Benefits Of Online Bookings for Lawyers and Law Firms

The past couple of years have been a nightmare for commerce and industry. With offices and factories and shops and other establishments having to switch to remote working, a wholesale change in the way our daily working and personal lives were used had to be implemented. 

Working remotely – usually from a home office set up – became the norm for many commercial sectors. The legal industry was required to continue providing its essential services, and many law firms switched to online consultations.

A popular option has also been to invest in an online booking and appointment software package. What benefits do these have, and why are they popular with lawyers and law firms? That’s what we’re going to talk about in the article that follows. 

Streamlined Appointment System 

When things moved online, lawyers were still able to perform most of their duties., For example, consultations can be done by a video link successfully. The problem that many faced was keeping up with the demand for face-to-face appointments. This is why law firms and solo lawyers turned to online booking systems for help.

Many offer similar functions. The best ones use a cloud-based calendar, onto which the lawyer inputs their available slots for the coming week (or any period). Those who need the services of a lawyer can arrange an appointment by choosing the slot in the calendar that is most convenient to them. The lawyer is then automatically notified of the newly booked appointment. This is just one of the many benefits of such systems, so let’s look at others. 

Automated Invoicing

Keeping track of how many hours a lawyer has spent with each client can be difficult, and it’s easy to mix things up and miss out on sessions when doing it manually. A good online booking software package will keep track of the hours of each client and automatically invoice them at a regular point specified by the lawyer. They can also take online payments via a secure payment portal that accepts all the major payment methods. This is an invaluable resource for lawyers working alone who require to keep income coming in.

Video Software Packages

We can see the effect of the pandemic on the legal industry in the way many law firms and lawyers have continued to offer one-to-one consultations via video links. Zoom – one of the best video packages – became a must-have download during 2020. However, it’s worth knowing that booking software such as missed.com – one of the popular options – incorporates video conferencing technology as part of the packages, so separate video software is not needed. All that is needed is a broadband connection, a computer, and the video software package. 

There are many benefits in using such a link in legal consultations for both parties, not least the convenience and the elimination of the need to travel. Such time-saving tools such as this are worth the small investment required to purchase them, as video calls are here to stay in the legal industry. 

Reports and Progress

Any good software booking package will also include a reporting feature, in which the lawyer can input up-to-date notes about the progress of each case and pull this information quickly when needed. Reports on all aspects of a client’s meetings and correspondence can be created and sent to partners if required, allowing law firm managers to keep on top of each case’s progress. This is an invaluable tool that further enhances the efficiency of booking software packages. 

Online Lawyers and the Future

What is the future of remote working in the legal field? The enforced remote working situation taught us that productivity could be kept at more than acceptable levels with the use of the right software and equipment. With a booking software package such as missed.com, there are many time-saving tools included, so the general admin can be automated to a good degree, freeing up the lawyer to do the job he or she is there to do. There is no doubt that remote working in the industry is a large part of the future, so check out software packages that make your life easier.