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Are you reading the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? 

If you have ever run a Google search and remained dubious about the results, don’t worry – you’re not the only one. It’s increasingly difficult to find trusted information sources on the internet - even more so for legal questions. So how can legal professionals be expected to find accurate legal and regulatory information for their clients, instantly?  Do you date be the first person to cite a Wikipedia article as your legal source?

To get the best out of your research, here are some top tips:

1.  Always check – errors are costly

Most people would agree: checking your work is important.  But there is proofreading - and there is legal proofreading.  Just getting a colleague to run their eyes over your work is not enough.  It takes seasoned eyes time to review, consider and comment on legal documents.  Even picking up small errors like capitalisation or pagination errors needs a shrewd eye. 

Even if the errors appear small, the potential ramifications of referencing the wrong client, case law or sum of money, are hugely significant. So, don’t risk it – it’s always worth checking.  Try using powerful legal tech tools likes Lexis Create.  Not only will it help you write legal documents - it will scan and spot those little legal errors that are too easy to miss.

2.  Spend more time adding value, less time crossing ts

Typographical or editing errors can be checked by legal proofreading software that understand the nuances between whether a noun is capitalised or not.  Software like LexisCreate can even spot and fix your referencing or redact sensitive data.

If you can increase productivity and accuracy by checking documents faster, you will have more time to focus on your clients. Consistency and accuracy matters for your professional reputation.  Invest in the right tools and you will write faster, minimise the risk of errors and be able to spend your time guiding your clients.

3.  ‘Layer’ your research approach

Look to ground your argument in authoritative primary sources.  Also look be efficient about the level and depth of research you choose to undertake. Some tools, like LexisPSL, allow you to ‘layer’ your research approach by choosing different levels of detail for the information you research. With one click, however, you can delve into the detail.

Depending on the case, it is not always necessary to read into the detail – how the law has changed over time, the in-depth case notes, and so on.  In many cases, this information is only needed if previous version of the law applies.

The law, and the lawyer’s role, can be incredibly complex, and these days, increasingly time-pressured. There will be cases that require time and detail, and those that can be completed quickly without too much research. Find the balance between the two and use a tool, like LexisPSL, that gives you the high level and detailed view on the law.

4.  Leverage tools to help you be more efficient

Look for the toolkits, checklists and practice notes to support you in your role. There is a huge gap between understanding the relevant law and knowing what you actually need to do.

These stages can be found through trusted resources – from trained lawyers who have previously trodden that path. Save yourself time by using the resources available that exist purely to help you be more efficient.

Product deep-dive: How we can help

½Û×ÓÊÓƵ has 200 years of experience providing information services to the legal sector. Our suite of software tools provide complete coverage of updates in case law and legislation, with efficient software tools, allowing you to check your work thoroughly, at the click of a button, as well as perform in-depth analysis into sectors and practice areas at the level of complexity you need.

According to our clients, one of the many advantages of the suite of software tools is that you can significantly reduce the amount of time spent on research, and drafting documents, while mitigating the inevitable risks to client experience, and reputation, of documents going out containing simple errors.

Our research has shown that 85% of lawyers believe client demand is having as much of an impact as regulation. Click below to explore our fully-integrated tools, and to understand how we can support you effectively in your role:

LexisLibrary

• A well-trusted source: 98% of top 100 law firms – based on ranking in The Lawyer UK, 2016 – subscribe to LexisLibrary
• The only place to find sources such as Halsbury's Laws of England, Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents, All England Law Reports, Atkin's Court Forms and more
• Advise with confidence, backed by extensive, authoritative content with over 700,000 case law documents

LexisPSL

• Comprehensive resources for 35 areas of practice so you can key information on your sector - sector-specific news, practice guidance and industry updates - more easily
• A wide range of key legal forms, templates, calculators, checklists and flow-charts to help you work through repetitive, everyday tasks faster
• Get instant clarification on points of law with concise and practical guidance on legal questions, as well as accessing primary sources to back up your argument

LexisCreate

Write legal contracts and documents without distraction.  Lexis Create lets you create the perfect legal document every time.  it is a tool within the Microsoft environment that pulls together all the legal content, tools and calculators you need to create brilliant legal documents the first time.

LexisCreate will supercharge your legal writing.  It will let you easily find and reuse the clauses you and your colleagues have already written and insert them with one click.  When you need inspiration, you can search the huge ½Û×ÓÊÓƵ database of precedents and clauses from within the document. Do a legal proofread at speed and ensure your document is client-ready.  Our smart pattern-matching software will check your work with the lens of an experienced lawyer - spotting errors in definitions, capitalisation, numbering, pagination, and dates.  It will find those inconsistencies that could make your document non-enforceable in court.