Top 3 Ways Legal Tech Can Reduce Non-Billable Work

Some tools have a greater impact on efficiency than others. I saw this firsthand when running my own firm, and these are the top three areas where legal tech can reduce wasted time.

By the team at Gavel

Published: Apr 26, 2022 | Last updated: Jul 27, 2025

Cut drafting time by 90%
Easy intake and document automation to auto-populate your templates.

1. Choose how you want to organize your client data and systematize it.

Legal professionals need to store client data in a way that is organized, accessible, and secure. Attorneys need to adopt two things:

• digital tool(s) to store, organize, and manage data, and
• an office procedure to input all types of client data into the digital tool promptly.

Most legal offices have had some method of digital file storage for quite some time, but the pandemic emphasized the need for cloud storage options that were both secure and accessible from anywhere. However, data storage is not the same as data management. Data storage is the equivalent of putting all of your papers into a pile in your office (I’ve been there and I do not recommend). Are the papers securely locked in your office? Yes, but they are at risk of getting lost, and it will take you forever to find what you need. Data management is more like putting each paper in an appropriately labeled folder and then in a file cabinet with detailed labels. In short, your client data should be easily accessible, consistently updated, and searchable. Legal intake software is one solution to easily acquire and manage your client data for drafting documents.

2. Stop drafting documents the old way. Automate your document drafting.

Most people take their word processing platforms for granted: just open a new file and start typing. Until just a few years ago, the only ways to improve on this process were to either purchase an expensive enterprise-level document automation system with complex coding requirements or to use the template and mail merge functions of a word processor. Each of these options provides only marginal improvements in efficiency. If your firm still relies on copy and paste to create new documents, you are also increasing the potential for errors and typos.

However, today’s document automation tools can drastically increase efficiency and accuracy in document drafting. Our survey of practicing lawyers indicated that using a platform like Gavel for legal document automation saves a shocking 90% of drafting time
Document automation can also reduce non-billable time by eliminating data entry. With Gavel,* you can create a detailed questionnaire and send it directly to clients.

3. Limit and organize communications.

Emails, phone calls, meeting requests, text messages—the constant communication demands on an attorney can greatly reduce efficiency (and sanity). When we answer communications immediately and in multiple formats, we end up losing billable time due to context-switching, unnecessary communications, and lost data. However, there are multiple tools to address these problems.

First, implement a client communication policy and an internal communication policy to limit the number of emails and unplanned calls you receive, both from clients and members of your office. An example client policy might require clients to communicate by email or scheduled calls only (no unplanned calls except in clearly defined emergencies).

Once armed with your communication policies, you can then use technology tools to help these policies work:

• Automatic calendaring: Tools like Calendly and Acuity allow clients to schedule a quick call directly on your calendar.
• VOIP phone services: Forward your calls, record your conversations (if legal in your state), and work remotely without giving clients your cell number.

With a strong communication policy and the tools to implement it, attorneys will reduce the constant interruptions and unnecessary communications, allowing more time for client work. For attorneys that find themselves consistently underwater with non-billable work, focusing on these three areas will be the quickest path to reclaiming their time.