If you’ve been using ProLaw to help you manage your legal practice, you may already be considering migrating from on-premise software to a cloud-based system.
As a law firm, you have a fiduciary responsibility to keep your data safe. Rule 1.6(c) requires a lawyer to make “reasonable efforts” to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of or access to information relating to the representation. You have a duty to safeguard your client’s data, and today’s cloud environments are among the safest you can find anywhere.
What Is ProLaw Software?
If you’re already using ProLaw, allow us a short recap! For those who don’t know what it is, ProLaw software is a comprehensive legal practice management solution designed to help law firms of all sizes manage every aspect of their business.
It features an array of tools including case tracking, financial management, contact management, document assembly, and more.
By providing a one-stop shop for all these essential functions, ProLaw enables law firms to reduce costs, improve efficiency and free up time for more productive tasks. All of this data is traditionally stored on on-premise servers.
When Should You Consider Moving ProLaw to the Cloud?
Many law firms are making the move from on-premise servers to the cloud when it comes to ProLaw. If you need more control over your data, enhanced security, and reliable access from anywhere in the world, then it’s time for cloud migration.
Many firms are discovering that their servers are coming to the end of their life and need to be replaced. Rather than spending tens of thousands of dollars on new hardware, moving to the cloud is often a logical solution.
If your firm is growing, it’s best to switch to the cloud now because it can scale up or down much easier than on-prem. With physical hardware, you’d have to continuously buy and configure new servers as your business grows.
What You Can Expect When You Move ProLaw to the Cloud
When you move to the cloud, you’ll immediately see a few changes to your day-to-day processes and overall infrastructure:
- Enhanced security: With data stored in the cloud, you can rest easy knowing your data is secure from malicious actors. Plus, with regular backups and disaster recovery plans in place, you won’t have to worry about losing any of your data.
- Increased mobility: Cloud-based systems are accessible from anywhere, on any device. So, if you need to access your ProLaw software remotely or collaborate with colleagues, the cloud makes it much easier.
- Cost savings: Moving to the cloud can reduce your upfront costs significantly as you won’t have to purchase and maintain physical servers and other IT infrastructure.
- Performance: Cloud systems are faster and more reliable than on-premise software. So, you’ll experience fewer delays and downtime with a cloud system.
- Employee happiness: The ability to work from anywhere with a seamless interface makes employees happy.
- Lower turnover: In today’s mobile world, firms report that some attorneys have moved to other states but have not had to leave the firm because they can work from anywhere. Others have said they now can hire the best talent anywhere they want because they’re no longer tied to a physical office.
Do You Need Outside Help for Your Cloud Migration?
If you have an experienced in-house team that has completed cloud migrations before, you might be able to manage the process on your own. However, hosting ProLaw in the cloud is highly specialized and not for everyone. If you’re not comfortable taking this on, we recommend working with a cloud services provider that has experience helping law firms move their ProLaw software.
They’ll take care of all the technical details and provide advice and assistance during every step of the process. That way, you can be sure that you’re getting the most out of your cloud migration.
7 Steps to Successful Cloud Migration for ProLaw
All of these steps will be taken in tandem with a cloud service provider but they will give you a good idea of what you can expect from the process:
1. Evaluate Current Infrastructure
Before you start your cloud migration, it’s important to know your current hardware and software capabilities. This will help you decide which services are best for your firm.
2. Create a Plan
Work with an expert to create a plan that addresses all of the necessary steps for the migration and clearly outlines all the timelines, resources, and dependencies.
3. Develop a Migration Strategy
Develop a strategy that accounts for how you’re going to move your data and applications over to the cloud. Depending on the size of your firm, this could involve multiple phases.
4. Migrate the Data
After developing an appropriate plan, the actual data migration process can start. Depending on the size of your firm and the amount of data to be migrated, this could take a few days or many weeks.
5. Test for Performance
Once the data has been moved over, it’s important to test how well it is performing in its new environment. This will help ensure that everything is running smoothly and without any issues.
6. Make the Switch
Once your tests have passed, you can move forward with switching off your old system and implementing the new cloud-based one.
7. Monitor & Maintain
After everything is up and running, it’s important to continuously monitor the performance of your cloud-based system. This way, you can ensure that everything is running smoothly and address any issues quickly.
Seamless Data Migration With Forum Info-Tech
With eleven years of experience helping law firms move their workflow—including ProLaw software—to the cloud, our team at Forum Info-Tech knows exactly what it takes to ensure a seamless data migration. We’ll work with you from start to finish, making sure that your cloud migration goes smoothly and without any issues.
Schedule a consultation to get started!
