Benefits of Converting to a Paperless Office

A survey by a Washington law firm (Arnold & Porter) found that a typical lawyer uses 20,000 to 100,000 sheets of paper a year. At the high end, that translates into the release of 4.5 tons annually of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
 Think about 100,000 sheets of paper?

• That much paper makes up 12 40-foot trees.

• That much paper could publish 271 copies of John Grisham's novel "The Partner."

• And that much paper stacked would be as high as Michael Jordon ….on stilts. 
 So, there is a serious environmental side to our discussion this afternoon. Paper is the number one material thrown away. That is why the Australian Government offers a range of incentives for small, medium and large businesses to lower their carbon emissions and reduce waste.

In addition to environmental impacts, paper is time consuming to manage. Record keeping constitutes more than 90% of all office activity. Studies indicate that of the paper filed, over 80% is never referenced again!

Then there is the cost aspect of paper. Think about the cost of paper, printing, mailing, distribution, and handling fees. A study done by Coopers and Lybrand estimated the cost of paper management to be about $50 per document.

As you can see, there are many advantages to becoming a paperless office. Of course, as lawyers there are some original documents that need to be stored physically and there are times when documents will need to be printed but what we want to focus on is developing a consciousness around the amount of paper we use.

LawMaster can get you on your way to becoming a paperless office, as we have all the tools and experience in completing such a task.

The paperless office will:

• Increase efficiency by having all of the firms information residing in one central place and its all searchable.

• Have better risk management and improve client service

• Also reduce operational costs

The paperless office provides lawyers with the ability to work remotely, enhancing their work life balance. These days, who wants to spend every working hour in the office. Electronic files mean that you can work anywhere!

And finally, let’s not forget the positive environmental impact.

Remember the statistics mentioned at the beginning? In one day you can save about 100 pages of paper – so remember, on average if it will cost you $50 per document assuming each document contains10 pages – so that would save the firm $500 per day per lawyer!! The thing to remember is that technology doesn’t come for nothing, you have to invest in your firm’s IT. But with these figures and with these savings it is clear that it is financially beneficial for your law firm to become a paperless office.