by Matthew Pitts
With all of the talk and the hype surrounding e-lawyering, it can be difficult to determine exactly what makes up a top-of-the-line elawyering web application or virtual law office. I'm not the guru on these matters, but if I was developing an elawyering application that was geared toward the online delivery of legal services, this is what I would include:
- Professional design. A flawless, clean design is crucial to a premium elawyering web application or virtual law office. The design must be tightly integrated with the functionality of the application.
- Integrated marketing and optimization. Every part of the site must be integrated into the overall marketing process and plan. The pages must be optimized to drive desired actions by the visitors.
- A case review/consultation process. One of the most crucial first steps toward building a business relationship with the potential client. Not only does this allow the legal professional to learn more about the case, it starts the business relationship out with a personal touch.
- Extreme customization and personalization. One of the key benefits of the tools that exist today is the ability to create applications that allow us to focus on one client at a time while helping hundreds simultaneously. You might have one hundred clients, but each client should feel like your only client. It is possible!
- A dedicated user account/dashboard. This is where your clients must feel at home. A rich elawyering application or virtual law office should provide an advanced and secure section of the site where users can manage various aspects of their account.
- Message system. In my opinion, every capable elawyering application or virtual law office should include a secure messaging system
- and much more...