Choosing the right legal software to run your law firm can be more challenging than you thought. I am always impressed by the creativity of those that create and try or do sell them to lawyers. Some think that the financial aspect can be a barrier and a qualifier when choosing the right one for you, however I would say that the real answer is that there is no software out there that would solve all the challenges lawyers face today. Yes, there are some great leading platforms out there like Clio, Leap and Smokeball. I found that lawyers on the East Coast prefer using Clio and lawyers from the South prefer using the other two. Not sure how and why that happens, just guessing that it may be how these providers agreed to cover the market.
For a legal software to be successful, it has to solve some of the biggest challenges lawyers deal with and handle some of the tasks that lawyers don't have time for or simply don't enjoy doing it, otherwise, why would they invest in such things to begin with.
The ability to work offline and access the files from your phone or computer was a great success and I agree with that. With just one click you are being directed to the right document, in the right file and the need to look through the piles of documents was eliminated, which was a great help. Most legal software offered that solution, so you will be at win no matter what option you will go with.
Another feature, which I find great, is the calendar. Yes, the truth is, I am not a fan of the Google calendar, and if you share my unloving attitude towards it, you will understand. Having a merged calendar makes it so much easier to handle the day-to -day business. A challenge, however, comes up for Associates who are deeply committed to the Google Calendar or any other platform, because they have to keep two calendaring systems and make sure that the data from both does match.
The calendar features allow the team to set reminders, deadlines, meetings you name it. It is very easy to manage and every one has access to it. The reminders feature is my favorite. But, again, every software out there will offer that feature, so you will not have to worry about which one will you sign up for.
What sets apart LEAP and Smokeball from Clio, however, is the ability to create templates for legal documents and emails, which can save a lot of time on performing these type of repetitive tasks by a paralegal. LEAP also allows you to choose the template based on the state you practice in, which is great. Some lawyers love this feature, but I have mixed feelings about it. To me, it takes more time to create templates than doing it the old fashioned way, so its really a matter of preference. However it can become very handy when you have someone new joining the team and you have little time to teach them. Your legal assistant will just have to fill in the blanks. The downside of that is that the junior legal assistants will receive little training or no training at all as to why this element goes here and that element goes there. This becomes an automatic process and the legal assistant turns from a much needed professional with brains into a "fill in the blanks" tool".
However, if you don't care about this feature, then Clio would be a great option for your firm. Also, what sets apart LEAP from the others is the accounting feature and we know how much lawyers dislike dealing with the billable hours. Tracking them down can become a real nightmare for some. LEAP offers the option for the software to be merged with Quickbooks. So, if billing is a big issue for your firm and you are looking for a progressive way of handling that then LEAP would be great for you.
Regardless of which software you will choose for your practice, remember that there is no such thing as "perfect software," but just a software that is right for you and your firm's needs.
Which legal software do you prefer?
by Galina Barbascumpa