Communication between lawyers and their clients: solutions to the perennial challenge

One of the most significant shortcomings suffered by most law firms is the establishment of effective communication measures between their professionals and their clients.

Many users of legal services point out that one of the most common problems when hiring a law firm is the flow of information: immediate receipt of information, continuous knowledge of the actions taken by the firm, of the judicial communications received, of relevant events, access to the documentation of the case file, access to the professional, understanding of what each event implies, etc.

This often means that clients feel their lawyer is not a friendly or approachable professional. They are expected to trust the lawyer and be patient. This is problematic because, in most cases, we are hired to resolve issues that generate, to varying degrees, worry and anxiety.

Undoubtedly, there are all kinds of lawyers. Some are more approachable, some less empathetic, some more efficient at conveying information. But it's also true that in our profession it's sometimes difficult to report everything that happens, because "irrelevant" things occur daily that don't directly impact the outcome of the case. Or, nothing happens for a while, as when we depend on the speed of public bodies (courts and/or government agencies).

Despite these limitations, in our view, new technologies offer possibilities that can substantially help to improve these shortcomings.

What if the client had access to a complete history of the case file in real time and could consult and ask anything that concerns them any day and any time of the week?

Sirua, a pioneering tool

Auris offers its clients and professionals a pioneering technological communication and management tool in the sector, with the aim of providing comprehensive 24/7 service.

At Auris Advocats, we have created Sirua, a custom-made management and communication tool designed to meet the communication needs of our sector and with the aim of exponentially improving communication between clients and lawyers. Without diminishing direct contact, Sirua includes features that allow clients to find their case files and all related documentation, download invoices and quotes, communicate with the professionals providing their services, and other tools directly designed to enhance communication.

Sirua is not an intranet. It's based more on Facebook or LinkedIn technology, resembling a social network located in a secure HTTPS environment, and is very intuitive, practical, and simple.

When a client contracts our services, they receive a username and password to access Sirua, a web-based platform exclusively for clients. Upon logging in, the system takes them to their own fully personalized profile where they have access to a menu containing their case file(s), all their documentation (invoices, quotes, expense reports), and, most importantly, they are automatically connected to the professionals providing their services, who also have personalized profiles.

The features you will find include, among others, the following:

• A unique profile that each client can personalize to their liking.
• Private messaging service to communicate with your professionals.
• Documentation, where you can download important documents such as quotes, invoices, receipts, settlements, etc.
• Case Files: The client will have a list of their open and closed cases. Each case will have its own profile or page, where the client will be connected with the professionals involved in that case. All documentation, organized by category and chronologically, will be available there and can be viewed and/or downloaded upon request. Comments can be added to the documents and will be automatically sent to the relevant professional.
• "Wall" system: All profiles (client and professional) will have a wall. Each case file page will also have a wall. On this wall, the professional and the client can post updates, including information such as actions taken and recent important events related to the case. These posts can be commented on by the client, and unlimited conversations can be opened, at the discretion of the users involved in that case.
• Agenda / planner: At any time a user can convene a meeting through the application, inviting the users they deem appropriate and indicating their availability, also checking the availability of the professional(s) who must attend the meeting.
• Videoconference/chat: The user will be able to use a multi-user videoconference system to replace meetings that do not require a face-to-face meeting.
• Interest groups: Users can join and access user groups that may be of interest to them, created specifically based on current trends. For example: “Those affected by a mortgage floor clause,” “Performing arts professionals.”.
• Library: Groups will also be created with documentation of interest to users, fully organized.

Example of a Sirua profile as seen by a sample client (Marc):

We will publish a monograph about our application later.