New Feature: Filter Content By Document and/or Case Type
New Feature: Filter Content by Case and Document Type
- Time-saving: With a vast database of objections and responses at their disposal, litigators often find themselves sifting through massive amounts of information to find what they need. Briefpoint’s new case type filter eliminates the need for tedious and time-consuming searches, streamlining the process and allowing legal professionals to focus on their primary task – crafting compelling arguments for their clients.
- Standardization: Large organizations often struggle to maintain uniformity in their responses across cases. With the new case type filter, organizations can easily input their history of responses, ensuring that all team members have access to consistent information.
- Accessing the Feature: To begin using the case type filter, log in to your Briefpoint account and navigate to your Library’s discovery response drafting section.
- Selecting the Case Type: Choose your content and locate the case type dropdown menu located near the top of the page. Click on the menu and choose the appropriate case type from the list provided.
- Drafting Responses: With the relevant objections and responses now labeled, you can begin drafting your discovery responses with ease. Select the desired case type from the Edit Case page and now the content that you similarly tagged is surfaced right where you respond. The seamless integration of the case type filter allows for a smooth drafting process without the need to switch between screens or search for additional information.
Best 5 Gavel Software Alternatives in 2024
Best 5 Gavel Software Alternatives in 2024
The best document automation software tools are easy to use and effective, and help law firms save significant amounts of time, which they can then spend on value-adding tasks.
In this post, we’ll review some of the best Gavel alternatives available to litigators and law firms.
Briefpoint
There are plenty of Gavel alternatives, but none can match Briefpoint for discovery document automation. Briefpoint makes it as easy as possible for law firms to automate the key discovery response and request processes, resulting in hours of saved time that lawyers can spend drafting what really matters.
Briefpoint has been built specifically with the legal industry in mind, making it intuitive for law firms to use. The powerful AI integrations ensure that it’s highly effective and makes working straightforward.
Thanks to Briefpoint’s intuitive design, while sophisticated, Briefpoint can nevertheless be used by professionals of all technical abilities.
The result? Hours saved on each document. You can get started with Briefpoint by scheduling a demo.
Rally
Rally is a law-focused automation tool that focuses on many legal tasks, not just document creation.
With Rally, you have control over many aspects of the client experience, and you can also use it to customize branding, organize documents, and accept payments.
While Rally is a powerful tool, it does have a couple of disadvantages. The main one is that it offers many different features that may not be required by the law firm, resulting in paying for a product that is not fully needed.
In addition, its document creation capabilities are not as advanced as other Gavel alternatives, such as Briefpoint. It also has a high price point.
However, it may be suitable for individual lawyers who want an all-encompassing tool with which they can complete a variety of tasks.
Hotdocs
HotDocs has been around for a long time, which is both a positive and a negative. On the plus side, they have experience in putting together forward-thinking document generation software.
However, because it’s been around for a while, it’s lacking some of the innovation that you’ll find in other tools. It also is not specifically designed for use in the legal field, which makes it a little more difficult for legal professionals to use.
It’s generally more complicated to use than other Gavel alternatives, with many of the tool’s features requiring coding experience. If you have coding experience along with the time to get to grips with HotDocs, then you’ll find it to be powerful. It’s also recommended if you serve a variety of different sectors, not just the legal field.
Woodpecker
Woodpecker is a software tool that’s easy to use and offers a wide variety of features, including legal document automation. It’s suitable for both large and small law firms and is adept at creating both complex and straightforward documents.
The software puts a greater emphasis on the client experience than other tools, and could well be regarded as a client onboarding tool rather than a document automation tool.
Still, it’s possible to create discovery responses and requests documents once you know how, and it also integrates with a number of tools widely used within the legal field.
PandaDoc
PandaDoc is a popular document automation software tool that claims to help professionals save up to 40% of time per document. It wasn’t specifically designed for use in the legal industry, but it includes a number of tools that legal professionals will appreciate.
It comes packed with features that help with various tasks beyond document creation, such as streamlining the customer experience. While powerful, it is more complex than other tools, and may not be suitable for firms looking to get up and running with their software quickly.
How Briefpoint Can Help You
Discovery responses cost firms $23,240, per year, per attorney. $23,240 estimate assumes an associate attorney salary of $150,000 (including benefits – or $83 an hour), 20 cases per year/per associate, 4 discovery sets per case, 30 questions per set, 3.5 hours spent responding to each set, and 1800 hours of billable hours per year.
Under these assumptions, you save $20,477 using Briefpoint, per year, per attorney.
Test Briefpoint yourself by scheduling a demo here.
FAQs About Gavel Alternatives
What Can You Do With Legal Document Automation Software?
Legal document automation software helps to streamline the discovery response and request process. By spending less time on these time-consuming tasks, legal professionals can spend more time on value-adding tasks, all the while having confidence that their documents are just as they should be.
What Is The Best Gavel.io Alternative?
There are plenty of Gavel alternatives on the market. One of the best is Briefpoint, which offers automated discovery response and request documents. Featuring a high customer satisfaction score of 4.9/5, Briefpoint has become known for being one of the best AI legal tools in the industry, capable of reducing the time spent on each document by up to 87%.
What to Look For In Legal Document Automation Software?
Not all legal documentation automation software is the same, so it’s important to look through the Gavel alternatives and find the one that’s right for your needs. In general, it’s best to look at software that is effective, powerful, and easy to use — with those three attributes, law firms can ensure that they have a tool that can seriously enhance their productivity.
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser.
Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website authors, contributors, contributing law firms, or committee members and their respective employers.
Responding to Interrogatories in California
Responding to Interrogatories in California
Overview of California Interrogatories
In California’s superior court system, responding to interrogatories in an unlimited civil case involves navigating a myriad of procedural rules and best practices.
This article provides a comprehensive guide to effectively managing interrogatory responses, including understanding deadlines, modifying response times, handling objections, and formatting responses.
By delving into the California Code of Civil Procedure and relevant case law, litigation attorneys can gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies involved in responding to interrogatories and better represent their clients in court.
Interrogatory Obligations
Parties have an obligation to furnish all reasonably available information when responding to interrogatories, as required by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.220(a) and (c). This includes information known by counsel or held by organizational parties, such as officers, employees, and former employees, as established in cases like Scheiding v. Dinwiddie Constr. Co., 69 Cal. App. 4th 64, 76 (1999). If an interrogatory cannot be answered completely, it must be answered to the extent possible, in accordance with Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.220(b) and § 2030.240(a).
Drafting Interrogatory Responses
Responses to interrogatories should be formatted like court filings, with the case and court information, and include the name of the responding party, the propounding party, and the set number, as directed by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.210(b) and Cal. Rules of Ct., Rule 3.1000(a). Each response should be numbered, complete, and straightforward. Objections must be stated clearly and specifically, as outlined in Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.240(b).
Rules for Responding to Interrogatories
When answering an interrogatory, the response should be as complete and straightforward as possible, based on the information reasonably available to the responding party, as mandated by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.220(a) and established in cases like Hernandez v. Superior Ct., 112 Cal. App. 4th 285, 294 (2003). Factually deficient interrogatory responses can shift the burden on summary judgment, as demonstrated in Cornell v. Berkeley Tennis Club, 18 Cal. App. 5th 908, 934 (2017).
Objection to Interrogatories
Valid objections may include compound, conjunctive, or disjunctive interrogatories, as prohibited by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.060(f); questions that are not self-contained, as specified in Catanese v. Superior Court, 46 Cal. App. 4th 1159, 1164 (1996); cumulative, duplicative, or unduly burdensome requests, as restricted by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 2019.030 and 2030.090; irrelevant information, as defined by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 2017.010, 2019.030, and 2030.010; requests exceeding the interrogatory limit, as established in Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.030 et seq.; premature contention interrogatories, as cautioned in Judicial Council Form Interrogatories-General (Form DISC-001), Sec. 2(d); and requests seeking privileged or protected information, as detailed in Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 2018.020 et seq. and 2030.240(b), among others.
Client Verification
Interrogatory responses must be signed under oath by the party to whom they are directed and, if objections are included, by the party’s attorney, as required by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.250(a) and (c). If the responding party is a corporation, partnership, association, or governmental agency, an officer or agent of the entity must verify the responses, as stated in Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.250(b).
Serving the Interrogatories
Responses to interrogatories are served on the parties but not filed with the court unless relevant to a motion or other court hearing, according to Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.260 and Cal. Rules of Ct., Rule 3.250(a)(8). They must be served within 30 days of service, along with a proof of service, as outlined in Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 1013a, 1013b, and 2030.260(c).
Supplemental Your Interrogatories
If a party determines that a prior interrogatory answer is incorrect or incomplete, they may serve an amended or supplemental answer, as allowed by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.310(a). However, parties do not have an ongoing obligation to supplement their interrogatory responses, as highlighted in R & B Auto Ctr., Inc. v. Farmers Grp., Inc., 140 Cal. App. 4th 327, 358 (2006) and Biles v. Exxon Mobil Corp., 124 Cal. App. 4th 1315, 1325 (2004).
Deadline for Responding to Interrogatories
In general, parties must respond to interrogatories within 30 days of service, as mandated by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.260(a). However, the 30-day deadline may be extended depending on the method of service, as outlined in Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 1010.6, 1013, and 2016.050. For electronic or overnight delivery, the extension is two court days. If the interrogatories were served by mail, the extension is five calendar days for in-state mail, ten calendar days for out-of-state mail, and twenty calendar days for international mail.
Asking for More Time
The deadline for responding to interrogatories may be shortened or extended through a court order or a stipulation between the parties, as provided by Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 2030.260(a) and 2030.270. Parties should generally grant first requests for extensions unless abused or time-sensitive, in line with professional courtesy and to avoid unnecessary requests for judicial intervention. A written stipulation specifying the new deadline is necessary and, unless stated otherwise, does not waive the objections of the responding party, according to Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.270(b) and (c). If a stipulation cannot be reached, court approval is required under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.060(a).
Failing to Respond on Time
Failing to timely respond to interrogatories may result in waiving any objections or the right to produce documents in lieu of a narrative response, as stated in Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.290(a). However, the court may relieve the responding party from this waiver if they can demonstrate that their failure was due to mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect, and they have since provided a substantially compliant response, per Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.290(a)(1) and (2).
Conclusion
Effectively responding to interrogatories in California requires adherence to specific procedural rules and a thorough understanding of best practices.
By mastering these intricacies and referencing the California Code of Civil Procedure and relevant case law, litigation attorneys can efficiently manage interrogatory responses and better represent their clients in court.
How Briefpoint Can Help You
Discovery responses cost firms $23,240, per year, per attorney. $23,240 estimate assumes an associate attorney salary of $150,000 (including benefits – or $83 an hour), 20 cases per year/per associate, 4 discovery sets per case, 30 questions per set, 3.5 hours spent responding to each set, and 1800 hours of billable hours per year.
Under these assumptions, you save $20,477 using Briefpoint, per year, per attorney.
Test Briefpoint yourself by scheduling a demo here.
The Work Product Doctrine in California (2024 Guide for Litigation Attorneys)
The Work Product Doctrine in California (2024 Guide for Litigation Attorneys)
The Work Product Doctrine Overview
The work product doctrine is a fundamental aspect of California law that protects certain materials from disclosure or discovery in civil litigation. This article will delve into the principles and requirements of this doctrine, specifically covering the types of materials protected as work product, persons who may claim work product protection, exceptions to the work product doctrine, and waiver of work product protection.
Work Product Protection Purpose
The work product doctrine, codified in California law under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2018.010 et seq., serves two primary purposes: preserving the rights of attorneys to prepare cases for trial with necessary privacy and preventing attorneys from taking undue advantage of their adversary’s industry and efforts. Although the statute appears to apply only to discovery proceedings, courts have held that it also shields work product from disclosure at trial and extends to criminal proceedings.
What is Protected by the Work Product Doctrine?
In California, the work product doctrine provides two types of protection for attorney work product: absolute and qualified.
Absolute protection covers “a writing that reflects an attorney’s impressions, conclusions, opinions, or legal research or theories is not discoverable under any circumstances.” (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2018.030(a)) Qualified privilege covers the other work product of an attorney and “is not discoverable unless the court determines that denial of discovery will unfairly prejudice the party seeking discovery in preparing that party’s claim or defense or will result in an injustice.” (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2018.030(b))
Who Owns the Protection?
Work product protection is a type of privilege that belongs to the attorney and may be claimed or waived by the attorney. However, it may also be claimed by the client on behalf of the attorney in the attorney’s absence. Additionally, a litigant acting in propria persona may assert the statutory work product protection on their own behalf.
Exceptions to Work Product Protection
Work product protection does not apply in certain circumstances, including actions between attorneys and clients involving breach of attorney’s duty, official investigations or proceedings involving alleged participation by attorneys in crime or fraud, and State Bar disciplinary proceedings.
Waiving the Protection
Work product protection may be waived through various means, such as disclosure or consent to disclosure, failure to assert the protection when the opportunity arises, placing certain matters at issue, or engaging in conduct inconsistent with claiming the privilege. Inadvertent disclosure of work product does not necessarily waive the protection, but receiving attorneys must act ethically and responsibly in such situations.
Conclusion
The work product doctrine is a vital component of California law that safeguards the attorney-client relationship and ensures that attorneys can effectively prepare for litigation. By understanding the principles and requirements of this doctrine, litigation attorneys can better navigate the complexities of the legal system and protect their clients’ interests.
Briefpoint Litigation Software
Discovery responses cost firms $23,240, per year, per attorney. $23,240 estimate assumes an associate attorney salary of $150,000 (including benefits – or $83 an hour), 20 cases per year/per associate, 4 discovery sets per case, 30 questions per set, 3.5 hours spent responding to each set, and 1800 hours of billable hours per year.
Under these assumptions, you save $20,477 using Briefpoint, per year, per attorney.
Test Briefpoint yourself by scheduling a demo here.
Propounding Discovery: Streamlining In 2024
Propounding Discovery: Streamlining In 2024
Propounding discovery refers to initiating a formal exchange of information with an opposing party in a legal context. It is essential in many lawsuits, occuring within the discovery phase before parties go to court.
If you are the party “propounding discovery,” you are the one sending information requests to the other side. Permitted ways to do this include sending requests for production or filing interrogatories and requests for admission.
However, creating and sending these documents by hand is time-consuming and prone to errors. You could submit requests using improper formats or language, preventing you from securing the target information you want.
That’s where propounding discovery software can help. It provides advanced features to streamline document production, avoid errors, and reduce time spent on non-billable tasks.
Propounding Discovery Overview
Law offices need to initiate discovery for various reasons. The principal purpose is to gather evidence that supports your client’s case. Learning more about the circumstances of the events in question can help you prepare superior responses in court.
However, there are other reasons for propounding discovery. For example, it also assists in learning more about the other party’s position and weaknesses. Furthermore, you may also identify potential witnesses and experts and learn more about the precise issues in dispute during this investigative stage. Enhanced discovery improves your capacity to serve your clients.
Your Obligations During Propounding Discovery
While propounding discovery is an accepted legal process, you must still fulfill various obligations. That’s why software can be beneficial. It helps you avoid non-compliance.
For example, requests for information must be relevant and proportional to the case. You must focus (in general) on obtaining answers that help you resolve the dispute. Requests shouldn’t place any undue burden on the responding party.
You must also format and serve discoveries according to court rules. Failing to adhere to guidelines could result in judges throwing out requests.
Getting compliance right, though, is challenging. Opposing parties have certain rights, including objecting to burdensome or irrelevant information requests. Attorney-client privilege also lets them bar demands for sensitive information.
Fortunately, you can limit these risks while maximizing compliance by using software. Carefully calibrated solutions provide recognized requests while saving time.
The Benefits Of Using Software For Propounding Discovery
Before we discuss the specific features of propounding discovery software, let’s review some of the benefits it offers.
A centralized platform that attorneys can use whenever they want to make a request
Improved visibility over the discovery process – paperwork is digital, not hidden away in a file somewhere
Better workflow streamlining, including making requests (and responding to them) with minimal typing or manual entry required
Improved ability to meet deadlines imposed for discovery by the court
Enhanced team productivity and less time spent on non-billable work
Reduction in the risk of accidental information exposure using pre-filled template libraries
Less rote work and more focus on high-value tasks
Pre-formatted requests that increase the likelihood of discovery
Software Features That Let You Streamline The Propounding Discovery Process
Advances in AI and software generally mean that today’s solutions are more capable than ever. Tools offer various features that improve the process and enable you to get the information you and your clients need. Here’s what to expect:
Template Libraries
Propounding discovery software comes with template libraries you can use to make information requests. These save time and free up attorneys and other legal professionals to focus on higher-value tasks.
Briefpoint offers extensive template libraries for various case categories across information request classes. For instance, we have over 87 special interrogatories pre-formatted for auto torts and more for requests for admission and production.
Using template libraries is straightforward. Most leading solutions let you click the item you want to include, whether sending a request to a plaintiff, defendant, or another party. That’s true of Briefpoint.
Furthermore, these template libraries include careful wording to minimize the risk of receiving a valid objection from the opposing party. For example, Briefpoint includes interrogatories such as:
Automated Drafting Tools
Automated drafting tools are another essential ingredient of top-rated propounding discovery software. These systems enable you to craft the precise document you need, depending on who you send it to and the information you request.
Briefpoint does this by taking you through a multi-choice wizard. Fillable forms give you the option to provide a short title for the case, the case number, the full title of the case, the client position (plaintiff, defendant, cross-defendant, or cross-complainant), representative action (individual, class action, or PAGA), the case type (i.e., auto, business, civil rights, etc.), the various parties’ names, and the venue. Entering this information supplies the propounding discovery document software with the essential formatting information to proceed.
The information you must include varies between jurisdictions. However, advanced software helps you cover your bases by adding things like:
The deadline for responding to the request
Clear and concise statements about the requests
Instructions on how the opposing party should format its responses
A statement underlining the legal standing of the request
Once you add this information, the software formats it for you, regardless of the document you want to submit. The next step is to choose the request type so the software can present the proper library of pre-formatted requests discussed in the previous section.
Briefpoint lets you draft any of the following:
Request for Admission. These requests ask the opposing party to admit or deny various “truths” or facts associated with a case. These are helpful when you want to narrow down the disputed facts and save time.
- Request for Production. These requests ask the opposing party to produce legal documents associated with the case. Any requests for paperwork must be relevant and helpful in proving your client’s case.
- Special Interrogatories. These written questions are limited to a specific topic or issue relating to the case. You might submit them to identify potential witnesses or better understand the other party’s stance on an issue.
Once you provide Briefpoint with this information, you can populate your document with specific requests. The software will format and structure the paperwork according to best practices.
Checking Compliance
Once you finish telling the software what document you want it to create, you can download it for review. (Briefpoint lets you do this in Microsoft Word). This step allows you to check it for compliance before sending it off. While developers take special care to ensure that template requests follow established norms and practices, you are responsible for any new items you insert or edits to existing suggestions.
Understanding How Propounding Software Can Streamline Discovery
Opposing parties can object to responding to discovery requests under certain conditions. Requests are unlikely to succeed if they:
Are irrelevant to the case
Are excessively burdensome
Violate various attorney-client privileges that protect some details from disclosure
Therefore, using propounding discovery software is helpful. It reduces the risk of rejected requests, supporting your client’s case.
Briefpoint’s propounding discovery solutions are a case in point. Filing by hand is tedious, but getting our software to do it instead could save you up to 87% of your time. You can also use it to avoid costly mistakes, such as disclosing information about your client you shouldn’t. Responses comply with ethical rules for better decision-making.
Understanding the role of propounding software in your legal practice discussed in this post should enable you to make requests more effectively. You can avoid compliance issues while working in your client’s best interests.
How Briefpoint Can Help You
Discovery responses cost firms $23,240, per year, per attorney. $23,240 estimate assumes an associate attorney salary of $150,000 (including benefits – or $83 an hour), 20 cases per year/per associate, 4 discovery sets per case, 30 questions per set, 3.5 hours spent responding to each set, and 1800 hours of billable hours per year.
Under these assumptions, you save $20,477 using Briefpoint, per year, per attorney.
Test Briefpoint yourself by scheduling a demo here.
FAQs In Relation to Propounding Discovery
What does propounding discovery software do?
Propounding discovery software streamlines the information-gathering process in legal practice. It enables you to ask opposing parties for information in a legally permissible way without having to write requests by hand while reducing the risk of non-compliance.
How do you write a propounding discovery request?
The best way to write a discovery request is to get software to do it for you. Briefpoint provides templates to make case-specific requests that fall within accepted court guidelines.
What is the purpose of propounding discovery software?
Propounding discovery software makes gathering information from the other side in a legal case more straightforward. Solutions come with template libraries you can use to collect the information in a legally compliant way.
Can you edit requests in propounding discovery software?
The best propounding discovery software tools let you edit library templates included in their packages. For example, Briefpoint lets you customize standard requests how you want. You can add extra information or upload requests in your preferred format.
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser.
Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website authors, contributors, contributing law firms, or committee members and their respective employers.
Discovery Responses: How Can Software Help?
Discovery Responses: How Can Software Help?
Discovery Responses Overview
Responding to opposing an opposing party’s requests for information can be time-consuming and cognitively challenging. Unfortunately, many law firms have become accustomed to using manual paperwork to deal with these.
Now, though, software is helping. Law firms are experimenting with automation software like Briefpoint, to expedite the tedious work of drafting discovery responses and focus on what matters most.
The benefits of using software to automate discovery responses are substantial. Solutions reduce costs, minimize the risk of inadvertent disclosure of privileged information, and improve accuracy. Once law firms start using them, they often wonder why they didn’t discover them earlier.
This article explains how software solutions, like Briefpoint, can assist with discovery response. We cover the principal benefits and how AI-infused tools transform workflows.
Improving The Review Process
The primary benefit of discovery response software is its capacity to streamline the review process. Instead of reading through documents manually, systems crawl submissions for relevant information and extract it for evaluation.
For example, Briefpoint’s solution does this using advanced artificial intelligence (AI). It scans documents, pulls relevant information, and assists you in responding. Simply upload requests for admission/production or interrogatories and get a suite of tools for adding objections and responses.
Another benefit of software in the review process is helping avoid missing critical items in discovery requests, a common problem in legal practices. Attorneys and paralegals can sometimes skip crucial information when crafting responses. However, software solves this problem by using AI to extract anything essential. It never gets tired, reducing the risk of error or non-compliance.
Briefpoint makes this aspect of the review process simpler. AI then presents short reviewable snippets you can use when crafting your response. This helps with productivity and prevents tedious mistakes.
Building Strong Responses
While providing information to the opposing party is sometimes mandatory, it can put clients at an unnecessary disadvantage when done incorrectly. Therefore, software solutions also help you build strong discovery responses.
For example, software can integrate legal databases and relevant case law to support the integrity of your objections. It can also call on pre-filled template libraries (and fields), enabling you to “drop-and-drag” or simply click your responses into existence.
You choose from a list of legally permissible responses added automatically. It happens almost instantaneously. The best solutions let you draft documents with a click and apply standards across your firm.
For example, Briefpoint includes template responses and automatic objections you can add to your reply (that qualify under the law), saving an estimated 87% of your time. (You can download them into Word format to edit them further).
Software can also include automated filtering and tagging. These features scan documents, looking for keyphrases that indicate a request for privileged data. The most advanced tools use machine learning to look for confidential information. This technology streamlines the review process further and provides practitioners with greater confidence when submitting documents to the opposing party.
Enhanced Communication, Organization, And Security
Another benefit of discovery automation software is enhanced communication and collaboration. Team members can work in tandem to optimize replies and ensure optimal client protection within the law.
The best tools also enhance security, enabling you to comply with data protection laws within and across jurisdictions. For example, Briefpoint puts multiple measures in place to prevent data loss or theft. For instance, in-transit and at-rest encryption means that documents uploaded to us remain inaccessible regardless of location (except to those with permission).
We also perform regular document backups and maintain redundant servers to ensure you don’t lose any uploaded paperwork. On the backend, our team implements mandatory code reviews and conducts regular internal security audits on all technical decisions. And Microsoft Azure is our login security provider, compatible with multiple business-related accounts.
Understanding The Value Of Discovery Response Software
Ultimately, discovery response software tools help you cut the amount of non-billable time your team spends on discovery responses. Speeding up back-office processes enables you to operate more efficiently while assuring your clients’ best interests.
They also enable you to enjoy a host of additional benefits, such as avoiding disclosing privileged information and improving the accuracy of your responses. You can streamline your workflow and achieve peace of mind.
How Briefpoint Can Help You
Discovery responses cost firms $23,240, per year, per attorney. $23,240 estimate assumes an associate attorney salary of $150,000 (including benefits – or $83 an hour), 20 cases per year/per associate, 4 discovery sets per case, 30 questions per set, 3.5 hours spent responding to each set, and 1800 hours of billable hours per year.
Under these assumptions, you save $20,477 using Briefpoint, per year, per attorney.
Test Briefpoint yourself by scheduling a demo here.
FAQs In Relation To Discovery Responses
How do you respond to a discovery?
The best way to respond to discovery is to write each interrogatory and provide your response underneath it. Sometimes, you will provide the requested information, but other times you will want to list an objection. Briefpoint makes this process simple by providing a library of template responses you can use for variegated requests.
What happens if you don’t answer a discovery?
Failing to respond to a discovery can lead to various sanctions, including fines and penalties in the courtroom. It could also undermine your credibility.
What is a written discovery response?
A written discovery response is a document that provides a discovery request reply in writing. It can be electronic or mailed to the opposing party’s representative.
How do you write a discovery request?
Writing a discovery request requires extensive legal knowledge and understanding of permissible objections. However, software tools offer various shortcuts. For instance, BriefPoint can scan discovery requests and provide bespoke responses and objection suggestions based on the received text using AI.
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser.
Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website authors, contributors, contributing law firms, or committee members and their respective employers.