MinLaw launches online platform to help law firms streamline workflows, retain competitive edge

Earlier in January 2019, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said that technology has changed the way the legal sector works, noting that it was already transforming how and where disputes were resolved, making available credible and cheaper alternatives for legal clients.

Lawyers interviewed by TODAY agreed that the new platform would contribute to greater efficiency in the profession.

Mr Rajesh Sreenivasan, head of technology, media and telecommunications at law firm Rajah and Tann Singapore, who has used the platform, said that it speeds up processes and has helped users to avoid human errors. 

“When you click on templates for certain types of cases, the matter opens and all of the checklists are automatically populated,” he added.

Mr Rajesh explained that the digital checklists in the platform make sure that every single step is done.

“And as a partner, I can allocate the work to individual members in my team, I can just look at a list and make sure that I’ve done everything that’s supposed to be done.”

Before this system was introduced, it was down to memory and years of experience, but if a lawyer misses one step in his checklist, it can “sometimes be fatal to the case”.

“We are all human beings. And what we want is technology to be an enabler to ensure that we get our work done in a secure, efficient manner.”

Mr Rajesh also pointed out the usefulness of LTP as a learning tool for young lawyers, encouraging collaboration-driven research. 

Mr Nicholas Tang, managing director of Farallon Law Corporation, said that he would support and pay for this service because “it allows our law firm to merge together different information, work streams and communicate with the courts and government agencies more effectively”.

In addition to the platform and industry engagement initiatives, the LTPI Funding Programme was also introduced during Tuesday’s launch event.

Backed by trade agency Enterprise Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, it would help provide funding support to law firms seeking to defray the initial costs of adopting the LTP and other legal technology tools integrated with it, MinLaw said.

Successful applicants will need to pay only S$21 for every user a month for up to two years, instead of the normal cost of S$69.

Mr Muslim Albakri, managing director of law firm Albakri LLC, found that the platform helps to save time on administrative work.

He said that the funding support is critical for small- and medium-sized law practices.

“This group of law firms are the ones that tend to find it more difficult to just adopt new systems wholesale.”

Mr Muslim added that a reduced subscription fee for up to the first two years would substantially help small firms transit and make changes. 

“I think that’s a great stepping stone, you know, to allow and encourage others to at least give it a try.”