Paper Tiger: The Best Way to Start Scanning Your Documents

If you ever want to stop practicing law, and become a business management consultant, here’s how you do it: When lawyers ask you about going paperless, recommend the Fujitsu ScanSnap ix500.  It is, hands-down, the best scanner for law firms on the market; and, in over a decade of consulting work, I’ve never had a single complaint about it.  It’s fast, it’s wireless, it works on both PCs and Macs, it’s portable and it comes with PDF conversion software.  This version of the ScanSnap is under $500, and you can usually find discounts online, at sites like New Egg.  If you want to go paperless, but have been stymied by figuring out what hardware you need to get started, now you’ve got your answer.

This is not a product pitch, and I’ve never received a penny from Fujitsu -- it’s just my opinion, backed by long experience.  However, if you find that the ScanSnap ix500 does not suit your needs, there are other versions of the ScanSnap available, including some smaller ones.  The ScanSnap is a great personal scanner, but if you have a bigger office, you might prefer a large scanner/copier for use by your entire team -- even if some folks have personal scanners for travel or appointments.  Among the other companies that sell business class scanners, Canon offers some excellent options, and Brother has traditionally been a source of relatively inexpensive, high yield devices.

But, whatever scanner you choose, get one, get scanning, and begin to derive the benefits of a paperless law practice.

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Through a unique partnership between the bar association and Jared Correia’s Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, Vermont Bar Association members now have access to experienced law practice management consultants at a special discounted rate.  To get started, visit Red Cave's Vermont Bar Association landing page, and start running your law practice like a business.