subject: Video Conferencing For Solicitors [print this page] Video conferencing is rapidly becoming more widely used across all sectors of business. It allows companies to communicate internally across offices in different locations and with customers wherever they are based. This technology saves on travel time and costs. For some companies it can add up to vast sums of money being saved and hundred, or even thousands, of hours more productivity every year. The legal industry is one that is beginning to utilise video conferencing, with solicitors able to use it in a number of different ways.
What can Solicitors use Video Conferencing for?
The most obvious use of video conferencing for solicitors is to enhance communication with their clients. It can be used where face-to-face meetings are not possible as it is preferable to telephone or email communication. This is particularly useful where a solicitor and client are not based in the same part of the country and face-to-face meetings are rarely possible. Video conferencing is not just useful when communicating with clients, but also with colleagues and others involved in a legal dispute or legal issues of some sort. It can be used for internal communication for national and international law firms or even between solicitors or barristers and judges or others working within the legal profession. If a solicitor is researching an upcoming court case they may use video conferencing to talk to people who can help their case and to speak with witnesses before the trial.
It is not just outside the courtroom that video conferencing can be utilised within the legal profession, but in the courtroom too. There are circumstances where the testament of a witness has been taken via video conferencing technology. This allows evidence to be given by those unable and unwilling to attend a trial in person.
What is the Impact on Productivity?
The main purpose of video conferencing in any sector is to increase productivity. If you can hold a video conference with someone then it can reduce the need to travel. This means making cost savings with no petrol, train journeys or flights to pay for. This can, in turn, be passed down to clients. It is not just cost savings that make video conferencing beneficial; it also leads to a better use of time, with less time spent travelling.
The Quality of Video Conferencing
The quality has improved significantly over the last few years, something that is likely to continue. The clarity of images and the sound quality have improved. You dont get the picture break-up that may have been the case in the past and there isnt a delay. The costs have also gradually come down making it more affordable.
There will always be circumstances where face-to-face discussions are necessary so video conferencing is not always appropriate. There cant be a situation where a solicitor never speaks to their client in person. It can, though, improve communication where face-to-face conversations are not possible. More law firms are utilising this technology as it makes them more efficient (both in terms of time and money) and improves the solicitor-client relationship.
