Survey Results: Remote Working Tech Bridged The Gap During The Pandemic
In November 2021, it’s clear that remote work is here to stay for the short term, at the very least.
Will law firms become more comfortable with remote working? (Image via Getty)
As the end of 2021 nears, it’s indisputable that the pandemic has ushered in a new era for the legal profession. Lawyers have adopted new technologies into their firms at rates never before seen, and are increasingly relying on technology to ensure newfound business resiliency, productivity, and profitability.
Of course, it’s one thing to make an overarching claim like that, but it’s another thing entirely to back it up with data. Fortunately, there’s a new report that was released yesterday by MyCase that does just that: “Legal Industry Report 2021: Lessons Learned from the Pandemic.” (Note I am the Legal Technology Evangelist for MyCase). The survey was conducted in August and September of this year and over 2,000 legal professionals participated.
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Earlier this week, my fellow Above the Law colleague Joe Patrice discussed how the data from this report established that the new technology adopted by lawyers increased their efficiency and profitability. Today, I’d like to focus on the survey results that show how the technology adopted by lawyers during the pandemic helped to keep law firms afloat despite the many challenges encountered along the way.
Whether it was the shift to remote work, choosing new technology, or implementing and using legal software, the survey results showed that law firms were able to adapt and thrive, all the while managing to provide their clients with the best possible service.
Remote Work Is Here To Stay
First, let’s take a look at the statistics on remote work and the reopening of law firms. According to the survey results, 82% of respondents reported that their firms had fully reopened. For the firms that had not yet reopened, 77% did not yet have plans to reopen. For another 5%, it would take six months or more, and 6% said it would take between four and six months. Finally, the remaining 11% were expected to reopen within one to three months.
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When it came to continued remote work, 53% of survey respondents indicated that their firms would allow lawyers and law firm staff to work remotely full-time once the offices reopened, and 70% would allow attorneys and staff to work remotely part-time once reopened.
Change Management Wasn’t As Challenging As Firms Expected
Change is never easy, and for lawyers, it can be even more difficult due to concerns about regulatory and ethical compliance. Therefore, it’s not surprising that 64% of the legal professionals surveyed reported that change management was slightly challenging or extremely challenging for their firms.
The top change management concern reported was cost, with 78% indicating that it was a key challenge. Other change management hurdles that firms encountered included concerns about the ease of software adoption (76%), the lengthy implementation process (75%), data migration (71%), change management and buy-in (56%), and security issues (49%).
However, despite the many change management issues that firms faced, the survey results show that change is possible. As you’ll discover below, many firms were able to successfully add new software to their technology stack, with the end result being increased productivity and profit, ultimately setting firms up for long-term success.
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Remote Working Software Usage On The Rise
Respondents also weighed in on their firms’ increased use of remote working software. Nearly half (46%) reported that their firms invested in remote working software as a direct result of the pandemic. This only makes sense since remote working tools were often the only way to get work done due to social distancing requirements.
According to the survey results, the most popular remote-working tools firms invested in due to the pandemic were video conferencing tools (32%), e-signature (22%), law practice management software (14%), time and billing software (13%), and communication software (16%).
Cloud Computing Is Now The Norm In The Legal Profession
Survey respondents were also asked about cloud computing software usage. The data showed that the pandemic had the effect of pushing the vast majority of lawyers into the cloud. Prior to the pandemic, 76% of law firms used cloud-based computing, and that percentage has now increased to 88%.
The firms that transitioned to the cloud since the onset of the pandemic have invested in a number of different types of cloud-based software. The survey results showed that law practice management software was the most popular at 23%, followed by document management software (13%), calendar management software (12%), and credit card online payment tools (12%).
The majority of respondents shared that their investment in cloud-based remote working software has been a favorable one with 73% indicating that the remote working tools their firms invested in had increased productivity. Another 80% reported that remote working tools were part of their firm’s long-term business continuity strategy.
Software Adoption Resulted In Law Firm Profit And Growth
The remote working technologies adopted by law firms during the pandemic not only bridged the gap, but, as discussed above, also increased the productivity and profitability of many firms, laying the groundwork for long-term business resiliency.
Notably, with that increased productivity came increased profit or revenue stability for some firms. According to the survey results, 60% of law firms’ revenue stayed the same or increased in 2020. Additionally, the survey respondents had a favorable outlook on the future, with more than half (59%) expecting their firms’ revenue would increase in 2021.
In November 2021, it’s clear that remote work is here to stay for the short term, at the very least. And, it will most likely become commonplace in the long term as well. This is because the pandemic’s effects pushed many law firms to acquire and implement technology that enables remote working. This technology investment ensures that resilience is built into their firms for the long term. So no matter what happens down the road, their firms will be fully operational despite unforeseen circumstances and are now better prepared for whatever the future may bring.
Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and Director of Business and Community Relations at MyCase, web-based law practice management software. She’s been blogging since 2005, has written a weekly column for the Daily Record since 2007, is the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York. She’s easily distracted by the potential of bright and shiny tech gadgets, along with good food and wine. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack and she can be reached at [email protected].
