Tracing the Past and Predicting Futures: A Legal and Justice Technology Story

For many years, at least in India, the legal system has been intricately entwined with the notion of a strict, rigidly unmoving structure that is enmeshed with visions of old British architecture, cloaked visages, mountains of paperwork and the sounds of rickety old ceiling fans and cackling typewriters. But despite its traditional and conservative inclinations, there is no denying that in recent times, the legal system has in no way been detached from the world around it. As with any other industry, the technological revolution has taken the legal world by storm with digital solutions slowly yet steadily permeating every aspect of the legal system – gradually yet firmly enhancing the effectiveness and quality of the legal services rendered. In fact, in this post-covid era, India especially has taken the lead as courts around the word shift towards a tech-based approach. But what does this shift really mean? What has this journey really been all about? And more importantly, what does the future hold?

The very First Steps in Legal Technology 

The first effects of technology in the legal sector were made visible in the laborious areas like accounting and billing. As a measure to counter flagrant billing practices, tech-enabled billing systems promoted a more transparent and savvier approach to legal billing. Then came technologically aided document storage and management – which seemed the obvious course in action, given the document intensive nature of legal work – and practitioners got to experience the convenience of a system that allowed easy yet secure access. And then came digital signatures which truly shifted legal communications onto the online domain and opened the doors to advances and innovations never before imagined.

The Turn-of-the-century Digitisation in Law 

Today, with the information explosion witnessed in the last decade or so, legal research databases have become commonplace on the Internet and e-discovery has become the norm. Modern advanced software solutions offer simple and effective platforms for managing contracts, cases, and other legal problems. Today, several tools have developed that enable the average person to complete smaller, more straightforward legal duties without the help of an attorney. The pressure on courts, which are sometimes overburdened by the backlog of cases, is increasingly being lessened by the availability of online venues for dispute resolution. They make it straightforward to contact arbitrators and mediators, preventing the need for time-consuming and expensive judicial processes for minor disagreements. Additionally, marketplaces for legal aid and practice management software have improved public access to the legal system. Recent times have seen the emergence of online courts as a viable remedy for enhancing the speed, effectiveness, and accessibility of the legal system.

Navigating Legal tech Trends – The BIGFORMULA Way 

And so, keeping with the trends and negotiating the needs of the hour, we, at BIGFORMULA Solutions believe that technology is more relevant today than ever before; and that understanding the innate power it holds over systems and ultimately the lives and futures of the people dependent on it is as important as the complex tech of it all. We aim to function within the legal framework digitally; to ease and enhance accessibility within global justice systems; and to empower its participants with the use of innovative tailor-made, technological solutions. Given the advances made in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Data Analytics, it does not seem far-fetched to imagine a future in which the legal and justice system is at least partially automated, where results of court proceedings are predicted based on prior decisions and historical data, and where efficiency, accuracy, and equity remain the key pillars of the justice system. And at BIGFORMULA, we seek to be at the forefront, leading the transition.

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