Direct Answer
Choosing an IT company for your law firm is about more than finding someone who can fix computers.
The right IT company should understand how a law firm operates, respond quickly when your staff needs help, prevent problems before they disrupt the firm, address cybersecurity and compliance as part of managing your technology, and make it clear what you are paying for.
This article covers five things to look for.
Why This Matters
Your law firm depends on technology throughout the workday.
Attorneys and staff need access to email, documents, legal applications, client information, and other systems. When something stops working, people need help quickly. At the same time, the firm needs to protect confidential information and meet its cybersecurity obligations.
The IT company you choose becomes responsible for keeping much of this working and secure.
That makes choosing an IT company an important business decision, not simply a technical one.
Editor's Insight
You do not need to be an IT expert to evaluate an IT company.
Pay attention to what the relationship will actually be like.
What happens when an employee needs help? Who takes responsibility for recurring problems? What is being done to prevent problems? Who is paying attention to cybersecurity? What happens when Microsoft or another technology vendor is involved?
The answers tell you much more than a list of technical certifications that you may not understand.
1. Look for Experience Working With Law Firms
An IT company does not need to practice law, but it should understand what is important to a law firm.
That includes protecting confidential client information, keeping attorneys and staff productive, supporting the applications the firm relies on, and understanding that deadlines cannot wait because the technology is not working.
It should also understand the cybersecurity obligations that affect law firms.
Ask prospective IT companies how many law firms they support and what experience they have addressing the technology and cybersecurity needs of legal practices.
Their answers should demonstrate actual experience, not simply tell you that they "work with professional services firms."
2. Find Out What Happens When Someone Needs Help
Ask a simple question:
What happens when one of my employees has an IT problem?
How quickly will someone respond? Will the employee reach a knowledgeable technician? Will the IT company take responsibility for solving the problem until it is resolved?
Also ask what happens when the problem involves Microsoft, your internet provider, a software company, or another technology vendor.
Your employees should not have to determine whose problem it is and then spend hours navigating vendor support.
A good IT company takes ownership of the technology problem and coordinates with the appropriate vendor when necessary.
As we explain in Never Call Tech Support Again!, the goal should be simple:
You call us. We take it from there.
3. Ask What They Do Before Something Goes Wrong
Fixing problems is only part of IT management.
Ask what the company does proactively to keep your technology working and protect the firm.
Depending on your firm's needs, this may include monitoring systems, installing security updates, maintaining backups, protecting computers with Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), providing cybersecurity awareness training, and performing cybersecurity risk assessments.
You do not need to understand every technology being used.
You should understand what the IT company is responsible for doing and why it matters to your firm.
The objective is to prevent as many problems as possible instead of waiting for employees to discover them.
4. Determine Whether Cybersecurity and Compliance Are Part of IT Management
Cybersecurity should not be treated as a separate conversation that takes place after your computers have been set up.
Law firms maintain confidential and sensitive information and may have obligations under cybersecurity laws, professional rules, client requirements, and cyber-insurance policies.
Your IT company should be able to explain how cybersecurity is incorporated into the management of your technology.
Ask how the company helps clients identify cybersecurity risks, implement appropriate safeguards, document what has been done, and address requirements that apply to the firm.
A company that is good at fixing computers is not necessarily prepared to help a law firm address cybersecurity and compliance.
5. Understand Exactly What You're Paying For
Before choosing an IT company, understand what is included in the agreement and what costs extra.
If you are comparing fixed-fee managed IT proposals, determine whether the monthly price includes areas such as:
- Help desk and technical support
- Monitoring and maintenance
- Cybersecurity
- Backup management
- Microsoft 365 support
- Vendor management
Also ask which projects, products, or services are billed separately.
Two proposals with different monthly prices may include very different levels of service.
Our article How Much Does Managed IT Support Cost for a 10-25 Attorney Law Firm in New York or New Jersey? explains typical managed IT pricing and what is commonly included.
A Real-World Example
One law firm client has worked with us since 2009. In a recent Google review, he explained what makes the relationship different from the IT providers his firm worked with in the past:
"What separates Michael from other IT professionals we worked with in the past is how well he understands our specific needs and the systems our practice relies on every day. Previous IT providers never had the same level of familiarity with how we operate, and that makes a major difference when issues come up or changes need to be made.
His weekly visits to our office, combined with his exceptionally high level of skill and knowledge, give us tremendous confidence that our technology is being properly managed.
I'd absolutely recommend working with Michael and his team at Avenue M Computers to any business looking for reliable IT support from someone who truly understands their business."
Two Questions We Hear
Should a law firm choose the lowest-priced IT company?
Price should be part of the decision, but it should not be the only consideration.
Before comparing prices, make sure you are comparing the same level of service.
One company may provide technical support while another also includes proactive management, cybersecurity, backup management, vendor coordination, and other services.
The better question is:
What is included for the price, and does it provide what our law firm needs?
Does the IT company need to specialize exclusively in law firms?
Not necessarily.
What matters is whether the company has meaningful experience supporting law firms and understands their technology, cybersecurity, confidentiality, and business requirements.
Ask about actual experience rather than relying on the word "specialist."
How Avenue M Helps
Avenue M Computers has provided IT and cybersecurity services to law firms in New York since 2010.
We help firms keep their technology working, provide support when employees need it, proactively manage their systems, address cybersecurity and compliance requirements, and coordinate with technology vendors when problems involve outside providers.
The objective is straightforward: your attorneys and staff should be able to do their jobs without having to manage the technology behind them.
Three Key Takeaways
- Choose an IT company that understands how law firms work and has real experience supporting them.
- Find out what the company does both when an employee needs help and before something goes wrong.
- Compare what is actually included, especially cybersecurity, proactive management, support, and vendor coordination, not just the monthly price.
Related Articles
- How Much Does Managed IT Support Cost for a 10-25 Attorney Law Firm in New York or New Jersey?
- What Cybersecurity Requirements Should NY and NJ Law Firms Meet?
- What Is the NY SHIELD Act, and How Does It Affect Law Firms?
- What Happens During a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment?
- How Can a Law Firm Protect Client Confidentiality and Comply With ABA Cybersecurity Obligations?
- Never Call Tech Support Again!
Technology should help your law firm practice law more securely, efficiently, and confidently, not become another distraction.
