IT Helpline assists with routine needs.

A non-emergency Florida Bar Tech Helpline has been added to the Member Benefits lineup to offer routine remote services, including basic troubleshooting, operating system support, and technical setup for home and remote offices.

"We are very excited that the Tech Helpline is going to go live as a member benefit," Board Technology Committee Chair Paige Greenlee said at the Bar's recent Winter Meeting.

The Board Technology Committee began researching the concept of a Tech Helpline while it was working with the COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery Task Force on a variety of projects to help members cope with the health crisis and subsequent economic disruption, The Tech Helpline passed a three-month "beta test" with flying colors this past summer.

"Overwhelmingly, this project is something that our members really, really appreciated," Greenlee said at the time. "Members begged for it in the comments to the survey."

Greenlee said the service will primarily be promoted to solo and small-firm practitioners who are less likely to be able to afford their own IT service but is available to all Florida Bar members in good standing that need non-emergency, remote computer, software, and related technology support.

"With the large percentage of Bar members that we have who are solo and small firm practitioners, this free helpline is just really a completely invaluable resource, and I am super excited we are able to continue it," Greenlee said, noting the feedback from the beta test was 100% positive.

The helpline is operated by LawTech Partners, owned by Adriana Linares, a skilled trainer and technology specialist who understands the needs of law firm users and their profession-specific confidentiality requirements.

"Florida lawyers should know this in an important service for solo and small-firm practitioners who do not have the luxury of an IT person," Linares said. "It is for those who really don't have anyone else to call to assist them with their basic technology questions.

As an example, Linares recently assisted a Juno Beach lawyer who hung his own shingle and had no idea where to start when it came to technology.

"His basic questions were what technologies do I need? How do I save my files without having to do a physical backup?" Linares said. "He is a great success story because in an hour and a half worth of time--three appointments --he really felt much more comfortable about the administrative and technical part of his practice."

The lawyer dropped...