I HELP LAWYERS GO PAPERLESS
I help paper-based barristers and solicitors switch to digital and work more efficiently in 30 days, without paying for software, buying new equipment, or having to master technology.
I’VE BEEN WHERE YOU ARE NOW.
Five years ago I was surrounded by paper. Instead of spending my time doing my job I was spending a good whack of time managing paper – filing, posting, shredding, updating briefs, and physically carrying briefs and textbooks from office to car to court and back again. If I needed legal textbooks or case reports it meant going to the library and looking stuff up, and then either signing out a book or making photocopies of the materials I needed. It was daft.
E-briefs (and online legal resources) have now arrived and are supposed to make life easier. They do, but at the start it isn’t easy. You’ll find yourself scrolling endlessly through long e-briefs. Your notes (such as they are) and e-mail exchanges live in various different locations. Solicitors send updates by e-mail and you struggle to stay on top of them or to properly incorporate them into your e-brief. You find it hard to keep your digital files organised.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
I was that lawyer too. Here’s what I did:
I trialled software, lots and lots of software. The free stuff was (mostly) pants. The paid stuff was expensive and offered ‘features’ that I just didn’t need (yes you, Adobe). Some of the software looked useful but was just so bloody complicated to figure out (yes you, OneNote). Over a period of about two years I trialled all kinds of different software before settling on a combination of tools that do everything I need and, crucially, also allow me to outsource a lot of work.
Today I’m completely paperless, and I couldn’t be happier with the progress I’ve made. My files are organised and easy to find. My e-briefs are tagged and easy to navigate. My notes are in one central location and easy to access and update. I outsource all of my admin work and spend all my time on fee-earning work instead.
LOOK WHAT’S WAITING FOR YOU.
Going digital offers huge advantages over being paper-based. It’s faster, cheaper, lighter, and easier. You can work anywhere – whether that’s reading briefs, making notes, or accessing textbooks, journals or case reports. You can also (as I have) outsource a lot of your administrative work to a remote assistant – and stop wasting time managing e-mails, e-briefs, fees, expenses, scheduling, and even legal research.
You’ll spend 100% of your time on fee-earning work, making your practice way more efficient. You’ll also end up with lots more free time, to do the things you enjoy doing.
I can help you work more efficiently. Book a call now and let’s get started!
DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT
Listen to the lawyers I’ve already helped
“Extremely well structured and presented. I learned a lot from it and am feeling, for the first time, that going paperless is actually an achievable goal.”
Marguerite Bolger, Senior Counsel
“Finished all courses and they are genuinely excellent. The substance, structure and communication of the information is first class.”
Dermot Hewson, Barrister
“Your online courses are brilliant and I have found them of immense benefit. My home and work offices are looking better by the day.”
John Molyneaux, Solicitor
“I’ve been nodding my head at practically every single point you make. This is so well thought out and presented, it’s seriously impressive.”
Sonia McEntee, Solicitor
“I’m finding it excellent as a barrister in my first year struggling to work out what paperless might ‘look like’. A fantastic course, which I have already recommended to colleagues.“
Emma Sullivan, Barrister
“A very fine suite of education pieces around digital notepads, note-taking, and how to use and annotate PDFs. Gerard is very approachable, very open, and supportive.”
Neil Butler, Solicitor
HERE’S WHAT’S AROUND THE CORNER
✓ You can access all of your office files in a few clicks. Instead of spending hours rifling through stacks of documents, you can find the information you’re looking for in less time than it would take you to get the lid off the box.
✓ You can take your work wherever you go without having to lug boxes of files with you. A paperless system means you can pick up where you left off, no matter where you are.
✓ Ramp up your efficiency by outsourcing a variety of administrative tasks to a self-employed remote assistant. You won’t have to provide equipment or office space, and you only pay on an ‘as-needed’ basis.
✓ It’s more secure. You’ll have multiple back-ups of your files stored in the cloud, safe from fires, floods and theft. You can set access limits and password-protect certain files so that sensitive client data never ends up in the wrong hands.
✓ It frees up countless hours that you can dedicate to fee-earning work (or doing whatever it is you love to do but never have the time for).
✓ You’ll save money every year on storage, stationery, and office supplies.
✓ It significantly reduces your impact on the environment, an issue that has never been more urgent than it is right now.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Paperless Academy has presented to the following organisations:
