Busting Legal Myths About Microsoft Word
By Ivy B. Grey
Discussion about new legal tech tools has reached a fever pitch. It seems that, every day, there are new applications for artificial intelligence and blockchain. Lawyers are dreaming big and imagining ground-breaking new technologies. But what about simple technology tools that already exist? There’s powerful productivity software available—and it’s probably already installed on your computer.
MS Word is a tool that you have and use. Yet you could still do much more with it. Don’t let these seven myths get in your way.
Myth #1: If I’m getting documents out, it doesn’t matter how I do it…
Even though you’re meeting deadlines, how you create your documents matters. Poor formatting adds up and causes your law firm to lose money. Roberta Gelb calculated the cost of poor formatting and found that every time an associate edited a 30-page document that did not use MS Word Styles or other smart features, it cost the firm more than $80 in wasted time.
Myth #2: If I work faster, I won’t bill as many hours or earn as much money…
First, it is unethical to refuse modern technology simply to increase the client bill. Second, improving your technology use actually adds to your bottom line. According to Casey Flaherty, on average a client will save 15% on its bill, while, at the same time, the firm will profit 16% more on the same work. And according to a 2013 study by Capensys and Neochange Inc., legal workers who use technology proficiently can bill for more of the time they spend working, achieving 25% higher billable resource utilization.
Myth #3: There’s no advantage to investing in MS Word add-ins…
According to a survey by The Lawyer and Brochet, 40% of fee earners say their firm has not invested in additional MS Word tools. That means that any firm who does invest in productivity-enhancing add-ons within the firm gains an advantage over the firms who are not investing. The productivity and business gains add up.
Myth #4: Everyone in my firm already knows how to use MS Word…
Law firms continue to struggle with MS Word and rely on helpdesk support to fix their problems. An aggregated report of more than 2.2 million law firm helpdesk tickets by Intelliteach found that 43% were related to MS Office, with 19% specifically relating to MS Word. Think about how much wasted time that represents, and let that sink in.
Myth #5: My firm has word processing specialists to handle this…
Lawyers’ use of MS Word is so bad that document specialists say that they’re regularly receiving documents that are nearly unsalvageable or are such a formatting mess that there’s a risk the document services team will introduce errors. This is because “lawyers don’t have enough knowledge to give document production people something in reasonably good condition.”
Myth #6: Nobody uses MS Word anymore—Google Docs is the future…
MS Word is the most-used word processing program for law firms. This isn’t going to change soon. A survey by Creative Strategies found that though Millennials are starting to use Google Docs, the choice between it and MS Word depends on function. Millennials prefer MS word for individual work, Google Docs for collaborative work. When working by themselves, 80% of Millennials choose to use MS Word.
Myth #7: I can’t use MS Word because Office 365 isn’t secure…
Microsoft’s branding can be confusing, but their product is secure. Security concerns stem from a misunderstanding of what Office 365 is. Office 365 is not a service, it’s a name for the subscription to Microsoft’s suite of products. It does not require cloud use, but makes it available. Office 2016, which is part of Office 365, is still a desktop program–just like it always was. When using Office 2016, there is no requirement to access the cloud. But for collaboration and working on the go, Office 365 has optional cloud services such as OneDrive and MS Word Online. These programs are secure and developed through rigorous vetting and testing. Office 365 is one of the few cloud services to receive the highest rating of Skyhigh Enterprise-Ready based on an objective assessment of its security controls.
Don’t let these myths keep you from learning to use MS Word effectively. Once you separate fact from myth, it’s easy to see that improving how we use MS Word will make us more productive and our practices more profitable. If you’re looking for resources or a place to begin, check out my list of free and tiny tech MS Word resources.
Ivy B. Grey is the author of American Legal Style for PerfectIt. It adds polish, reduces frustration, and saves non-billable time. Ms. Grey is also a Senior Attorney at Griffin Hamersky LLP. She's been named as a Rising Star in the New York Metro Area five years in a row, and her significant representations include In re AMR Corp. (American Airlines), In re Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, In re Eastman Kodak Company, and In re Nortel Networks Inc.