Reducing the risk - drafting better quality documents that never miss the mark!

Admit it, you’ve been there too.

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Hours upon hours have been spent drafting a document, reviewing relevant source material, inserting cross references and then…you begin repeating the process for each subsequent piece of documentation.

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Let’s just hope that nothing else slows you down!

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Drafting legal documentation is well-known for being a particularly time consuming process, but it is a necessary one. While some professions have eliminated rigorous paperwork, the importance of well drafted, precise and clear Wills, contracts, and legislative documentation has never wavered. 

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So, when considering speeding up the rate of delivery, it’s crucial that the quality of the document remains uncompromised.

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That means making sure that software is fit for purpose, designed specifically to requirement and interoperable with other LegalTech. So how can you make sure you’re choosing the right product?

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What is LegalTech?

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LegalTech is the name given to software that is specifically designed to be used within the legal profession. 

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The type of optimised software is designed to support, enhance, streamline, and simplify the day-to-day operations of a law firm or legal department within an organisation. 

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For years, we’ve been working on ways to improve the creation, drafting, proofreading, research, and delivery of legal documentation. The emerging reliance of AI to speed up this process has given way to new and exciting opportunities. Opportunities to make a real impact on efficiency, productivity, and client satisfaction. Like most tools, AI is reliant on human collaboration. When used appropriately, LegalTech can really make the boat go faster. 

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How can you use LegalTech to its fullest potential?

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Don’t learn something new

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Usually, change introduces the idea of learning something new. 

This applies whether it's refining a longstanding process or implementing new software. In reality, lawyers are busy people, and their roles are often multi-faceted. Not only are legal professions spending valuable time meeting with their clients and building relationships, but they are also required to deliver accurately. There’s no margin for error and careful scrutiny. There is very little time to learn something new, and doing so can be hugely frustrating. So what’s the solution?

Choose software that works around you

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It can be tempting to move everything over to a bells and whistles platform. 

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However, the debate regarding privacy, security of sensitive documentation, and the importance of good data hygiene will prevent a legal practice from using anything that is not fit for purpose and rigorously tested. Of course, why reinvent the wheel?

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For example, our range of Definely software applications are specifically designed to plugin to applications such as Microsoft Word, netdocuments, iManage, and Sharepoint. The seamless integration reduces intervention from outside departments (internal IT will be pleased!) -  meaning that once you’ve got our user guides, you’re able to finish what you started…with time to spare!

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Create, draft, proof, and review with ease

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When you understand areas of your document drafting process that have been losing your team precious time, you need to find a specific solution. AI-driven software will not only improve the efficiency of each drafting phase, but can also reduce errors, improve readability, and increase the trustworthiness of the end product. 

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Let’s look at where to implement it.

As mentioned earlier in this article, we’re looking at the best legal drafting software to improve productivity without compromising on quality. It’s important to remember that drafting the document is just one part of the process. You need to consider ways of improving the efficiency of your proofreading and process of review. For instance, creating a perfectly precise piece of documentation, with relevant cross references and legal clauses, consistent across each contract, is just one area where AI can be of use.

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Our Definely Vault is the ideal partner for curating gold standard documentation in a fraction of the time it would take a lawyer to draft from scratch. Connecting Vault to your Document Management System improves your consistency. It enables the software to recall every clause your firm has ever written and drop these into a contract instantly where it is appropriate.

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