How Two Fast-Moving Kiwi Lawyers Use Dragon Speech-to-Text Software To Boost Productivity

Lawyer Joseph Garven, a patent attorney with James & Wells, is something of an adrenaline junkie whose spare time is spent mountain biking, snowboarding or doing anything else that involves speed.

And so, it is no surprise that when it comes to running his business practice, which focuses on electronics and software-related work, he chose voice-recognition technology to boost both his productivity – and speed – with which he handles his work.

“Most of my work involves writing and preparing letters and documents, so it’s much easier to look at the screen and talk, rather than type for hours on end. It’s also much faster which means I can get through more work,” he says.

Using your voice to prepare documents is a massive productivity booster for lawyers and others.

Speech recognition software lets you ‘type up’ reports, documents, correspondence, plans, quotes and all manner of documents quickly by simply talking.

And today, Nuance’s Dragon Legal speech recognition technology is more accurate, more powerful, and more usable than ever before.

Producing ongoing quotes, estimates, proposals, invoices, reports, and correspondence – that endless churning of document creation – can hinder your personal productivity and your business because it’s time-consuming and steals you away from what matters most – improving your bottom line.

Create documents quickly

Dragon types for you as you speak, and as we talk three times faster than we can type, the productivity implications are considerable.

It quickly and accurately turns your spoken words into text. It lets you put your voice to work to easily dictate and edit documents, proposals, reports and more. With Dragon you spend less time producing documents, and more time on activities that boost the bottom line.

“I thought I was a good typist until I started using Dragon Legal,” says Garven.  But he is not the only lawyer at his firm wedded to the easy-to-use software.

Colleague Gus Hazel, a James & Wells partner, one of the leading IP litigation lawyers in New Zealand and a ‘Hot List’ lawyer, is also a Dragon fan.

“I often have long telephone calls with clients and have to follow up with file notes or confirmation emails to clients and other parties,” says Hazel, a Partner at James & Wells.

“After the call I switch over to Dragon and start speaking while everything is still fresh in my mind. Dragon quickly and accurately types up my file notes. I also use it to compose and send my emails. It’s fast, and far more efficient than typing.”

Working with Microsoft

Dragon also works with all Microsoft Office applications, you can create spreadsheets and presentations by simply using your voice.

The solution lets you speak to send emails, and as it’s compatible with popular web browsers, you can also deploy Dragon to search the web and use social media with unparalleled speed, ease and comfort.

The software also permits rapid document editing, leading to fast document turnaround.

For lawyers, the use of technical terms and the like is a key factor in getting documents right.  Dragon easily lets you customise words, use acronyms and the like for accurate ‘legal’ recognition.

Work hands-free

For busy lawyers the hands-free capability of the more sophisticated speech recognition solutions. It lets you do two things at once and gives you the freedom to move around while you continue working.

“The handsfree feature of Dragon is particularly useful when I’m drafting submissions as I can get up and pace around my office, which helps me think,” Gus Hazel says.

“I dictate my thoughts while I’m still on my feet and Dragon quickly transcribes them into words.”

The flexibility to work hands-free also means that you can work comfortably and more ergonomically. And because you’re using your voice to get things done on your computer, Dragon helps to reduce the physical strain and stress of typing.

Finding your voice

Speech recognition solutions reward the user by helping you gain precious time. Work that may have taken hours – typing numerous documents or clearing your inbox – can now be achieved faster by simply using your voice, and the time saved can be allocated to increasing productivity, driving growth and boosting revenue.

For further information please contact Sound Business Systems