Lawyers and law firms that were unable to process electronic payments were often challenged during the last two months. We heard tales of woe of lawyers in other states barred from going to their offices to pick up the mail or good clients of law firms who promised that they had mailed a check for payment, but it got caught in a clearing house.

But there is a lot more to know about digital payments than just accepting credit cards. This short video explores several epayment options, including online payment pages for clients. Some other tips are in the post that follows.

Today’s Times Demonstrate That Lawyers Must Accept Electronic Payments (May 12, 2020)

 

Many lawyers forced to work from home had done so many times and had the tools in place to do so. Of course, the crisis and other closures gave working from home a different feel.

But other lawyers didn’t have the infrastructure or experience and had to learn some things on the fly. They had to adapt. Those who had children remote schooling at home with them experienced greater challenges.

For a variety of reasons, working from home will continue and likely increase. One reason is that more lawyers can more easily do this.

Securing the home network is now an important business concern. Some have even gone so far as to suggest the working-from-home should have a separate WiFi connection. I do not go that far, but I do believe using a “community” family computer for your legal work is a poor plan.

For most lawyers, rather than deciding to build (and maintain) two separate Wi-Fi networks, one secure and one not secure, it just makes sense to secure the home network. This is particularly true if others in the home are entering credit card numbers and other critical information into websites So when did you purchase your WiFi router? If it has been several years, then buying a new one and setting it up with a strong custom password may be your most simple security upgrade. You also may find your WiFi speed improves. As you can see from this PC Magazine review, you can spend as little or much money as you want. (Do buy a dual band router.) If you have a larger home with some weak WiFi spots, you may decide to make the investment in a home mesh system.

For some security tips, listen to our Digital Edge podcast, Cybersecurity Basics for the Solo and Small Firm Lawyer.

Tips for Working from Home Securely (May 8, 2020)