Five apps that help you stay in touch with your clients

Modern consumers are part of the “Amazon generation” accustomed to making purchases using sophisticated e-commerce systems. These systems provide a slick, online account which can be accessed at any time from any device.

Although the delivery of bespoke legal services is generally far more complex than the delivery of footwear, being able to view the progress of a matter and communicate with lawyers outside of standard office hours is increasingly expected by tech-savvy clients. And yes, implementing custom interactive, client-facing software is often expensive, but there are some out-of-the-box applications which can help law firms keep up with changing consumer expectations for little or no cost.

Dropbox

This is essentially a cloud storage service which allows documents to be shared, read and edited in a secure online location. Files can be accessed and edited from any internet-connected device by various parties, and version control allows collaboration and avoids the need to email copies back and forth. Synchronisation works across Windows, Android, iOS, Mac and Linux platforms, providing the ability for multiple users to work together on files, even when they are offline. Dropbox is already extensively used by lawyers, but the ability to control access to files or folders also means that clients can be given a login to view relevant documents pertaining to their case.

Google Drive

Another document storage and collaboration tool designed for businesses in general, it can also be effectively adopted by law firms to keep clients in