Complex Litigation
complex litigation
Computerized Litigation Document Management: What Does it Do?
First, let’s clarify a few concepts:
- Document Management means managing documents that arise in the course of a business or profession. The objective is to retain all documents that are likely to be needed later, secure them from different kinds of risks and retrieve them efficiently when needed. Document management also involves the disposal of documents that are not needed, saving storage space.
- Computerized Document Management means using computers to better achieve document management objectives. Computers use far less space to store documents, offer greater protection from different kinds of risks, and provide retrieval in seconds opposed to the hours needed under a manually-operated system. Documents can also be tagged with expiration dates so that reminders will be generated for their disposal.
- Litigation Document Management facilitates the storage, retrieval, and presentation of documents needed to argue one’s case in a court of law.
- Computerized Litigation Document Management involves putting the documents, classified by case, in the computer so that these can be carried to a court of law and used efficiently during the proceedings.
With these ideas clarified, let’s now look at what computerized litigation document management can achieve.
Higher Litigation Success
You can store everything related to a case in your laptop computer – evidence, precedents, depositions, and all other relevant materials. In fact, you can capture much of these directly into the computer and store them under the relevant case.
You can then carry the entire document archive with you everywhere, to the courts of law, meetings, and so on. Retrieving documents is a matter of entering search criteria and receiving matching results-all in a matter of seconds.
Compare this scenario to a paper-based one. You have to carry a bundle of paper everywhere and the bundle can be quite bulky in the case of complex cases. Retrieval of a particular document is an error-prone and time-consuming routine. There is also the chance that some key document can get lost during one of the frequent handling.
Chances are that the laptop-carrying attorney will be able to make a more impressive and convincing case, and win the day. (Unless an old-fashioned judge or jury views the new-fangled devices unfavorably!)
Greater Volume of Cases Handled
With the convenience and speed of computerized litigation document management, you can accomplish more in the same amount of time. Instead of spending most of this time managing documents, you can spend it on more remunerative work. A computerized litigation document management system automates much of these document management routines.
The result can lead to a larger practice.
Computerized Litigation Document Management Issues
To be really effective, you need to manage relevant issues and plan your document management system in a way that meets your needs. Otherwise, it can turn out to be a greater drag on your time with a constant stream of complaints and problems.
The issues can be broadly listed as:
- Which documents are to go into the system? You might not want to transfer the few documents related to a small case to the computer.
- How will the documents be transferred to the system? Some might be captured directly as when a deposition is recorded directly into a sound file. Others might be created by data entry either at the time of occurrence of a transaction or subsequently through transcription from a paper document. Yet others might be scanned images of paper documents, possibly converted into a computer readable format using OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
- How will the document database be structured? You can create full-text or summary databases. Full-text databases contain the complete document while summary databases contain only an extract. Full-text databases will enable you to transport full documentation for each case, which can be advantageous when you have to produce them at varied locations.
- How easy should the system be? You should be able to do all that you want to do in an intuitive and quick manner. Otherwise, the system might not be used as you are too busy to learn complicated maneuvers to work with the system.
About the Author
Ademero, Inc. develops computerized litigation document management software. Visit their website devoted to litigation document management software. Browse the resources section which includes the largest collection of posts from real users reviewing all of the most popular document management system available.
ceiling damage in Co-op apartment?
We live on the 2nd floor of a three story Co-op apartment complex in Chicago. We have suffered severe, ongoing water damage to our guest bathroom from the tenants above us. We own our unit, but they are renting the 3rd floor unit. Despite complaints to our Co-op board, pictures and videos of the worsening damage, city inspector visits, nothing has been resolved and now the ceiling is threatening to cave in due to the excessive dripping. The bathroom and adjacent walls will now have to be completely replaced.We have been in litigation since 1/2009. Part of the problem is that neither the Co-op nor the owner want to be responsible for the damage. Since the leaking originates somewhere in the 3rd floor, fixing our place will not solve the problem. (it has been dripping for 3 years!) We just feel so trapped. Is there any way we can expedite the process? How can we get out of this? We have an outstanding mortgage and the unit is in no shape to be sold. Should we get another lawyer?
If the lawyer you have is not performing and it sounds like they are not you may want to consider hiring a plumber yourself, in most cases of this nature the person who actually owns the rental unit above you would be the one responsible unless the co-op owns it, a leak of this nature can usually be addressed very simply by removing the ceiling and locating the leak usually a defective drain pipe on the tub if the bathroom is directly above your area of damage, once you have the problem solved you can sue the owner for the cost you incurred and place a lien on their property.~
