Most lawyers are familiar with PDFs – the standard file format for storing scanned documents, as well as for exchanging them with other parties. On the flip side, if you have ever tried to edit, copy or search through text in such a file, you’ll know just how frustrating PDFs can be to work with.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology changes all of this. Designed with lawyers in mind, in-app OCR features enable you to convert pdf to text on the fly and so make unreadable PDFs readable, allowing you to manipulate, search and extract text, just like you would with a Word document. Here’s a closer look at how OCR works, and why this can mean a welcome boost in productivity and reduction in stress levels for lawyers, paralegals and support staff alike.

Why are scanned PDFs problematic for lawyers?

There are good reasons why PDFs (Portable Document Files) are used frequently within law firms. Originally developed decades ago by Adobe, this file format lets you easily convert both electronic and paper documents into accurate digital versions of the original. PDF documents are easy to share and to view, thanks to Adobe’s free-to-use Reader.

The files themselves are also relatively small, which makes it easier to send via email, and also makes it possible to store vast volumes of scanned documents on the firm’s hard drive. Scanning and converting a document into a PDF creates an electronic image of the original. The file is non-editable, which can be useful from a security perspective when you need to show that a document is a true copy of the original. However, this characteristic also stops you from annotating, copying, searching through and extracting the text: bad news when you need to work on the document.

It’s worth noting that the PDF standard is not for a single document type, it is a standard for a group of document types that align with various functions and needs. For more information on PDF types and Scanned PDFs in particular, take a look at PDF types – How many are there?

What does OCR software do?

Optical Character Recognition software changes the way your device processes pdf files. By converting pdf to text it enables the device to actually read the text, rather than treating it as an image. For you, this means the document is transformed into an editable, machine-readable format.

It’s worth noting that to the naked eye the before and after of a document that has been OCR’d is no different. The readable text is added in a layer that the the human eye doesn’t see, this means that the layout and formatting of the original document remains intact.

How can I put OCR software to work?

Here are some of the many situations where OCR can prove especially valuable in law firms and chambers:

Post-disclosure investigation

As part of the disclosure and inspection process, you receive a large volume of the other party’s scanned bank statements in PDF format. As part of your investigations, you want to isolate all transactions relating to a particular payee. Rather than printing out the statements and examining them line-by-line with a highlighter, an OCR feature lets you do a text search for the payee and identify all relevant entries in an instant.

Expert evidence

Attached to the likes of medical and engineering reports, experts will often attach reference documents, such as research reports and articles from academic journals. These documents can often be dense in nature. Nevertheless, it is generally important to give them consideration for anything that might be especially relevant to the actual expert report and to your client’s case as a whole. Once you convert PDF to text, OCR allows you to search for the segments of these documents that are likely to be most relevant. It also allows you to easily copy sections and paste them into opinions, correspondence and pleadings.

Research

One of the barristers’ chambers you frequently instruct has prepared a handy guide to tax law changes and has sent you a scanned version in PDF format. Some of the contents are directly relevant to a number of your cases. OCR enables you to annotate the document and extract useful sections and charts so you can add them to your case file on your case management system.

What are the benefits of OCR for lawyers?

Why should I use this feature to convert PDF to text? OCR can help you in the following ways:

Speed

By effectively ‘unlocking’ scanned documents, OCR removes the (frustrating!) requirement of having to retype sections of text contained in scanned documents. For many of the scanned files lawyers deal, only certain sections of them are specifically relevant to the litigation in hand. As we explored in our article, How lawyers can reduce stress at work with legal tech, as much as 20% of a working day can be wasted in searching for the information you need to get the job done. Trying to identify the relevant parts of huge files can be a big part of this. By letting you search for and then highlight specific areas, you can cut out a lot of this waste.

Accuracy

This can be especially relevant when you have large volumes of financial records to analyse. When assessing text manually, even the most experienced lawyer can miss something important. With OCR enabled, you can use the search function in full knowledge that nothing relevant will be missed.

Profitability

OCR makes it quicker to work with scanned documents, freeing up your time to devote to more valuable activities such as wider case strategy and building stronger client relationships. What’s more, because it creates less scope for error, there is often greater scope for delegating tasks such as document checking to more junior staff.

What are the best solutions for converting PDF to text?

As you’d expect, there are a lot of solutions out there for converting PDF to text using OCR. It’s an ever changing and competitive market with some very established players (some that go back 40 years or more) and new entrants. Most PDF Editors these days seem to offer OCR, either as part of the standard package, or as a separate offer.

Before diving into options, you need to decide on your needs.

  1. Will you have a constant, ie. high volume, of documents that you need to OCR, or will you need to OCR documents only occasionally.
  2. Is client confidentiality such that uploading documents to an online tool is out of the question and only an offline tool will work for you?

The market leader for get-it-done OCR remains Adobe Acrobat Pro DC whilst one of the oldest and most reliable offers is ABBYY FineReader PDF, it also offers ABBYY FineReader Server an “Automated high-volume document conversion server”. Offline solutions for occasional OCR use include Casedo.

Conclusion

In the legal sector, where efficiency and accuracy are paramount, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology has emerged as a transformative tool. By converting static, scanned PDFs into dynamic, searchable text documents, OCR addresses one of the major pain points for legal professionals: the difficulty of working with non-editable files. This technology not only enhances the ability to quickly search, annotate, and manipulate document contents but also significantly boosts productivity by reducing the time spent on manual data extraction and analysis.

The ability to convert PDFs to text on the fly is particularly beneficial in legal contexts, where rapid access to precise information can impact case outcomes and streamline workflows. With a range of OCR solutions available, from comprehensive software like Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to specialized tools like Casedo, legal professionals can select the option that best fits their needs, whether for high-volume processing or occasional use.

Ultimately, integrating OCR into daily legal practice not only mitigates the frustrations associated with traditional PDFs but also opens up new avenues for efficiency and accuracy. As the legal field continues to evolve, embracing such technological advancements will be key to staying competitive and effectively managing the demands of modern legal work.

Further Reading

Author Associate Writer

Last Updated on August 29, 2024
First Published on November 11, 2022

Most lawyers are familiar with PDFs – the standard file format for storing scanned documents, as well as for exchanging them with other parties. On the flip side, if you have ever tried to edit, copy or search through text in such a file, you’ll know just how frustrating PDFs can be to work with.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology changes all of this. Designed with lawyers in mind, in-app OCR features enable you to convert pdf to text on the fly and so make unreadable PDFs readable, allowing you to manipulate, search and extract text, just like you would with a Word document. Here’s a closer look at how OCR works, and why this can mean a welcome boost in productivity and reduction in stress levels for lawyers, paralegals and support staff alike.

Why are scanned PDFs problematic for lawyers?

There are good reasons why PDFs (Portable Document Files) are used frequently within law firms. Originally developed decades ago by Adobe, this file format lets you easily convert both electronic and paper documents into accurate digital versions of the original. PDF documents are easy to share and to view, thanks to Adobe’s free-to-use Reader.

The files themselves are also relatively small, which makes it easier to send via email, and also makes it possible to store vast volumes of scanned documents on the firm’s hard drive. Scanning and converting a document into a PDF creates an electronic image of the original. The file is non-editable, which can be useful from a security perspective when you need to show that a document is a true copy of the original. However, this characteristic also stops you from annotating, copying, searching through and extracting the text: bad news when you need to work on the document.

It’s worth noting that the PDF standard is not for a single document type, it is a standard for a group of document types that align with various functions and needs. For more information on PDF types and Scanned PDFs in particular, take a look at PDF types – How many are there?

What does OCR software do?

Optical Character Recognition software changes the way your device processes pdf files. By converting pdf to text it enables the device to actually read the text, rather than treating it as an image. For you, this means the document is transformed into an editable, machine-readable format.

It’s worth noting that to the naked eye the before and after of a document that has been OCR’d is no different. The readable text is added in a layer that the the human eye doesn’t see, this means that the layout and formatting of the original document remains intact.

How can I put OCR software to work?

Here are some of the many situations where OCR can prove especially valuable in law firms and chambers:

Post-disclosure investigation

As part of the disclosure and inspection process, you receive a large volume of the other party’s scanned bank statements in PDF format. As part of your investigations, you want to isolate all transactions relating to a particular payee. Rather than printing out the statements and examining them line-by-line with a highlighter, an OCR feature lets you do a text search for the payee and identify all relevant entries in an instant.

Expert evidence

Attached to the likes of medical and engineering reports, experts will often attach reference documents, such as research reports and articles from academic journals. These documents can often be dense in nature. Nevertheless, it is generally important to give them consideration for anything that might be especially relevant to the actual expert report and to your client’s case as a whole. Once you convert PDF to text, OCR allows you to search for the segments of these documents that are likely to be most relevant. It also allows you to easily copy sections and paste them into opinions, correspondence and pleadings.

Research

One of the barristers’ chambers you frequently instruct has prepared a handy guide to tax law changes and has sent you a scanned version in PDF format. Some of the contents are directly relevant to a number of your cases. OCR enables you to annotate the document and extract useful sections and charts so you can add them to your case file on your case management system.

What are the benefits of OCR for lawyers?

Why should I use this feature to convert PDF to text? OCR can help you in the following ways:

Speed

By effectively ‘unlocking’ scanned documents, OCR removes the (frustrating!) requirement of having to retype sections of text contained in scanned documents. For many of the scanned files lawyers deal, only certain sections of them are specifically relevant to the litigation in hand. As we explored in our article, How lawyers can reduce stress at work with legal tech, as much as 20% of a working day can be wasted in searching for the information you need to get the job done. Trying to identify the relevant parts of huge files can be a big part of this. By letting you search for and then highlight specific areas, you can cut out a lot of this waste.

Accuracy

This can be especially relevant when you have large volumes of financial records to analyse. When assessing text manually, even the most experienced lawyer can miss something important. With OCR enabled, you can use the search function in full knowledge that nothing relevant will be missed.

Profitability

OCR makes it quicker to work with scanned documents, freeing up your time to devote to more valuable activities such as wider case strategy and building stronger client relationships. What’s more, because it creates less scope for error, there is often greater scope for delegating tasks such as document checking to more junior staff.

What are the best solutions for converting PDF to text?

As you’d expect, there are a lot of solutions out there for converting PDF to text using OCR. It’s an ever changing and competitive market with some very established players (some that go back 40 years or more) and new entrants. Most PDF Editors these days seem to offer OCR, either as part of the standard package, or as a separate offer.

Before diving into options, you need to decide on your needs.

  1. Will you have a constant, ie. high volume, of documents that you need to OCR, or will you need to OCR documents only occasionally.
  2. Is client confidentiality such that uploading documents to an online tool is out of the question and only an offline tool will work for you?

The market leader for get-it-done OCR remains Adobe Acrobat Pro DC whilst one of the oldest and most reliable offers is ABBYY FineReader PDF, it also offers ABBYY FineReader Server an “Automated high-volume document conversion server”. Offline solutions for occasional OCR use include Casedo.

Conclusion

In the legal sector, where efficiency and accuracy are paramount, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology has emerged as a transformative tool. By converting static, scanned PDFs into dynamic, searchable text documents, OCR addresses one of the major pain points for legal professionals: the difficulty of working with non-editable files. This technology not only enhances the ability to quickly search, annotate, and manipulate document contents but also significantly boosts productivity by reducing the time spent on manual data extraction and analysis.

The ability to convert PDFs to text on the fly is particularly beneficial in legal contexts, where rapid access to precise information can impact case outcomes and streamline workflows. With a range of OCR solutions available, from comprehensive software like Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to specialized tools like Casedo, legal professionals can select the option that best fits their needs, whether for high-volume processing or occasional use.

Ultimately, integrating OCR into daily legal practice not only mitigates the frustrations associated with traditional PDFs but also opens up new avenues for efficiency and accuracy. As the legal field continues to evolve, embracing such technological advancements will be key to staying competitive and effectively managing the demands of modern legal work.

Further Reading

Author Associate Writer

Last Updated on August 29, 2024
First Published on November 11, 2022