“Typically, lawyers spend about 40% of their time in scheduling meetings, searching for relevant documents and managing volumes of case history databases.”
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL TECHNOLOGY Association (ILTA)
Post-pandemic, legal departments around the world have turned to virtual environments, or have chosen to onboard virtual attorneys. We know what you’re thinking, but these are real attorneys who operate remotely and offer your legal department several good reasons as to why you should onboard them!
Legal is witnessing a deluge of external issues that could affect internal politics, business dealings, and finances. From an economic downturn taking a toll on finances, to post-pandemic resources still being stretched thin, to companies having finally mastered the fine art of remote and hybrid work models, virtual attorneys are the perfect addition to savvy legal departments.
Who are Virtual Attorneys?
Virtual attorneys don’t just work remote, they’re well-versed in the legal proceedings and ethical considerations when it comes to working remotely and virtually. They maintain their clients’ data and confidentiality through secure legal technology. In addition, virtual attorneys bring roadmaps and playbooks to meet your legal department’s requirements, fast.
JD Supra reports that The American Bar Association governs the roles and responsibilities of attorneys working in virtual environments to safeguard their interests as well as their clients.
- Virtual attorneys have to ensure that they are not engaging in the unauthorized practice of law if working remotely in one jurisdiction while practicing in another.
- Virtual attorneys need to exercise care when utilizing technology.
- Virtual attorneys should ensure that they adopt virtual practices that enable them to continue to uphold their duties of competence, diligence, and communication.
5 Great Reasons to Onboard a Virtual Attorney
The American Bar Association notes that the “top three overhead costs for a virtual practice are, in order, payroll, marketing and technology (hardware and software)”. Hiring a virtual attorney is an ideal solution for legal departments looking to save on costs, stay efficient, and integrate legal technology.
When you hire a virtual attorney, you can enjoy great benefits like legitimate legal expertise at a fraction of the cost it would be for a full-time attorney, to save having to allocate existing or new resources.
Lighten the Load on HR
Allow your HR team to skip the hassle of finding a relevant attorney, negotiating salaries with them, and then the eventuality of letting them go. A virtual attorney is like plug and play but for legal departments!
On-demand Support
Virtual attorneys work as teams to offer your legal department on-demand support. Although the services covered may vary, virtual attorneys can manage and review contracts, provide legal assistance and other tasks your legal department may require.
Legal Expertise
Unlike other virtual professionals, virtual attorneys are attorneys who work remotely for your legal department. Covering all the nitty-gritty of your legal department’s practice area (or areas), virtual attorneys do everything you do, so that you can do what matters most when you need to do it most.
Save Big on Costs
Your legal department doesn’t need to shell out big time for hiring a qualified attorney. Having a virtual attorney in your legal department helps your organization reduce costs, but increase efficiency exponentially! With the way the recession is headed, it makes sense to have a virtual attorney for matters you need.
Integrate Legal Tech
Technology comes with the territory, and virtual attorneys offer your legal department cutting-edge legal tech. You can rest assured knowing that your legal matter is in secure and vetted platforms and under the watchful eyes of layers of cybersecurity. In addition, you can expect top-performing legal tech that can enhance your practice long after the virtual attorney has completed your project!
CTA: Looking for a Virtual Attorney?
