From Automated Onboarding to Automated Offboarding for Smoother Transitions During Law Firm Mergers
Client file transfers are a common function of law firm records management teams that help facilitate lateral attorney moves. The volume of those file transfers can be significant when two firms become one.
In the ever-evolving legal landscape, automation serves as a powerful tool for law firms looking to enhance their operational capabilities, maintain client trust and position themselves as industry leaders amid the rising tide of consolidations.
There’s been an uptick in merger activity in the legal industry this year, a trend expected to accelerate in the coming months. As law firm consolidation continues to shape the legal industry, automation of attorney onboarding and offboarding processes emerges as a crucial factor for success.
Transcending Outdated Procedures With Automated Onboarding Process
Traditional processes for onboarding and offboarding attorneys remain among the most time-consuming and resource-intensive processes during mergers and acquisitions. It’s not uncommon for large firms to employ a dozen or more staff on a concierge desk to coordinate the onboarding of newly acquired attorneys. But automation can achieve a significant reduction in the time – and cost – required for onboarding and offboarding procedures.
Offboarding & Onboarding Automation Benefits
The benefits of automation, including enhanced efficiency, improved client experience and heightened data security, underscore its importance in the context of lateral attorney moves. And not insignificantly, that efficiency gain also frees up attorneys to focus on more billable work, resulting in greater revenue for the firm.
Firms that choose to automate the handling of client file transfers not only reduce risk, improve the process and make the law firm more efficient, but also make their billable resources more valuable. By streamlining these processes, firms can position themselves as efficient, competitive and attractive to potential acquiring firms.
Harold Westervelt
CEO, FileTrail
FileTrail’s Harold Westervelt wrote about this topic for a recent issue of the Law Journal Newsletter, Accounting and Financial Planning for Law Firms.
To learn more about FileTrail’s solution for automating client file transfers, visit our Matter Mobility solution page.
