This week VLOTech published an update newsletter regarding the opening of new VLOs, releases of new product features, recent press and other announcements.   The text of this newsletter is republished below.   If you would like to be included in our email update list, please contact us at launch@vlotech.com.

Maryland Family Law Firm Virtual Law Office is the first family law firm in Maryland offering online assistance to unrepresented or pro se litigants involved in divorce.  The practice is operated by The Law Offices of Dawn Elaine Bowie, P.C.   Bowie will provide limited engagement services online to clients who cannot afford full-service representation.  Bowie authors the popular blog, Maryland Father’s Rights, and has written the Father’s Bill of Rights.  You may read more about Bowie and her law practice on her law office website.

Texas Estates & Trusts Law, owned by Aaron R. Johnston, an attorney located in Frisco, Texas, will provide unbundled online legal services related to estate and trust planning. Johnston’s virtual law practice will also provide clients with limited legal counseling and assistance in civil matters, including the preparation of basic legal documents, such as partnership and operating agreements for small businesses, residential and commercial lease agreements, estate planning materials, estate administration forms, and other contracts and agreements prepared in accordance with Texas Law.  You may read more about Johnston and his law practice on his law office website.

New VLOTech VLOs are scheduled to launch in the next two months in Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

To start off the new year, VLOTech released a new product feature:  Online HTML Forms and a Form Library.  The online HTML forms feature allows the attorney to create forms designed to securely capture, edit and store information needed from online clients.  That collected data may then be used to create legal documents for the online client.

The Online HTML Forms process allows the attorney to create a master form that can be attached to individual client cases in the virtual law office (VLO).  The attorney creating the form may include specific instructions and explanations for the client to guide them in filling out the information as well as rules to ensure the input from the client is properly formatted.   The attorney may store the master forms in the VLO Form Library for reuse with different online clients.

The forms are filled out online by clients and can be edited continuously and changed repeatedly by both the attorney and his or her client. Even better, as the forms change over time, for example, due to changes in the law, the copy attached to the case can be kept in its historical format or synchronized to reflect changes made to the master form. Additionally, because the forms are integrated into the VLO system, the client is alerted to any forms that have required fields that are unfilled and need attention.

For more details about the Online HTML Forms Feature and for information about future development plans for this feature, please visit the VLOTech product update post.

Contacts Import

A new contact import feature was released which will allow attorneys to import their existing law practice and other contact information from applications using comma separated value (CSV) into their virtual law office (VLO) cases.  Contact information stored in an attorney’s smartphone, email program and most PC and Mac contact management applications can easily be imported into a VLO.

The ability to combine existing contact information with new online clients registering on the VLO allows the attorney to run a more complete conflict of interest check with the VLO system before responding to new online clients.

VLOTech is pleased to announce that it has partnered with CanopyLegal, LLC, a software sales and training company, that will serve as our North American sales representative.  For more information contact Lyza Sandgren, (770) 904-7099, Lyza@CanopyLegal.com.

Recent Podcast and Other Press

VLOTech co-founder, Stephanie Kimbro, was interviewed by Ed Poll of LawBiz Management for a podcast on the LawBiz Blog.  Ed is a nationally recognized coach, law firm management consultant and author.  You may listen the podcast interview on the LawBiz Blog.  Ed and Stephanie discussed virtual law practice, including the management, setup and ethical operation of a virtual law office (VLO).

The January issue of the Texas Bar Journal featured VLOTech in an article written by attorney D. Todd Smith titled, Internet-Based Practice Management Solutions.

The Greater Wilmington Business Journal featured VLOTech and its cofounders in its first issue of the new year.

For more information about Virtual Law Office Technology, LLC, please contact us at launch@vlotech.com or visit our website.