Law Times

Law Times • February 11, 2013 Page 11 FOCUS Family, estates firms going beyond paperless BY JuDY VAN RHIJN For Law Times F amily and estates law firms that have embraced the paperless revolution are now contemplating the next step in reducing client communications through the use of client-specific intranets that only they and their lawyers have access to. Known as extranets, these virtual conference rooms allow document sharing and aroundthe-clock access to files and thereby eliminate the need for e-mails or faxes. Firms that have already gone paperless are in the position of having all firm information reside in one central digital repository. This not only reduces file storage and paper management costs, it also enhances the ability to work remotely. As a result, a paperless firm is in a better position to take advantage of new technologies. Andrew Feldstein of the Feldstein Family Law Group in Markham, Ont., went paperless in 2011 and has seen big savings in costs and time. "I view paper as a very unfriendly tool for the environment and it's costly for the client to have us manage it," he says. Feldstein uses document-management software that's searchable based on a file and then on keywords. This allows almost instant access to documents. "Everything is bookmarked. It takes me five minutes to put together the equivalent of three banker's boxes onto the laptop and it's not hard to keep organized. The information disappears automatically off the computer in two weeks' time." Feldstein has been trying to take the next step in facilitating seamless communication with clients through an extranet system. Unfortunately, his first attempt proved disappointing. Feldstein puts the problems in a nutshell: "There were too many mouse clicks. It was more intensive to post the documents than we anticipated. That may have to do with the vendor we chose. The system was not integrated to our document management system. Each document we filed had to be put in. It was more work than we wanted for the benefit yielded." Feldstein had no concerns about the confidentiality of the process given that each client had a unique user name and password. But for additional protection, he included a provision in the retainer making clients aware of the system. Feldstein has his clients trained on the paperless system but found some challenges in how they used the extranet. "We would create a file that mirrored our document file, but the clients would post their documents to the wrong place," he says. Feldstein hasn't given up on the idea, however. He hopes his document management software provider will come up with a more integrated system. Some larger commercial firms have already achieved this by integrating the extranet into the existing document management system so fully that all document revisions and calendar changes automatically upload to it. However, there's a large upfront expense involved in making this happen. Donna Neff has been a "pioneer for paperless" since her trusts and estates law firm made the jump several years ago. She has considered taking the next step by installing extranets but has found the cost to be prohibitive for her small firm. For larger family and estates law firms, the sheer amount of time and effort it takes to switch to paperless means that extranets have to wait their turn. Epstein Cole LLP has a vision that includes the use of extranets, but controller Dave Persaud says the firm isn't yet ready to implement it. "We are in the process of changing our accounting software and as part of that we are implementing a document management system that will allow us to scan information rather than store it physically." He notes the firm currently stores much of its clients' information and documents off-site, something that causes trouble when staff need to retrieve them. "The idea is to reduce the cost of storage so that once a file is closed and done with, the data is scanned. Then we can retrieve documents very, very quickly." He confirms that once that system is in place, the firm will be in a position to start using extranets and intranets. Lerners LLP is partly through a 10-year project to become completely paperless. Managing partner Ian Dantzer, who's overseeing the project, notes the transition is at varying stages depending on the practice area involved. "Estates law is much slower than other areas. The client base we are dealing with is elderly and not that comfortable with electronics and web browsing. We are electronic form so lawyers can carry their documents around with them to examinations and court appearances. "There is no intranet or extranet or portal where a client can come in and see what's going on. That's a possibility but it is still a few years off," says Dantzer. LT A family's foundation is one built on tradition. We welcome you to ours. Sandra Zisckind Diamond & Diamond Counsel to Diamond & Diamond Personal Injury Lawyers Jeremy Diamond Barrister and Solicitor Member Ontario Bar & Florida Bar Isaac Zi ki d Isaac Zi kind Zisck Zisckind A family tough to beat! When a family works together it creates a unity that makes them stronger as a whole. Sandra Zisckind, Isaac Zisckind and Daniel Diamond have merged together with Jeremy Diamond to create one powerful team in the eyes of the law. Diamond and Diamond Lawyers want Counsel to Diamond & Diamond to welcome Sandra, Isaac and Daniel to their new offices located at 5075 Yonge St. suite 701, right across from Mel Lastman Square just north of Sheppard Avenue. 1-800-567-HURT Daniel Diamond ™ Referrals respected. Toronto – 5075 Yonge Street Suite 701. Untitled-2 1 Childview_LT_Feb11_13.indd 1 scanning wills, keeping them secure and private with more electronic storage, but that population prefers face-to-face meetings and signing actual documents." In family law, Lerners has adopted case management software that essentially reduces files to www.lawtimesnews.com 13-02-05 4:24 PM 13-02-05 4:11 PM

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