Why Microsoft 365 for Law Firms Is Ideal for You
Modern law practices continue to evolve to meet current and potential demands. Technology can help them meet these demands without putting in more hours a day or spending more money to optimize day-to-day operations. Microsoft 365 is one of the productivity tools law firms can utilize today to improve their practices. Offered as part of the Microsoft products, Microsoft 365 is used by millions of companies worldwide, with about 650,000 businesses in the U.S. using it. Indeed, it offers the level of collaboration modern businesses need to get work done anytime and from anywhere.
What Is Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 is a notable software as a service program (SaaS) available for business and home use online and via desktop. It is the de facto productivity suite for many companies, and in April 2020, Office 365 officially became Microsoft 365.
This productivity suite provides users with the productivity level necessary to get work done in the current environment. Applications within it include:
- Outlook, which enhances internal communication and collaboration by making it possible for team members to view each other’s calendars and access emails securely while on the move.
- SharePoint, which makes it possible to build a centralized intranet that plays host to all the tools, knowledge, and content your team requires to get the job done.
- OneNote, a digital notebook accessible from anywhere. It is easy to fill and access.
- Teams ensures you stay organized and have conversations seamlessly in one place.
A Secured Enterprise-Grade Cloud-Based Platform
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Access
- Publisher
- Exchange
- OneDrive
- Intune
- Lastly, Azure Information Protection
All these applications offer unparalleled value.
Is Microsoft 365 Safe for Lawyers?
Microsoft 365 is compliant with the best industry security standards, including HIPAA BAA, EU Model clauses, FISMA, and ISO 27001. Besides, it gives the flexibility to control versioning, permissions, and the ability to manage and retrieve documents in one place. Besides, Microsoft continually updates security protocols. As such, it is a secure option for lawyers who are looking for an easy way to accomplish simple to challenging tasks.
Is Microsoft 365 Popular Among Law Firms?
Various reports (including ABA 2019 Legal Technology Survey Report) show that Microsoft Outlook is popular in the legal industry as a reliable tool for contacts, calendars, document management, and emails. As such, if you’re not utilizing Microsoft 365’s premium applications, you are missing a lot, and we recommend using it as soon as possible.
If you are already utilizing another suite for office tools, you can migrate to Microsoft 365 at your own pace.
Why Microsoft 365 for Law Firms?
Microsoft 365 has proven to be useful in making the work of lawyers and their teams easier and enjoyable. Let’s explore the top benefits of Microsoft 365 to modern law practices:
A Secured Enterprise-Grade Cloud-Based Platform
As aforementioned, Microsoft 365 is compliant with World-class industry standards such as FISMA and HIPAA BAA. It also offers capabilities such as versioning, record management, permissions, and eDiscovery. That means you don’t have to worry about your documents disappearing online or getting into the wrong hands.
Simple Administration and Rock-Solid Security
With this suite, you can easily manage services and users from a single admin portal. Also, this suite comes with a built-in security capability that blocks and deflects phishing attacks, spam, malware, and other threats. If you need additional assistance, you can connect with a Microsoft expert for ongoing support.
Get Work Done From Anywhere and Anytime
This suite gives you the flexibility to access up-to-date files and applications from virtually anywhere. Thus, that improves your ability to collaborate with your employees, connect with your clients and other attorneys.
Store, Access, and Share Documents Securely
OneDrive reduces the amount of paper you need to carry and the time you need to search for the latest version of documents by acting as your online briefcase. With it, you can store, access your documents (online and offline), and share them securely.
Migrate on Your Terms
Different legal firms have different needs. Your needs will likely differ from those of other legal firms. Thankfully, you can make your journey to Microsoft 365 for law firms at your pace. Just understand your needs and slowly switch until they are best addressed.
Three Microsoft 365 Apps Your Law Firm Can Benefit Most From
Microsoft 365 Groups
Makes it easier to collaborate with your teammates. Microsoft 365 lets you pick a set of people you would like to collaborate with as well as set up a resource you would wish to share with them, such as calendar, Outlook, and SharePoint.
Microsoft 365 Flow
A very powerful tool that you can use to automate repetitive tasks and workflows within your law firm. For example, you can create a flow that when new documents get saved in a particular folder, a member of your team is notified to start the approval process.
Microsoft 365 Forms
You have probably interacted with Microsoft forms before as they are widely used in almost all industries to accomplish different tasks. For your law firm, you can use them to get feedback from your customer through the design and use of surveys, intake forms, and questionnaires.
What Microsoft 365 Plan Should Your Law Firm Consider?
Microsoft has three pricing plans: basic, standard, and premium. However, you have the option to choose either depending on your needs. Here is a summary of the differences between them:
Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($5.00 User/Month)
Ideal for you if you require easy remote access with Office Online, secure storage, and Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50 User/Month)
Ideal if you need full remote work and collaboration tools such as secure cloud storage, Microsoft Teams, and premium office applications.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($20.00 User/Month)
Suitable if you require advanced device management, cyber threat protection, and all perks that come with the above two plans.
Microsoft 365 for Business
You can sign up for Microsoft 365 for law firms independently here, or your Microsoft partner can get it for you. Should you need support in the process, make sure to consult Microsoft 365 experts such as OnPar Technologies for professional support.
Microsoft 365 has a lot to offer that law firms can utilize today to improve their productivity and customer experience. Indeed, it provides solutions to address challenges that are hampering their growth by helping increase the number of hours spent on the core of their practices. It is simply a powerful, productivity suite you won’t regret investing in. We recommend you give it a shot if you haven’t yet already and remember to share your experience.
