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Many law firms today still operate without legal practice management software. Mainly because… well, change. Each attorney and team has their own way of tracking matter-related information that’s “working for them.”
I’m here to tell you that your spreadsheets aren’t working.
There are endless reasons why you should adopt case management software, but I’ve narrowed it down to 7 specific reasons to consider:
The heart of any legal practice management software is the matter. Typically, everything related to the case can be found on the matter record inside of your practice management software. This includes all party’s contact information, case documents, calendar appointments, tasks, email correspondence, notes, and billing information.
With everything in a single software, your staff knows where to look for matter-related information without having to contact a coworker to send the file over. They’ll know that if they navigate to the matter, they should be able to find the information they’re looking for.
Services like Amazon Prime have made people expect everything instantly. This is very true for your client’s expectations of case updates. With a legal practice management application (especially if it’s cloud-based) you’re able to get to all of your clients’ information from anywhere, no matter if you’re at your desk or crossing the street in New York City.
Quick updates = Happy clients
If you’re able to run a conflict check in the software where most of your clients’ information resides, you’ll get a more complete conflict check.
I’ve spoken to many firms that have to run a conflict check in their billing software, against a spreadsheet, and then send out a conflict vote to make sure the attorneys don’t uncover conflicts in their own personal files.
This is also important because it not only improves the firm’s processes, but it also protects the firm and keeps them compliant with their liability insurance.
Within a legal software application, you’re able to share information between staff members. Some systems allow you to assign tasks to other coworkers and get notifications once the task is complete. Other programs have chat systems built into the application itself, so you can communicate without having to send an email, call them or get up from your desk.
Quick updates = Happy clients
One of the hardest parts of onboarding new staff is training. A single practice management software means less software and process training.
An added benefit of some practice management applications is automated workflow. With automated workflow, you can build your processes into the program, ensuring compliance across your entire staff with minimal training needed.
This benefit is true if your firm picks a cloud-based practice management application. With most of the newer cloud-based, legal practice management applications, you can access your firm’s database from the web or from a native app on your iOS or Android device. This means as long as you have internet, you’ll have access to your client information.
Many practice management applications give you the ability to capture time as you’re working. Some even capture time spent within their application and other programs attorneys use throughout the day.
If you think your firm is ready to take the plunge and pursue a practice management software, check out this blog about the 3 Types of Legal Practice Management Software to Consider for Your Firm.
