As a legal professional, you know how important it is to have an effective intake and triage process for new matters. Without a streamlined system in place, valuable time and resources can be wasted on lodging, assessing, and managing new matters and their details. Fortunately, matter management software like Plexus can improve legal intake and triage for in-house legal teams, making it easier to capture and store important matter information, save time and provide a secure platform to access vital documents. In this article, we'll explore the benefits of using legal intake software for your team and how it can help you adopt a more efficient workflow.
Legal intake refers to the process of capturing, validating and processing all necessary information and data points about a new legal matter. This information includes client details, case information, and any relevant documents. In-house legal teams, in particular, deal with a high volume of cases and require a reliable system to manage this information effectively. That's where matter management software comes in.
Legal triage is the process of assessing new matters and determining their priority and potential impact. This involves identifying key details about the matter, such as the legal issue at hand, the parties involved, and the potential risks and benefits of taking on the case. Legal triage helps in-house legal functions to prioritise their workload and and working through them in the most efficient and effective manner.
Efficient legal intake processes are essential for in-house legal teams to provide high-quality legal services to their organisations. With workloads at an all time high, it also saves valuable time and resources, allowing legal professionals to focus on delivering legal solutions that align with the organisation's goals and growth.
In-house legal teams face a number of challenges during the intake process, such as the sheer volume of matters they need to manage, the need to capture and organise information accurately, and the need to prioritise cases effectively. The absences of clear and consistent intake procedures can create difficulties in tracking and reporting on legal requests and outcomes. At times, a lack of integration with other teams and departments can lead to inefficiencies and the poor delivery of information. These challenges can lead to delays, errors, and missed deadlines, which can have a negative impact on the organisation as a whole.
Efficient legal intake processes help in-house legal teams to streamline their workflow and improve their overall performance. By implementing matter management software, legal professionals can automate many of the manual tasks involved in the intake process, such as data entry, document management, and reporting. This frees up valuable time and resources, allowing legal teams to focus on more important tasks, such as legal analysis and strategy. As well as improved efficiency, in-house legal teams also report that improved intake procedures lead to better outcomes like improved collaboration and interactions with the wider business and overall better risk management.
There are two main functionalities of matter management software:
1. Legal case intake
Business users can raise a legal matter by completing an online form. This type of briefing tool allows them to relay the most important information and attach supporting documentation. Software like Plexus also integrates with email platforms to facilitate the briefing process.
2. Legal triage
The software assigns legal cases to the appropriate lawyers or teams using information collected during the intake process. Internal teams can update delegations of authority quickly using an uncomplicated workflow builder without the need for coding.
Let's consider a use case. A business user submits a request. They enter in the intake form that it is regarding a $1 million contract. The software determines that it is high risk and must involve a senior lawyer. The software automatically triages the request to the General Counsel and notifies them by email that their attention is required.
The main benefit is to ensure the right matter is directed to the correct legal team member quicker so they can be actioned sooner. Good matter management software, like Plexus, will have intake forms which can automatically triage the request to their correct legal team member (or other team member such as finance).
Matter management software allows legal professionals to easily track and report on the status of legal matters. With a centralised platform to manage all legal intake and triage, teams can quickly see the progress of each case and identify any bottlenecks or issues that need to be addressed. This helps to improve transparency and accountability, and ensures that legal matters are being handled in a timely and efficient manner. It also gives the business a transparent view on how the volume of legal requests being sent to the legal team and how this sits with the resource they have available.
An area that matter management software can improve is how legal teams collaborate and communicate with other departments and stakeholders within the organisation. With a centralised platform for legal intake and triage, teams can easily share information and collaborate on legal matters, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. This leads to better outcomes and improved overall performance for the legal team and the organisation as a whole.
With customisable intake forms, legal teams can ensure that they are receiving consistent and relevant information for each legal matter. Improved accuracy and completeness of intake information reduces errors and omissions. It also helps to eliminate confusion and misunderstandings between the business and legal teams, and ensures that legal matters are being handled in a structured and organised manner.
Automation plays a crucial role in standardising the legal intake process. By automating the triage and routing of legal matters, legal teams can ensure that each matter is being handled by the appropriate team member, without the need for manual intervention. This not only saves time and reduces errors, but also allows for a more efficient and effective intake process overall.
Matter management software can lead to significant cost savings and a positive return on investment for in-house legal teams. By streamlining the intake process and improving efficiency, teams can handle more legal matters with the same resources, reducing the need for additional staff or outsourcing. Additionally, the improved accuracy and completeness of intake information can lead to stronger legal arguments and better outcomes, potentially saving the business from costly lawsuits or settlements.
If you're interested in streamlining your legal intake process and improving efficiency within your in-house legal team, implementing matter management software is a great place to start. With the ability to capture, store, and share important case information, matter management software provides a secure platform that helps legal professionals to work more effectively.
To get started, it's important to choose a matter management software that is customisable to meet the specific needs of your legal team. Look for a platform that offers a wide range of intake forms and customisable workflows, as well as the ability to integrate with other software and systems that your team uses on a regular basis.
Once you've selected a matter management software, be sure to communicate the benefits of the platform to your team and provide comprehensive training to ensure that everyone is comfortable with the new system. By implementing matter management software, you'll be able to improve collaboration and communication, standardise your legal intake process, increase efficiency, and ultimately save your team time and money.
Proper installation and onboarding
Consistent and Comprehensive Intake Procedures
Collaborative Case Management and Delegation
Continuous Monitoring and Feedback
Ocado Group is the leading worldwide online grocery retailer and the developer of comprehensive solutions for other online grocery retailers. Amy Brookbanks, the Head of Legal Operations at Ocado recognised that their process of triaging legal support requests was hampering their competitive advantage. Gathering facts and accurate information was time-consuming and there was a lack of transparency in tracking and reporting on those requests.
Ocado partnered with Plexus matter management software module to better manage legal intake requests which involved a custom solution to manage the complexities of Ocado's contract approval workflows. As part of the onboarding process, Plexus worked closely with Amy's team to deliver a series of workshops and events to launch the solution to the wider business and gather feedback.
Since the launch, the legal team is able to respond to legal requests quicker. The team has reduced the amount of time they spend on tasks that are low-risk, monotonous, and administrative. As a result, they are now able to allocate more time to serve as strategic allies to the company.
In-house legal teams are constantly looking for ways to streamline their processes and increase efficiency. If you want to know more about how the Plexus Matter Management software module can assist your organisation, get in touch with one of our consultants today.
What is Legal Intake and Triage Software?
Legal intake and triage software is a type of matter management software that specifically helps in-house legal teams manage the intake and triage of legal requests. It provides a centralised platform for capturing and storing important case information, as well as customisable workflows and intake forms.
What are the benefits of using matter management software for legal intake and triage?
Using matter management software for legal intake and triage can provide a range of benefits for in-house legal teams. It can help to streamline processes, save time and money, and improve efficiency. Additionally, it provides a secure platform for accessing important documents and ensures that all information is stored in a centralised location.
What are the best practices for using matter management software for legal intake and triage?
The best practices for using matter management software for legal intake and triage include proper installation and onboarding, consistent and comprehensive intake procedures, collaborative case management and delegation, and continuous monitoring and feedback. By following these best practices, in-house legal teams can ensure that they are using the software effectively and getting the most out of its features.
How can Legal Intake and Triage Software benefit law firms and in-house legal teams?
Legal intake and triage software can benefit law firms and in-house legal teams by streamlining their intake processes and improving efficiency. By providing a centralised platform for capturing and storing important case information, legal professionals can easily access vital documents and information. The customisable workflows and intake forms also help to ensure that all necessary information is collected and processed in a consistent and comprehensive manner.
In addition to improving efficiency, using matter management software for legal intake and triage can also save time and money. By automating certain tasks and providing a secure platform for accessing and storing information, legal professionals can spend more time focusing on higher-value tasks and less time on administrative tasks. This can lead to increased productivity and cost savings for the organisation.
What are the key features of Legal Intake and Triage Software?
The key features of legal intake and triage software include:
customisable intake forms and workflows
document automation, management and storage
collaboration and delegation tools
analytics and reporting capabilities.
How do you choose the right Legal Intake and Triage Software for your firm or department?
When it comes to choosing the right legal intake and triage software, there are a few factors to consider. First, it's important to look for software that is customisable and can be tailored to your specific needs and requirements. This will ensure that your intake processes are efficient and effective, and that all necessary information is captured and processed.
Second, look for software that offers strong document management and storage capabilities. This will ensure that all important case information is stored in a centralised and secure location, making it easy to find and access when needed. Collaboration and delegation tools are also important, as they allow legal teams to work together on cases and monitor progress and performance.
Finally, analytics and reporting capabilities are essential for gaining insights into the performance of your intake and triage processes. Look for software that offers robust reporting features, so that you can identify areas for improvement and optimise your processes over time.
What are some best practices for using Legal Intake and Triage Software?
Once you have chosen the right legal intake and triage software for your firm or department, it's important to implement some best practices to maximise its benefits. Firstly, ensure that all relevant stakeholders, such as legal staff and support teams, receive proper training on how to use the software. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page and can use the software effectively.
Secondly, establish clear guidelines and workflows for how cases should be triaged and processed using the software. This will help to ensure consistency and accuracy in the intake process, and also make it easier to identify and address any issues that may arise.
Thirdly, regularly review and adjust your intake and triage processes to ensure that they are optimised for efficiency and effectiveness. Use the analytics and reporting capabilities of the software to track performance and identify areas for improvement.
Plexus' matter management software gives you everything to your team needs to deliver faster and more scalable legal support. Capture better briefs, automate your triage, reach resolutions faster and improve visibility into matters.
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