How Do You Choose the Right LegalTech for Your Law Firm?

By 2025, Gartner predicts budgets for the LegalTech market will increase threefold. 

We’re seeing many law firms investing more and more money into LegalTech. One of the main reasons is to automate low-value or non-billable tasks - because it means more of your lawyers’ time can be spent on client work. 

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Legal document editing and drafting software is a tool that makes the work of lawyers faster, easier, and more efficient. Thomson Reuters highlights this time save; reporting that users were able to save 82% of their time by automating document drafting. 

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This technology is now everywhere, so your firm has more choices than ever.

Making the right LegalTech choice for your firm can be complex - one of the main reasons being that the quality of software can vary wildly. Your solution must offer a more efficient and agile workflow and tick all your feature box requirements.  

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In this article, we’ll uncover the best tech features that match your firm’s unique needs and ambitions.

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 Demystifying LegalTech

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We know it can seem daunting with all the different solutions and software providers on the market today. 

However, breaking it down into categories can help demystify the options and narrow your search. Here, we’re focusing on the pre-execution contract stage, rather than the full scope of LegalTech:

1. Legal Drafting Software

Legal drafting software such as Definely Draft automates the creation of legal documents, from contracts to pleadings. This software typically includes templates and clause libraries, enabling lawyers to draft documents more quickly and accurately.

2. Legal Contract Review

This involves software that automates the review process, highlighting deviations from standard terms and suggesting edits based on predefined playbooks.

3. Clause Extraction and Analysis

These types of tools use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to identify and extract key clauses from contracts. Further analysis or comparison can then be carried out.

4. eDiscovery Solutions

eDiscovery software helps law firms manage the electronic discovery process, including the identification, collection, and production of electronically stored information (ESI) for litigation. These tools can handle large volumes of data and ensure compliance with legal standards.

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Identifying What You Really Need

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Before investing in any LegalTech, it's crucial to carefully evaluate your firm's existing processes and identify the specific areas that are causing bottlenecks.

This will help you pinpoint the exact capabilities you need from a legal software solution.

Start by mapping out the full lifecycle of your document drafting and review process and asking:

• Which steps are the most manual, time-consuming, and error-prone? 
• Do your lawyers spend too much time reformatting documents?
• Is it easy to locate the right clause language?

Pay close attention to common pain points like:

• Maintaining consistency across agreements and documents
• Keeping clause libraries up-to-date and accessible
• Collaborating across multiple reviewers
• Managing redlines, comments, and version control
• Finalising documents and getting signatures

Watch how your lawyers and staff currently handle these tasks. Listen to their frustrations and identify inefficiencies. Which of these inefficiencies, if resolved, would free up the most billable time?

Take a close look at the software you already have. 

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Implementing new LegalTech is most successful when you can properly integrate it with existing tools. For instance, learning new software takes time, and if it’s not user-friendly or intuitive, this can seriously hinder adoption. You’ll also want to make sure that you don’t have to jump from tool to tool. 

Our drafting software plugs directly into Microsoft Word - making it all the more valuable because the Microsoft Suite is likely already used by your firm. This creates a simplified workload and a smoother onboarding process. It also means lawyers can work across multiple documents and integrate with track changes.

It's also important to look ahead and consider your firm's strategic goals. Is expanding into new practice areas or geographies on the roadmap? You'll want software that can scale and provide the capabilities to support future needs.

By taking a measured approach to assess your current and future requirements, you can avoid blindly purchasing unnecessarily robust (and expensive) features. 

Identifying your real needs focuses your search on the right-fit legal drafting tools.

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Choosing Wisely

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Selecting the right LegalTech isn't just about solving current inefficiencies - it's about investing in solutions that will continue supporting your firm's growth and success over years to come. 

As you evaluate options, think strategically about how a provider and their product roadmap aligns with your firm's long-term plans and priorities.

For instance, are you:

• Targeting expansion into new practice areas or geographies? 
• Looking to improve client experience? 
• Aiming for tighter integration between your technology systems? 

Getting clear on these objectives up front is key.

From there, prioritise legal drafting software suppliers that demonstrate a long-term product vision synced with your firm's direction. Seek solutions built on modern, scalable tech stacks that can readily adapt as your needs evolve.

Then look at suppliers that understand the unique challenges law firms face. Seek legal-specific AI capabilities, up-to-date clause libraries, streamlined workflows, and other legal-centric functionality. 

Making It Happen

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Turning your technology choices into action involves not only choosing the right tools for the job, but also ensuring they are effectively implemented and adopted by your team. 

Here’s how to get the right tech in place and secure buy-in from everyone involved:

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Planning and Preparation

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Create a Clear Implementation Plan

Develop a detailed plan outlining each step of the implementation process. Include timelines, milestones, and responsible parties to ensure a structured and organised rollout.

Allocate Resources

Ensure you have the necessary resources, including budget, personnel, and time, to support the implementation. Consider hiring or consulting with experts if needed to assist with the technical aspects.

Set Realistic Goals

Establish clear, achievable goals for what you hope to accomplish with the LegalTech. This could include specific improvements in efficiency, cost savings, or client satisfaction.

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Getting Everyone On Board

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Communicate the Vision

Clearly communicate the reasons behind the tech adoption and how it aligns with your firm’s long-term goals. Highlight the benefits for both your firm and individual employees alike to build enthusiasm and support.

For example, will the new tech solve pain points that have been hanging around for years? 

Engage Stakeholders

Involve key stakeholders from the beginning. Input from senior partners and firm leadership who make strategic decisions and approve budgets can provide valuable insights. It’s vital that new software addresses potential challenges and meets the needs of all users.

Address Concerns

Be open to addressing any concerns or resistance from staff. Provide a platform for open discussion and reassure them about the support they will receive during the transition.

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Effective Training and Support

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Comprehensive Training Programs

Develop training programs tailored to different user groups within the firm. Offer various formats such as in-person workshops, online tutorials, and documentation to cater to different learning preferences.

Ongoing Support

Make this available to address any issues or questions that arise after the initial training. This could include a dedicated helpdesk, regular check-ins, and refresher courses.

Super Users and Champions

Identify and train “super users” or “champions” within the firm who can provide peer support and promote the benefits of the new technology. These individuals can serve as a valuable resource for their colleagues.

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Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

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Track Progress

Regularly monitor the progress of the software adoption and usage against your initial goals and timelines. Use metrics and feedback to assess the effectiveness and identify any areas needing adjustment.

Gather Feedback

Collect feedback from users at various stages of the implementation. This feedback is crucial for understanding user experiences and making necessary improvements to the process.

Iterate and Improve

Be prepared to make iterative changes based on the feedback received. Continuous improvement is key to maximising the benefits of the new technology and ensuring it meets the evolving needs of your firm.

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Definely Draft

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We recognise that law firms are pressed for time and can't afford the steep learning curve of complex software. 

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That's why Definely Draft, created by lawyers for lawyers, offers a familiar interface for a fast and easy transition.

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Schedule a demo today to discover how our legal document drafting solution can transform your law firm's operations.