As an Atlanta litigation support company in business for seven years, we understand that many who work in the litigation industry are a bit overwhelmed when it comes to eDiscovery, and what it involves. Naturally those who’ve been in the legal industry for decades are used to the “old fashioned” way of doing things, and advancing technology can be overwhelming, to say the least. Many prefer to keep doing things the same way they’ve always been done – after all, why fix something when it isn’t broken? When you get a clear understanding of the advantages of eDiscovery, you’ll understand why it really is a big deal today – and important to your success.
Whether you see it described as ediscovery, e-discovery, or in another form, this is simply a way to identify, collect, and produce information that is stored electronically, such as audio or video files, documents, emails, voicemail, social media, or other data relevant to an investigation or lawsuit that may be requested in order for the process to move forward. Many attorneys aren’t really aware of the volume of data produced and stored that is considered electronic, and how vital this data is in terms of the litigation process. Yes, the processes and technologies may seem complex and complicated, and it can be, until you learn the advantages and become familiar with it. Documents that are stored electronically often include information such as author and recipient of correspondence, time and/or date stamps, file properties, and other metadata often not found on “hard” copies of data you may have filed away in a cabinet. This can be a huge advantage as, unlike hardcopy evidence that may be tampered with or spoiled due to countless other factors, electronically stored information or content is preserved without these worries and ready for use in litigation.
As all lawyers are aware, any documents that are considered potentially relevant and containing data useful to either side in a litigation matter is placed under a legal hold. This means that any data, whether hard copy or electronic, cannot be destroyed or altered in any way whether modified, erased, or deleted. Essentially, data is preserved in its original form and collected, before being carefully analyzed to determine whether documents such as emails or other content are relevant; otherwise the data, stored in a database, is segregated or culled if it isn’t determined useful. At this point paralegals or contract lawyers may have access to the data for review, as the documents or other data which has been coded by reviewers is hosted in an environment that is totally secure.
Electronically stored documents are frequently converted to a different format so the information or data can be printed out for review by various members of your legal team, sometimes in PDF or TIFF format. Documents can be prioritized and the volume of pages reduced using analytic software or other methods that “scale down” not only the number of documents, which can be massive in some cases, but costs as well, as eDiscovery effectively slashes the number of hours often involved in retrieving documents, data, and information necessary in litigation.
Infinite eDiscovery Solutions is an Atlanta litigation support company specializing in all aspects of electronic discovery for litigation purposes. To learn more about our wide array of services, browse our website or contact us today.
