♫  Go ahead and rip up, rip up the paper
Go ahead and tear up, tear up the paper…♫

Lyrics and music by David Byrne, recorded by Talking Heads.

There are many reasons for taking a law practice towards a paper-less (or digital) workflow implementation.

For one, you are reducing the volume of files and paper that you have to purchase, print, handle, store and eventually, destroy.

Two, you are able to search and find documents quicker and easier if all documents are in digital (searchable) form.

Three, as government registries and courts come on-line, you can create, sign (digitally), file and send documents in electronic form.

Four, you can not only send documents to clients and others electronically, but you can also create extranets, which are private areas on the web created for specific projects – for a litigation file, for a specific closing or for all files related to a specific client.

Five, we have seen war rooms created on the web where one client (ie a corporate defendant) can host common documents, briefs, pleadings etc that relate to related litigation being undertaken in disparate jurisdictions. These war rooms can save substantial dollars by eliminating the need to continually recreate the wheel.

Six, law firms scan and transmit incoming paper documents, allowing the firm to bring into their electronic filing system all paper-based correspondence.

Of course there are many others, but this is just a taste of where implementing the digitalization of paper can take a law practice.

With this in mind, there are many packages available that allow a BC law firm to create and file documents electronically:

• In the Land Title Office:  There are now four providers of conveyancing software that allow a law firm to create and file documents electronically in the LTO:
  • Pro-Suite (NEW!) from the Notaries Society (annual fee includes training, upkeep and maintenance, no per-transaction charge).
  • Brief Convey powered by Stewart Title (per transaction charge)
  • e-Convey by OneMove Technologies Inc. (per transaction charge)
  • Convey Master by R&D Systems Auditing Inc. (installation and first year maintenance up front and $25 per transaction until the purchase price is paid).
• For corporate documents, you can create, maintain and share corporate documents electronically using ALF Corporate.
• Rather than mailing documents to clients, use Adobe Acrobat to create PDF’s (and lock down the document in the process) and save trees, postage and handling costs (www.adobeacrobat.com)
• Adopt practice management software: Amicus Attorney, TimeMatters, LawStream etc all can save time, paper and increase efficiency in a busy office by handling office administrative tasks and information electronically.

These products and more allow us to just tear up the paper and move into a world where we handle our client’s matters using only electronic communications.