More lawyers use Clio than any other law software. Case closed.

The following are all crucial features to look for in legal software packages. We have listed all these features below so you know what you are looking for when the time comes to implement a software solution at your practice.

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Case management: The ability to manage clients and cases and keep all case information organized. This enables you to quickly refer to notes about the case and prepare for court in the most efficient way possible.

Client/contact management: Case management also takes place on a per-client or per-contact basis, so managing your face to meetings and calls with the client is crucial.

Task management: The ability to create and assign tasks to different staff and lawyers. Sophisticated solutions like our legal case software can automate parts of this process when a case is created. Our software suite even allows you to automate the billing process so you can reduce any potential cash flow problems you might encounter.

Calendar: Your case management tool needs a full calendar with capabilities to manage your busy schedule, as well as sharing your calendar with colleagues. That way you can avoid possible dreaded meeting room clashes.

Timekeeping: The ability to enter time as you work or after the fact. Case management software with timers helps you capture more billable time while you work. This means you will be able to streamline your billing process and keep on top of all the cases your practice handles.

Email: Your legal case software should integrate with your chosen email provider. This makes it easier for lawyers to file emails to cases and follow-up on any developments. Another email feature you might be interested in is whether your chosen software can create a database of email addresses for each case the lawyers at your practice are currently working on.

Document management: Can you use it to organize and store documents, and collaborate on them? Does it integrate with GSuite or your Microsoft Office package? These are questions that need answering so you can fully integrate your chosen software solution into your workflow.

Document automation: Many case management softwares allow you to use templates to automatically create new documents, saving lawyers valuable time.

Accounting: Your legal case software may not have a full accounting solution, but you should be able to reconcile accounts and view balances and transactions. You can also use the software to set up invoice reminders and automate the collections process. Therefore, this reduces the time you spend chasing up invoices, asking lawyers to send out invoices or getting invoices validated.

Trust accounting: The ability to track transactions related to operating accounts and trust accounts separately. The software should also allow you to send notifications through to trustees when their account has reached the minimum amount and needs topping up.

Invoicing and billing: Your practice management software should help you seamlessly generate bills and send them to clients. This saves you considerable time and money and allowing you to focus on the more important tasks like answering client questions and reassuring clients.

Online credit card payments: More and more clients want to pay their lawyers via credit card or online. Your practice management software should offer the option to process payments via credit card, making it more convenient for your clients.

Client portal: For sharing sensitive files and communications, an encrypted client portal with your case management software is the best option for ensuring client information is kept confidential. This portal should also allow you to schedule client appointments and phone calls so that you can make sure they are well looked after, therefore, contributing to building up a solid business relationship with your clients.

Integrations: Your practice management software is the central hub for your law firm, but it needs to connect with the tools you already use and tools you might want to use in the future. You need to make sure it connects to your email client, your accounting software, and any other tools you need. Integrating all those tools will allow for a smoother workflow and increased productivity.

Reports: How is your firm doing financially? How are you tracking against your goals? Your practice management software should be able to give you key business insights to answer these questions. It should provide you with options to automate these reports or to email them through to you on a scheduled date.