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Law firms generate a staggering amount of paperwork. From contracts and court filings to discovery documents and legal briefs. All these documents move through the office every day. And while many firms have embraced digital workflows, printing is still a vital part of legal work.
But when it comes to printing, every printed page carries both a cost and a responsibility.
A confidential document that’s left sitting on a printer could lead to client confidentiality issues. Plus, many firms can’t accurately track printing costs by client or matter, so it’s harder to recover expenses and understand where money is being spent.
As a print vendor with 40 years of experience helping organizations improve their print environment, we've seen how the right print management software can help law firms strengthen document security. It can also improve visibility into printing costs and simplify day-to-day workflows.
In this article, we'll explain what print management software does for law firms, the advantages and potential drawbacks, and how to decide whether it's the right fit for your organization.
Table of Contents
- What Is Print Management Software?
- What Printing Challenges Are Unique to Law Firms?
- Pros of Print Management Software
- Example: How a Law Firm Might Use Print Management Software
- Cons of Print Management Software for Law Firms
- How Does Print Management Software Help Recover Client Printing Costs?
- Who Is Print Management Software Right For?
- Common Misconceptions About Print Management Software
- Print Management Software vs. Managed Print Services
- How to Get Started
- FAQ
Short Answer: Print Management Software for Legal Environments
Print management software is often a smart investment for law firms that:
- Handle confidential client information
- Print large volumes of legal documents
- Want to track printing by client or matter
- Have multiple offices or hybrid attorneys
- Need better visibility into printing costs
For very small firms with minimal printing, it may not be necessary. But for firms managing multiple users or locations, it can improve security, accountability, and cost control.
What Is Print Management Software?
Print management software helps law firms track, secure, and manage printing across their organization. It boosts document security, monitors print activity, and provides reporting to help you see where to reduce waste and recover printing costs.
Administrators can monitor and control their entire print environment from a single system, rather than managing printers individually.
Print management software typically includes:
- Secure print release
- Print tracking by user, client, or matter
- Follow-me printing
- Reporting and analytics
- Rules-based printing
- Mobile printing
Solutions like Y Soft SAFEQ and PaperCut offer these features through cloud and on-premise deployments.
Related reading: Print Management Software: What Is It?
What Printing Challenges Are Unique to Law Firms?
If your law firm prints high volumes of confidential documents every day, print management software can help protect sensitive information and simplify printer management across one or multiple offices.
Here are some of the biggest challenges legal organizations face.
Protecting Client Confidentiality
Law firms regularly print contracts, financial records, discovery documents, and privileged communications.
But without secure print release, confidential documents can sit idly on a shared printer for anyone to see.
Tracking Printing Costs by Client or Matter
While printing can be a recoverable expense, this is only true if it is tracked accurately. Without proper tracking, many law firms struggle to report on printing costs effectively.
Supporting Hybrid Work
Many attorneys split time between offices, home, and the courthouse.
Without a secure way to send a print job from one location and release it at another authorized office, hybrid work is more difficult.
Reducing IT Complexity
For many firms, IT staff have to manage several servers and maintain print infrastructure.
Pros of Print Management Software for Law Firms
Better Client Confidentiality
Secure print release helps ensure confidential documents are only printed when the authorized user is at the device.
Documents stay encrypted in the print queue until they’re released using a badge, PIN, or login. This protects sensitive information and reduces the risk of exposure.
Improved Cost Recovery
Many firms absorb printing costs simply because they aren't tracked.
Print management software records print jobs by client or matter, so it’s easier to generate reports and recover expenses that might otherwise be missed.
More Flexible Printing
Attorneys don't always work from the same office.
Follow-me printing allows users to send a document once and release it from any authorized printer, reducing unnecessary reprints and supporting hybrid work.
Better Visibility Into Printing
Print management software gives firms real data instead of estimates.
Administrators can identify which departments print the most, monitor color printing, and better understand where printing costs originate.
Less IT Maintenance
Modern cloud-based print management software requires far less ongoing maintenance than older server-based systems.
This means fewer servers to manage and less time spent maintaining print infrastructure.
Example: How a Law Firm Might Use Print Management Software
Imagine an attorney preparing for a hearing.
They send a discovery packet to print before leaving for another office. Instead of printing immediately, the job stays securely in the queue. When they arrive, they authenticate at the printer and release the documents. The software automatically records the print job under the correct client matter, helping protect confidential information while keeping billing records accurate.
Cons of Print Management Software for Law Firms
Like any business technology, print management software isn't the right fit for every firm. While many organizations see improvements in security, visibility, and cost control, it's important to understand the potential tradeoffs before making a decision.
There's an Upfront Investment
Print management software requires an initial investment, but many firms find the long-term savings outweigh the upfront cost.
Licensing, implementation, and user training all come with a cost that can be hard to justify for smaller firms with a couple of printers and low print volumes.
However, beyond the purchase price, costs like printing, inefficient workflows, and confidentiality breaches can lead to higher long-term expenses.
Learn more about the cost of print management software here.
Staff Will Need Time to Adjust
With any new technology, there will be a level of change.
Attorneys and support staff may need time to get used to authenticating at the printer or selecting a client matter before printing. While these steps are simple, they do change familiar workflows.
Fortunately, most users quickly adapt once they see these processes protect client data and boost accountability.
It Works Best with Proper Planning
To get the most value out of your print management software, your organization should take time to:
- Define user permissions
- Set print policies
- Configure reporting
- Decide between cloud or on-premise deployment
Partnering with an experienced print vendor streamlines implementation and ensures the software fits your firm's workflows without requiring harsh changes.
How Does Print Management Software Help Recover Client Printing Costs?
Print management software allows firms to assign print jobs to specific clients or matters. This makes it easier to track printing expenses and recover billable costs.
Many firms still guess printing costs or absorb them as general overhead simply because they don't have an easy way to track them.
With print management software, users can associate print jobs with:
- Client numbers
- Matter numbers
- Case IDs
This creates detailed printing reports per client or case. For firms that recover printing expenses, having accurate records can improve billing and reduce administrative work.
Even firms that don't bill clients can benefit from knowing which practice groups or departments generate the most printing.
Who Is Print Management Software Right For?
Print management software can benefit firms of many sizes, but it tends to deliver the greatest value in organizations with higher print volumes and stricter security requirements.
It may be a good fit if your firm:
- Handles confidential client information daily
- Prints large volumes of legal documents
- Has multiple offices or hybrid employees
- Wants better visibility into printing costs
- Needs to track printing by client or matter
On the other hand, if you're a solo practitioner or very small firm with only one or two printers and minimal printing, the ROI may not be as significant.
Common Misconceptions About Print Management Software
"It Creates More Work for IT."
Many cloud print management solutions handle software updates, infrastructure, and maintenance automatically, reducing the daily workload for IT staff.
"We're Already Mostly Paperless."
Many law firms still need to print documents such as court filings, signed agreements, and client records. Even firms with mostly digital workflows often print thousands of pages every month.
Print management software helps make those necessary prints more secure and more efficient.
Print Management Software vs. Managed Print Services
Print management software and managed print services (MPS) are similar, but they differ in several ways.
- Print Management Software - Controls behavior, tracking, and security
- Managed Print Services - Handles devices, maintenance, and supplies
Many law firms combine both, using MPS to run printers efficiently and print management software to ensure optimal use.
Related reading: Managed Print Services vs. Print Management Software: What's the Difference?
How to Get Started
If you're considering print management software, the best place to begin is by understanding your current print environment.
Ask yourself:
- How many printers do we manage?
- Where are our biggest printing costs?
- Are confidential documents adequately protected?
- Could we benefit from better reporting or client cost tracking?
Once you have a clearer picture of your environment, you can better decide whether cloud, on-premise, or hybrid print management software makes the most sense.
Still exploring deployment options? Our article "Cloud vs. On-Premise Print Management: Which One Is Right for Your Business?" can help guide you.
FAQ
Is print management software worth it for a small law firm?
It depends on your print volume and security needs. Smaller firms may benefit from improved document security, while larger firms can see benefits through cost recovery and reporting.
Can print management software track printing by client or matter?
Yes. Many solutions allow users to assign print jobs to specific clients, matters, or case numbers, making it easier to track printing costs.
Does print management software improve document security?
Yes. Features like secure print release and user authentication help prevent confidential documents from being left unattended and reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Can attorneys print securely from multiple offices?
Yes. Many print management platforms support secure "Follow-Me Printing," which lets users send a document once and release it at any authorized printer.
Is cloud print management secure for law firms?
Modern cloud print management platforms include strong security features to protect sensitive information. The right deployment model depends on your firm's compliance requirements, IT resources, and overall security policies.
Bringing More Control to Your Firm's Print Environment
Law firms rely on printing every day, but that doesn't mean printing should remain a blind spot. The right print management software can help protect confidential information, improve visibility into printing costs, simplify hybrid workflows, and even support more accurate client cost recovery.
By this point, you’re likely evaluating whether your current print environment could be working harder for your firm. Before choosing a solution, it's best to understand how your printers are being used today.
Start with our free Print Management Tool. It gives you instant visibility into your devices, supplies, and print activity. From there, you can identify opportunities to improve efficiency and see whether print management software is the right next step for your firm.
