Written by:
Grant Yuill
Head of Marketing & Customer Engagement
There is a problem with your legal software that has been bugging you for a while, and you desperately need assistance with it. You decide to press the help button in the hopes of having a conversation with a person who is both competent and kind. Instead, you are taken to an outdated user forum created in 2015. Does it sound familiar to you?
Hands-off and Hands-on support services are the two primary techniques of providing legal software assistance, particularly in legal case management. Several service providers prefer a hands-off approach because they believe it allows them to save resources. This means directing you to an outdated FAQ and requiring you to perform all of the work.
However, if you have an urgent need to retrieve certain important documents stored in the cloud for a hearing that will take place later that day, you are going to require a hands-on method. You’ll want to speak with a real person who can provide you with the information you need immediately.
In this post, we will discuss why not all legal support is made equal, as well as why the best software includes human assistance, proactive resources, and self-service features that are easy to use.
Choosing Between Hands-Off and Hands-On Legal Practice Software Assistance for Your Law Firm
While Hands-off assistance is primarily focused on providing guidance and is more indirect, Hands-on help involves the support staff intervening directly in the situation.
Each of the following is a demonstration of how the software assistance for legal firms looks like:
Hands-off
- Lacks interactive guidance and relies mostly on fixed knowledge base articles or frequently asked questions sections.
- Does not offer live chat, phone assistance, or quick troubleshooting solutions; instead, it only uses ticketing systems that are dependant on email.
- Lacks the ability to ensure resolution timelines, often needing more than 24 hours to resolve non-critical issues.
- Users are required to independently diagnose problems before they can submit support tickets.
Hands-on
- Provides real-time chat features in addition to the more traditional phone and email assistance, with very quick response times for solicitors.
- With specialists who can provide context-aware troubleshooting and who genuinely understand the operations of law firms.
- Virtual classrooms, scenario-based learning, and interactive support widgets are all included in this feature.
- Provides a variety of certification programs in addition to peer-led discussions and opportunities for professional networking.
While Hands-off assistance models are effective and scalable, they do not provide the level of personalisation, responsiveness, and compliance that is necessary in the legal practice. In line with the expectations and regulatory requirements of law firms, Hands-on support helps to cultivate trust, satisfaction, and long-term relationships with existing clients in the legal service sector.
What to expect from the legal tech support team?
Customer service in the legal tech industry is extremely important since it has a direct influence on your operational efficiency, competitive difference, and client retention. When it comes to providing support and strategic direction to improve client service, the best providers combine a swift technical response with an in-depth understanding of the challenges that are associated with legal practice.
The following is what you can anticipate from your legal tech provider in terms of document management and support.
Support channels that are both quick and flexible
You should look for assistance that is available during working hours via phone, and email with quick response times. To ensure that there are minimal disruptions to billable hours as possible, your provider needs to offer a fast resolution.
Specialised legal knowledge
Your provider needs to have an understanding of legal workflows, compliance regulations (such as SRA and GDPR), and tools, such as document and case management systems. Keep away from generic information technology support that lacks industry-specific expertise in legal services.
There are no additional fees for support
Ensure that there are no hidden charges associated with regular support. It is important to remember that although many service providers now include unlimited training and troubleshooting in their base subscription, you should not take this for granted. You must always read the fine print.
Full-service onboarding and assistance
Support should not start or end on the first day. It is important to look for an organised onboarding process that includes instructional sessions and that provides continuing support through dedicated account managers. Support for improving the system needs to be included in the post-implementation resources.
Instruction and training
There will be a variety of training methods that providers will offer, such as live webinars on new features and regulations, on-demand video libraries for flexible learning, and regular seminars that are aligned with legal workflows.
Introducing Denovo’s CaseLoad Academy
We at Denovo are aware of how important it is for law firms to have support that is fast, convenient and reliable, especially when using case management systems. For this reason our CaseLoad Academy online support tool is designed to compliment our helpdesk; by providing users with a comprehensive library of step-by-step instruction videos – improving the overall assistance experience, with video content tailored to meet the daily needs of legal professionals in Scotland using our platform.
Here’s what sets Denovo apart:
Effortless Approach to Solving Problems
Dedicated to your case management and legal accounting workflows, the Helpdesk offered by Denovo offers endless support via phone and email, covering all aspects of these processes. Our team is here to ensure that your practice runs efficiently, in every way possible, from the initial configuration of the system to the automation of documents and the reconciliation of trust ledgers.
Common requirements for legal systems are addressed by our support services, including the following:
- Case and matter management
- Client communications should be streamlined through best legal practices and effective technology
- Document and task automation using practice management software
- Legal accounting and billing
- Executry & estate management
- Integration with tools like Microsoft Office, Signable, and Registers of Scotland
Easy-to-Use Resources for Assistance
Designed with convenience and clarity in mind, our help contents and walkthroughs are as follows:
- Step-by-step video tutorials
- Onboarding materials for new users of case management software
- FAQ sections that solve problems in minutes, enhancing the user experience with practice management software
- Guided demos with real-time coaching from our experts
- PDF brochures to walk you through settings, workflows, and modules
You also have the option of scheduling a live one-on-one session with one of our trainers or gaining access to our growing collection of training videos on case management software.
Real People, Real Help
In case you need assistance, our support team located in Glasgow and across Scotland and is available to assist you. For more direct support, we are pleased to provide on-site assistance, and you may reach us by phone or email. This will ensure that you receive the guidance you need, regardless of where you are.
Help that goes beyond the help desk: support that grows along with you
Beyond onboarding, Denovo is committed to the concept of collaboration. Through our support, we go above and beyond:
Webinars & Training
Attend our regularly scheduled live webinars, which are hosted by our team and cover a wide range of topics, from the introduction of new features to time-saving legal tech tips. Not only are these sessions free, but they are also interactive and practical.
Downloadable Guides & Resources
We give law firms access to manuals and digital brochures that are designed to help them in mastering a variety of topics, ranging from cloud-based practice management to compliance procedures related to the law society.
Thought Leadership & Community
We will keep you up to date with the latest news, insights, and trends by using our blog and various social media outlets. As a result of our customer-first approach, we have become one of the most reputable names in the Scottish legal technology industry.
Recognised & Recommended
Among the most successful legal software providers in Scotland, Denovo feels honoured to be one of the legal technology companies that has been around the longest in the country.
The best way to identify warning signs in the service provision of a provider
By choosing a legal software provider that offers insufficient assistance, you may find yourself in a world of never-ending stress, missed deadlines, and dissatisfied customers. All of this can be caused by your decision.
Red flags in a vendor’s support offering can be identified in this way:
- A single support channel is available: (for example, only email) indicates limited accessibility and response, which is not what you want during a time of crisis in your firm.
- The support time is not guaranteed: resulting in uncertainty, leaving you unable to proceed during disruptions.
- Advanced support or assistance with onboarding for practice management software that requires an additional fee: causes basic services to be moved into premium tiers, which increases the risk of inadequate baseline support and extra costs.
- Help documentation that is either outdated or poorly designed: reduces the quality of your user experience and makes it more difficult to resolve issues.
- After signing up, there is no continuous training or resources available: prevents you from being ready for new features or changes in compliance.
- Lack of clarity around service level agreements (SLAs) or hours: highlights the possibility of unaccountability as well as the absence of proper escalation processes.
Choose the Right Support When Selecting Cloud-Based Legal Practice Management Software
Choosing the best practice management system is about more than just functionality; it’s about making sure that your firm has a sufficient level of in-house support, flexibility, and responsiveness to be successful. Whether you are in charge of storing legal documents, managing client onboarding, or tracking billable hours, the amount of support that you receive will have a direct impact on your business continuity, data security, and the overall profitability of your law practice.
When it comes to Scottish firms, especially those that are governed by the Law Society of Scotland, the decision between hands-off and hands-on support is very important. Although a Hands-off support may appear to be scalable, it often compromises reliability and leaves firms prone when it comes to accessing time-sensitive client data or managing complex audit needs. A Hands-on support, on the other hand, such as the one that Denovo uses, ensures that you will never be left guessing. Denovo is more than just a cloud-based solution; it plays the role of a reliable partner in legal operations by providing real-time assistance, dedicated account managers, and proactive training materials.
The support model offered by Denovo gives you the power to automate workflows, simplify data entry, and maintain compliance across a wide range of practice areas, including document automation and financial management. We safeguard sensitive information, protect your operations with secure cloud computing, and assist the firm in adapting confidently to current issues. Furthermore due to our solid track record of working alongside legal technology experts, we are able to secure sensitive client information.
Contact Denovo today!
Don’t settle for outdated assistance forums or slow ticket systems. Choose a service provider who has a full understanding of the legal industry and who can provide support that can grow along with your needs. Book a demo today!
