Seeing growth in your law firm can be tremendously exciting. After all, you’ve worked hard to bring in new clients and gain brand recognition. But what happens when all those new cases start to become overwhelming and your organization systems break down?

Legal practice management software can help you get your firm’s information back under control and keep your growth manageable. Read on to learn more about this tool and discover how to choose the best provider for you.

Legal practice management software is a system that can help you take control of almost every aspect of your law firm. It’s an all-in-one platform that stores all the information for your law firm and helps you keep it organized and your processes streamlined. There are several components that make up legal practice management software.

Case Management

This portion of the system can help you to keep all your cases organized and keep their files easily accessible. No more hunting through folder after folder. Your files will be right at your fingertips so you have all the information you need to win.

On the subject of keeping your documents organized, a good legal practice management program will make this a lot easier. You can edit, organize, and share documents with the people you need to while making sure no sensitive data is compromised.

Billing

Good practice management software can also make your billing process much easier to manage. You can automate time-consuming duties and make payment easier for your clients. You can even accept online credit card payments through this software.

Time and Expense Tracking

The first step of billing is making sure you’re tracking your time accurately. Legal practice management software can help you keep up with your billable time, as well as your firm’s expenses.

Accounting

Finances can be enough of a headache on their own, and that’s without accounting for the regulations you have to comply with. A good practice management tool will help you reconcile your finances without developing a migraine. It will also make it much simpler for you to stay in compliance.

Contact Management

Keeping your contacts straight can be a daunting task. Practice management software helps you keep up with all your clients and contacts, including allowing you to keep notes on each contact. It will notify the right people when a contact reaches out and allow you to pick back up where you left off in the last conversation.

Calendaring

Do you ever feel like keeping up with your calendar is a full-time job all on its own? The calendaring system in a legal practice management tool can help you keep up with deadlines, make sure you don’t miss meetings, and keep you connected even on the go.

Task Management

Like your calendar, your to-do list may feel overwhelming most days. This software can help you keep your task management in hand, allowing you to organize lists, see progress on tasks, and check in on your team’s workload.

Law Firm Insights

If you want to grow your firm, you need more than gut instinct. A good legal practice management program can give you a birds-eye view of your business, allowing you to make informed decisions and grow your business the smart way.

There are several programs you can choose from to keep all your firm’s information organized.

Clio

Clio is a web-based legal practice management program and one of the top-rated tools in the field. It’s easy to use and has amazing customer service, and it integrates with hundreds of other practice management tools. 

MyCase

Like Clio, MyCase is a web-based program geared toward small and solo practice firms. It offers support for client communication and feedback, as well as credit card payments.

PCLaw

PCLaw provides an all-in-one solution for billing, legal accounting, and comprehensive matter management. They also have a coordinating tool, Time Management, that allows you to design workflows, automate forms and precedents, automate time entry, and more.

LawGro

Unlike the other tools we’ve mentioned so far, LawGro has AI at the heart of its operations. They primarily focus on timekeeping, allowing you to track your billable hours more easily and accurately.

Amicus Attorney

Amicus Attorney aims to help law firms move beyond just “making do.” They make it easier for you to track your billable hours, integrate with your email and calendar programs, and give you remote access so you can work from anywhere.

CosmoLex

CosmoLex takes a matter-centric approach case management, connecting every entry to the appropriate client matter. They can also help you manage your time tracking, accounting, and firm analysis.

Firm Central

Firm Central aims to simplify legal practice management, offering an online platform where you can organize your firm. They provide calendaring, accounting, document assembly, and even a client portal.

Filevine

Like LawGro, Filevine uses AI to help you keep your firm in order. It includes case and matter management, document management, time tracking and billing software, and more.

Rocket Matter

Rocket Matter provides modern legal software built for today’s busy firms. They have convenient bill-as-you-work tools; advanced reports and analytics you can use to grow your firm; and unlimited email, PDF, and word document storage.

How to Pick the Right Software for You

All these programs have their own pros and cons. Picking which tool you should use is a matter of knowing what you need and what your priorities are for legal practice management software.

Cloud-Based vs. On-Premise

There are two basic platforms legal practice management software can be built on: the cloud or an on-premise server. 

Cloud-based programs are accessed through your web browser, and the data you put into it is stored on the vendor’s servers, rather than yours. While this can make your server management a lot easier, less reputable legal practice management software companies may not offer the security you need.

On-premise software is installed on your computers, and all the data is stored on your servers on site. The main drawback of this format, aside from the additional server requirements, is that you won’t have remote access to your data. You’ll have to be in the office to access and organize your information.

Cost and Maintenance Requirements

Of course, cost is a factor when purchasing any new piece of software. Whether it’s a one-time payment or an ongoing subscription, make sure the cost of the software makes sense for your firm. Be sure to factor in how much time you’ll be saving by using this software when doing these calculations.

If you opt for an on-premise program, you may need to do routine maintenance on it – running updates, fixing problems, and so on. You may need to hire an IT service or staff your own internal IT department. You’ll need to factor these costs into your calculations when determining if you can reasonably afford a certain service.

Remote Access

One of the best (and sometimes worst) things about working in the internet age is that you can work from anywhere. Having access to your legal practice management software even when you’re out of the office can keep you more productive. It can also open opportunities for you to move to a work-from-home setup for some of your staff.

If you decide you do want remote access to your legal practice management software, you’ll need to opt for one of the cloud-based systems. You’ll also need to do your due diligence to make sure that all your sensitive data is secure and in compliance with your firm requirements. If you plan to use time-tracking tools in this software, you may want to pick an option that has a mobile app.

Compatibility

If you already have other software that you use at your firm, you may not want to spend all the time and effort it would take to swap to a different system when you implement a legal practice management tool. Many top legal practice management tools are compatible with other popular software that makes it easier to run your firm.

Before you settle on a specific piece of software, it’s a good idea to check if it’s compatible with the systems you already use. This may include email tools, digital calendaring, word processing, document management services, bookkeeping systems, and more. Of course, if these systems aren’t working for you, this may be an opportunity for you to switch to a better model.

Migration and Training

Even if the systems you currently use are compatible with your new legal practice management tool, you’re going to have some migration work to do when you first implement this software. You’ll need to transition your cases onto the new platform and train your staff on how to use the new system.

Check with your shortlist of providers and ask what sort of support they offer for migration and training. Not only should the vendor provide solid training and migration support, but their platform should also be relatively easy to navigate. You don’t want to spend the next months arguing with your new system and slowing down your workflow.

Compliance and Security

It almost goes without saying that your new legal practice management software will need to comply with any regulations your firm is required to follow. This includes data security and protections for your clients’ information. You need to double-check that your selected software package will meet your ethical and data security requirements. 

So now we come to the big question: should you invest in legal practice management software? You may be looking at paying between $40 and $100 per user per month, and that’s money you don’t want to throw away lightly. There are a few questions you should ask yourself before committing to this new tool. 

  • Are you struggling to keep your files synced? Do you find that different members of your firm are working on different versions of the same file? A synchronized document management system can help you avoid critical errors.
  • Do you have the same file copied in multiple locations? In addition to having staff working on different versions of the same file, you may have one file stored in multiple locations, which is a waste of space. Legal practice management software can allow you to keep one file in one place and share its location to multiple folders so you always have what you need at your fingertips.
  • Are you drowning in data? If it feels like you’re swimming in files with no real way to keep them manageable, a more powerful organization system can help you get your information under control.
  • Are you spending too much time on invoicing? If you’re losing hours each month managing invoices, a more streamlined and automated system can help you reclaim that time.
  • Do you need better remote access? If you often find yourself running back to the office to look at a tile or asking your staff to send you information stored on your computer, you may need a cloud-based system that will give you better remote access.

If you find yourself facing these issues on a regular basis, it may be time to invest in an all-in-one software solution.

Make Your Practice Growth Manageable

As your firm grows, you may find that your old organization systems aren’t working for you anymore. Legal practice management software can give you an all-in-one scalable solution that will help you handle everything from your billing and document management to your client communication and more. There are a number of companies that can provide the functionality you need, and choosing the right one for you is a matter of evaluating your needs and budget.

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