Law Firm Software: Overview

Law firm software is an integrated application suite used by law firms & practitioners to manage case files & records, client information and, legal documents. It’s software that can also be used to track appointments, court schedules and deadlines, alongside managing accounting and billing.

Legal firm software can help both small and larger firms in monitoring billables, classifying legal data, efficiently make collections, and more. The software helps companies to maximize their revenue, save time spent on redundant tasks, and improve overall efficiency. Increased efficiency can allow legal firms to take up more cases, offer better client experience, and complete cases on time. Law firm software solutions help law firms operate smoothly and easily handle the different business verticals of a law firm.

Why Do You Need Law Firm Software?

A legal firm needs law firm software to automate their day-to-day firm activities, offer better services to their clients, adhere to deadlines, manage cases, and more. The legal software is also required to manage basic accounting activities that include sending bills, generating invoices, ensuring timely collections, etc.

Law firm management software is also required to manage client and case data effectively with little to no reliance on the manual process. It comes with features for case management, document management, contact calendar, and appointment scheduling, client communication, time tracking (for billing purpose), etc. The software is useful for law firms because of its secure storage options, encryption, password-based security, email management, and CRM.

In short, the software is essential to improve a legal firm’s efficiency and overall productivity.

Why Do Law Firms Need Software?

A law firm must use legal system software to ensure smooth business operations. It can help firms with:

• Easier client management
• Advanced document management capabilities
• Efficient time tracking for billing & accounting
• Improved workflow
• Easier information sharing for better collaboration
• Clients appointments scheduling
• Effective management of deadlines
• Maintaining the confidentiality of legal cases
• Digital contract signing

Features of Law Firm Software

Legal and case management software helps legal practitioners & companies in streamlining their business processes and making client handling easier. The main features of law firm software include:

• Centralized Database: Law firm and case management software provides a centralized database to store confidential client data, legal information & information pertaining to your practice. It comes with a search function for quick access alongside data import & export functionality. The database allows legal professionals to store and retrieve case information easily, including details like contact information, case files, and email correspondence.
• Collaboration Tools: A law firm management software allows multiple legal practitioners and associates to collaboratively work on multiple cases. This way a legal firm can get different specialist lawyers to collaborate and win a case.
• Integration: The integration allows legal firms to sync and input information from one platform to another, save time, minimize delays, and boost productivity. Users can integrate legal software with multiple tools including Microsoft 365, QuickBooks, Dropbox, NetDocuments, Account Edge, and Xero Accounting among others.
• Cloud Storage: Cloud storage allows better collaboration among the organization by removing physical barriers. So, even if you are working remotely, you can easily access and retrieve information about any required client and case using the cloud-based software, leading to improved productivity and efficiency.
• Client Communication: Law firm software facilitates easy and quick client communication by allowing users to send text messages and SMS. This is a great way to send updates about scheduled court appointments, client meetings, and more. In addition to this, it can also help a law firm stay in touch with the client with frequent greeting communications.
• Regular Alerts: Receive timely alerts about your upcoming appointments, court hearing, client, and internal meetings, and more. It ensures that you don’t miss any important event and are always prepared.
• Case Management: You can use this feature to effectively manage ongoing & past cases. Different functions of legal case management software such as quick search, task management, tracking appointments, and recording communication, help in making case management simpler for a law firm.
• Contact Management & CRM: Law firm software can effectively track and record client details, including data acquired through emails and phone calls. You can use it to manage contacts & maintain an effective feedback cycle. Client status can be assessed with this feature and customers can be contacted for their feedback using this feature. It also provides follow up & call back reminders.
• Document Assembly: Some legal document software can be used to create legal documents using pre-defined templates. Such templates can be both pre-programmed at the time of purchase or one’s designed by the user can also be used.
• Transcript Management: Using legal document software, you can manage & view transcripts generated during court proceedings, depositions & meetings. You can view them to assess and handle cases effectively, to achieve the best results.
• Billing & Invoice Generation: Law firm billing software lets you manage employee payroll, receivables, trust accounts, and client billing. The software can generate invoices and can ease the process of tax filing. Legal firms also have an option to generate bills on an hourly basis, depending on the case and consultation requirement of the client.
• Conflict Checking: Legal firm management system allows users to quickly check for applicable conflict of interest and statutes of limitations. Your employees can use it to run a database-wide search and the software scans the available data to flag potential issues. It helps your employees save time and reduce the chances of errors which are common with manual checking methods.
• Calendar & Appointment Scheduling: The software can be used to schedule appointments, adhere to deadlines, set reminders, and view upcoming meetings. Its calendar feature syncs your appointments & reminds you of the same before time. You can also sync this feature with common email solutions such as Microsoft Outlook & Gmail.
• Time Tracking: This feature of law firm software allows users to track billable time. You can also customize the billable time feature to different rates for different client requirements. Lastly, you can also record billable time based on hours, transactions, or user-defined fee basis.
• Task Tracking: Use law firm software to efficiently manage to-do lists, assign cases to specific employees and monitor time spent on each case. This lets you improve overall workflow efficiency & productivity.
• Report Generation: Reports based on different factors such as case success & failure rate, billable hours, productivity & conversion rates etc., can be viewed using this software. These reports can be used to analyze individual associates’ performance and identify the key areas that need improvement.
• Client Portal: Legal management software comes with a client portal, using which you can share relevant files & data with clients in real-time. The transfer channel is secure, so any information sent doesn’t end up with the wrong person or entity.
• Online Legal Research Databases: Some legal document software offers this feature wherein, users can access legal research services like LexisNexis or Westlaw. Users can access legal information, refer to past cases for precedent check, & access important resources such as constitution-defined laws, litigation resources, judicial information and publicly available records.

Advantages of Law Firm Software

Law firm software allows advocates, attorneys & lawyers to focus on the important legal stuff while the software handles and assists with the rest. The main advantages of law firm software are:

• Improved Client Satisfaction: A law firm management system helps you to keep your clients happier with instant communication, and real-time updates. The software further ensures that you are always updated about your clients’ cases, which helps you draft the best solutions for your clients.
• Improve Workplace Collaboration: Legal document software helps practitioners improve task collaboration & coordination among employees. Lawyers and paralegals can share data & information easily, with this software, and collaborate on cases. The software improves overall efficiency as deadlines can be met easily and workflow can be appropriately defined.
• Less Manual Dependency: Law firm software can be used to automate redundant tasks such as documentation & information retrieval. Using the repository of legal information offered by this software, you can skip shuffling through stacks of paper Heading files and perform faster and be more efficient at your work. It’s particularly useful when you’re on a client call and need to refer to a document at a moment’s notice. You can simply type down the client’s name or any other relevant keyword and find the file among the search results.
• Simpler Schedule Management: Legal firm software helps users increase efficiency by ensuring that they remain aware of appointments & schedules. This feature makes it easy to streamline & sync calendar events and notifies you when an appointment date/time is near. It prevents you from scheduling overlapping appointments & meetings, by flagging the entry upon input. Law firm software makes sure that your schedule stays on track and improves overall efficiency.
• Legal Office Management: With top law firm software, you get access to a centralised storage location that stores all business-related information. Law firm software ensures that your client data & information are safe, documents are organised & well-managed and the tasks list is defined. Through these, your legal workforce can stay on track & you can ensure that your different practice verticals work in tandem.
• Encrypted Data Transfer & Sharing for Complete Security: You can use this software to send encrypted emails to clients. Sensitive information sent this way is protected with standardised encryption, to ensure that the data is only shared with the concerned person and no one else. You can also choose to send confidential and sensitive files with password protection and ensure that there is no unauthorized access.
• Ease of Access: Law firm software often comes with mobile apps that allow users to stay connected outside of work. A lawyer can know the status of a case & manage ongoing action in real-time, using this feature. Lawyers and associates can work and collaborate from any part of the world, on any case.

Things to Consider Before Buying A Law Firm Software

Before investing in a law practice management software, consider the factors below to make an informed purchase decision:

• Check for Security Features: Since a law firm deals with extremely sensitive & personal data, go for a solution that offers high-grade security. Storing confidential files & sharing them among employees will be a common occurrence, so ask vendors what security capabilities does the law practice management software offer. Make sure you have absolute clarity on this before purchasing a law firm management software.
• Get a Free Trial: Most vendors offer free trial or demos of their products. It allows users to familiarise themselves with software functionalities, understanding how it works and get clarity on how the solution will fit in with existing business functions. Make sure you ask for a free trial or demo before purchasing law firm management software.
• Office Management: Law firm software that you choose should help you effectively manage your legal practice. Through features such as centralised database, case management, billable time tracking, and accounting, the software can ensure smoother office and business management.

Some of the other factors to consider when buying law firm software are:

1. Allows schedule management to efficiently manage court dates, hearings, depositions, etc.
2. Comes with billing and invoicing facility to ensure regular cashflow and timely collections
3. Allows managing routine legal firm operations with modules such as case management, task tracking, appointment scheduling, etc.
4. Facilitates report generation to analyze law firm’s performance
5. Enables database management in terms of cases, clients, advocates, and associates.