What Are The Biggest Litigation Bottlenecks?

Let’s start with this—before diving into solutions, it’s important to identify what’s holding your workflow back. Litigation processes are complex, and bottlenecks can creep in at various stages.

Here are the most common ones:

• Manual tasks: Filing, organizing, and tracking documents take up too much time, leaving little room for other priorities.
• Discovery delays: Searching for relevant information and drafting discovery documents often becomes a tedious, time-consuming process.
• Communication gaps: Miscommunication between team members or with clients can lead to confusion, missed deadlines, and unnecessary delays.
• Outdated methods: Relying on paper files, spreadsheets, or outdated systems slows down collaboration and makes finding information harder.
• Overburdened staff: Teams often spend too much time on administrative work, reducing focus on higher-value tasks.

These bottlenecks not only slow things down but can also increase stress and frustration within your team. Once you identify these issues, you can begin addressing them with practical tools and strategies.

Now, we’ll discuss actionable steps to help you maximize your litigation workflow and eliminate these common roadblocks for good.

How to Maximize Your Litigation Workflow

Litigation workflows can become disorganized with so many tasks to manage, but improving them is about making smarter choices to save time and reduce stress. Addressing inefficiencies allows you to focus on achieving better results for your clients.

Here are some practical steps to get you started.

1. Identify Your Worst Roadblocks

As mentioned, it’s important to figure out where your workflow gets stuck before you look for solutions. Let’s say your firm still uses paper files. Sound familiar? Every time you need something, you’re digging through endless stacks of folders and wasting time that could be spent elsewhere.

Or take the discovery phase—it’s one of the most time-consuming parts of litigation. Drafting similar documents over and over manually can eat up hours and leave room for mistakes.

Communication is another common issue. Imagine a client sends over crucial updates, but not everyone on the team gets the memo. Suddenly, deadlines are missed, and everything feels chaotic.

Then there’s the workload. Staff members are often juggling important casework with routine tasks like scheduling and data entry. For example, a paralegal might spend more time managing calendars than actually contributing to the case.

Identifying these problem areas makes it easier to take action. The next challenge is finding the best ways to resolve them.

2. Use Legal Practice Management Software

Legal practice management software simplifies your workflow by consolidating essential tasks into one platform. Instead of juggling multiple tools or relying on outdated methods, you can manage everything more efficiently and focus on more value-adding work.

These tools are designed to handle a variety of tasks, including:

• Tracking case deadlines and tasks
• Managing client communication and case files
• Automating billing and invoicing processes
• Generating reports to monitor performance
• Storing and sharing documents securely
• Handling document review

The software’s centralized approach eliminates the back-and-forth between systems to save you time and reduce errors. For example, it’s easier to keep track of deadlines with built-in calendars and task lists. Features like automated billing also make invoicing quicker and more accurate, helping you get paid faster.

Collaboration becomes seamless, too. Whether you’re sharing updates with your team or accessing files remotely, everything is organized and easily accessible. Many platforms also integrate with tools you already use, like email or cloud storage, which helps organize your workflow even further.

3. Automate Discovery Document Drafting

Drafting discovery documents is a tedious and time-intensive task for legal teams, but automation tools like Briefpoint can make the process faster and more efficient. Briefpoint makes the process faster and way less frustrating by automating much of the work for you.

Here’s how it works: You start by uploading your discovery request to Briefpoint. Its AI jumps in by scanning and pulling key details like the court name, case number, parties involved, and even the type of request. It also applies local formatting rules automatically to save you the hassle of doing it manually.

Once that’s done, the system creates a draft with the basics already filled out, including captions and routine information. From there, you can add objections or responses with just a few clicks, personalizing each request as needed. When everything looks good, you can download the document, open it in Word, and make any final tweaks before filing.

Briefpoint can handle a range of documents, including requests for production, requests for admission, and interrogatories, and it works for all U.S. state courts. It’s an efficient way to cut down on busy work and focus on the bigger picture!

Book a demo to learn more.

4. Digitize As Much As You Can

Relying on paper files in today’s legal world is more trouble than it’s worth. Handling legal disputes, preparing for the appellate process, or filing cases in district court becomes much easier and more efficient when you digitize your workflow.

Think about it: instead of digging through piles of paperwork, you can pull up the relevant documents you need in seconds with a quick search. This can be a huge help, especially when you’re dealing with complex litigation or tight deadlines.

Plus, it makes collaborating with your team so much smoother. Everyone can access the same file, update it in real time, and avoid confusion over multiple versions.

District courts are also moving toward electronic filings, so going digital helps you stay ahead of the curve. From organizing case records to filing appeals, having everything in a centralized, digital system keeps you prepared at every stage.

5. Offer Self-Service Options

Not every question needs a direct call or email. By offering self-service options like a knowledge base or blog, you give clients easy access to information while freeing up your team’s time.

These resources can be especially useful for answering common questions about topics like alternative dispute resolution, navigating the court system, or understanding civil procedure.

A well-organized knowledge base provides quick explanations of legal processes, which helps save clients from waiting for responses. For example, they could look up how alternative dispute resolution works or what to expect during a civil procedure hearing.

Blogs, on the other hand, allow you to share insights on broader topics, like preparing for a district court appearance or tips for managing legal disputes.

These tools don’t just help clients—they position your firm as knowledgeable and proactive. They can also cut down on repetitive inquiries so your team can focus on more pressing tasks.

Once you empower clients with self-service options, you can create a better experience while keeping your workflow efficient. Whether it’s a searchable database or an informative blog, these resources can make legal information more accessible and build trust with your audience.

6. Consider Outsourcing Administrative Tasks

Administrative tasks can pile up quickly and leave your team stretched thin. Outsourcing some of these responsibilities is a smart way to free up time and focus on core work like medical malpractice cases, civil litigation, or resolving disputes.

Here are some common tasks you can outsource:

• Preparing defendant answers and other routine legal documents
• Managing data entry for civil litigation and criminal cases
• Scheduling meetings and managing calendars
• Organizing discovery files
• Handling client communication for non-urgent inquiries

For example, using a virtual assistant or legal outsourcing service can reduce workloads and improve efficiency while making sure all tasks are handled properly.

7. Invest in a Good CRM Software

Client relationship management (CRM) software is a practical tool for organizing client information, managing interactions, and tracking case details. A well-chosen CRM keeps your team efficient while improving the overall client experience.

These platforms centralize important data such as contact information, case histories, and communication logs.

With everything in one place, finding the details you need becomes much easier. Setting reminders, tracking deadlines, and monitoring case progress also become seamless as they reduce the chance of overlooked tasks.

Integrations with tools like email and document systems further untangle your workflows. Many CRM solutions also include automation features, which help with tasks like sending client updates or creating detailed progress reports.

A reliable CRM sets you up for better communication, improved task management, and smoother operations. It’s a great investment for any legal practice aiming to stay organized and deliver exceptional service to its clients.

8. Switch to Legal Research Tools

Traditional legal research methods can be slow and inefficient. Legal research tools offer a faster, more accurate way to find relevant case law, statutes, and regulations. These tools smoothen the research process and make it easier to focus on case strategy and preparation.

Modern platforms provide advanced search features that help locate information quickly. Instead of sifting through countless pages, you can search for specific terms, exact details, jurisdictions, or topics to narrow down results. These tools often include citation analysis so the cases you reference are still valid and relevant.

Legal research tools also offer access to comprehensive databases covering everything from state-specific laws to federal regulations. They’re particularly useful for complex areas like appellate cases or specialized topics, where accuracy is critical.

Shifting to digital research tools not only saves time but also improves the quality of your work. With the right platform, you’ll spend less time searching and more time building strong arguments for your clients.

Briefpoint is the First Step to Upgrading Your Litigation Workflow

Improving your litigation workflow doesn’t have to feel like a huge challenge. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s a great place to start. Tackling bottlenecks, digitizing processes, and using the right tools can make a big difference in how smoothly things run.

When it comes to simplifying repetitive tasks like drafting discovery documents, Briefpoint is an excellent choice. Its AI-powered system helps you save time, reduce errors, and keep everything organized. From requests for production to interrogatories, it handles a wide range of discovery documents with ease.

If you’re looking to make your workflow more efficient, schedule a demo with Briefpoint today and see how it can support your practice.

Optimizing Your Workflow Means Reducing Litigation Costs

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.

What Is Legal AI?

Legal AI is a technology that uses artificial intelligence to make legal work faster and more efficient. It handles tasks like reviewing contracts, analyzing documents, performing research, and automating processes like drafting agreements or answering client questions.

Natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning allow it to understand legal text, extract key details, flag risks, and predict case outcomes.

How Do Law Firms Use Artificial Intelligence?

AI technology is taking over numerous professional sectors, including business, finance, real estate, and healthcare. The legal industry was quite slower to adopt this type of tech in comparison, but there’s no denying that AI has become a must-have tool for legal professionals.

How did AI make its way into legal departments, an industry that abides by tradition? Here’s a look at some important areas where AI is making a big difference:

1. Document Drafting

Traditionally, creating standard legal documents like contracts, agreements, and wills was a meticulous and time-consuming task that required a lot of attention to detail to make sure everything was accurate and compliant. But now, AI has made this process much more efficient.

Legal AI tools can automate the creation of these standard documents by analyzing large datasets and identifying relevant clauses. A specific type of AI common in document automation and drafting is generative AI. 

Generative AI tools draft complex legal documents by generating text that meets the necessary requirements. For example, if a lawyer needs a discovery response document with particular objections, generative AI tools like Briefpoint can produce a draft that includes all the necessary legal language and clauses.

2. Data Synthesis and Document Analysis

In legal work, sorting through piles of documents and data is a given, but it’s also one of the more time-consuming parts of the job. AI is stepping in to simplify this hefty task.

By using AI tools, lawyers can automate the process of organizing and analyzing vast amounts of legal data, from client communications to detailed case histories.

These tools quickly sift through information, extract the necessary details, and present them in a way that’s easy to understand. This speeds up the entire process and reduces the chance of human error.

The result? Legal teams get the insights they need faster, which, in turn, makes it simpler to build cases or advise clients.

3. Legal Research

Legal research is essential for any law practice, as lawyers need to sift through vast amounts of statutes, case law, and legal writings to support their arguments or provide advice. Traditionally, this task has been incredibly time-consuming and sometimes error-prone.

However, large language models (LLMs) and other AI tools are changing the game by speeding up the process and increasing efficiency. 

These tools use advanced algorithms, machine learning, and other large language models to comb through extensive legal databases quickly. They can accurately identify relevant cases, laws, and articles much faster than manual methods (way faster than a human can).

This efficiency saves time and helps lawyers build stronger cases by reducing the risk of missing crucial information.

With AI, even smaller law firms or solo practitioners can access comprehensive research quickly, which can help them gain a competitive advantage over larger firms with more resources.

4. Predictive Analysis

Predictive analysis in the legal world means using AI to predict the outcomes of legal cases before they wrap up. This tech dives into heaps of data—from past court decisions to detailed legal precedents—to empower legal professionals to make sound predictions.

This kind of insight can make or break a court victory. For example, it helps lawyers figure out the best strategies for their cases, like whether to settle early or push through to trial based on the predicted outcomes.

But it’s not just about strategizing. Predictive analysis is also great for risk assessment. Law firms use this legal tech to check out the risks of taking on new cases. They can spot potential problems before they blow up, saving everyone a lot of time and money by avoiding drawn-out legal battles.

Clients get a lot from this, too. They receive advice backed by solid data, which can help them make well-informed decisions about their legal issues.

5. Client Communications

Effective communication with clients is an absolute must in the legal profession, but keeping up can be quite a task, especially for busy lawyers. AI is changing how law firms manage this by automating routine interactions and helping maintain consistent, timely communication.

AI tools, such as chatbots and virtual legal assistants, can handle tasks like:

• Answering common inquiries from clients
• Scheduling appointments
• Sending updates about case progress

These tools work around the clock to make sure that clients receive quick responses, which boosts their satisfaction and trust in the legal services provided.

Plus, these AI systems can personalize communications based on client data to make interactions feel more tailored and attentive. For a law firm, this means less time spent on routine tasks and more time available for the complex aspects of their cases.

6. Contract Management

AI models can quickly scan contracts to pinpoint unusual clauses or potential risks. As a result, they speed up the review process and help make sure that everything is up to par legally and aligned with business goals.

When drafting contracts, AI can offer the right language and clauses based on a huge database of existing contracts. AI also helps keep track of active contracts, sending alerts about compliance issues, renewals, or any deviations from the terms. 

Such oversight helps prevent problems down the line and makes sure contracts are managed properly.

Stop Spending Hours on Discovery Documents and Let Briefpoint Help

Drafting discovery responses and request documents is by far one of the most tedious parts of the discovery process. What about your legal strategy? The client meetings you have to attend? The other piles of paperwork on your desk?

Sure, you can pile this task on your legal assistant, but that doesn’t solve the overarching problem. Drafting legal documents simply takes up too much time.

Briefpoint.ai gives you an easy solution. With our generative AI, you can draft sets of and responses to:

• Requests for Production
• Requests for Admission
• Interrogatories
• Notice of Depositions
• And more

And all it takes is just a few minutes. No more spending hours preparing this tedious (yet necessary) paperwork. All you have to do is upload your document, add objections and responses, and finish your draft in Word. Briefpoint takes care of the rest.

With Briefpoint’s built-in feature Bridge, this platform also makes collecting client responses easy. Bridge lets you select specific interrogatories, translate them into plain English, and send them to your client. Once your client responds, Bridge will help you put their responses in your document within minutes.

Book a demo today and see how it all works!

Invest in a Generative AI Tool That Can Save You Thousands

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.