Virtual law firm

A virtual law firm is a group of lawyers with diverse expertise that are banded together through technological means to provide a suite of services to its clients.

History

The first recorded virtual law firm was "Woolley & Co" set up in 1996 in England by Andrew Woolley. The term became more clearly defined in 2004 in an article written by Joe Kashi defining exactly what it meant to be a Virtual law firm . Virtual law firms are also often referred to as "Law Firm 2.0". The concept has since spread globally and is finding favour with clients seeking higher quality service, value, and mobility.

Features

According to earlier sources, a virtual law firm shares the following characteristics:

1. Has a stable core group of attorneys;
2. Has established collaborative relationships with other, specialized law firms that possess expertise that’s occasionally needed;
3. Is glued together with appropriate computer and telecommunications technology such as project management software or a Virtual Law Office (VLO)
4. Expands and reduces personnel as needed.

Benefits

The advent of technology used in Virtual Law Firms such as project management software, Virtual Law Offices and cloud computing have made it far easier for companies to save and manage data across geographic locations securely and efficiently.

The Virtual Law Firm has also come to be associated with lower prices, as they generally operate with lower overheads than traditional law firms.

There are also environmental benefits to virtual law firms, many which operate as paperless offices in contrast to the traditional law firm with its rooms full of filing cabinets.

eLawyering

More recently, the concept of the virtual law firm has been associated with the term, "eLawyering" and means a law firm that delivers legal services online. The eLawyering Task Force of the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association has released a statement on minimum requirements for law firms delivering legal service online. The guidelines equate the concept of "eLawyering" with the virtual practice of law and the concept of the virtual law firm. According to the American Bar Association guidelines, eLawyering or virtual law practice refers specifically to the delivery of legal services online through a section of a law firm's web site that is a known as a secure "client portal."

The purpose of the eLawyering Task Force minimum requirements is to provide guidance to attorneys who wish to deliver legal services online on how to comply with the professional rules of conduct that govern law practice in each state.

Under this definition, a "virtual law firm" is not simply a lawyer who does not have a physical office and communicates with their clients by email. Instead, the law firm must have as part of its web site a secure section where a client can log-in with a unique user name and password.

Virtual Law Office

A Virtual Law Office, or VLO, is an online law practice that exists through a secure log-in portal and can be accessed by both client and attorney anywhere an internet connection is available. In contrast to a traditional law practice, a VLO allows attorneys and clients to communicate securely over the internet, download or upload documents, and conduct other business normally conducted face-to-face over the internet.

Conducting business through the log-in portal is different from conducting business over email, as the log-in portal is secure and must adhere to strict regulations and standards. A completely virtual law office will conduct all business online, while some small practices choose to integrate a VLO log-in portal to provide more options to their clients.

Features

The features offered by a virtual law office depend on the particular vendor, but basic features center around a securely hosted, web-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) application that stores documents as part of a cloud computing system. By storing documents and information on an external server – and allowing log-in through a secure, encrypted portal – documents can be accessed and shared by both client and attorney .

A VLO allows clients and their attorneys to message and communicate securely, schedule appointments online, and upload and download documents. Attorneys running a VLO can also sync their firm’s calendars, sell documents online, and use a “virtual receptionist” service to handle administrative tasks . Attorneys also save on paper and printing costs by providing documents online, and both parties can access the VLO portal at any time of the day.

Benefits of a VLO

The main benefit of a virtual law office to the client is convenience and accessibility to their attorney. The unbundled legal services of a VLO can also save clients a considerable amount of money by allowing them to handle much of the work surrounding their legal consultation themselves with an attorney guiding them and drafting paperwork (known as “unbundling”) . In turn, an attorney running a VLO will have more flexible work hours and be able to serve a much larger client base over the internet. They will also save significant overhead related to running a practice (such as office rent, paper, and assisting staff). With the rapid expansion of technology and internet use, lawyers who are able to bend their practice to serve this client base may find themselves more successful.

See also

• Legal ghostwriting
• Unbundled legal services