eDiscovery Overload: What to Do When Your Small Law Firm Has Too Much to Handle

24 March 2019 by Anith Mathai eDiscovery small-law-firm

Takeaway: Even the best legal teams get overwhelmed from time to time. The solution? Ask for help: (1) Find someone to handle your eDiscovery software for you, (2) Bring in specialists to help you review files, (3) Use eDiscovery professionals for the tough cases, (4) Re-evaluate your eDiscovery software.

eDiscovery is much simpler than it was a decade ago.

The latest technology is easy to use. And it’s affordable. So, small law firms can use it to compete with their larger counterparts.

But eDiscovery can still be quite overwhelming.

Great technology aside, you’ve still got to put in the work. But if you don’t want ever to turn a client away, then you’re going to need help from time to time.

So, here’s what you can do when things get a little too much.

It’s all about knowing who to turn to for help.

1. Find someone to handle your eDiscovery software for you.

Don’t buy software that sits on your computer. You’ll need to install it, update it, and troubleshoot technical issues as they come up. Instead, buy access to software that sits in the Cloud. And which someone else looks after. It’s called Software as a Service (SaaS), and it’s changing eDiscovery, because:

You won’t need new equipment like advanced servers. They cost a lot, and you’ll need experts to set them up for you.
You won’t need an IT team since your software provider runs the software for you.
You’ll never lose your data since it’s backed up on multiple Cloud servers. So, even if a few servers go down, it won’t affect you. Plus, your data is protected with bank-grade security. So it’s safe from theft and natural disasters.
You can access files from anywhere. All you’ll need is a laptop and an internet connection. Perfect for when you’re on-the-go. Or stuck at an airport waiting for a delayed flight.
It’s easy to collaborate. Multiple users can use the software, so it’s easy for teams to work together and share ‘productions.’ Some law firms even use it to collaborate internationally.

Learn more about buying an eDiscovery service instead of eDiscovery software.

2. Bring in specialists to help review eDiscovery files.

Even the most dedicated small law firms struggle to meet deadlines. Which is why ‘managed reviews’ are becoming more popular. Here, you get a team of outside attorneys to review eDiscovery documents on your behalf. The more popular teams are highly qualified, experienced, and affordable. And they come with these advantages:

You can take on more work. Instead of turning clients away, you get to ‘add on’ a team of specialized attorneys on a case-by-case basis. So, you effectively get more work-hours.
You get to focus on the important stuff. It’s easy to get caught up with the mechanics of document review. So, let your managed-review team handle the grunt work. Which frees you up to focus on the nuances of your case.
You save money. You get to pass on the relatively-simple review process to your managed-review team. Which lets your paralegals, associates, and partners work on more advanced tasks with a higher rate of return.
You get a high standard of work. You’re often distracted by the day-to-day challenges of running a small law firm. A managed-review team isn’t. So, you’re guaranteed focused, quality work.
You outsource the hassle. You have to put a team together, make sure they show up on time, handle personal issues that pop up, and troubleshoot technical stuff. With a managed review, you get to hand all this over to your review attorneys.

Find out more about managed-review teams and how to hire them.

3. Use eDiscovery professionals for the tough cases.

When you’re really stuck, ask for more than just a managed review. Ask for a team of eDiscovery specialists to take over completely. They usually have a background in information science/technology. As well as a basic understanding of the law. And they work with law firms, corporations, eDiscovery providers, the government, or even teach in universities.

They’ll help you with each stage of eDiscovery. This includes things like making sure your initial ‘litigation hold’ is in place, finding responsive files, building powerful searches, protecting your data, etc.
They’ll help you with the technical stuff. Like, protecting your metadata, and culling files early and often.
They’ll help you follow protocol. The EU recently adopted new general data protection regulation (GDPR) guidelines. And courts now regularly pass eDiscovery rulings that affect the way small and solo firms practice law. An eDiscovery pro will track these new regulations and make sure your firm complies with them.

4. Re-evaluate your eDiscovery software.

Don’t yet need outside help? Then, just make sure you’ve got easy-to-use eDiscovery software that focuses on the things that matter. The best applications keep things simple. And they work like the other applications you use every day. So, you won’t need to learn anything new. For example, you’ll:

Load the software as you do with email. No need to download and install anything. Just go to the website, sign in, and start working. It’s like checking email.
Move files around like in Windows. I.e., Drag-and-drop them into your eDiscovery browser.
Search as you do with Google. I.e., Type in your keywords into the search bar and your application will search all your emails, Word documents, PDFs, etc. Even with more complex ‘advanced’ searches (with many interrelated keywords), searching stays intuitive.

Haven’t yet found the right eDiscovery software? Overwhelmed attorneys swear by GoldFynch.

It’s a next-generation eDiscovery application that prioritizes things that matter to small law firms.
That’s why:

It costs just $27 a month for a 3 GB case: That’s far less–every month–than the nearest comparable software. And hundreds of dollars less than many others. With GoldFynch, you know what you’re paying for exactly – its pricing is simple and readily available on the website.
It’s easy to budget for. GoldFynch has a flat, prorated rate. With legacy software, your bill changes depending on how much data you use.
It takes just minutes to get going. It runs in the Cloud, so you use it through your web browser (Google Chrome recommended). No installation. No sales calls or emails. Plus, you get a free, fully-functional trial case (0.5 GB of data and processing cap of 1 GB), without adding a credit card.
It can handle even the largest cases. GoldFynch scales from small to large, since it’s in the Cloud. So, choose from a range of case sizes (3 GB to 150 GB, and more) and don’t waste money on space you don’t need.
You can access it from anywhere. And 24/7. All your files are backed up and secure in the Cloud. And you can monitor its servers here.
You won’t have to worry about technical stuff. It’s designed, developed and run by the same team. So, its technical support isn’t outsourced. Which means you get prompt and reliable service.

Want to learn more about GoldFynch?

Try GoldFynch for Free Schedule a Demo