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How tech is enabling greater work-life balance for lawyers

By utilising digital assets more effectively, legal professionals can promote a healthier work-life balance, according to Relativity’s APAC managing director.

user iconEmma Musgrave 16 February 2021 Big Law
Georgia Foster
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Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, Georgia Foster spoke about the importance of making Aussie customers more aware of its e-discovery product RelativityOne in the 2021 calendar year. By making the most of such products, lawyers are freed up a greater amount of time, resulting in ample opportunity to maintain balance within both their professional and personal lives, Ms Foster said.

“One of the key priorities is making sure the end users of our products are fully aware of what RelativityOne can mean for them. So, thinking about what is the value of the technology to an individual in their role and how does that help them in their overall life?” she said.

“I’m a big believer in work-life balance. I don’t think it’s healthy for anyone to burn the candle. I also think that technology can enable us to finish on time, be more effective at what we do and be able to tuck your kids into bed at night.

“I think making sure that the end users here who have been using legacy products for years and may not be well aware of the value of Relativity and what it can do for them, getting to them is going to be a key priority for us in 2021, not just in Australia, but also the wider APAC region.”

Ms Foster said the focus on work-life balance is something that’s replicated within her own team at Relativity, seeing positive results for staff internally and with the end-client.

“I’ve talked a bit about leading with empathy. The team here locally and globally are like-minded, wonderful humans that believe that customer experience and service is imperative,” she said.

“…Whilst I don’t want them to work all weekend, part of the strategic priorities for next year will be working with HQ to see when those moments come up, do we have a plan in place in order to make sure that the APAC region is fully supported by our incredibly smart and available global support teams to ensure that my team here, whilst they’re willing and able, can also make sure that they have some work-life balance as well.

“I’ve certainly seen it already. And the response from the customers when you can deliver that kind of customer service makes you feel incredible when you see the smile on their face and what it’s done for them.”

Ms Foster also spoke to Lawyers Weekly about the company’s Justice for Change program and its attempts to target racial injustice, as well as the trends shes seeing with the Australian legal market when it comes to the take-up of the cloud

Emma Musgrave

Emma Musgrave

Emma Musgrave (née Ryan) is the managing editor, professional services at Momentum Media.

Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, including five years spent as the editor of the company's legal brand - Lawyers Weekly. Throughout her time at Momentum, she has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia. In addition, she has produced exclusive multimedia and event content related to the company's respective brands and audiences. 

Prior to joining Momentum Media, Emma worked in breakfast radio, delivering news to the Central West region of NSW, before taking on a radio journalist role at Southern Cross Austereo, based in Townsville, North Queensland.

She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from Charles Sturt University. 

Email Emma on: Emma.Musgrave@momentummedia.com.au 

Comments (1)
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    I wonder sometimes if it’s just me – but here are my basic observations on work-life balance in the law:

    (1) the status and relative reward for being a lawyer (and all professions really) has dropped like a stone in recent decades, especially when compared to house prices in Sydney.
    (2) the ridiculous working hours put in by lawyers is largely facilitated by the lure of partnership or perhaps a senior position at the Bar, but for the vast bulk of lawyers who never make it to those levels, it’s a raw deal.
    (3) The obscene oversupply of graduates greatly contributes to the problem.

    There are thousands of lawyers who leave the profession after 4, 5 …7 years of grind whilst topping out at $150k or so. Burnt out, miserable, devoid of meaningful family time and friendships. Frankly, the conduct of the large firms is a form of misleading and deceptive conduct – the partnership, themselves having endured torture, know full well that the associate who was up to 3 am drafting the Deed doesn’t really have a chance of making partner. And that associate, before the epiphany, would not be up to 3 am if they actually knew that.

    Few people understand Jevon’s paradox – basically more efficiency does not necessarily lead to less use of resources, including time. Before email and smart phones, I don’t think lawyers were under the pressure they are now. Finally, I don’t even like the expression “work-life balance”. George Orwell would be impressed – the idea that there should be a “balance” between work and one’s life is ludicrous. Clearly life should be given more weight.
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