You know, when I am practicing Long Term Disability law these days, I am reminded of that great Waylon Jennings song, “I Don’t Think Hank Done It This Way.”
He sings about Hank Williams and “ten years down the road with a three-piece band looking at the backside of me.” Now, I don’t think anyone has ever taken a second look at my backside but I know what he means after 40 years down the law road. I don’t think Hank done it this way.
The Old Days
I never practiced law like Abraham Lincoln – showing up at court and representing a new client in a trial that afternoon. My era was that of dictation equipment. There was only one typewriter with any memory in the large New Orleans law firm where I started.
When I moved back home to Orlando, Administrative Assistants were still secretaries and every attorney had the old red Florida bar calendar. Those days are ending and cases now involve more paperwork than ever.
Technology’s Takeover
Now, I sit and point and click without ever having to get up and retrieve a file or a law book like in the “old days.” Then, there were hours in libraries chasing down citations, looking for that perfect case so I can write things like, “Judge Cardozo, in his scathing dissenting opinion, stated that …”
Now, I point and click, look for keywords, all of it done in a seeming hurry without the time necessary to mull things over or let my thoughts settle which was what was really going on as I sifted through all those law books. Nowadays, those law books are just a prop for the advertisers forlornly trying to look intelligent.
My Struggles To Adapt
At first, I did not really resist the electronics. The fact is I was preparing my letters long before other attorneys, mainly because I was always the fastest typist in my office and I could type as fast as most attorneys could dictate a letter. Now, going paperless is something with which I struggle.
Wrongly, I was like most attorneys who just felt more comfortable with the paper sitting in front of me. The waste, the misplaced documents, the unneeded storage, and the unnecessary expense of managing it all. I now go into other attorneys’ offices that are not paperless and I shudder. I can review documents so much faster and more efficiently now than ever.
Our Way Is Different
Of course, for many attorneys, technology is just a way to streamline their money-making. Machines attached to phones, copiers, fax machines, and the like are all designed to get that billing right into the client’s file, turning everything into a profit center.
At Herbert M. Hill, P.A., we do not do that. We pay for copying, phone bills, and other administrative expenses. We simply refuse to nickel and dime our clients. I guess these big law firms have their in-house bean counters and every cost and expense has to be accounted for.
Herbert M. Hill, P.A. Focuses On You
Technology has allowed us to do what we really want to do: practice Long Term Disability law. We can focus more of our attention necessary to secure the Short Term Disability or Long Term Disability benefits which you hired us to obtain.
If you have any questions about your Short Term Disability or Long Term Disability claim, please contact us. If you would like, after discussing your case, we can set a conference to further review your claim.
