Most law firms already have workflows.
Boards exist. Tools exist. Processes are documented.
What’s missing is adoption.
Attorneys forget to update tasks.
Paralegals end up chasing information.
Office managers clean up boards that no one fully uses.
In this Legalboards Academy webinar, Bruna Gonçalves, Legal Operations Designer at Legalboards, explains why workflow adoption breaks down inside legal teams and how firms can fix it without adding pressure or extra admin work.
Watch the full session on YouTube:
Why Workflow Adoption Fails in Law Firms
Teams don’t ignore workflows because they don’t care.
They ignore them because the system doesn’t match how legal work actually happens.
During the webinar, Bruna highlighted the most common reasons workflows stop being used:
- Too many tools and duplicate updates
- No clear rules for when and how to update the board
- Workload spikes that break routines
- Processes designed for ideal weeks, not real ones
When a workflow depends on discipline and memory, it fails as soon as deadlines pile up.
The Hidden Cost of Poor Workflow Adoption
When workflows are inconsistently updated, firms start operating reactively.
Bruna walked through what typically happens:
- A task moves forward, but the board is not updated
- Another team member assumes the work is still pending
- Deadlines live in email threads instead of shared systems
- Attorneys ask for updates that should already be visible
- Paralegals become the single point of truth
Nothing is technically wrong.
The team is just carrying too much information in their heads.
This is where stress, rework, and missed visibility start to compound.
The Four Pillars Behind Sustainable Workflow Adoption
Rather than pushing training or enforcement, Bruna focuses on four core behaviors that make workflows stick.
Ease
If updating the workflow takes effort, people skip it.
Simple, intuitive systems are easier to use than to avoid.
Clarity
Teams need to know what to do, when to do it, and what “done” looks like.
Clear roles and visible progress remove hesitation.
Repetition
Small, repeatable routines work better than one-time training sessions.
Habits reduce decision fatigue.
Value
People adopt workflows that save time instead of creating more work.
When the system carries the structure, adoption happens naturally.
How to Roll Out a Workflow Without Overwhelming the Team
Bruna shared three practical rollout strategies that work consistently across firms.
Start Small
Begin with a pilot group or a single case type.
Fix friction early before scaling.
Define Clear Usage Rules
Decide what must live in the workflow and what does not.
Ambiguity kills adoption.
Simplify to Essential Tasks
Remove anything that does not actively move the case forward.
A shorter workflow gets used more often.
What Successful Workflow Adoption Looks Like in Practice
When workflows are adopted correctly, teams see immediate changes:
- Predictable next steps across cases
- Clear ownership without micromanagement
- Faster movement through tasks
- Less mental load for paralegals and attorneys
The workflow holds the structure so the team can focus on legal work.
How Legalboards Supports Workflow Adoption
During the session, Bruna demonstrated how Legalboards reinforces these behaviors by design.
Automations That Reduce Manual Work
- Tasks appear automatically when cases move stages
- Deadlines adjust when dates change
- Follow-ups are created without manual setup
Learn more about task automation here:
Shared Visibility Across the Firm
Every case lives on a shared board where the team can see:
- what is active
- what is overdue
- what needs attention today
- who owns each task
Filtering by role, urgency, or case type keeps focus where it matters.
Key Takeaways From the Webinar
Bruna closed the session with simple outcomes firms should aim for:
- workflows that update themselves
- fewer follow-up emails
- no guessing about case status
- lower stress for paralegals
- better visibility for attorneys
- consistent execution even during busy weeks
Adoption is not about forcing behavior.
It’s about designing systems that support real work.
If you want to see how these concepts apply to your firm, you can schedule a short demo to walk through your workflow and identify where adoption usually breaks.
Schedule a demo:
