If you’ve successfully gone paperless in the office and you want to take the next step, then you’re looking at going paperless outside of the office as well. What do I mean by this?  For example, in my practice, divorce litigation, I need to meet with clients.  During those initial client meetings, I would fill in basic divorce forms, financial statements and take notes as to what the client wants accomplished.  The same initial consultation process goes for a variety of practice areas.  Well, in the old days, what I would do is print out the forms I need filled out and jot notes down on a yellow pad.  After the meeting, I would go back to my office, and essentially transcribe what I just wrote down, into the pdf forms on my computer.  And then what did I do with the paper I printed out for the client meeting?  I threw it out.  Now that’s a waste of paper isn’t it?

The solution is Apple’s magical iPad (or iPad2 if you can splurge).

We all know what the iPad is and most of us use it for checking mail, surfing the web, calendaring and Angry Birds.  There is so much more that it can do because of its wonderful app store.  Here’s a few apps that will entirely change the way you conduct client meetings and also take your paperless office out in the real world.

Dropbox (free up to 2GB storage)

Dropbox is an app that essentially lets you sync any file from any device to any device.  Once you download dropbox on your computer, drag and drop any folder you want to share and keep synced.  Then you can download the app on your iPad or iPhone and the files will be synced to that device.

Note Taker HD ($4.99)

Note Taker HD is a notepad on steroids.  This will essentially replace your old yellow legal pad.  It lets you create multiple note folders, multi-page, and most importantly, it has the ability to shrink your handwriting down to a readable type that saves space on the iPad screen.  Check out some tutorials online to see how to fully utilize it.

SignMyPad ($3.99)

SignMyPad transforms your iPad into a, well, pad, that people can sign.  Duh!  You can load pdf forms into the app and you can enter in text or have clients sign legal documents.  You can then use dropbox to transfer the documents back to your office.

Square (free)

I’ve talked about taking credit cards in the past and I’ve mentioned Square.  This app and little device lets you take credit card payments from clients and it can email them receipts immediately.  Clients can also sign for the receipt right on your iPad or iPhone, cutting out the need for a printed receipt – paperless.

Chase (free)

Chase might not be your bank of choice but their app is phenomenal.  Their app uses your iPad or iPhone’s camera, so that you can take a picture, front and back, of a check, and make an instant deposit.  No more making trips to the bank to deposit client checks.

Now that you have the essential apps, let’s bring it all together to see how we can use them to bring the paperless office OUT of the office.  Let’s use the situation that I exampled above with my client.  Before, I had to use all that paper only to end up throwing it out.  Now, I use my Dropbox to sync all the forms I need for my client meeting into SignMyPad.  I use SignMyPad to fill in all the forms and even have the client sign my fee agreement on the iPad itself, which I can immediately email them a copy.  When it comes time to take notes of what my client wants, I start my Note Taker HD app and just start writing.  Then at the end of the meeting, if my client wants to pay me by credit card, I use Square to process it.  If my client pays by check, I take a picture with my iPad or iPhone and deposit it right away through the Chase app.

Fastcase (free)

Fastcase is not free if you’re using it in the office, but their app is free for the iPhone and iPad.  Nothing beats free caselaw research.

Keynote ($9.99)

Apple’s version of PowerPoint.  It’s less robust but the ease of use and graphical interface is fantastic.

TrialPad ($89.99)

This is the ultimate trial preparation and presentation app.  It combines the features of keynote with a robust filing interface to make organizing and presenting a trial binder more effective in court.

Another way to use the iPad is in court.  Using Dropbox, you can always have all your client’s documents and pleadings with you at all times.  If opposing counsel cites a case or statute you don’t know, you can instantly look it up using the free Fastcase app.  If you are a trial attorney, you can build creative and persuasive presentations to supplement your oral arguments using Keynote (or TrialPad if you can splurge.)  Juries only remember 10% of what you say to them.  But studies show that when combined with visual aid, juries’ memory of the case and key points increase several folds.

Many of these tips, I learned at the annual ABA Techshow.  If you have time, it is definitely worth the trip to Chicago.