Case Management Software
Case management software is vital for modern law firms, addressing one of the most critical business aspects of a legal service firm: handling all of the elements of matters as they progress. Law firms need to ensure that everyone and everything is in order, some times as much as in the blink of an eye. Many firms today with dynamic practice areas and varying types of clients interact constantly with a variety of people and other firms . Case management software helps automate many processes such as document handling, calendaring, and client communication.
A good case management system can help improve efficiencies by keeping track of many factors, including: In general, case management systems allow complete integrations with documents and calendars, as well as for time tracking and billing. Other features can include: These features can lead to better organization of legal teams, and help keep firms on top of their work.
Legal Research Software
With a simple click of a button, legal research software opens up a world of searchable databases, giving legal professionals quick access to comprehensive legal content across multiple jurisdictions. Legal research sites such as Lexis and Westlaw are ideal for building cases, checking for recency and validity, finding supporting or opposing authority, and searching for experts. By dramatically reducing the time it takes to locate case law, statutes, rules and regulations, bills and legislative histories, or legal opinions and advice, the software has opened the door to significant efficiency improvements and increased accuracy in the legal context.
Billing and Accounting Software
Managing the financial aspects of a legal practice is a complex and demanding task. Billing and accounting software provides seamless solutions to the challenges of managing client accounts, practice finances, and methodical invoicing. The accurate tracking of billable time must not only be efficient but also compliant with the regulations and standards to which your law firm is beholden. An effective system can help ensure the integrity of financial and billing records, avoid overbilling, and ensure that the client gets what they are paying for.
With this software, all clients are invoiced in the same way (accurate ICC bar billing is integral). Client payments are tracked and categorized, and unmatched balances are addressed. Invoicing software can run reports detailing your law firms services, allowing you to see clearly where resources are being used and how the legal practice allocates its time. You can observe trends in your firm’s activities, providing you with insight into your firm’s allocation of resources.
Integrating billing and accounting software into your practice helps you focus on the more pressing legal matters that require your attention. Staff can be relieved of the headaches of keeping track of billing hours yet still have access to billing reports as needed.
Document Automation Software
As legal practices involve the creation and negotiation of a multitude of documents, document automation software provides law firms with the capability to quickly and easily automate the processes of preparing contracts, forms and agreements. The use of such software allows a law firm to generate new contracts based on specific criteria unique to a case or client , while sharing templates and forms throughout the firm to promote greater organizational consistency in document preparation. By relying on a software tool to generate new documents instead of creating them from scratch each time, a law firm minimizes the risk that it will make a typographical error or fail to include an important piece of information, while freeing up the valuable time of paralegals, legal assistants and attorneys that would have otherwise been spent preparing documents.
E-Discovery Software
A significant amount of litigation today hinges on electronic data or electronically stored information (ESI). This technology makes e-discovery software essential for any law firm engaged in litigating cases over the internet. These programs offer functionality specifically focused on the discovery phase of a case and include powerful tools for data collection, processing and review. E-Discovery software simplifies the processes needed to conduct a thorough discovery of ESI, which is the exchange of information between opposing parties during a case in an effort to streamline discovery. The company Zylab lists several of these key functions of e-discovery software on their website: • Data Collection: This ensures all relevant data is gathered in a secure manner. Security is the biggest concern for any attorney when it comes to the exchange of information, and e-discovery software helps ensure proper encryption of data and protection of the exchanged information throughout the discovery process. • Processing: Depending on the circumstances of a case, which ESI sources to collect is important. E-discovery software contains indexed searches to find the best sources to try to minimize the data that needs to be reviewed so attorneys can better focus their efforts. • Review: Filters are used to ensure that only the relevant pieces of data and ESI are presented for review. You may be able to tag and label data so you can more easily sort through it during the discovery process. E-discovery software is essential to allow lawyers to handle the vast amount of ESI based on the protocols and guidelines of a case. Due to the nature of these programs, much of the functionality is automation. This allows attorneys processing a large amount of ESI to find the needle in the haystack while ensuring that no irrelevant data seeps through the cracks.
Software for the Cloud
Cloud-based solutions are steadily becoming a dominant trend in the law firm software industry. Law firms are embracing the advantages of cloud-based software solutions that provide lawyers with the ability to access legal tools and data through the cloud rather than on a desktop computer at the office. Cloud-based solutions are accessible anywhere, anytime, on any Internet-enabled device. They are ideal for modern law firms that require dynamic software applications that can adapt to the unique needs of their practice and seamlessly grow with the changing demands of the organization or legal practice. These versatile cloud solutions promote collaboration by making it easier for law firms with multiple offices to share information, collaborate on matters, and respond to client requests quickly from virtually anywhere .
Scalability and flexibility are two more major advantages of cloud-based legal software solutions. The cloud-based approach gives small to medium-sized law firm owners the freedom to select the modules they need and add other productive work features as their organization and individual needs expand. Cloud-based legal software solutions use a subscription model for payments. Firms pay a just-in-time fee each month based on the services and features they use. Unlike traditional desktop software solutions, firms don’t have to pay licensing fees upfront to get started. They can also try the latest legal software services and only pay for those that best meet their needs. Both law firm owners and their staff appreciate cloud solutions for their versatility, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. They empower firms to instantly adjust their accounts to their precise needs and only pay for what they actually use.