Friday Feature – Expert Case Document Automation

Welcome to our “Friday Feature” series: a space to highlight exceptional features unique to Aderant products. Check back every Friday as we introduce new ways to improve your firm’s efficiency and ease of operations.

Today, Aderant Product Manager Michael Clavell is highlighting the Document Automation feature within Aderant’s Expert Case web-based case management solution.

What is the Document Automation feature in Expert Case?

Expert Case at its core provides a centralized workspace to track the moving pieces of their various matters. With Document Automation, users can create templates in Word and automatically pull all the information on a matter stored in Expert Case to produce their letters, contracts, authorizations, court filings, and pleadings. 

What problem does the Document Automation feature address for Aderant clients?

The efficiency and consistency provided by Document Automation saves time, increases consistency across the firm, and reduces the risk of human error, ultimately allowing firms to minimize unbillable hours.

Consider for a moment the number of unique documents required for a single matter. Now multiply that across your firm. Daunting, right? Time spent locating the right document, adjusting formatting, manually typing, or copying over information from another document is often considered unbillable due to increasing restrictions from clients’ Outside Counsel Guidelines. Expert Case’s Document Automation feature can save up to 80 and even 90% of the time spent creating and editing a single item. What could your firm do with an additional 10 to 15 minutes of time per document?

Additionally, Document Automation adds a layer of protection for a firm, if you look at it from a risk management perspective. How many times have you re-used a document, only to forget to change the date, name, or other important information? If you’re like most people, probably often. Document Automation eliminates the risk of erroneous information appearing on a document. Unlike when you copy and paste some text for an email and forget to change the ‘to’ name, if a firm inadvertently includes confidential information in the wrong file, the financial damages can be irreparable; from malpractice suits causing raised insurance premiums to overt loss of business, the risk management provided by Document Automation’s unique document creation technology will prove invaluable to your firm.

Lastly, without a centralized location and single source of truth for matter information, a firm can struggle to maintain a consistent ‘look and feel’ in their documentation across multiple offices. Document Automation provides an inherent consistency, both from a firm standard perspective, as well as in formatting requirements for courts or other government entities. Regardless of who creates a document, or which office they work in, the Document Automation feature ensures that every contract, letter, and authorization are produced on identical templates firm-wide. While we all want our employees to work for us forever, the truth is that turnover happens. Document Automation ensures that details aren’t missed when a new person is plugged into the middle of a matter lifecycle. 

What is the overall impact of Document Automation on the legal industry as a whole?

Increased efficiency and maximized profits. The Document Automation feature increases a firm’s capacity to take on new matters, equating to more revenue.

To learn more about Expert Case and the Document Automation feature, contact us today!