UPDATE: As of 2018, pricing for MerusCase has changed. It is listed on our homepage.
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Are you ready to take your law firm paperless?
No matter how you answered that question, you probably have some lingering concerns that need to be addressed before you can make a completely informed decision (we totally understand). That's why, today, we're sharing a chapter from our How to Go Paperless white paper and walking you through the top 4 most common misconceptions about going paperless.
Completely false.
Understanding the high level of security in digital documents really comes down to understanding the technology behind them. When you think about it, it’s hard to consider that sending physical files by mail or transporting them to a storage facility would be any more secure than a paperless workflow that utilizes proper encryption and digital signatures.
Simply put, going digital is typically more secure than paper, even when you use inexpensive alternatives; however, many people don’t realize this because they haven’t taken the time to understand how the technologies work.
This is a huge misconception! In fact, going paperless is far less expensive and you do have the money - it’s disguised as all of those storage fees! Check out the quick breakdown of a small portion of the fees associated with using a paper filing system in the graphic below:
As you can see, these expenses alone add up to $3,899 per month or $46,788 per year! Additionally, if you’re part of a mid-size or large firm, you can expect these costs to double or triple.
On the other hand, here’s a quick menu of digital options that don’t come anywhere near these costs per month:
MerusCase -- $30/user
MyCase -- $39/user
Rocket Matter -- $65/user
Amicus -- $45/user
Clio -- $72/user
Houdini ESQ -- $64/user
This may seem like a significant amount of money at first, but when you consider that you’re paying for document storage + collaborative tools + a virtual Rolodex + billing + so much more, paper storage cannot even begin to hold a candle to digital alternatives.
Several years ago, maybe this was a reasonable escape. Today? Not a chance. There are no complicated, bulky server rooms and nothing that needs to be installed or that requires years of technical experience to comprehend.
Instead, the modern paperless office involves nothing more than a scanner, a digital storage service, and an agreed upon organizational method. Additionally, some services (such as MerusCase) offer personalized on-site training and comprehensive customer service in order to ensure that you get the most out of your user experience. The more complicated stuff, like security and data encryption? A good service will take care of all of that for you.
We understand. Sometimes there are documents that just need to be printed or don’t have the same effect when you don’t have a physical copy. The thing is, going paperless is not an all-or-nothing venture and it’s okay for there to be an in-between. Going paperless is not about ridding yourself of every single last piece of paper that exists in your office. Instead, it’s about developing processes that allow you to be more efficient with your time and money while relying on paper less.
In order to get the most out of your move to a paperless filing system, you don’t have to force all of your paralegals to stop writing on post-its and you don’t have to make a sudden change all at once. Instead, it’s equally as effective to slowly migrate your data and give your employees time to adjust to the new procedures.
That's all we've got for today but, what do you think? Did we leave out any other common concerns?