We’ve got lots of technology in our practice. We make it available to the entire team. Our stack includes applications for practice management, document management, document assembly, document analysis, data analysis, internal and external communication, scheduling, etc.

Some of our lawyers use the technology, and some don’t.

That used to drive me crazy. It doesn’t anymore.

How I Cope With Technophobe Lawyers

We’ve got lawyers still cutting and pasting old documents into new documents. Some of our lawyers wouldn’t know a keyboard shortcut from a faster way to drive home.

But we’re not bothered by the failure of some of our lawyers to embrace technology. It’s fine with me if they prefer a quill pen and parchment paper.

Law firms struggle with the issue of helping lawyers maximize the technology. The struggle continues today nearly 40 years after the introduction of the personal computer. It’s not likely to get easier anytime soon, if my observations of young lawyers are any indication.

The lawyers who embrace the technology make more money for the firm. The lawyers who resist technology make less money for the firm. I see it in my practice, and I see it in the practices of others when I’m asked to consult and given access to the firm’s financials.

How do you fix it? How do you change it?

I have no idea other than brute force. Sadly, that approach works right up until the moment when the lawyer storms out in a huff. It’s not a good long-term technique, and it’ll wear you out faster than drinking and smoking.

How do you stop the technology resistance from driving you nuts? It’s all about the compensation system—that’s the ticket.

Switch to Productivity-Based Compensation

It’s irrational and unfair to pay lawyers who become more productive the same as lawyers who refuse to become more productive.

So, pay the most productive lawyers more. Pay the less productive lawyers less. Problem solved.

Don’t do it to punish the less productive lawyers. Don’t do it to encourage them to use the technology to become more productive. Don’t do it as part of a brute force effort.

Just pay the technophobes less because they earn less for the business. Do it because it’s fair, logical, and justifiable. Pay them less because they produce less as a result of their failure to use the tools.

We do it via a commission system. It has absolutely no impact on the use of the technology. The system doesn’t change behavior. But the system works. It’s a system that rewards the behavior that drives the business objectives. It’s a rational way of rewarding employees.

Create a compensation system that accurately reflects the contribution of each employee. Let the employees decide how much to contribute. Pay them accordingly.

Couple that compensation system with pay-as-you-go software. Much of today’s technology is purchased on a per-user or per-use basis. It’s easier than ever to offer each user a stack of products customized to his or her particular situation. Tweak what you offer so you’re only paying for users who actually use the products you deploy.

I used to find myself going nuts when I discovered that our lawyers were doing something that could have been done in a fraction of the time if they employed our technology. Now, I just let it go by without reaction. They press space, space, space, space, space instead of tab, and I just keep breathing. It’s all good.

I’ve accepted that I can’t change them. They are what they are. Some love the technology, and some see it as something to resist. Whatever.

Knowing that they’re getting paid what they earn as a result of their focus and effort leaves me relaxed and leaves them fairly compensated. Let the lawyers decide what they want to do, which technology they want to use, and how much they want to earn.