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The less-paper office.

Article Excerpt
It sounds like a bad joke: What's the easiest way to scare lawyers? The answer: Tell them their offices are going paperless. Just mentioning a "paperless office" intimidates many lawyers. It's as though the idea of becoming more efficient and saving money is an impossibility. It isn't.

Granted, no office can be completely paperless. What it can be is a "less-paper" office. Technologically, the process is easy. But psychologically? That's another story.

In a less-paper office, you and your support staff store, organize, and use documents the same way you did with hard copies--but you do so on your computers. In other words, a computer directory for each client acts as an electronic copy of the physical file, with subdirectories for pleadings, correspondence, and so forth; each subdirectory is identical to the folder used to store paper documents.

When you need a document, you go to the computer directory rather than the physical file, rind the document, and open it. When a client, adjuster, or opposing counsel calls, you no longer have to place the caller on hold, get up, find the file, and rummage through it to locate the needed documents. Instead, you open the case file on your computer, and you're ready to talk. You're more efficient, and the caller is impressed by your ability to discuss the matter instantly. Plus,...

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