Introduction
Legal discovery processes have taken a steep digital turn over the past two decades. As traditional discovery processes that were once dependent on paper files are becoming obsolete, the progression of various industries and government offices to prioritize digitization has led to a shift in data collection. Transactions and contracts done in emails, cloud storage, mobile devices, digital channels, multimedia files, and other innovations have given rise to electronic discovery software, or eDiscovery software. This new digital tool has now become an essential part of the litigation process.
Today, legal professionals face volumes upon volumes of digital evidence categorized as Electronically Stored Information (ESI). For this reason, many law firms work with eDiscovery platforms provided by legal providers to automate workflows, improve collaboration, and optimize litigation timelines.
In this article, we will share how reliable eDiscovery software and the right legal partner can help your firm create efficient legal workflows.
eDiscovery Service Options: In-House or Service Provider
For many legal businesses, the option of sticking to in-house legal support is often a long-term decision that is considered the better move over finding a legal partner. However, there are also numerous reasons to commit to an external service provider to manage your eDiscovery platform for you.
Here are the different factors you should consider when choosing an in-house or service provider for your eDiscovery processes.
Cost
The main reason legal firms opt for in-house eDiscovery is to reduce the upfront costs of partnering with a legal partner. However, you should not focus on the money you lose over the return on investment you can gain, especially when choosing long-term partners in this industry.
Not all firms will have technical professionals ready to optimize and curate their chosen eDiscovery platform to fit their operations’ needs. While the cost may be cheaper to buy an in-house platform, the time it will take to train people to learn and use the platform is another price you must pay.
Control
An in-house eDiscovery team provides more direct visibility and oversight throughout the discovery process. Because of this, you can make immediate action points to evolving case requirements through faster coordination with IT teams.
Although many law firms may be reluctant to hand over control to service providers, it is important to highlight the specific value that they add: convenience. By outsourcing the rigorous steps of collecting and proofing ESI documents, law firms get to focus more of their time and attention on client-facing responsibilities such as updating legal defense strategies and collecting any new or updated information about their case.
Data Types
As digital files become more advanced, the more sophisticated software is needed to screen and catalog them depending on your case. Many eDiscovery platforms utilize AI and machine learning features to enhance the accuracy of document productions. This ensures that all relevant documents are accounted for and that sensitive or confidential information is not lost in the workflow.
Being able to safeguard the privacy of your client’s documents should be your top priority, but hiring eDiscovery partners should not be a cause for alarm. Even if you are not using in-house tools and members to watch over your files, you can rely on respectable legal solutions companies to stay discreet and execute utmost professionalism in handling their clients’ files.
Ways a Reliable eDiscovery Platform Helps Legal Teams Succeed
Understanding cloud-based eDiscovery software is made more easier today as different products are made available for legal firms of all sizes and shapes to use themselves. Whether the eDiscovery platform is managed in-house or by a legal solutions partner, you can simplify your firm’s litigation workflow while making sure the discovery process runs smoothly
Here are some of the ways a reliable eDiscovery platform can help your legal team succeed:
Preserves Evidence
Legal professionals will handle a wide range of information across different formats. This is why eDiscovery software is tailored to manage, analyze and present pieces of evidence without missing anything during the discovery process. With a reliable eDiscovery platform, you can scan a large volume of data spanning texts, social media posts to video files.
Streamlines Document Management
Modern eDiscovery platforms can do more than just collect and process data. They can also be customizable to help you in indexing, tagging, and a report of key analytics to help you analyze relevant evidence and reduce manual review efforts. This improved document management and document review are all made accessible through a simplified interface to make it easier for legal firms to operate and improve upon for their industry’s specific niche.
Saves Time and Resources
Time is an important capital which you should not waste on clunky software or outdated processes. With the right eDiscovery platform, you can execute bulk redactions, instant productions and live collaboration with ease
Boosts Data Security
Legal teams need to be extra conscious about data security. With the risks of data breaches that can amount to business-ruining fines, legal firms must invest in services that can offer SOC2 Type II compliance, two-factor authentication, data encryption, and other security measures to protect your data.
Conclusion
Modern eDiscovery tools have made“in-housing” an option even if you are not fully committing to managing your chosen eDiscovery platform yourself.
The right eDiscovery partners know how to tailor their services to support your litigation workflow by making sure that it is improved by the eDiscovery software of your choice and managed by expert technicians and legal experts to back up your defense. This leads to a two-pronged approach in providing you with the digital tools you need to handle complicated cases.
Besides receiving innovative digital tools to assist your workflow, you will also receive assistance from legal experts who can evaluate and cross-check all the collated documents and requirements you need to archive. Through this partnership, you can overcome irregular obstacles in your business while also reinforcing the long-term scalability of your practice.
Start your search for the right eDiscovery platform partner with Warp9. Our dedicated team of professionals collaborate with your firm to utilize industry-leading software, ensuring that you have court-ready data to prepare your case. Check out our eDiscovery services to reinforce your legal strategy.
