Working in a white-collar job can be hectic and
stressful. Sitting in a cubical in a stressed environment can make it all the
more difficult for employees to remain focused, which may have a negative
impact on their productivity level. On the contrary, imagine working in your own
home; your office chair being your couch and your commute being the length of
your hallway. Thanks to modern technology, this is no longer just a dream.
Today, almost every other organization is adopting “work
from home” policy in order to provide the comfort and flexibility to boost the
productivity of their employees. These policies also expand the ability of
companies to hire a large number of employees without needing to increase the
size or accessibility of their premises. For example, nowadays it is easier for
the differently abled persons to find a suitable job for themselves – making
them available for those employers that implement these policies.
Telecommuting also helps motivate employees by saving
them the time and expenses of long commutes – thereby reducing the stress level
of the workers. These policies are not only implemented by the High-Tech Industries
and Enterprises but also by the Start-ups and Corporations operating in various
other fields and markets.
Can lawyers work from home?
The debate over “work from home” policies in the
practice law have raged throughout the blogosphere.[1]The
key issue is one of paperwork: the reliance on manual files can make firms
incapable of remote practice. Despite the fact that paper heavy practices
cannot be completely avoided in some areas of law, many companies have managed
to go paper light recently as most of the data can be electronically stored. There
are various options available to lawyers if they want to work from their home
offices. Some of these career options to them are as follows:
·
Working
as a Freelance Lawyer
Freelancing
is practiced in every other field. More and more lawyers are currently engaged
as freelancers. Lawyers can now provide online legal services to their clients
who need legal assistance, thanks to the era of technology! There is a high
demand for the aid and assistance of lawyers online. Freelancing provides
flexibility to such freelance lawyers as they can adjust their schedule
according to their own convenience.
·
Legal
Writing Services
There are
lawyers who can offer legal writing services based on their qualification and
expertise. These lawyers can draft briefs, contracts, memo, etc or write
research blogs on topics of law, website content and other web publications.[2]
·
Solo
practitioners
Solo
practitioners of law can work through their home offices, without having to
rent out any expensive commercial office spaces for themselves. These lawyers
can operate through virtual offices as well. This can be easily achieved with
the help of SAAS applications which ensures the safe and secure exchange of communication
between the clients and the lawyers, for example sharing confidential
information and documents online.
·
In-House
Counsels
The
in-house counsels work for a specific organisation in the corporate sector.
These lawyers provide legal counselling to the management, represent the
company in negotiation proceedings but they can discharge these services
Legal Services for the tech-savvy clients
Today’s youth grew up in the technological age, giving
them the skills to make the utmost use of it. People nowadays, need the work
done in the fastest manner possible and what’s faster than technology? Though the
internet has improved our lives greatly, we still lack the ability to use it
efficiently. There are many businesses that worry about losing their client
base by going virtual – however, they needn’t worry. The internet not only makes
it easier for companies to achieve their targets quickly and efficiently, it also
help sclients by providing easier and more convenient solutions. The advantages
of going digital will work for the legal industry as well. If any corporation,
entity, individual or organisations have pending matters, new ventures, new
disputes and legal matters, they can be resolved virtually. Let’s discuss how:
·
Negotiation
services
Negotiating
a dispute with the help of technology can save you the cost and energy of
travel or arranging premises for the same. It is exceptionally convenient for
NRI’s and other foreign clients to avail online negotiation services, as they
do not have to fly back and forth from one country to another. Furthermore,
your plans needn’t change to accommodate the negotiation – you can still attend
the proceedings even while on vacation.
·
Contract
Management services
Customers
can now hire attorneys for drafting and managing contracts online. The approach
of drafting contracts has been drifted in the recent years, from paper made
contracts to E-contracts. These E- contract services not only make it easier for
you to store the essential information online but there are applications that may
help you secure your confidential information as well.
·
Intellectual
property matters
Clients need to
have attorneys for their Intellectual Property disputes such as copyrights or
trademark infringements. Though attorneys cannot avoid their court visits in
order to fight the dispute, other tasks such as drafting, filings and sending
legal notices, can still be done virtually. The government also provides
methods through which routine disputes, objections and oppositions can be
handled by the exchange of written arguments, reducing or removing the need for
court visits. Methods such as telecommuting are more convenient to provide legal
aid and advice than in-person meetings.
These are only a few instances of the legal services
that the clients can avail. Other services may include, legal counselling
services, memo drafting services, hiring a legal researcher for writing blogs
and articles for your websites among many others. All of these services can be
provided online with the help of a work-from-home attorney or a virtual law
firm.
The Recent Pandemic and its implications on the “work
from home” policy
Though there are various options available for lawyers
to practice law through their home offices, these policies were not prevalent
in the legal industry. Legal practitioners have always been dependent upon traditional
practices and analogue infrastructure. It wasn’t until the recent outbreak of
coronavirus cases that firms have been forced to work remotely. Since the
affected countries are under a lockdown, businesses all over the world are left
with no other choice rather to operate their businesses through their homes.
Be it the tech giant “Google” or the social media
platform “Twitter” - all these companies are practicing through remote working
policies as a measure to limit the further spread of coronavirus. These changes
needn’t be temporary – the outbreak of coronavirus can make working from home a
more common practice. It has been argued that if more companies follow in the
footsteps of Twitter and Google, this could “shift workplace dynamics.”[3]
Lawyers do not always need to have offices when they
can work from home. Attorneys that need to meet their clients face to face, can
do so in a dedicated space– however, this needn’t be a formal, full-time
office. Attorneys can easily rent a conference room for a few hours or even
meet clients in a café with a good atmosphere. Moreover, web conferencing
platforms, such as Skype, Google Hangouts etc., help make communication and
collaboration easier than teams talking face to face.
Corporations and individuals do not need to stall
their work or dispute resolution due to the lack of in-person meetings and the
traditional “office” setting. A trained professional can help solve the legal
matters, ensure compliances, handle deals and virtual dispute resolution. More
and more lawyers practice remotely as there is a wide range of options
available to them and their client.
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