In the past, law firms often had limited choices in what types of legal practice management software they could use in order to perform the enormous amount of work that is part of any law firm’s daily operations.
Not only that, but they also were often told that there were limited ways in which their practice could run effectively and there was little to no “thinking outside the box” when it came to all sorts of task management and matter management.
Key Takeaways
- The term “law practice management software” is used to only refer to systems that were sold as an “all-in-one” practice management system. Today, modern law firms have other options.
- Tech stacks are beginning to gain in popularity, since a law practice can pick and choose what sorts of software they wish to use, and what will work best with what they already have in place.
- The legal accounting software you choose will always be an important part of your tech stack that needs to be customized to your firm’s specific accounting needs.
Today, thanks to huge advances in technology, law firms have more choices than ever when it comes to their software applications and implementations.
Gone are the days of an “all-in-one” practice management software legal system being the only way to run a successful law practice.
Now, more law firms are turning to a la carte tech stacks that allow them to pick and choose what works best for their firm, their staff, and – ultimately – their clients.
Let’s do a deeper dive into some of these terms and then look at some of the newest and most innovative options that firms – small, medium, and large – are beginning to implement into their practice management legal plans and see if there are certain ones that really stand out for you.
What is Legal Practice Management Software?
The term “legal practice management software” can be quite broad, but it basically is defined as the technical computerized systems that are put in place by a law firm to help manage and track the firm’s day-to-day workflows as well as any workflows that occur on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.
Legal practice management software systems can help with things such as document management, case management, contact management, and client management.
It will also help with accounting needs, such as time and expense tracking, trust accounting, online payments, and invoicing billable hours.
Law practice management software will help any-size law firm streamline these tasks as well as any administrative tasks in a way that allows for less time to be needed and more accuracy to be had.
For any law firm that is still trying to manage these types of workflow tasks manually, having good practice management software put in place is going to greatly improve everyone’s workflow (as well as the overall morale of the team!)
Though all-in-one law practice management software systems have been around for a long time, they will need to change as the technology around them does too.
Not only that, but the way in which “legal practice management software” has historically been defined is changing too.
In the past, firms saw “legal practice management software” systems as these big, all-in-one software systems that were touted as being able to do everything for everyone under one big umbrella software system.
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But with the incredible advancements in technology and more software companies realizing that “big umbrellas” are no longer necessary for most firms, the term “legal practice management software” is getting a new definition and an exciting new look.
What is a Tech Stack?
The phrase “tech stack” might sound like something sort of complicated, but it really isn’t.
A tech stack is a type of techno-speak that simply refers to a practice’s collection of software and tech-related tools that, when stacked together, will help a business achieve what they have set out to do.
Understanding how each tech tool works to achieve the greater good is an important part of your overall practice management success.
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For example, in a typical law firm, some of the items that might be found in your tech stack are things like:
- Legal Document Management
- Client Management and Contact Management
- Case Management
- Calendar Operations
- Administrative Tasks Operations
- Reporting and Tracking (of numbers, hours, productivity, etc)
- Invoicing and Billing
- Online Payments
- Client Portal
- Other Forms of Matter Management and Task Management
As anyone can see, for a busy law firm, this is a lot!
In the past, those traditional all-in-one legal practice management software vendors would have tried to sell a firm on the fact that their system could incorporate all of these tech tools into one system.
But now, purchasing and implementing a practice management software system like that is no longer necessary.
And, not only is it not necessary, it quite possibly may be a waste of time and money.
Why Are the Days of All-In-One Practice Management Software Systems Over?
Historically, law practice management software systems were designed to fulfill all the tasks that a law office has to complete in any given time frame, and to do it in a way that brought more productivity, more accuracy, and more transparency to the practice.
But as we have seen various software applications grow more sophisticated, these big all-in-one systems are no longer needed, as they end up oftentimes being redundant and incorporating management systems into your practice that you simply no longer need (or already have!)
A favorite, and easy-to-understand example of this is regarding email communication.
Regardless of the size of your law practice, there’s a good chance that you and your staff use Microsoft Office or another popular platform to send, receive and save emails from other staff members, from clients, and from other members of your community.
Since email correspondence has now been a part of most of our lives for decades now, there is a good chance that the current system you and your staff are using works well for you and your practice, particularly for a larger practice that sends and receives hundreds of emails every day.
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So here’s the issue…
Many all-in-one legal practice management software systems have ways of handling email management that don’t align with what you and your staff are already used to.
Through an attempt to try and seem more sophisticated and “cutting edge,” these practice management software companies may try and take something that is already working fine for you and make it more complicated than it needs to be.
Now, some practice managers may say, “Well, we just won’t use that feature in our law practice.”
Okay…but then why pay for it?
And not only that…but why force your staff to have to figure out how to work around it, just so they can continue to get their job done?
Reinventing the wheel has never been a good business model, and a law firm’s operations are no exception to this.
So…What Can My Law Firm Implement Instead of an All-In-One Law Practice Management Software System?
The good news is this…
If your law firm is already using certain types of software to complete certain types of tasks, then building your own tech stack is not only going to be simple…it’s going to be fun as well!
As in the example above, if your law firm is already using Microsoft 365 or a Gsuite application for your law firm, there’s no reason why you can’t keep that software in your tech stack. They are both proven to be secure, robust, and easy-to-use applications that most of your staff is probably already proficient in using and happy with their outcomes.
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Trust accounting
Reports & Compensation tracking
Legal billing
Matter management
Time tracking & expenses
Client experience
Similarly, let’s say your legal practice is using QuickBooks Online for your legal accounting needs.
QuickBooks Online is a top-ranked accounting platform and works perfectly well with many of the tasks a law firm needs to perform. Again, there’s no reason why this software can’t stay within your law practice operations.
Granted, having solid software applications like these will not be the only items you’ll need within your tech stack. These will just serve as some excellent, tried-and-true foundations from which you can build.
Instead of deciding to purchase and try to implement a big all-in-one monster practice management system, a company like Lean Law can access the current platforms you have in your tech stack, then help you integrate a few others to create an easy-to-use, interconnected, and powerful operating system.
What is LeanLaw and How Can It Help My Law Firm?
As law firms begin to realize how much time and money they are wasting on the large all-in-one legal practice management software systems for mid size law firms or smaller, more are beginning to turn to the experts at LeanLaw for help.
LeanLaw is not a typical legal practice management software system. In fact, many have referred to it as the alternative to legal practice management systems. And this title is actually pretty accurate.
Started by legal professionals who grew tired of the traditional types of practice management software, LeanLaw was designed to work with the software systems a law firm already has in place, then find places where improvements can be made.
Let’s look at a few of the many areas that LeanLaw can be a better fit for your law firm than an all-in-one practice management software system.
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1. LeanLaw is Designed to Work in Tandem With Software Systems You Already Have (And Enjoy!)
As mentioned, one of LeanLaw’s biggest strengths is that it is specifically designed to work with software systems like Microsoft Office, Google, QuickBooks Online, and many more. LeanLaw’s innovative and creative software doesn’t just meld easily with these platforms…it was designed specifically to work in tandem with them.
2. LeanLaw is the Best Legal Accounting Software that a Law Firm Can Buy
While LeanLaw was created to work in tandem with other popular office platforms, its real claim to fame is its amazingly easy and accurate accounting platform.
While there are a number of other matter management tasks that can be performed by software systems that your practice already has in place, legal accounting is one of the areas that will need some specific customization in order to work with a law firm.
Law firms have some unique workflow needs that are different than other businesses…and LeanLaw knows this.
Working with the popular and powerful QuickBooks Online accounting software, LeanLaw’s system is built on top of this system, creating a legal accounting software tech stack that can be customizable for any sized law firm practicing any type of law.
From areas like keeping an accurate record of a law firm’s expense tracking to its billable hours and timekeeping, a law firm will want to make sure to implement a certain accounting system that is created for the unique accounting needs of a law practice.
3. LeanLaw is Easy to Learn…and Easy on Your Budget!
There is nothing more frustrating for a law firm than to spend the time to research and purchase a practice management software system only to find out that the actual implementation is going to be significantly more challenging (and expensive) than originally thought.
Law firms are busy places and staff time is valuable and needs to be used wisely. When introducing any sort of new software system to your attorneys and staff you’ll want to make sure that the onboarding process is simple, straightforward, and seamless.
The expert staff at LeanLaw has been on the frustrating end of having to wrestle with all-in-one practice software systems that promised one thing but proved to be something else.
From the hours spent attempting to migrate legal files to the endless phone calls to tech support trying to get a basic issue resolved, every law staff member who has had to participate in the onboarding of a new legal software system knows the headaches it can cause, not to mention the lost productivity and effect it has on staff morale.
This was one of the biggest frustrations that the creators of LeanLaw set out to eliminate. By designing legal accounting software that works in collaboration with much of your existing software, your staff will never feel like they are starting from scratch.
With a skilled team of Onboarding Specialists, LeanLaw is prepared to help a legal practice with every step of the software implementation, no matter how big or how small the firm and no matter how big or how small the challenge.
It’s time for some easy-to-implement and cost-effective law practice management solutions to take the place of the all-in-one systems that are no longer working for firms everywhere.
The experts at LeanLaw have sat in the chairs of legal staff. They know the lost time and lost morale that a poorly designed software system can create. They’ve set out to create something different and something better.
Are you excited to see “something different and something better” for yourself?
Requesting a demo is easy. Simply click on that link and we will get you set up with a free look at how LeanLaw is revolutionizing the way that legal firms do business, and how our law firm software system can easily work for you.
