eDiscovery for Legal Teams: What's the Best Software for Your Small Law Firm?

31 May 2019 by Anith Mathai eDiscovery small-law-firm software

Takeaway: Looking for eDiscovery software that helps teams collaborate? Make sure it lets you (1) Access your files – whenever, from wherever, (2) Use team-focused eDiscovery tools, (3) Choose who does what with your data, and (4) Share data securely. You’ll find these features and more in GoldFynch – the next generation eDiscovery application that many law firms are turning to.

eDiscovery is like detective work. You’re uncovering a story.

Yes, you have to process a lot of data. And yes, there’s a technical side to it. But many small law firms forget that eDiscovery is really about exploring the ‘story’ of the case. That is: What happened? When and how? Who is involved? What did they do? How are they connected? Why did things happen the way they did? And what were the motives?

The best attorneys uncover this story by working in a team.

As you explore your case and speak to clients and opposing counsel, you’ll get new information that changes the story. So, you’ll keep refining it and use it to stay on track. And the more eyes on this evolving the story, the better the case you’ll build.

So, how does the right eDiscovery software help teamwork?

The best applications let you:

1. Access your files – whenever, from wherever.

Newer eDiscovery applications store your data in the Cloud. Here, software giants like Amazon and Google lease out storage space on their vast networks of private servers – i.e., a virtual ‘cloud.’ When eDiscovery software runs in the Cloud, your team can access it – simultaneously – from anywhere. They just need to open their regular internet browser, go the eDiscovery website, and sign in. It’s the same as checking email. And they can do it from the closest PC, laptop, or tablet. All they need is an internet connection! Learn more about Cloud eDiscovery.

2. Use team-focused eDiscovery tools

  • Searches that you can save. eDiscovery searches need to be broad enough to catch all the files you’re looking for. But not so broad that they catch a lot of irrelevant files too. So, you’ll set up a search, test it on a small sample of your data, see the results, tweak the search, and repeat. This takes a lot of time and effort. So, the best eDiscovery applications let you save any search that your team builds. That way, team members can use or reuse these searches when needed. Learn more about searching your eDiscovery case.
  • Tags, to help you review files. Think of a tag as a virtual post-it. With paper documents, you stick post-its to key pages so that you can easily find them again. With electronic documents, you use tags. They’ll pull up related files and content with a single click. And it makes it easy to ‘produce’ these files too. Good eDiscovery software lets you tag files quickly. And these tags help your team members work on the case with you.

3. Choose who can do what

You may not want everyone on your team to have full control of a case. So, the best eDiscovery applications let you allot different levels of access for each user. For example, eDiscovery software GoldFynch has 4 levels of access:

  • Level 1: Reviewers – They can search and review data. And generate reports and ‘productions.’
  • Level 2: Users – They have reviewer privileges, plus they can upload, move, rename and delete files. They can also modify tags, productions, and reports.
  • Level 3: Admins – They have level 1 & 2 privileges. Plus they can add, remove, and change roles for users.
  • Level 4: Owners – They can do all of the above, plus delete cases.

4. Share data securely

Your data is most vulnerable when you share ‘productions.’ So, the best eDiscovery applications let you link to these productions, instead of downloading them and mailing/emailing them to your team or clients. People with the link can view your production from within your eDiscovery application. Where your data is encrypted and protected from prying eyes. Plus, you’re sharing only the completed production – not the original files. So, there’s no danger of anyone reading privileged content. Learn more about sharing productions.

Need eDiscovery software that helps teams collaborate? Try 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 significantly 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?