- 80% of respondents say their firm is prepared to adopt new
cloud-based legal software solutions.
TORONTO, May 5, 2022
/CNW/ - Nearly eight-in-10 Canadian legal professionals say their
industry is overdue for a digital transformation and the vast
majority recognize the many benefits cloud-based solutions provide
when it comes to practice management, client service and
operational efficiency, according to a new survey among members of
the Angus Reid Forum commissioned by global legal software provider
Dye & Durham.
The national survey found that 87% of respondents have adopted
new digital tools to operate in the COVID-19 remote work
environment, and 79% say they plan on continuing to use these
products going forward. In addition, the vast majority of those
surveyed (83%) agree that implementing cloud-based software
solutions increases productivity and operational efficiency across
their firms.
"The pandemic accelerated the pace at which law firms have
embraced new digital tools, and we anticipate this trend to
continue even as employees begin heading back into the office,"
said Dye & Durham Canada President Dennis Barnhart. "Using cutting-edge software
and cloud-based technology enables lawyers and their teams to
accomplish more in less time while reducing manual paperwork and
the potential for costly errors. That frees up time for pursuing
high-value growth strategies and new market and service
expansion."
While many industries have gone paperless, the legal profession
is often viewed as a laggard in this regard. Despite this, 70% of
legal professionals anticipate going paperless this year, 75% say
it will take two to three years, and 85% expect to do so in the
next five to 10 years. When adopting new digital solutions,
upskilling and training staff was one of the top challenges for 51%
of respondents. Firms vary on how they train their staff, with most
reporting they rely on a combination of their technology provider,
their IT department and, to a lesser extent, external
consultants.
"About 42% of respondents noted they have cybersecurity concerns
when it comes to using cloud-based digital tools," said Dye
& Durham Chief Information Officer John
Sulja. "Protecting our customers' data is a top priority for
us, and that is why we are continuously investing in the security
of our platforms. This includes partnering with cybersecurity
experts to constantly evaluate and improve our defence posture to
ensure we are providing best-in-class protection."
The survey also found that 50% of respondents prefer purchasing
their cloud-based solutions from a single provider, compared to 14%
who prefer multiple providers. "Lawyers want ease of purchase, ease
of use and ease of support, all in one place," Barnhart said.
"We've seen this reflected in the enthusiastic response to our real
estate software bundles in Canada,
as well as a number of our other products globally."
About Angus Reid Forum Surveys
These are the findings
of a survey conducted by Dye & Durham from March 24th to March 31st, 2022, with a
representative sample of 200 legal professionals across
Canada who are members of the
Angus Reid Forum. The objective of the survey was to gauge the
attitudes and perceptions of legal professionals towards the
digitization of the legal profession.
The precision of Angus Reid Forum online polls is measured using
a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to
within +/- 6.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all
Canadians been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject
to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage
error, and measurement error.
About Dye & Durham
Dye & Durham Limited is a
leading provider of cloud–based software and technology solutions
designed to improve efficiency and increase productivity for legal
and business professionals. Dye & Durham provides critical
information services and workflows, which clients use to manage
their process, information and regulatory requirements. The Company
has operations in Canada, the
United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, and has a strong blue-chip customer
base that includes law firms, financial service institutions, and
government organizations.
About the Angus Reid Forum
The Angus Reid Forum is
Canada's most well-known and
trusted online public opinion community consisting of engaged
residents across the country who answer surveys on topical issues
that matter to all Canadians.
SOURCE Dye & Durham Limited