By now, everyone has some form of tech tools for Family Law in their office. Case management software (CMS) has made the lives of attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries much easier, and helped prevent filing errors. There should be no reason to miss deadlines when your CMS program can file documents and flag hearings automatically.
On the other hand, there are aspects of technology that may not fit in with family law. Some practitioners dislike the lack of contact that Zoom and Skype create, even though it lets them see more clients per day. Others are uncomfortable with the window that social media opens into their clients’ lives.
Nevertheless, technology is here to stay, so practitioners need to find ways to accommodate both the good and the bad.
Case Management Software – What’s Best for You?
There are dozens of CMS systems on the market today, many of them geared towards family law. When you purchase a system, it comes pre-loaded with standard forms and once you enter your client’s information into the system, it will automatically populate all forms with the correct data.
This sounds ideal, but a sole practitioner or small firm should consider costs and time carefully. Do you have enough clients to make a CMS system and subscription worth the expense? You no longer purchase the software and updates, you buy an annual subscription, similar to MS Office. The subscription cost for top-tier systems may cost more than the time savings.
You should also consider what you need the software to do. If you’re a mediator who spends most of your time talking with clients and negotiating settlements, a CMS system will sit idle. Talk with an IT specialist who isn’t selling you the system and can help you understand what the software does before locking yourself into a sale.
E-Filing and E-Discovery
In most courts, attorneys are required to electronically file (e-file) their documents. Courts still make exceptions for pro se claimants, but some cities have court-based terminals for e-filing.
Family law filings lend themselves to e-filing because they often consist of stacks of paperwork: bank statements, receipts, utility bills, and other proof of income and expense. Instead of making reams of copies, you can scan these documents and file them with the court more easily. Any significant portion can be screenshotted and highlighted for the judge’s notice.
Electronic discovery (e-discovery) is the comparatively recent process of preserving and collecting evidence that exists in the virtual world. Email, social media posts, texts, Twitter (now called X) posts, Instagram reels, are all forms of e-discovery.
For family law practitioners, e-discovery should be a key part of your practice. Unfortunately, clients do things on their social media accounts that can be very damaging to their case. It can be helpful for you if you are opposing counsel. A key part of any family law attorney’s instruction to their clients should involve what to do with their social media data.
Communications and Conferences
As experienced during the events of 2020, things don’t stop just because we can’t meet people face to face. Sometimes, discussions go better when we aren’t in the same room with those we don’t get along with. Remote communications software took a huge leap forward during the pandemic lockdown and is perhaps the only thing that benefited from the COVID crisis.
Family law courts still have remote hearings whenever possible, and it has greatly improved the speed and turnover of cases in divorce and custody hearings. Rather than having angry parents shouting at one another in a courtroom, judges have the parents in separate rooms on Zoom or Skype, with the option to mute them if they get out of hand.
As a family law practitioner, you can make use of these technologies to enhance your practice in similar ways. Visitation and custody issues are more easily managed when parents can arrange to see children virtually when physical custody is not possible due to distance or time constraints. Courts make extensive use of the Parent Talk app for contentious divorces to encourage parents to discuss child care arrangements.
Mediation can benefit from remote communications and chat rooms. Unlike phone mediation, which is awkward and often results in data loss (like the playground version of the game), a Zoom or chat call with breakout rooms lets the mediator control the discussion almost as closely as an in-person mediation, without the need for physical space.
The communication sphere is the area where family law most benefits from new technology. Even if you’re not a big firm that needs a complex CMS system or a forensic e-discovery program, you can use video conferencing in your daily routine.
How We Help You Help Them
The Divorce With Dignity Network helps Providers help clients. If you’re not sure whether you need a new computer system or a better CMS program, check with one of our existing Providers. Chances are, one of our Providers has faced the same questions you have and has an answer for you — or go directly to our Founder, Cindy Elwell. She’s been doing this work since 1995 and has interfaced with many tools along the way.
No matter what you’re encountering in your business, someone has run into the same issue and come up with a solution. When you join the Providers in the Divorce With Dignity Network, you get access to a team of people who want to see you succeed. Schedule your complimentary Success-Strategy Consultation today!
