Legal Document Automation Software Development

Project Challenges

Our client, being an innovator in the field of Legaltech, embarked on an ambitious journey to create a transformative data management product.

How does legal document automation work in general? It streamlines the contacts creation process by collecting user information, and integrating these details into designated fields within a document template, such as dates or client names. In numerous law firms, where the handling of repetitive legal documents is common, this approach replaces the conventional method of manually updating variable texts.

The goal of our client was to develop a sophisticated web-based solution document automation tool capable of parsing Word and PDF documents from various external systems, and extracting legal terms, and other vital information to generate then definitions from this data, aiding in the creation of new legal agreements and the analysis of existing ones.

However, our client faced a significant hurdle. The collaboration with their initial development team had ceased, leaving a messy codebase and necessitating the search for a new, more reliable, and competent software development partner, who would be able to continue the work started, improve the codebase, and create all the necessary features for the product.

Thus, the company was looking for highly talented and skillful backend engineers to join their in-house team who could fulfill the following goals:

• Complete the work started on the previous project, refine the existing codebase, and optimize the platform for performance;
• Collaborate closely with the client’s team to deliver a product that aligns with their high standards and goals;
• Help to manage the project, define the scope of work, and set deliverable deadlines;
• Seamlessly integrate the platform with various third-party systems to access and process Word and PDF documents;
• Enhance the web-based solution with the features of quick parsing, analyzing, and structuring legal data, that can be further used to create new legal contracts and analyze the old ones;
• Ensure the document automation tool is user-friendly both in the creation of new legal agreements and the analysis of existing ones, quickly managing any legal definitions and creating contracts;
• Help with the product refinement, adding new features, and aligning the platform with the client’s product ecosystem;
• Provide ongoing technical and developmental support to continuously refine and improve the product.

Thus, the client was in search of a team of on-demand developers possessing not just technical expertise, but also a deep understanding of LegalTech solutions. The project demanded a team capable of enhancing the web-based legal document system with new features, seamless integration with third-party systems, and robust capabilities for analyzing and generating legal content.

A critical aspect of their search for a software development partner was finding a team that could deal with a messy codebase that was left from the previous software provider, grasp perfectly their product vision, fit in the company culture, and has a suitable geographic location.

Fively portfolio, showcasing a diverse range of projects including complex web-based solutions, demonstrated our capability to handle such a project. After a detailed discussion with our development team, we delved into the project specifics and evaluated the existing product's status, the client was confident in selecting Fively as their development partner.

This marked the beginning of a collaborative and dynamic partnership, with the project officially kicking off in July 2023, setting the stage for a significant leap in LegalTech innovation.

How We Created a Top-Tier Document Automation for Lawyers

Right from the start of this innovative LegalTech project, the Fively team worked hard to build the solution our client dreamed of. Despite encountering a challenging and disorganized codebase, our dedication to the project has been nothing short of inspiring, so we quickly formulated a strategy to restructure and streamline the project. That’s how it was in detail:

Project Architecture: In our journey to develop an all-encompassing platform for PDF legal document automation and management, Fively engineers employed a sophisticated and robust architecture. Utilizing a blend of high-performance technologies, we've created a solution that's not only efficient but also scalable and user-friendly.

Here's a breakdown of the technologies we used and their roles in the project:

Python - we chose it for its versatility and efficiency in handling data-intensive tasks. Python's extensive libraries and frameworks made it an ideal choice for the backend development of the legal document automation platform;

FastAPI - leveraging FastAPI, we created high-performance APIs that helped us ensure that our platform was not only fast but also capable of handling concurrent requests effectively;

Django - it was utilized to ensure rapid development and pragmatic design. It greatly simplified the process of building a secure and maintainable platform, making it a perfect choice for managing backend operations;

PostgreSQL - this database management tool offered the reliability and scalability required to handle complex data operations and queries, and quickly automate legal documents processing, ensuring data integrity and efficient management;

Celery - an asynchronous task queue, Celery was crucial in handling distributed real-time processing, working in tandem with RabbitMQ to manage task queues efficiently.

RabbitMQ - this message broker enabled effective handling of communications between different services and components, ensuring a seamless, decoupled, and reliable messaging system.

Redis - employed as an in-memory data structure store, Redis was used for caching and as a message broker, significantly enhancing the tool's performance and responsiveness;

RPC (Remote Procedure Call) - used to enable the legal document automation platform with different services to communicate with each other over the network, RPC helped in making the platform more modular and distributed;

Microservices - the platform was built using a microservices architecture, which allowed for the development of independently deployable modular services. This approach enhanced the flexibility and scalability of the platform, enabling it to efficiently handle diverse and evolving legal document processing needs.

These technologies, working in harmony, have enabled Fively to craft an advanced, comprehensive platform for legal document automation and management, and paved the way for a solution that not only meets the current demands but is also ready for future advancements.

Team Structure: To successfully execute the project’s ambitious scope, Fively bolstered the client's team by integrating 4 of our seasoned Python engineers and 1 QA specialist. This strategic team expansion enabled us to blend our expertise seamlessly with the client's vision, ensuring a robust and comprehensive development process from start to finish.

Communication tools: Right from the start of this document automation project for lawyers, we established efficient communication channels with the client's team, ensuring a seamless and productive development process. Leveraging the power of virtual meetings, we fostered an environment of open dialogue and collaboration on any technical questions, choosing fitting tools and solutions, or improving project architecture.

We used emails as a reliable medium for detailed follow-up exchanges and documentation, while Slack we used for prompt and convenient in-team interactions, keeping everyone connected and informed. Regular calls and standups also were integral in maintaining a clear view of the project's progress and addressing any emerging ideas or challenges.

The chosen strategic approach, architecture, and communication style helped us to work with the client’s team in continuous improvement and kept us unified in our pursuit of transforming the platform into a top-tier legal document management solution. As a result, it helped significantly simplify the backend codebase, unlocking the potential for greater efficiency and functionality.

The Results of the Data Protection Project

Although the project is still in the active development phase, we have already reached significant results to share. Working in close cooperation with the client, we carefully selected and implemented the most suitable architecture for platform, added its core functionality, tuned its performance, and successfully launched an all-in-one innovative PDF legal document automation platform.

Here are several most notable milestones we achieved during this project:

• Codebase refinement and platform optimization: We completed and refined the existing project, enhancing the platform's performance, and turning it into a robust digital system for legal document processing and management.
• Collaborative project management: Our team effectively managed the project in close collaboration with the client and shared a common product vision. We defined the work scope for each sprint, established clear deliverable deadlines, and maintained high-level communication throughout all stages of the project.
• Third-party system integration: The platform for automated legal documents management was seamlessly integrated with various third-party systems, enabling access to and processing of Word and PDF documents. This integration significantly enhanced the platform’s functionality in legal data parsing, analysis, and structuring.
• User-friendly legal data management: We enhanced the web-based solution to quickly parse and structure legal data, facilitating the creation and analysis of legal contracts. The user experience was a focal point, ensuring ease in managing legal definitions and contract creation.
• Reliable and secure LegalTech solution: The project resulted in a highly secure, user-friendly legal document automation solution, ideal for the creation and analysis of legal documents. With its advanced features and integrations, the platform stands as a significant advancement in the LegalTech domain, offering comprehensive solutions for legal professionals.
• Continuous improvement and adding new features: Ongoing technical and developmental support from Fively ensures continuous refinement and feature enhancements. This aligns the platform consistently with the client’s evolving product ecosystem.

The determination and technical prowess of Fively's developers have shone brightly throughout the entire development process, which was highly appreciated both by the client and early users of the product, who have also provided extremely positive feedback on it.

Here’s what our client says about cooperation with Fively:

“We collaborate with top-notch web developers who tackle challenges fearlessly. It's worth every penny, no doubt. As a prime example, they've been dealing with a messy codebase that has held back their full potential. But here's the exciting part: we've identified the problem areas and defined the steps needed to reorganize the project, making the most of the existing code.”

This collaboration has been a journey of overcoming technical hurdles and harnessing the collective skills of our team to deliver a solution that promises to be a major advancement in the field. This project so far has been a testament to the unwavering commitment and expertise of our development team, and we’re happy to help our client turn their vision into one the best document automation software for lawyers on the market.

With the product already in the hands of users, our focus is on fine-tuning and handling all the rough edges pinpointed during the testing phase. We're also actively working on adding brand-new features to further enhance the product's capacities.