Top Legal E-Billing Management Programs for Law Firms in 2024

Gone are the days when most legal professionals would manually track their billable hours, create and post an invoice, travel to the bank to process the cheque, and finally, record the payment. It’s not exactly a process that lends itself to high productivity—which is why savvy lawyers have been switching to legal e-billing management programs in droves.

The payoff of doing so is huge. Legal e-billing programs carry a host of transformative benefits, including a substantial increase in time savings, improved accuracy, quicker payments, and higher revenue. And it’s not only legal experts who benefit: clients gain the flexibility to easily pay bills from anywhere and with a payment method of their choice.

Making the change to an e-billing management program may feel daunting. But with the right legal billing software, it can be straightforward. So to help, we’re sharing everything you need to know about legal e-billing and highlighting some of the leading e-billing management programs available.

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What should I look for in a legal e-billing management program?

The top legal e-billing management programs save your team time, boost efficiencies, improve client satisfaction, and increase cash flow. Checking all of these boxes may sound like a tall order, but it’s entirely possible with the right program.

So, where do you start? There are a number of features to look for when choosing a legal e-billing management program, including:

• A seamless setup
• Varied billing arrangements
• Low processing fees
• Easy time and expense recording
• Automated invoicing
• Integrations with your existing software
• Customisable billing and invoice templates
• Payment reminders
• Credit and debit card processing

The best legal e-billing management programs

We’ve rounded up five of the most popular legal e-billing management programs for law firms—along with perks and pitfalls to be mindful of when picking a solution.

Clio

 

Founded in 2008, Clio is the world’s leading provider of cloud-based legal software. One reason why 150,000+ legal professionals choose Clio’s cloud-based software? Legal e-billing is included with all Clio Manage subscriptions. This means that users can handle everything from client intake and onboarding to billing and payments, all in one central place.

That’s precisely what stood out for Shainul Kassam, Firm Owner at Fortune Law.

“Clio has revolutionised our practice and we simply can’t do without it. Billing that once took hours now takes a matter of minutes. The team, from sales to ongoing support, have been nothing but totally supportive and the online help articles save us so much time. It took us far too long to find the case management software that fit our needs and now that we have, we’re not going anywhere.”

Moreover, Clio’s legal billing software gives legal professionals the ability to effortlessly record billable time through the use of a stopwatch, directly from their inbox, or while on the go through Clio’s mobile app. Considering that Clio’s Legal Trends Report found that lawyers spend only 2.5 hours each workday on billable work, this can make a significant impact on a law firm’s bottom line.

Clio Payments also allows firms to accept payments online (including credit, debit, digital wallet and pay-by-bank transfers), while keeping transactions secure, protected, and compliant with SRA and client accounting rules—which is something that stood out for Nur Akansel, a solicitor at Nar Law:

“Clio Payments is one of the best features of Clio. I prefer billing clients and sending them the invoices through Clio Payments, as it simplifies the process for both us and our clients. The generated payment links make it easy for them to complete transactions.”

It’s affordable, too. Clio Payments offers simple and transparent pricing. Unlike other providers, Clio never charges for hidden or variable card network fees. With no surprises, your monthly bill is clear and predictable, every time.  

Clio integrations

Clio also integrates with over 100 third-party applications, including Microsoft Outlook and Teams, Google’s Gmail, and Zoom. And with customer support offered 24 hours a day, five days a week and a simple set-up, clients can feel confident in knowing that they have a partner that’s dedicated to their success.

LEAP

LEAP is a semi-cloud-based legal practice management software that offers a robust suite of integrated features, including billing, case management, and document management.

Pros:

• Integrated features. LEAP combines billing with case management, document management, and time tracking, allowing for comprehensive practice management within a single platform.
• Automation capabilities. The software automates various billing tasks, such as generating invoices from time entries, which enhances accuracy and efficiency.

Cons:

• Pricing. LEAP is not transparent in its pricing and does not share it publicly on its website.
• Complexity in customisation: While customisation options are available, some users may find the process to be complex and time-consuming, especially when adapting the system to specific needs.
• Limited features for small firms: LEAP’s extensive features may be more suitable for larger firms, leading some smaller practices to feel overwhelmed or find the functionalities unnecessary.
• Learning curve: Despite the user-friendly interface, there can be a learning curve associated with fully utilising all of LEAP’s features, especially for new users or those transitioning from other systems.

Compare Clio vs. LEAP here.

MyCase

MyCase is a web-based legal practice management system that was launched in 2010. Created for small law firms, the solution covers lead management, case management, billing and invoicing, and reporting. MyCase is currently owned by a private equity firm headquartered in Europe.

Pros:

• An all-in-one solution. From client intake to billing, MyCase’s practice management software allows lawyers to run their practice from one central place.
• Easy to use. MyCase scores top points among users for having an intuitive, user-friendly platform.
• Flexible payments. MyCase accepts bank transfers, credit and debit card payments, and more.

Cons:

• High processing fees = higher total costs. MyCase charges 3% for all major credit cards. Customers pay an extra £100–£200 more for every £10,000 processed compared to Clio—which can add up significantly over time.
• Inflexible pricing options. MyCase offers a baseline solution with no option to tailor features to the needs of your firm.
• Lacks essential integrations. MyCase lacks essential integrations with Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Zoom, Zapier, and more. The result? A good chunk of time is spent adding entries between platforms, which increases the risk of human error.

PracticePanther

PracticePanther is a cloud-based legal management solution that was founded in 2012 to help lawyers better manage and grow their firms. Although it’s been in business for a decade, the company remains small.

Pros:

• Easy time and expense keeping. PracticePanther allows users to record billable time and expenses from anywhere.
• Multiple ways to collect payment. PracticePanther launched in-house payments to their suite of offerings in 2020 and now accepts all major credit and debit cards. The platform also offers automated reminders for outstanding invoices.
• Intuitive interface. PracticePanther’s intuitive design makes it easy to navigate and stay up to date on daily activities.

Cons:

• Added costs for essential practice features. PracticePanther requires additional product subscriptions for basic functionalities included in Clio’s core subscription plans. These hidden costs add up quickly and are difficult to justify for basic law firm essentials.
• Limited, less robust integrations. PracticePanther offers fewer than 25 integrations with no clear plan for expansion (Clio has 100+, by comparison). Its limited integration interface limits the ability to sync with other software, leading to inefficient double-entry workflows that take more time and increase the risk of human error.
• Lower-tier plans lack firm core functionalities. Basic features like flat-fee billing, LEDES billing, and the ability to integrate with other software are limited to PracticePanther’s top-tier Business plan. PracticePanther also charges higher processing fees for the most popular credit card service providers, increasing the total cost of ownership.

Actionstep

Actionstep is a cloud-based legal practice management software provider known for its comprehensive workflow automation and integration features.

Pros:

• Workflow automation. Actionstep’s workflow engine allows law firms to automate and streamline various processes.
• Mass billing features. The software’s ability to generate invoices for multiple clients or matters simultaneously saves time and effort.

Cons:

• Complexity in setup and use. The setup and customisation of workflows can be complex and time-consuming, requiring a steep learning curve.
• Limited Accounting Features. Certain accounting modules are difficult to correct if errors occur, complicating financial management.
• Pricing and value concerns: Some users feel that the pricing may not reflect the value, especially considering the issues with the billing system and customer support.

Compare Clio vs. Actionstep here.

The final word on legal e-billing management programs

Legal e-billing management programs hold transformative possibilities for lawyers. But the key to reaping their many rewards lies in picking a solution wisely. Boasting everything from automatic billing to low processing fees and a dedicated customer service team, Clio is the top choice among modern law firms. Over 150,000 legal professionals and 66 bar associations and law societies worldwide have trusted it to manage their firm’s operations.

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Why Wait to Improve your Billing Process?

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With Clio, you’ll streamline your workflow, reduce billing errors, and ensure faster payments. Start your free trial now and see the difference in just one week.

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We published this blog post in September 2024. Last updated: September 25, 2024.

Categorized in: Technology