Considerations For Outsourcing Document Review

According to a recent study, document review accounts for more than 60% of the costs associated with eDiscovery ($14 Billion). And this number is sure to grow as digitization and data sprawl interact with litigation.

The cost burden in document review isn't necessarily in the service itself but in the large amount of irrelevant material yielded from fruitless searches, slowing the review time and upping the cost.

To get ahead of this challenge, firms are at a crossroads of investing the in-house muscle to take on document review while attending to other tasks or considering outsourcing it to a vendor. Either instance is impactful yet unequal in service gains and future relevancy. For firms curious about outsourcing their document review, here are our considerations.

When to Begin Outsourcing Document Review:

Often, firms considering outsourcing wait until they process all documents before evaluating the overall data amount related to their in-house ability. This hesitancy may appear prudent, but it can waste time and overlook essential strategies in the identification and collection stage. For document review, planning should occur sooner. With a talented vendor, it's done in tandem with a forensic analyst. This ability develops a more strategic data collection and readies the vendor to begin recruitment of the specialized review team handling the case.

Recruitment of the team is essential in ensuring a defensible product. For vendors specializing in document review, their network expands to a national pool of subject-matter experts (SMEs), providing a heightened lens in specific litigation cases. Vendors can also scale their teams more efficiently to attend to any data volume, creating an adaptable and agile service that best-fits the project. Firms relying on in-house teams can often take on more than their production ability, resulting in review time being billed unnecessarily and burdening your team with an endless review rather than focusing on more strategic tasks.



Outsourcing document review allows firms to prioritize and strengthen their most essential work and defines clear production workflows from the onset rather than a delayed estimation, which may also affect case strategy.

Anticipate the Complexities of the Case:

Review complexity is paramount among the reasons document review represents a significant percentage of eDiscovery costs. The responsibility of a review attorney extends beyond assessing documents for relevance, privilege, confidentiality, and PII. Attorneys must accurately apply redactions to privileged or non-disclosable content, re-review, target searches, and leverage technology to determine relevant or responsive documents. In-house staffing for document review may fulfill some of these responsibilities, but any potential negligence is a potential challenge from opposing counsel.

Vendors with access to leading technology not only have the capabilities to support their document review teams, but they also position their service to be detail-focused and industry-leading. Expert application of Technology-Assisted Review (TAR) will provide faster, more accurate workflows through updated coding decisions occurring in real-time to support the reviewer's output and consistently deliver the most pertinent documents to the case.

Additionally, a document review vendor will bolster case support as they work hand in hand with clients to ensure an effective product. IST Management's Managed Review division includes expert project managers that consult through the total case lifecycle. Powerful workflows and teams mitigate risk and standardize processes to ensure service stands up in court and elevate your eDiscovery production.



Document review is complex, but that doesn't mean the operation completing it needs to be. An outsourcing provider combines service with partnership, meaning your vision is always exceeded and reflected in the work product.

Consider the Cost-Savings:

A review of case budgets often reveals that the majority of costs are incurred for managed document review. When assessing those costs, outsourcing document review to a capable vendor is consistently found to be more advantageous, at about 35% or more savings. Outsourcing document review means better, proven workflows, leading to faster service times and, ultimately, more satisfied clients. Every step of the review, including staffing, training, pre-review work, quality control, and document production branch from one single provider versus handling each step in-house in addition to other pressing tasks.

For firms with the casework to consider this option, outsourcing can scale with your work, growing in operation as your work intake builds. This partnership positions a service that doesn't conclude when one project ends but grows with your vision.

Document review will only continue to be a force within the eDiscovery market. Its growing relevance will invite innovators to get ahead of strategizing data and create more obstacles for firms not thinking proactively. Outsourcing can equalize your production across the industry to be effective, reliable, and confident.