Though we all know that technology can be a great way to make our days more efficient, our work more accurate and our days more satisfying, we have also learned that not all technology is created equal.
Sometimes, too much of a seemingly good thing can end up causing more harm than good.
Such is the case with many of the more popular legal practice management software systems that are being used by lawyers and law firms every day.
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Legal practice management software boasts that it can streamline your law firm’s workflow and simplify your day-to-day operations with its specific legal software.
But this is often not the case.
For many law firms, there are certain best practices that are already in place that don’t need to be improved or changed.
In fact, sometimes certain “improvements” or “changes” can lead to much more frustration and confusion than there was previously.
When thinking about what’s best, you need to think about your law firm.
What type of software is going to suit your firm best?
Will it ultimately be an all-in-one practice management solution that forces you to retrain all your lawyers and staff while also transferring potentially thousands of documents and files?
Or will it be a software system that is designed to integrate tools you are already using, like Microsoft 365 or maybe QuickBooks Online into a customizable software platform built with your law firm’s specific needs in mind?
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These decisions are not easy and, in fact, can feel overwhelming at times.
But start from the basics and focus on this…
Whatever type of system you elect to choose for your law office, think about what you already have that is working for your law practice and what you could implement in order to improve your law firm management.
Often, what you already have that is working is more than you may realize.
Let’s find out!
What Are the Essential Tasks for any Successful Law Firm?
The first thing you need to determine before you begin wondering if your law firm needs legal practice management software is this:
What are the tasks that you are currently managing successfully and efficiently, and what are the tasks that are being mismanaged or not taken care of at all?
Defining where your law firm and its people are doing just fine is going to be as important as determining where there are areas that need improvement, or even a complete overhaul.
There is no point in paying hard-earned revenue for a practice management software legal system that is going to force your lawyers and/or your staff to make changes and implementation to areas that are already working just fine for them, their clients, and the practice as a whole.
On the other hand, there may be areas where new technology and software systems are going to make an enormous difference in a staff person or whole department’s workflow once it’s implemented correctly.
Not only that, certain types of technology and software may also improve efficiency, accuracy, and even transparency levels that are vital to a law firm staying in compliance with state and federal rules and regulations.
Let’s dive deeper into some of the more common tasks that most law firms must focus on a regular basis and see which ones you feel your law firm could improve.
1. Client Communication
There is no denying that client communication is one of the bedrocks of any successful law firm.
That is, essentially, what the practice of law is all about.
But the ways in which an attorney or their staff communicate with a client has changed significantly over the years.
Thanks in part to the pandemic, but even more so thanks to technology as a whole, the various modes of communication with clients has grown exponentially.
This is usually good news. Being able to chat in person, via teleconference, over the phone, or even through email has made it much easier for an attorney and their client to be in communication as often as needed while also making it more cost-effective and efficient as well.
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Request a DemoOne of the most common ways of communicating when efficiency is the priority is via email.
Being able to send an email to a client or respond quickly to theirs is one of the best tools that law firms have been given when it comes to client management and serving clients in general.
If you already have a proven method of sending and receiving emails in your law practice, then implementing some sort of law practice management software that claims it can do it better is not going to be an expense that your law office needs or should take on.
There are many law practice management software companies on the market today that boast being able to improve your communication with your clients as being an integral part of what their legal practice management software can provide.
These are the areas that you need to look closely at when you’re deciding what types of law practice management services your law office really needs.
Don’t integrate and pay for features in law office management software that you simply don’t need.
2. Document Management
Another area that many lawyers and law firms may be led to believe that needs a more advanced or sophisticated practice management software is document management.
Anyone who is part of a law firm team knows the vital role that document management plays in a successful and reputable practice.
They also know how important it is that their document storage system is highly secured as well.
Client files need to be treated with the utmost care, and confidentiality is a huge priority to any good law firm.
That said, if you already have a document assembly and document storage process that is working well for your legal practice, then there is no need to implement a complicated law firm practice management software system that is going to claim to do it better for you.
The truth is, in the past few years, software applications have greatly improved when it comes to security and encryption measures. Whether you are using a software application like NetDocuments. Dropbox, OneDrive, or even Google Drive there is no point in changing what you are already doing if it’s working for you.
Not only that, but many law practices that have elected to purchase practice management software for their firm report that they often never end up using the document management feature, since transferring all their current files became such a tedious process they never found the time to do it or the expertise to help them achieve it.
At LeanLaw, we have skilled tech experts who can assess your current document storage system and ensure that it is an effective choice for your firm and that all your files and sensitive documents are entirely secure.
There is no doubt that file and document security should be of the utmost importance to any reputable law firm. You just don’t have to pay through the nose for it!
3. Time and Expense Tracking
No matter what type of law your lawyers are in the business of practicing, there is one steadfast rule that governs all law firms.
If you don’t bill for your hours, you won’t get paid.
Most attorneys work on a billable basis and keep track of their hours — even minutes! — is one of the most important tasks that must be completed regularly.
This is also one of those task management areas that can be tricky, to say the least.
Lawyers are busy and their staff are too. Remembering to log hours can be a tedious task and an easy one to want to put off until they have “time to get to it.”
But often the “time to get to it” doesn’t happen as promptly as needed for invoices to be sent out in a timely manner, and with as much accuracy as possible.
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Not only that, but when an attorney doesn’t get in the habit of recording their billable hours often and accurately, they also lose the opportunity to gain valuable insights into their productivity, which will ultimately help them make sure they are utilizing their time efficiently.
This is why — unlike with client communication and document management — having legal software that is created with a time tracking feature is an area where your law firm should consider investing in an application that is more sophisticated than just using an Excel or Google spreadsheet to manually track your time.
Instead of investing big dollars and time into a legal practice management software system, consider instead a billing software program like LeanLaw that allows your attorneys to have hassle-free time tracking applications on all of their various devices.
This means that whether they are at their desk or in the carpool line, making sure that all billable minutes are accurately accounted for will feel effortless. And, thanks to LeanLaw’s unique software design, each of those billable minutes are then automatically recorded on that client’s next invoice, taking all the guesswork out of the process for the attorney as well as their accounting staff.
Helping everyone work smarter, not harder, should be the driving goal of any software you introduce into your firm.
4. Billing and Payments
Making sure that your lawyers have the necessary tools to help them capture every minute of their billable time is one thing.
Having the right tools to make sure those hours are then accurately recorded and invoiced is another.
Again, many practice management software companies will try to convince you that their complex software platform is going to be the perfect solution for your firm’s billing and accounting needs. Not only that, but many also use “all in one” billing and accounting systems that fall short of the firm’s expectations.
LeanLaw offers a best of breed – taking QuickBooks Online and adding a comprehensive layer specifically tailored to law firms to help with the billing needs and compliance needs that law firms require.
Some firms will actually invoice manually through snail mail still, which is a HUGE timesuck and impacts their ability to collect 100% of AR. It also costs more in time and money to process, print, and follow up on collections.
They may lead you to believe that the only real way to properly be sending out invoices is through a cloud based solution that is unique to their practice management software.
But this is simply not the case.
For most firms, a quick assessment of what they already have in place for their accounting purposes will show that their system does not need a complete overhaul…just some added support.
One big advantage to a software application like LeanLaw is that not only is it a cloud-based software solution as well, but LeanLaw is an a la carte system, meaning that it can help simplify your legal billing process without forcing you to abandon all your other workflow tasks that are already in place.
Utilizing a desktop and mobile app option, the software uses QuickBooks online in real-time, so everything you record will be instantly updated, and generating invoices will be easier than ever before.
In order to be considered a modern law firm, it’s not necessary to have every bell and whistle on the market, even if many of the practice management software companies are telling you otherwise.
Learning what is working for your firm, and where you could use some additional support is going to be the best thing you can do for your firm’s continued success.
LeanLaw: The Practice Management Software Alternative for Your Law Practice
The legal profession is rapidly changing, and technology is playing a big role in those changes.
It’s important for any law practice to understand the basic technology needs of their organization, then find the right legal software company to help them fill in the gaps as needed.
Practice management software systems want to lead you to believe that you are best served by abandoning old practices and implementing all of their new ones.
But LeanLaw is different.
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As an alternative to traditional practice management software, LeanLaw recognizes that there are many aspects of your business operations that are already working perfectly well for your lawyers and legal teams.
We will only offer what you need – the essentials of billing, payments, timekeeping, and reporting.
Designed by lawyers, for lawyers, LeanLaw is built right on top of QuickBooks Online to provide a seamlessly integrated, complete financial solution for modern, mid-sized law firms looking to reduce overhead and find workflow efficiencies.
LeanLaw will work with your firm to make sure that every team member is empowered to track, invoice, and report billable time, collaborate efficiently from anywhere, and streamline billing to maximize profitability.
If your firm has been considering implementing a new practice software management system but isn’t sure where to start, give LeanLaw a chance to help you.
After you request a free demo, we will put you in touch with one of our experts who will know which questions to ask in order to get a better sense of what your needs actually are.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you need something you don’t.
Let LeanLaw show you an alternative path to your firm’s continued success!
