A virtual law firm is a concept that is related to the utilization of the opportunities inherent in the application of technology to the running of a law firm. In the case of the virtual law firm, the bulk of the practice is based on the use of virtual reality as a basis for interaction between clients and lawyers and for other types of law-related activities that would traditionally be performed in a physical law office. The development of the virtual law firm was borne out of the necessity for attorneys to keep up with the trends in technology that afford them some opportunities that would not be possible with merely the use of the traditional form of law practice. Most companies have already embraced the use of virtual reality as a key component of their business practice, including banking, fast food and retail as well as other professional fields, such as medicine and architecture.
A virtual law firm is one whereby the attorneys in that firm perform some of their interactions with their clients, including consultations whereby the attorney will communicate with the client online through a predetermine portal that both of them will be able to gain access to through the assignment of passwords to the clients. When the clients log in to their portal, they will be able to see if the lawyer is online, and they can commence to discuss the specifics of the case in the same manner of progression that would exist in a physical law firm. The advantages of the a virtual law firm includes the fact that it renders the distance between the lawyer and the client as it has no limitation to their ability to communicate and proceed with a case.
Another factor that can be attributed as a benefit of a virtual law firm is the fact that it is also possible for the lawyer to receive payments from clients in addition to allowing the clients to view how far the lawyer may have gone with the case during its natural progression through the various stages of a legal brief. As a matter of fact, other staff in the law firm will also be able to perform their duties using the virtual law firm as they would in a physical office. For instance, the paralegal will still be able to field initial queries from prospective clients as well as other related duties, such as the arrangement of consultation between the client and the lawyer based on an assessment of the lawyer’s calendar.
