In your firm, having access to the right information can make or break a case. But if you’re stuck in a mountain of paperwork, actually finding that information can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack.
As it turns out, there is a better way.
eDiscovery software offers a seamless solution to soothe your legal document storage woes.
Here’s how:
The What
Let’s get back to basics; What is eDiscovery software, really?
Shorthand for Electronic Discovery, eDiscovery describes the process of identifying, collecting, and producing pertinent information for legal proceedings from electronic sources. eDiscovery software, therefore, is a set of digital tools and IT infrastructures that allow you to store, organize, and manage those legal documents as electronically stored information, or ESI.
Of course, nowadays anything from lease agreements to Instagram DMs can fall under the masthead of ESI, meaning that the amount of data coming into your firm can be downright overwhelming. eDiscovery software can help your team parse through and catalog each piece of digital information with ease, thereby lessening the load.
The How
But how will eDiscovery software improve the paperwork process, you ask?
eDiscovery software is more than just a filing cabinet for your electronic documents. In fact, each step of the discovery process can benefit from the use of software:
- Identification: Determining the relevancy of your information is simplified through eDiscovery software, which stores details like time accessed, date created, authorship, and recipient information for all of your electronic documents.
- Preservation: Though certainly more dynamic than hard-copy documents, all data accessed through eDiscovery are preserved and backed-up automatically, curtailing complaints of tampering, regardless of future changes.
- Collection: eDiscovery software compiles all of your data into a secure database that is placed under legal hold for all parties to view.
- Processing: For processing, the software will analyze and sift through all documents, weeding out irrelevant information for you.
- Review: Housed in a secure database, reviewers will have access to all necessary documents and computer-assisted review processes – no need to pass files back and forth.
- Production: With built-in redaction capabilities available, production is as simple as transferring the database to all parties involved.
The Why
So, why is eDiscovery software so valuable to your firm?
Something as simple as a lost file or unknown date-stamp can mean game over in court. eDiscovery software mitigates this risk by organizing and storing your documents in an easy to use, process-friendly, and back-up enabled digital system, ensuring that your team always has the information you need on hand.
What’s more, enabling eDiscovery software can also reduce time wasted on the hard-copy paperwork process, and thus save your firm time and money in the long run.
But When?
When will you be ready to consider eDiscovery software for your firm?
As data becomes more electronic in nature, your firm will need to have the technological capabilities – and the legal document storage – to keep up. Adopting eDiscovery software is the first step in establishing a proper IT support program for your firm, and the time to take the leap is now.
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