The legal industry has experienced many changes over the last year. Most lawyers, paralegals, and other legal professionals have been working from home, and some court hearings have been held virtually. Many offices have had to depend on new technology to stay productive and keep cases moving forward.

 

We will walk through how attorneys have made the shift to remote work, the benefits of working from home, and how services like virtual paralegals are becoming the new norm for attorneys.

 

A shift to remote work

 

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused record shutdowns last year, anyone who could do their work remotely did in some capacity. One survey found that 80% of law firms transitioned to working remotely, with nearly half operating entirely remotely in the spring of 2020. And, 90% of those firms made the transition in a week or less.

 

Because of these fast transitions, law firms had to quickly incorporate technologies that would keep their teams connected and their attorneys available to clients. Many legal practices may have been slowly pivoting toward digital transformation, where most everything is saved and conducted online, but the pandemic meant that these transitions had to happen instantly. Thus, more law firms have adopted cloud-based software to manage cases, communicate with clients, and keep workflows running smoothly.

 

Even as pandemic restrictions start to lift, remote work may stick around. Some researchers estimate that by the end of 2021, 25% to 30% of the workforce will be working from home. Attorneys should continue to find the best ways to support their clients and grow their practices in the new remote environment.

 

Benefits of working from home

 

One reason that many law firms may continue the work-from-home trend is that there are some great perks. Attorneys and paralegals have found that remote work allows them to:

 

• Create more flexible schedules
• Avoid commutes and transportation costs
• Work in less formal clothing (even PJs)
• Save money on office space
• Stay focused without the distractions of an office
• Spend more time with family

While many offices will likely reopen, or maybe already have, law firms may take on part-time work-from-home arrangements or other flexible work options so that staff can continue to enjoy these benefits long after the pandemic.

 

Hiring virtual help

 

Remote work has also highlighted how effective it can be to hire contract, remote workers. Attorneys can embrace the future of legal work by hiring a virtual paralegal to help with their cases. These professionals provide all the same case preparation and admin tasks but do so remotely. And, they provide more flexible hiring options.

 

Paralegal as a Service connects law firms with experienced paralegals who can be hired on demand – a major benefit of hiring a virtual paralegal is that you can hire a virtual paralegal only when you need an extra hand, including on a case-by-case or hourly basis.

 

Tasks that virtual paralegals can take on include:

 

• Client intake and coordination
• Form and document preparation
• Research
• Contract management
• Due diligence reporting
• Proofreading and review
• E-filing
• Follow-up tasks post-filing
• And much more

 

Virtual paralegals can take on anything and everything your law firm may need help with. Learn more by attending a free live webinar on March 24, 2021, at 2:00 PM ET. Fastcase and NextChapter team members are hosting Paralegals as a Service and in Practice to discuss the best practices and benefits of working with a virtual paralegal, and provide information on pricing and how to get started.