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Case Study: Managed IT Services for Senior Law Firm
Waiting two to three weeks for an IT fix used to be normal at South County Senior Law, an estate planning practice. Now help arrives in roughly 90 seconds. For more than three decades, the firm relied on paper records stored in a warehouse and one on-site server with nothing backed up elsewhere, leaving sensitive, privileged information exposed. With ThrottleNet, the practice moved to offsite backups, encrypted email, regular security training for staff, and case management through Clio. As a result, client data is safeguarded, attorneys can look up details in the middle of a meeting rather than retrieving paper files, and the team keeps finding new ways to save time each week.
Weeks to 90 Seconds: How South County Senior Law Brought a 36-Year-Old Practice Up to Date
Thad Ortman inherited more than a law practice when he became owner of South County Senior Law. He also inherited an IT process that started with a phone call and ended, two or three weeks later, with a fix that didn’t always hold. Intake forms were on paper, years of files sat in a warehouse, and everything digital lived on one server with nothing backed up offsite. That’s a serious exposure for a firm entrusted with Social Security numbers, tax returns, and privileged client details.
ThrottleNet’s work began with a 30-day onboarding, guided by an in-depth questionnaire and a written scope of work. Over that period, the firm’s records were moved to secure offsite backups, sensitive email was encrypted, and staff began weekly security training. Intake, conflict checks, and client files were brought together in Clio, and help is now one click away through the TN Chat icon on each desktop.
Today, problems that used to linger for weeks get a response in about 90 seconds. Client records are safe from fire, lightning, or a failed piece of hardware, and the team keeps uncovering new ways to save time.
Key takeaway: New equipment was only part of the story. The bigger shift was trading slow, after-the-fact IT for a partner that answers in minutes, explains its work, and plans with the firm instead of just reacting.
The Challenge: Waiting Weeks for a Fix
For a long time, getting IT help at South County Senior Law followed a familiar pattern. A problem came up, someone called or emailed, and the office found workarounds until help finally arrived.
“The IT help was basically a phone call. And two or three weeks later we would have something that might be done. But you weren’t always assured that it was going to be done correctly the first time.” – Thad Ortman, Owner, South County Senior Law
The wait times were what everyone noticed, but they were only part of the picture. Once Thad became owner, a handful of other concerns rose quickly to the top. Key challenges:
- Everything on paper. Intake forms, a good share of internal communication, and file storage were all paper-based. Records stayed in a warehouse for years, many of them never scanned, with no digital copy to fall back on.
- A single point of failure. The entire firm relied on one server with no redundancy. A lightning strike on the building next door showed just how exposed that left them.
- Support without answers. The former provider reacted to problems after they happened and never flagged threats to watch for. After one incident, the firm was simply told the issue had been handled.
- A phone system past its prime. The office phones were a discontinued model, one more fragile piece of everyday operations.
- Highly sensitive client data. Estate planning and probate work means holding Social Security numbers, birth dates, family and business details, and tax records, all covered by attorney-client privilege.
“The answer from the computer service at that time was, well, we don’t know exactly why it happened, but it’s all taken care of now. But I’m dealing with people’s privileged information and I can’t have that. I have to know what happened.”
Thad Ortman, Owner, South County Senior Law
Thad's Goals
- Get client records archived so they were protected and could be pulled up whenever a client needed them.
- Shield confidential client data from hackers and scams.
- Reduce the hours staff lost hunting for files and information, both for the team and for clients.
The Solution: A Partner That Responds, and a Practice That Runs Digitally
Help in About 90 Seconds With TN Chat
When something goes wrong, staff click the TN Chat icon in their taskbar. They get a confirmation that a ticket has been opened, and a technician usually reaches out within minutes, often before the error has even left the screen. Bigger issues are handled in the background, followed by an email that spells out what the technician found, what changed, and the reason for it. When one machine has a problem, ThrottleNet also checks the rest of the office for it.
“To be able to just punch a little button and 90 seconds later the DM is popping up and they’re asking questions… it was just mind bending the first couple of times.” – Thad Ortman, Owner, South County Senior Law
Issues no longer have to go through Thad first. Some small problems have been resolved in five or ten minutes without him even knowing until days afterward.
Onboarding in 30 Days, With a Plan in Writing
The process kicked off with a questionnaire covering security levels, training needs, and details Thad had never been asked to write down. From there, ThrottleNet delivered a scope of work spelling out each task and its timeline, swapped out hardware, and cut over systems as scheduled. Computers sped up and spam fell off. Staff questions went to ThrottleNet’s onboarding lead and were answered the same day, which built confidence that going from paper to digital would work. Within roughly two months, the team was comfortable with the new systems.
“When I saw that questionnaire, I was like, wow, this is big leagues. This is not just somebody that’s doing it on the side on the weekends.” – Thad Ortman, Owner, South County Senior Law
Backups, Encryption, and Security Training
Instead of sitting on one server in the office, client records are now stored in secure offsite backups, protected against fire, lightning, or a reboot that goes wrong. Staff can also get to files from home or a phone when they need to. ThrottleNet added encrypted email for sensitive documents headed to clients, CPAs, financial planners, and healthcare providers, along with weekly security quizzes that help the team recognize phishing and scams.
Case Management in One Place
Intake, calendaring, conflict checks, and client records now all run through Clio, taking the place of three separate programs and trips to the warehouse. When Thad has a question about Clio, he says ThrottleNet’s team typically gets him a quicker, more helpful answer than Clio’s own support does.
Planning Ahead With a vCIO
ThrottleNet’s vCIO helps the firm sort out whether a problem is isolated or calls for an office-wide fix, walks through why a project costs what it does or takes as long as it does, and points out new tools that could be useful in a legal practice.
The Impact:
|
Category |
Previously |
With ThrottleNet |
|
Technical support |
Call or email, then wait two to three weeks |
One click on TN Chat; about 90 seconds to a response |
|
Records |
Stored on paper in a warehouse, often unscanned |
Digitally archived and backed up offsite |
|
Infrastructure |
A single standalone server and terminal |
No single point of failure, with remote access available |
|
Case files |
Paper plus three disconnected programs |
Intake, calendaring, conflict checks, and records unified in Clio |
|
Email security |
Sensitive documents sent without consistent protection |
Encryption for email to clients, CPAs, and providers |
|
Security awareness |
Threats learned about in the newspaper |
Weekly quizzes and security newsletters |
- Response times for IT issues dropped from two to three weeks to roughly 90 seconds.
- Records are archived and backed up offsite, no longer tied to a single server or building.
- Nearly every week, staff uncover new time savings ranging from ten minutes to a half hour per person.
- During client meetings, attorneys can look up answers on the spot rather than retrieving files from storage.
- Team members who were wary of new technology warmed up to it after seeing colleagues get more done.
“Every week we’ll have at least two or three little tidbits of something that somebody in the firm will have found. And now it’s like, oh, well, that just shaved a half hour of work per week for everybody.” – Thad Ortman, Owner, South County Senior Law
How It Started
Dennis Mertz founded South County Senior Law in 1990 in the Oakville area of St. Louis. Serving three and four generations of the same families, the firm became known for straightforward, practical estate planning, as well as probate and trust administration, real estate, and business formation.
Early in his career, Thad Ortman worked alongside the firm from the outside and appreciated its common-sense style. When he was offered a position nine years ago, he accepted immediately. Becoming owner earlier this year meant updating a practice with 36 years of history while safeguarding the private information families rely on it to protect.
What's Next
Upcoming plans include switching to a fully digital phone system, scanning documents directly rather than making paper copies, and, over time, phasing out physical files altogether. Thad is also exploring AI transcription to send meeting notes straight into client files, and a client portal where families could view their documents from home.
What It All Means
Like medical offices, law firms are responsible for highly sensitive information, yet many still depend on a single server and IT support that only shows up after something breaks. Other attorneys now ask Thad how his firm is set up, and he doesn’t sugarcoat his answer.
“They’re like, we’ve got our own standalone server and it’s fine. I tell them that doesn’t cut it anymore. That rule was written over 25 years ago and it still talks about faxes.” – Thad Ortman, Owner, South County Senior Law
Whether it’s one server, a room full of paper, or an IT provider that needs weeks to respond, each is a single point of failure. A local partner that answers in minutes, explains what it did, and helps plan for what’s next frees attorneys to focus on their clients, not their computers.
Is your firm still waiting days for IT help? ThrottleNet helps law firms protect client information, back up records offsite, and get support in about 90 seconds.
Final Word
“I recommend ThrottleNet because you have a great company that is at the top of what they do as far as expertise, and it’s being done by great people who want to help you do whatever it is that you do to the best of your ability. With this being a law office, the goal was to have the IT help us without getting in our way. That’s what ThrottleNet has done. Everything is in place. It works well. We don’t have to think about it anymore.” – Thad Ortman, Owner, South County Senior Law
About ThrottleNet
ThrottleNet is a managed IT services and cybersecurity company serving hundreds of businesses throughout the Kansas City region. The company helps organizations eliminate technology frustration, improve productivity, and keep their people, systems, and data safe. ThrottleNet’s team loves technology, but more importantly, they love helping people. Their multi-tiered help desk model allows them to respond quickly and resolve issues efficiently, while dedicated experts in cybersecurity, cloud services, project management, and business strategy provide clients with complete IT support.
Known for award-winning service, a 90-second average response time, and high customer satisfaction, ThrottleNet is one of the region’s most reviewed managed and co-managed IT providers. From full-service IT management to cybersecurity and strategic guidance, ThrottleNet helps businesses stop worrying about technology and start using it to their advantage.
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