Litigation software is any kind of software program or product that helps attorneys or other legal staff in the course of their jobs. Most litigation software helps attorneys to organize records related to a case or trial. Litigation management or litigation support software can have a positive effect on legal outcomes when all of the information that is needed can be kept on hand for easy access and reference. It can also speed up the process of recording and correlating massive amounts of data that may have some peripheral relevance to a case.
In any legal trial or case, there are many kinds of litigation documents that have to be gathered and organized. From documents that provide dollar figures relevant to a case, to those providing evidence or setting up compliance with legal processes, all of the many different bits of information that a lawyer has to work with can be hard to keep track of. A litigation database or software system can help organize documentation for a particular case, or for multiple cases throughout a year or other time period.
Litigation software can also include computer programs that help with “legal discovery.” If lawyers need to extrapolate data from existing information in order to support a case, specialized computer programs can be an essential part of a legal strategy. Successful litigation practice management involves looking at all of the ways that software tools can help busy lawyers work through a complex case.
Litigation software can also provide links to existing case precedent or federal, state or local laws. Lawyers can look at these and apply them to current litigation. Computer software can make the matching process easier, and bring all of the relevant documents together.
So much of what goes into litigation involves research and documentation that many attorneys are looking at litigation software as a key element in the path from the desk to the court room. This kind of legal software can be linked to cell phones and personal devices through wireless networks, allowing lawyers to have more mobile access to their case notes or other data. The versatility of litigation software is part of the appeal of this kind of product, and a major reason why thriving law firms are looking to upgrade to the technology of today to more effectively manage cases and represent clients.