It’s safe to say that 2020 threw us all a curveball. Despite the hardships this year brought, the legal industry rose to the challenge, adapting operations and offering new services to help clients through these unprecedented times. We asked Zola partners to share some of the trends they witnessed in 2020 and how they may affect the transition to cloud-based solutions. In part two of this series, these legal technology experts also share their predictions for what’s to come in 2021.

Controlling receivables directly affects a firm’s financial health. Therefore, it is imperative that a law firm has an organized and detailed method for collecting client payments in a timely manner.

Social media has quickly become a preferred way to communicate with one another. The pandemic has made it an even more necessary form of communication. Today, law firms are taking advantage of these platforms as well. For many practices, these social media platforms have become the new reception area. To potential clients, they often represent the first interaction with the firm. People routinely search the internet, check out the firm website, and then visit social media for more information. The influence of social media cannot be overlooked, especially when sites like LinkedIn have grown to over 700 million users.

Has your firm’s growth stalled? Are you struggling to scale your operations or your team? It’s often hard to pinpoint one reason why a firm seems to be stuck in neutral, cruising along but not accelerating. The cause is often a combination of things ranging from ineffective teams and poor processes to inadequate systems and subpar reporting. While restructuring your teams and bringing in fresh talent may not be an easy fix, correcting the processes and systems that are holding your practice back can be an easier feat to tackle; one that will yield immediate results and ultimately help you hit the gas on growth.

In the past few months, with employees everywhere going remote, the adoption of cloud-based technology in law firms has reached all new heights. In contrast to on-premises servers (which store a firm’s files locally), cloud-based solutions securely store files on a virtual server.

It may not feel like it, but the end of the year is fast approaching! Between running reports for shareholders, generating 1099s for every vendor, and figuring out employee bonuses, there can be a lot to deal with and you don’t want to be scrambling to do it all at the last minute.

Email is one of the most popular forms of communication in modern law firms. According to the American Bar Association’s 2019 Legal Technology Survey Report, 91% of respondents used email to communicate with clients. Despite its prevalence, many attorneys aren’t using the right systems or tools to efficiently manage the high volumes of emails they receive on a daily basis. Here are five email faux pas to avoid so you can keep your firm running efficiently.

Blockbuster and Kodak dominated their industries…until they didn’t. Their tales, though inherently different, share a common thread: both were wildly successful companies that failed to adapt and innovate, until they could no longer compete in an evolved marketplace. While neither of these companies were involved in the legal technology industry, their stories should serve as cautionary tales for companies and consumers alike: a lack of vision can have a devastating impact.

In today’s unique atmosphere and environment, it is especially challenging to engage employees. An engaged employee is enthusiastic about his/her work and does positive things to further his/her employer’s reputation and interests. In contrast, a disengaged employee may do only the minimum job requirements or may actively damage his/her employer’s reputation.