Our past two newsletters have covered the function and importance of technology in law offices, and we are rounding out this series with some words of advice from a few of the attorneys in the Divorce Lawyers for Men Network.
We know that technology is not going anywhere, and remote work will continue to be part of the business landscape for the foreseeable future. While embracing this digital shift has been largely beneficial, that does not mean it has been easy. Amongst all the trials and tribulations, the Divorce Lawyers for Men attorneys learned what works and what doesn’t.
Here is what our lawyers have to say about technology and remote work:
Why do you think technology is so important in a law office?
“It makes transmission of documents, pleadings and communication easier and there is automatic accountability. Hard to mess with the metadata. Also makes it easier for clients to get in contact regardless of where they are.”
– Paul Posadas, Thurston County
“Law offices and courts even today are dinosaurs of the past. Remember the technology that we are all clamoring about right now has been around for 20 years. Technology allows for scalability which is the key to success and higher profit margins.”
– Bob Houle, Kitsap County
“To facilitate the production of high-quality work-product for clients with ease of collaboration and feedback. And it saves a lot of trees.”
– Anthony Gibbs, King County
“It allows us to be responsive to the clients and the court, in a way we can document.”
– Thea Reinert, King County
“When everything is working as it should, technology makes workflow more efficient. Clients expect technology to be available for them.”
– Ivan Culbertson, Clark County
“Technology is the future, and our world will only continue to become more complicated and advanced. Law firms must stay up to date with all the latest tools that allow us to do our jobs well.”
– Brandon Koenig, Thurston County
What is your best advice for working remotely?
“Eliminate as much distraction as possible. Carve out a space that you are comfortable working in and communicate with the people you live with clearly that you need to have a certain set amount of hours in which they have to accommodate your need to be productive. Setting and communicating specific boundaries for yourself and for others is key. But also, don’t be a jerk about it.”
– Paul Posadas, Thurston County
“My best advice for working remotely is to set your clients expectations and control your own distractions. You must also have a cybersecurity infrastructure that supports what you are doing. For example, you may have a great firewall at work but not at home.”
– Bob Houle, Kitsap County
“Have a plan for dividing work from home-life, because the corollary to ‘working from home’ is ‘living at work.’”
– Anthony Gibbs, King County
“Prepare a daily to-do list and make a routine check-in with everyone on your team. With remote working, it is easier for something to fall off the radar as you no longer know what everyone else is doing.”
– Thea Reinert, King County
“There are different elements to this. In my opinion, the first step is to establish what tasks actually require a physical presence and which do not. In the past, a physical presence in the court room was mostly required. There were exceptions for attorneys appearing remotely (Courtcall and similar services) in remote counties. COVID made it acceptable (required) to use Zoom or other similar services. Clark County uses Zoom. My impression is that judges seem to prefer Zoom now to litigants showing up in person.”
– Ivan Culbertson, Clark County
“Treat it like working in the office. Don’t let distractions detract you from being as productive as you are in the office.”
– Brandon Koenig, Thurston County
What is your best advice for remote court?
“Have all of your documents easily accessible. You don’t want to be fiddling with the same device you are using to appear remotely to access your notes and documents. Either print them out or have another device handy.”
– Paul Posadas, Thurston County
“Treat remote court like actually being there. Remember remote court opens up many new markets and opportunities to make money. So always put your best foot forward!”
– Bob Houle, Kitsap County
“Be aware of your background and ambient noise.”
– Anthony Gibbs, King County
“Make sure you have the Zoom link by the day before, and check that your screenname is your actual name.”
– Thea Reinert, King County
“Have a quiet, consistent physical setting that isolates you from people coming and going or noisy outdoor activity (like construction work, leaf blowers, etc.). Have the best Internet bandwidth that is possible. I have noticed that even large organizations (like prosecutor’s offices) have shaky Internet and breakup a lot. My primary Zoom connection is via a laptop with a hot spot connection. I always have a backup plan in case something happens with the laptop or Internet. The backup is my iPhone. It is with me during Zoom calls because I can text with the client during the hearing if necessary…I also have the phone number, meeting ID and password for the hearing handy in case I need to appear without video. I have the email address of the judicial assistant to the judicial officer in case there are technical problems on their end.”
– Ivan Culbertson, Clark County
What piece of technology do you use the most and/or is the most valuable?
“My laptop and/or tablet. You can do almost everything with these two pieces as you would if you were in the office, save for making coffee.”
– Paul Posadas, Thurston County
“We use Drop Box and Clio the most. Drop box allows us to be paperless. We use one box of paper per year! My entire law office is securely wherever I am at the time and our clients only see one store front even though we are working remotely.”
– Bob Houle, Kitsap County
“Electronic signature software.”
– Anthony Gibbs, King County
“Microsoft Teams.”
– Thea Reinert, King County
“Laptop connected to a hot spot, iPhone, Dropbox.”
– Ivan Culbertson, Clark County
“A reliable and easy to use communication platform to communicate with members of your team. I believe effective communication is the greatest hurdle when everyone is working from a different location.”
– Brandon Koenig, Thurston County
The Divorce Lawyers for Men attorneys spent the past two years adapting to new technological developments and remote work. Yet, we still know that there is opportunity to grow in our everchanging world.
The law students who graduated this year are not walking into the same legal sphere as the class of 2020. We have all learned a thing or two about our digital world since then. However, new inventions and discoveries are introduced each day, and software keeps advancing while computers garner more power.
Law practices and their lawyers must evolve to remain competitive, profitable, and successful. We must use the knowledge we have gathered thus far to embrace the advancements that lie ahead.
Read the previous best practice tips from our Technology Series:
How to Choose the Right Technology for Your Law Firm
In our previous blog post, we discussed the importance of technology and how it can enhance your law firm. At this point, you may be feeling ready to integrate new technologies at your practice, but you might not be sure about which one(s) to choose…
How Technology Helps Lawyers Build a Better Law Firm
Each day, computers evolve, new software develops, and technology further ingrains itself into our society. Before 2020, the world was already technology-driven, but the pandemic accelerated that ten-fold as everyone transitioned to remote settings…