Collaboration is a hallmark of the legal industry, a fast-paced, high-intensity field where communication and cooperation are vital to success. Litigation support plays a significant role in facilitating this collaboration, despite the fact that most attorney service providers exist outside traditional firm structures as a third party. Working in concert with a good attorney service provider can lead to improved information flow, resource management, and ultimately productivity.

Collaboration between a law firm and its litigation support provider facilitates and improves the flow of information between attorneys, their support staff, and the courts. Litigation can get incredibly complex in part due to the sheer number of parties and court filings involved. When multiple attorneys and supportive staff are involved in a case, it’s not uncommon for people to be left out of the loop. A good attorney service provider can help alleviate these issues by centralizing case communication on a message board or maintaining case files on a user-friend case management system.

With good information flow comes good time management. When everyone is on the same page, attorneys and their support staff can jointly identify priority tasks and parse them out appropriately. Accidentally doubling-up on an assignment or missing a crucial deadline is far less likely when everyone is in sync. This can be especially important in large or complex cases, where there are undoubtedly many different concurrent tasks to manage and a limited amount of time and resources with which to accomplish them.

Finally, collaboration can help to foster a positive and more productive work environment. By working together in the spirit of collaboration, attorneys and support staff can build strong working relationships and develop a shared sense of purpose. This can help to create a more supportive and fulfilling workplace, which in turn can lead to better outcomes for clients.

All of this begs the question: if collaborating with a good attorney service provider can lead to such benefits, what defines a good attorney service provider? How can firms make the right choice in provider? To put it simply, good litigation support providers are readily available and enthusiastic.

While litigation support is becoming increasingly ingrained with litigation itself, attorney service providers are not employees in the traditional sense. As is the case with any contracted work, the first and most important qualities to evaluate should be availability. Your provider may not be on payroll, but they still work for you. A good litigation support provider will always be available and willing to assist with your on-demand requests, as if they are a part of your firm. Last minute court filings or service of process happens more frequently than not, and a reliable attorney service provider should be willing to go above and beyond to get the job done.

Collaboration is essential for success in litigation, and litigation support providers are a key component to facilitating collaboration. By working closely with their attorney service provider, law firms can improve information flow, resource management, and ultimately their productivity and environment.