Electronic Discovery Software that SAVES ON EXPENSE
Using technology and employing best-practices methods urged by Trial Solutions, the typical electronic data discovery production and native review expenses can be dramatically reduced.
Software Managing Electronic Discovery
As an example, by utilizing technology there is no need to convert electronic files to tiff images at the beginning of the case. Instead, the documents can be reviewed natively, allowing everyone to access the data in Trial Solutions' electronic discovery native review tool software. The cost to the client for reviewing in native form, and obtaining a license to use Trial Solutions’ Online Review Tool to manage the documents, is about half the average cost of traditional electronic discovery methods. This cost saving is dramatic enough, but it is only the beginning of the savings passed on to the client and the law firm through our electronic discovery software.
Efficient Data Discovery Software Reduces Expense
The best proof that technology works can be provided by our clients. With respect to the problems it solves, our E-Discovery software can also help reduce costs of paper discovery and review. Used properly, an online review tool significantly reduces the inefficiency and consequent unnecessary expense incurred by law firms and their clients as a result of the manner in which trial teams typically work.
When boxes of documents are received at a typical law firm, one or more lawyers and paralegals typically go through the documents, usually in fits and starts, either making no notes or making cryptic notes on a legal pad or on the documents themselves. None of these comments are typically captured in a way that justifies the time and expense involved, both because it isn't done in an organized and methodical fashion, and because it isn't readily available to other members of the trial team. This process typically happens more than once during the life of the case.
Replacing Printed Discovery with Electronic Discovery
The client at this initial stage has typically already paid to make one copy of the documents to give to the lawyer. The lawyer typically holds this set as the master copy, so another copy is immediately made to use as a working copy. If the client is a corporation with a legal department, someone in the legal department typically makes a working copy as well. At this point the client has paid for three sets of copies, and all the value that the client has received is having three sets of documents. The cost per page at this point (using an average of $.10 - $.15 per page for a copy) will typically total from thirty cents to forty-five cents.
Now the lawyers and paralegals begin going through the documents, billing the client for their time, and capturing nothing in an organized, goal-driven fashion. Then more copies are made for each deposition, for each expert witness, to replace lost copies or copies that are unusable because of marks placed on them by lawyers and paralegals, to produce to other parties in the case, to attach to motions filed with the court, to take to hearings in court, and for trial. It is estimated, in a typical case, each document will be copied ten or more times, and the cost to the client will range from one dollar to one dollar and fifty cents.
Instead, by placing the electronically stored information (ESI) or scanned images online in Trial Solutions' own electronic discovery software, each document can be located instantaneously. Now the review process can begin, but the documents are viewed on screen, and the person viewing the document can make comments regarding it, link it to issues in the case, link it to witnesses in the case, enter information into the database, or determine that it is privileged and should therefore be designated as such. This is all done with easy to use templates. There is no need for programmers or highly tech-savvy assistance. Even technology adverse lawyers can handle our Electronic Discovery software with only a few minutes of training.
The Value of our Electronic Data Discovery Software
As the data base is built during the review process, the value of using our discovery software continues to increase. Now documents can be segregated or categorized or sorted by date or bates number or witness or issue or type of document, and so forth, and this can be done in seconds. Reports can easily be generated. Columns of information can be moved at will to customize reports. Documents can be redacted, and records can be kept of the redacted documents. A privilege log can be generated. Witness files can be assembled in seconds for depositions or meetings with witnesses or for trial. All documents which support particular issues in the case can be assembled in seconds. Documents which have been determined to have no significance to the case can be placed in a special file to keep them out of the relevant document population.
A final problem that the Trial Solutions e-discovery software addresses is that law firms don’t typically budget money to spend on technology. In addition, law firms want to bill the client for expenses incurred, rather than investing the law firm’s money in capital expenditures. Neither the law firm nor the client is required to make a capital expenditure to use the power and capture the benefits of using Trial Solutions. Every dollar spent for Trial Solutions’ services is an expense that can be passed on to the client, and it can be done by marketing-astute lawyers as a way of building their practice by demonstrating the cost saving that they are bringing to their clients.
Electronic Discovery Native File Review
Trial Solutions offers an online review tool that supports native file review for e-discovery. Data requiring review can be loaded into our secure online company database, allowing multiple users the ability to perform viewing, reporting and full text and meta data searching. As documents are reviewed, they can easily be marked as relevant, to-be-produced, privileged, etc.
This cost savings is dramatic enough, but it is only the beginning of the cost savings for the client and the law firm. Learn more about saving money through Trial Solutions' professional electronic discovery management software. |
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