essential that the portal be not only easy for the client to navigate and use, but also straightforward for the law firm’s team. A non-intuitive portal will not be a resource for anyone – it’ll be a frustration.

Electronic client portals help law firms develop a closer relationship with their clients because one of clients’ biggest value points today is time – but portals help clients save money too, because they free up the lawyers to focus on the substance of a case, allowing them to deliver higher-level legal services.

To find out more, visit aderant.com/drive