Litigators are required to gather information through electronically-stored information or ESI when a case begins. Most ESI data that can help with a case usually come from different sources, including social media updates and emails. That is why the eDiscovery software has become an important tool used by many law firms as part of data collection for many cases.
What is eDiscovery Software?
This software is commonly used by in-house legal practitioners, including paralegals and lawyers. Instead of hiring third-party firms, legal teams can now use this software as part of their internal process. While lawyers may not use this as often, they can strongly rely on the acquired information in an easy-to-understand format.
Among other features of the discovery software include:
- Production and document review
- Data processing
- Built-in analytics
- Assisted document review
- Data visualization tool
- Flagging of privileged materials
- Transcripts and case dynamics
- Chain of custody trailing
The importance of using eDiscovery Software
This software has also become popular given the increasing demand for searching for various digitally-stored legal documents. By using this software, you can be able to search and collect crucial information related to the case.
It will also help in easier information retrieval and analysis and be able to share vital information to clients and colleagues. You can also use the software to streamline and integrate legal processes and ensure data security.
Without this software, litigators can put a case at risk of collecting unreliable data, which can result in errors. On the other hand, some legal practitioners do use this software, albeit without enough knowledge to handle it properly. All the same, it can lead to failure that can greatly impact the result of a case.
As mentioned, using the software can ease the burden of sifting through manually sifting through countless documents which can potentially help with the case. Basically, this legal software makes litigators’ jobs easier and promotes efficiency and accuracy in their jobs. Likewise, it also lessens search time by simply typing in a few keywords, and then thousands of related information will appear in seconds.
The software also helps in cutting down costs of all tasks related to discovery, including case assessment and document review. Other purposes for the discovery software include:
- Internal investigation
- Third-party and government subpoenas
- Creation of documents in different formats
- Tracking auditable trails for legal holds
A secure and compliant discovery procedure
Back then, litigators have to rely on thousands of paper documents in exchanging crucial data during a case. The software basically reduces those tons of manual information and instead, they are transferred digitally, hence searching for that vital information easier and more accessible.
More importantly, using the software enables a law firm to serve clients better. At the same time, you can collect important data more efficiently in terms of time and cost. It also makes the firm more competent and trustworthy, especially in crucial cases. It can also prevent sanctions due to discovery mishandling.
With that said, law firms should consider getting discovery software due to the above benefits. It can make the legal process easier and ensure secure and accurate data gathering that can help ongoing cases.