The Gazette 1982

GAZETTE

JULY/AUGUS T

1982

6. Don't sign a vendor's standard contract. Contrary to popular belief, vendors will negotiate contracts. The contract should be compre- hensive, covering such items as payment s chedu l e s, acceptance tests, expans i on capabilities and the like. See Chapter 19 of LAW OFFICE AUTOMATION AND TECH- NOLOGY for a thorough discussion of negotiating computer contracts. 7. Don't buy a computer that performs data processing and word processing on the same system if you require the best of both worlds. Typically, major vendors who have developed both functions, have developed one as an "add- on" to help sell the system. Even though some of the systems have become quite sophisticated, the secondary function, in most cases, continues to be a step-child. In the case of microcomputers, many of the software packages available are extremely rudimentary and less acceptable to the requirements of law firms. 8. Don't expect a computer to solve administrative problems. If lawyer compliance and the state of administrative systems is poor, then installation of a system will not necesarily improve either, and quite likely will only cause additional problems. 9. Don't acquire a system that does not have the capability of supporting multiple terminals. If you wish to do more than one function, you will need the capacity for multiple terminals. 10. Don't expect the vendor to be of much assistance once the system is installed, no matter what promises are made prior to the sale. The economics of commission structures and profit margins in the smaller marketplace require purchasers to rely upon themselves and not vendors. It is estimated by some that computer technology will change at a 25% compounded rate annually, during the next decade. Given this assumption, computer technology will change 100% in less than three years. This rapidity of change makes selection of a computer system a difficult task for most firms. The dos and don'ts, if heeded, will improve your chances of selecting and implementing a system that will meet your requirements. Additional information

is available through periodicals such as Legal Economics, Law Office Economics and Management and the Altman &Weil Report to Legal Management, or through attendance at seminars presented by bar organi zat i ons, the Association of Legal Administrators, and some management consulting firms.•

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The Case for Divorce in the Irish Republic REVISED EDITION WITH POSTSCRIPT (1982), BY WILLIAM DUNCAN £2.40

In the new edition The beginnings of political debate. Public opinion and divorce. More about the effects of divorce on wives and children.

Available f rom Major booksellers, or IRISH COUNCIL FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1.

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