Tabs3 Practice Management Blog for Law Firms
Top 6 Signs It's Time to Say Goodbye to Your Current Legal Software
“That’s just the way we’ve always done things.”
It’s a common phrase used in offices around the world.
But even if a solution worked for your law firm five or ten years ago, that doesn’t mean it’s the best solution today. The legal field is changing, with new technology disrupting old ways of doing business.
Maybe it’s time to ask a more fundamental question: is your legal software still the best system for your law firm’s needs?
What the right legal software should do for your law firm
Legal software, at its core, is designed to make running a law practice easier. Beyond general practice management features, the right legal software should provide:
- An intuitive interface
- Automated time tracking
- A flexible billing system for fast, easy invoicing
- Online payment options for clients
- Robust reporting options to understand and track your KPIs
- Trust accounting tools
- Additional capabilities, such as a legal CRM integration
These features reduce pain points in legal workflows and make your life easier. That said, even legal software with all the bells and whistles may not be the right choice for your firm if you don’t see results, or worse, if you dread using it.
So, if you have a nagging sense that says, “Is it time for a change?” Here are some signs that you may be ready for a new legal software solution.
6 signs that it’s time to say goodbye to your current legal software
When you’re focusing on client case matters, it’s hard to examine other aspects of your law firm, such as business administration. But making a change now could save you significant time and money down the road.
Here are six indicators that you may benefit from new legal software.
1. Your software doesn’t actually save you time on daily tasks
Every business seems to have that one system that makes tasks more difficult, for no apparent reason. If that’s your legal billing and practice management system, then you may have a big problem.
Legal software solutions should save your time on daily tasks by making your to-do list faster and easier to accomplish.
For example, a time-saving legal billing software may:
- Provide automated time tracking within the billing system to semi-automate the client invoice generation process.
- Complete 3-way reconciliation to balance your trust accounts.
- Run detailed reports, like an Accounts Receivable by Timekeeper Report, to understand which attorneys may need collections assistance.
- Provide back-ups and auto-recovery to protect your data from any unexpected power outages or network disconnection.
On the other hand, clunky systems can make your daily tasks even harder than they need to be.
- Do your software systems integrate? Or do you have to switch between systems to accomplish a single task?
- Is it difficult to get a birds-eye view of your accounting activities?
If you said “yes” to either of these questions, then it may be time for a change.
2. Your team can’t access key software functionalities while working remotely
Most legal professionals say they prefer a flexible work model where staff can work remotely and come into the office a few days a week. With many law firms working from home, it’s critical that your legal software is flexible and can adapt to remote work without compromising on functionality.
Many legal software options without cloud capability are difficult to adapt to a hybrid work model. There may be security issues or system glitches. It may be difficult to tackle key tasks without complicated workarounds or phone calls to colleagues asking them to email you instead.
These complications can delay progress, cause frustrations within teams, and disrupt processes, all avoidable outcomes when you have software that adapts to your working conditions.
3. Your software doesn’t get regular updates
There are two types of updates that legal software should receive regularly:
- Security updates
- Functionality enhancements
Security updates ensure that, as the broader technological ecosystem evolves, your legal software evolves with it. They patch system vulnerabilities, protecting both you and your clients. If your legal software hasn’t been updated since 2020, you may have significant risk exposure.
Functionality updates are just as critical. If your software never provides new features or if it never makes any changes, that may indicate that it doesn’t consider user feedback. Legal software is supposed to make your life easier, so developers should constantly be searching for better, easier ways to accomplish tasks.
The world is changing quickly, and you don’t want to get left behind.
4. Your software isn’t able to grow with your firm
Most law firms aim to add new clients and increase revenue. However, growth requires adaptability in both processes and tools.
As your law firm expands, your software should be able to keep up. What this looks like can depend on your firm’s unique goals.
If you’re in a growth cycle, for example, you may need legal client relationship management (CRM) that can improve your intake process so staff aren’t overwhelmed. If you want to improve attorney utilization rates, your firm might benefit from customizable workflows to reduce manual tasks or enhanced reporting that can identify bottlenecks.
The key takeaway: if your legal software doesn’t scale with you, it’s time to consider one that will.
5. Your firm is still spending thousands of dollars on a paper-heavy billing process
Is your firm still relying on a paper-heavy prebill process or even a paper invoicing and payment system?
A paper-heavy billing workflow could be costing your firm thousands of dollars each year in paper, toner, ink, printers, and other office materials. Not to mention, paper billing processes expose your firm to human error and significant time delays in receiving client payments.
If you’re ready to reduce costs, process payments faster, and be a little more environmentally friendly, it may be time to look for new legal billing software.
Tabs3 Billing has everything you need to send bills quickly with paperless invoicing. The end result is an easier billing process, a better client experience, and more time for you to focus on your clients’ case matters.
6. Your legal software support team is lackluster
There are plenty of software options out there that have near-invisible support teams. This isn’t a problem until you have a problem, and then it’s a big issue.
Your software’s support team can make or break your experience with a product. So why are you settling for a reluctant support team that doesn’t actually help you?
Instead, look for legal software that prides itself on its friendly, helpful support team.
Ready for your next legal software?
Tabs3 is legal software dedicated to supporting law firms and making their lives easier. With a top-notch support team, regular updates, and features like a legal CRM and website builder, Tabs3 provides law firms with a competitive edge in a saturated field.
Ready to see the possibilities for yourself? Schedule a demo today.
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June 13, 2024
All Products
Optimize Your Law Firm's Growth with Client Intake and CRM Software
In today’s competitive legal landscape, law firms must leverage every available tool to effectively manage and grow their practice. One of the most effective tools to do this is a client relationship management (CRM) system, which helps you streamline various aspects of your firm’s communication tasks, from lead generation to client intake and beyond.
Even better than industry-agnostic CRM software, though, is legal-specific CRM software that allows you to leverage marketing automation tools. While some operations require hands-on workflows, many can be automated, freeing up time for more critical tasks and enabling your practice to grow.
Here, we’ll cover what client intake and CRM software is, how it benefits law firms, and how to choose the best legal CRM software for your firm. Let’s get started!
What is client intake and CRM software?
Client intake and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software is a specialized type of software designed to streamline and enhance the processes involved in acquiring and managing clients. At its core, client intake software helps law firms efficiently handle new client information, from initial contact through the collection of relevant data necessary for opening a case. CRM software goes a step further by enabling firms to maintain and manage ongoing relationships with those clients, ensuring that the firm can effectively communicate, manage appointments, and follow up on leads or existing clients.
This software typically features tools for automating tasks such as filling out intake forms, scheduling consultations, and tracking communication history. Additionally, legal CRM software often includes functions like lead management, email marketing, client segmentation, and analytics, providing a comprehensive view of a law firm’s interactions with potential and current clients.
Benefits of client intake and CRM software for law firms
Implementing client intake and CRM software offers numerous advantages for law firms, including:
- Improved Efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks like data entry, document generation, and scheduling frees up time for attorneys and staff to focus on billable work and client service.
- Enhanced Client Experience: Streamlining the intake process for clients makes it easier for them to provide information, schedule appointments, and engage with your firm.
- Better Data Management: Centralizing client data in one accessible location reduces the risk of errors and ensures that information is up-to-date and easily retrievable.
- Increased Conversion Rates: Legal CRM software helps law firms to effectively track and nurture leads through the sales funnel, improving the conversion of inquiries into clients.
- Insightful Analytics: CRMs offer valuable insights into client behavior, marketing effectiveness, and operational efficiency, allowing firms to make data-driven decisions.
- Personalized Communication: By enabling tailored communication strategies based on client data and interactions, law firms can foster stronger relationships and improve client retention.
- Scalability: As your law firm grows, client intake and CRM software can scale to accommodate more clients and complex workflows, ensuring that your firm’s operational efficiency stays consistent through growth periods.
How to choose the best Legal CRM and client intake software
Choosing the right client intake and CRM software is pivotal. The ideal solution is user-friendly, offers robust support, and is highly customizable to fit the unique demands of your law firm, regardless of its size.
User-friendly
Your legal CRM software should be easy to use for everyone involved, from intake staff to managing partners.
When your software is easily adoptable by your staff, you’ll reduce the time spent on training and implementation (not to mention minimize any frustration that may occur as a result of a system that’s difficult to navigate).
Responsive support team
Even the most user-friendly CRM software can run into technical issues. If you need support, you’ll want to choose a software system that comes with a team of knowledgeable customer service representatives who are ready to assist you as needed.
Customization and scalability
Every law firm is different, which is why you should look for CRM software that can be easily customized and scaled according to your firm’s unique needs.
For example:
- A solo practice may need a solution that simplifies client intake and streamlines their tech stack so they don’t have to juggle multiple products.
- A mid-sized firm may want to focus on improving the client experience with text messaging, allowing clients to more easily schedule appointments and connect with their legal team.
- Large firms may require more advanced features, such as legal CRM software that can allow for complex drip campaigns to increase their client retention while reducing leaks in their client sales funnel.
With Tabs3 CRM, your law firm can streamline its processes and nurture client relationships, all without taking focus away from delivering exceptional legal services.
Why choose Tabs3 CRM?
While there are numerous CRMs on the market, law firms may find that industry-agnostic solutions require a great deal of calibration to meet the needs of legal professionals. On the other hand, legal-specific CRM systems, like Tabs3 CRM, cater to the unique needs of modern law firms.
The Tabs3 CRM funnel enables you to effectively manage leads, prospects, and clients in a single, user-friendly platform while also supporting the complex operational needs of a law firm, like client intake, appointment scheduling, file-sharing, and more.
This comprehensive approach ensures that:
- Clients feel supported and engaged from first contact
- Information easily syncs with your practice management system
- Attorneys preserve the maximum number of billable hours
Here’s an overview of the key features that make Tabs3 CRM a growth game-changer for your legal practice:
Smart client intake
You don’t have to settle for a client intake process that is time-consuming, ineffective, or error-prone. The right legal CRM should include intuitive client intake solutions that make it easier to:
- Customize intake forms for different practice areas
- Sort out qualified from unqualified leads
- Sync client data with your practice management software
- Automate document assembly to move legal matters along more efficiently
One of the biggest benefits of smart intake forms is that they save your law firm billable hours. Instead of fiddling with forms and performing tedious data entry, you can focus on client work, building relationships, and other growth-generating activities.
Marketing automation
Marketing is necessary for growth, but it can be costly and time-consuming. So how do you get the greatest return on investment (ROI) for your marketing without sacrificing billable hours? With marketing automation. There are numerous marketing automation tools available for law firms, but several key ones are built right into Tabs3 CRM.
Text message automation
Tabs3 CRM facilitates lead nurturing with text automation and custom forms. By automating text messages and creating tailored forms, you can gather valuable information about your leads and cater to their specific needs and preferences.
Use text message automations to connect with clients for:
- Follow-ups
- Consultation information
- Appointment confirmations
- eSignature requests
Email drip automation
Save time and maintain consistent communication with your leads by automating email sequences.
Our CRM software helps you create personalized email templates, schedule follow-ups, and track engagement to keep potential clients (and even leads who have gone cold) engaged throughout the conversion process. And the more engaged your prospects are, the more likely they are to turn into satisfied clients.
Seamless integrations
Once a lead becomes a client, Tabs3 CRM simplifies the transition by seamlessly integrating with PracticeMaster. This integration ensures that all client information is accurately and efficiently transferred between systems, allowing you to focus on providing top-notch legal services.
By implementing Tabs3 CRM in your law firm, you can effectively track leads, grow prospects, and gain clients with a tool designed specifically for the needs of modern law practices.
Grow your practice with Tabs3 CRM
As a legal professional, your time is incredibly valuable. By harnessing the power of Tabs3 CRM, you can automate and streamline your client management processes, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: providing exceptional legal services and gaining more billable hours.
Are you ready to see how Tabs3 CRM can revolutionize your practice? Sign up for a demo today and see the difference automation can make in managing and growing your law practice.
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June 06, 2024
PracticeMaster
Paperless Invoicing: How to Make the Change
Going paperless is a business strategy that offers a lot of benefits to law firms. Think:
- More manageable billing workflows
- Quicker payments
- Reduced costs
- Improved security
- Greater client satisfaction
- Reduced environmental impact
But if your law firm has been trapped in a cycle of printer paper, ink cartridges, and envelope-related paper cuts, where do you start?
One of the best ways to reduce paper in the office is to start small. You don’t have to eliminate all paper use to quickly experience significant improvements.
For many law firms, the most impactful switch comes with going to paperless invoicing. This switch comes with a few setup requirements, but once implemented, it provides a better overall invoicing experience for both your law firm and your clients. Here are five strategies to help you move to paperless invoicing with ease.
1. Share the benefits of paperless invoicing with your staff and your clients.
To make any change more effective, you have to convince others why they should also embrace change.
For your clients, you can emphasize both the sustainability and convenience that comes with paperless invoices. Consider sharing the following facts:
- The average attorney goes through 100,000 sheets of paper each year. That means the average lawyer consumes the paper of 10 trees in just one year.
- Even though most paper is recyclable, it still makes up an estimated 26% of waste in landfills. But it’s also a no-win situation; recycling paper actually uses more harmful fossil fuels than just throwing it in the landfill.
- For clients, the switch to electronic invoicing and online payments can save 6.6 pounds of paper and 171 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per household, per year.
- When clients use online payments, they can keep their credit card on file and in some cases, automate payments entirely.
For your staff, you can add on some serious cost-saving benefits:
- If you go through the average amount of paper for a law firm in a year, reducing paper consumption could save you $1,000 per employee, per year.
- Electronic invoicing alone can save companies $4–8 per invoice. With that in mind, a law firm with ten clients would save at least $480 per year by making the switch to paperless invoicing.
- Paperless invoices save on additional office costs including ink, toner, pens, pencils, and other associated office equipment such as binders, staplers, and three-hole punches. It all adds up.
For employees, another significant benefit is the ability to work from home. With the right software, attorneys and staff can work on a more flexible office model, which is still a high priority for many employees.
Software like Tabs3 is an important component of this; Tabs3 Cloud allows legal professionals to handle billing and payment tasks from wherever they work, thanks to secure and reliable cloud-based software.
These points all help underscore the importance of switching to a paperless system, and why they should embrace the change as well.
2. Budget properly to avoid any surprises
When you make the change to paperless invoicing, there will be a few start-up costs. You may need to digitize existing documents and set up your client portal, which can take time and require purchasing the appropriate equipment or hiring someone to handle the work for you.
Once this is done, you won’t have to pay for paper or stamps anymore, but the billing software you use may have a surcharge or processing fee. Depending on your budget and pricing model, you may consider passing on the surcharging fee to clients to help manage your costs.
These fees might be relatively low (and much lower than the cost of paper), but you never want to be surprised by unexpected costs.
3. Communicate with clients well in advance
Effective change communication requires exposure and repetition. Some clients may embrace a less paper-heavy process, but others may be resistant to or confused by the changes.
To make the change to paperless invoicing as smooth as possible, take the following steps to ensure your clients are prepared:
- Send notices well in advance of the change explaining how processes will change, the timelines, and what to expect.
- Encourage clients to reach out if they have any questions or concerns. Create an FAQ section on your website or draft a blog about the benefits of these new processes.
- Include details about the electronic invoice process in any new client onboarding documentation.
Consider creating a marketing campaign around your new paperless invoicing philosophy. Leading up to the switch, create a few social media posts that help educate clients about what to expect. Email campaigns can be especially valuable in this context; craft a drip campaign with your legal client relationship management (CRM) software with reminders about timelines, processes, and how to get questions answered.
Keep in mind that some clients may just be set in their ways and might insist on continuing with traditional invoice methods. It may benefit your firm to honor the billing preferences of legacy clients so you can preserve those relationships.
4. Train your team on the new billing process
It can be hard to navigate new processes and procedures even in the most intuitive systems. New features may have the potential to provide ease and flexibility, but if no one knows that the features exist or how to take advantage of them, you may not see the return on investment you’d like.
For example, with Tabs3, law firms have the option to customize their online payments with many different features, including the ability to:
- Process multiple invoices via batch billing
- Schedule automatic electronic prebills
- Create payment schedules from a single payment to a payment series
- Request trust deposits directly from the billing system
- Create custom rates for any timekeeper for any client
- Utilize alternative fee structures like contingency, split fee, flat fee, and retainers
- Link automated timekeeping to attach billable hours to a client’s invoice
But how do you turn those customizations from conceptual benefits to real-time advantages for your firm?
The answer is simple: Training!
Schedule training sessions for both new employees and veteran staff to ensure they can fully navigate the system and build the most efficient workflow. Consider offering additional training whenever a new system feature rolls out.
Another option for Tabs3 users is to work with an experienced Tabs3 consultant. These software professionals know Tabs3 tools inside and out and can help you create a tailored onboarding and training program for your team.
5. Solicit feedback from clients and employees
No news is not always good news. It may not occur to someone to provide feedback, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have feelings about the change to paperless invoicing.
Actively solicit feedback to provide both your clients and your team an opportunity to adjust the process. By creating an open communication channel, you can improve your client relationships by demonstrating your commitment to their experience. You also give your employees the opportunity to change or update workflows if they identify potential pain points for your team.
Make the change to paperless invoicing with Tabs3 Billing
Tabs3 Billing has everything you need for an efficient and effective paperless billing process.
To learn more about Tabs3 Billing and paperless invoicing features, sign up for a Tabs3 demo.
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May 09, 2024
Tabs3 Billing
Law Firm Credit Card Processing with Tabs3Pay
The legal profession, known for its adherence to tradition and precision, is experiencing a significant shift in how financial transactions are handled. Gone are the days when clients were content to pay by cash or check, waiting for banks to process these payments at a leisurely pace. Today, the demand for immediacy and convenience in all aspects of service, including payment, is undeniable. This transformation is driving law firms to adopt modern payment solutions, with law firm credit card processing emerging as a critical component in maintaining competitive edge and operational efficiency.
Modern clients are accustomed to the ease and security of digital transactions seen in other service sectors, and they now expect the same from legal service providers. This shift represents more than just a change in payment methods—it’s a fundamental evolution in the client-service provider relationship. The ability to pay instantly for services via credit card not only meets the growing client expectations but also streamlines the transaction process, reducing administrative burdens and enhancing the overall client experience.
The transition to digital payment solutions like credit card processing is facilitated by advancements in technology that ensure secure and efficient transactions. As law firms navigate this new landscape, selecting the right tools and partners for implementing these systems is essential. Law firm credit card processing platforms, such as Tabs3Pay, are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the legal industry, ensuring compliance, security, and client satisfaction. This move towards integrated payment solutions is not just about keeping up with technology—it’s about taking proactive steps to future-proof law practices in a digital world.
Why credit card processing is essential for law firms
Law firm credit card processing offers many benefits that can directly impact your bottom line and client satisfaction. In an era where convenience and speed are paramount, providing a seamless payment experience is crucial. Here are a few key benefits of implementing credit card processing at your law firm.
Enhanced cash flow and reduced administrative tasks
For many law firms, managing cash flow efficiently remains a challenge. Traditional payment methods often lead to delays and increased administrative burdens. Implementing law firm credit card processing with solutions like Tabs3Pay can significantly enhance cash flow—studies show 30 to 40% improvements —and reduce the time spent on financial administration. Funds from credit card transactions typically settle quickly, meaning your firm can access earnings sooner than it would with check deposits.
Client satisfaction and growing expectations
The legal industry is no exception to the growing customer expectation for convenience in making payments, including for business transactions. Providing the ability to make payments by credit card helps meet that demand while also creating a simple payment experience that can be completed from any device.
Overall, accepting credit cards offers greater predictability and stability, opening up opportunities to proactively plan for your firm’s future based on more accurate financial projections.
Increased efficiency and reduced administrative burden
Processing payments via checks or cash can be cumbersome. It involves manual handling, trips to the bank, entry into accounting systems, and reconciliation processes—all of which consume valuable time that could otherwise be spent on billable legal work. Credit card processing automates much of this process. By integrating with legal billing and accounting software, like Tabs3Pay does, transactions are recorded and reconciled in real time. This automation significantly reduces the administrative burden and minimizes the risk of errors, allowing staff to focus on more critical tasks that directly contribute to their firm’s success.
Predictability and financial planning
Accepting credit cards provides a more predictable stream of income, a crucial factor for any law firm’s financial planning. With traditional payment methods, predicting when payments will be received can be challenging, complicating budgeting and financial planning. Credit card processing offers a more consistent and reliable timeline for receiving payments, facilitating better cash flow management and financial stability. This predictability enables law firms to plan with greater confidence, allocate resources more efficiently, and make strategic decisions based on reliable financial data.
How to choose the right credit card processing solution
Not all credit card processors are suitable for the unique needs of law firms. It’s crucial to select a service that understands and aligns with the legal industry’s standards. Here are a few key things to look for when selecting a credit card processing service.
Choose a service that is designed for law firms
General business credit card processors often do not cater to the unique needs of the legal industry, particularly around the management of Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) and compliance with the American Bar Association’s rules. Law firm credit card processing solutions must ensure that client funds are properly handled to avoid any impropriety or even the appearance of impropriety. For instance, transaction fees should not be deducted from trust accounts but from the firm’s operating account.
Data security and PCI compliance
Data security is paramount in any industry, but the legal sector faces particularly high expectations due to the sensitivity of the information they handle. Law firms must ensure that the credit card processing solution they choose is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant. This standard helps protect sensitive cardholder data from theft and misuse. Moreover, law firms should inquire about additional security measures, such as end-to-end encryption and tokenization, which can further protect client data from breaches.
Trust account management
Properly handling client funds is paramount in legal practice. Most general business credit card processors deposit funds and deduct fees from the same account, which can complicate trust account management. However, legal-specific solutions like Tabs3Pay are designed to deposit funds directly into the trust account while withdrawing fees from the operating account. This setup prevents the mismanagement of client funds, which is crucial for compliance and trust in legal practice.
Tabs3Pay: A credit card processing solution tailored for law firms
Tabs3Pay stands out in the crowded field of payment processing solutions by being specifically designed to meet the unique needs of law firms. This specialized focus translates into a host of benefits that directly address the operational, compliance, and financial challenges faced by legal professionals today. Here’s how Tabs3Pay offers a superior solution for law firm credit card processing.
Seamless integration with practice management software
One of Tabs3Pay’s most significant advantages is its seamless integration with Tabs3’s legal practice management software. This integration is critical for law firms as it allows for the synchronization of financial data across billing, accounting, and case management modules without any manual intervention. When a client makes a payment via Tabs3Pay, the transaction details are automatically updated in real time across all relevant systems. This saves time and reduces the potential for human error in data entry, ensuring accuracy in financial reporting and client billing.
Designed with legal compliance in mind
Tabs3Pay is built with a deep understanding of the legal industry’s regulatory environment. It ensures that all transactions comply with the American Bar Association’s rules and local jurisdictional requirements for handling client funds. Specifically, Tabs3Pay addresses the critical aspect of trust accounting. Unlike general business processors, Tabs3Pay automatically directs fees to be taken from the operating account while depositing client funds directly into trust accounts. This feature is vital for maintaining ethical compliance and safeguarding client monies, a cornerstone requirement in legal practice.
Enhanced client experience
Tabs3Pay enhances the client experience by offering a convenient and secure way to pay legal fees. Clients can pay from anywhere, at any time, using their preferred payment method, whether it’s credit card, debit card, or even ACH transfers. This flexibility improves client satisfaction as it aligns with the modern consumer’s expectations for quick and easy transactions. Additionally, the system supports mobile payments, which are increasingly becoming the norm in all transactions.
Learn more about Tabs3Pay
Tabs3Pay is part of Tabs3 Software, which means that if you want to sidestep double data entry by having your accounting seamlessly update with new payments, you can. With flat rate options and more, you can find an approach that works for your firm.
Learn more about the benefits of Tabs3Pay.To see firsthand how Tabs3Pay can benefit your law firm, request a free trial or schedule a walkthrough demo today.
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May 02, 2024
Tabs3 Billing
Trust Accounting
Tabs3 Websites: How Your Website and CRM Work Together to Grow Your Law Firm
Whether your potential clients are starting from scratch with a Google search for “business attorneys near me” or doing a little due diligence after receiving a referral, your law firm website is one of the first stops they make on the way to hiring you.
But if you think it ends there, think again!
Your website does more than simply showcase your practice areas and provide leads and clients with your contact information.
When combined with your legal client relationship management (CRM) software, your website can reduce manual tasks, build client relationships, and help your practice become a law-firm-growing machine by:
- Creating the right first impression
- Keeping leads and clients engaged
- Making intake smoother
- Facilitating smoother workflows AND client service
- Helping you get paid faster
Let’s take a closer look at the dynamic duo of your law firm’s website and legal CRM.
Creating a strong first impression
First impressions matter, but as a legal practice, how do you make the right one in today’s digital world? You have several options for how to nurture a positive first impression.
Unsurprisingly, your website is one of them! With an attractive, on-brand website, you can showcase your experience, highlight your attorneys’ qualifications, and build trust from the outset.
However, keep in mind that law firms have specific ethics requirements concerning marketing, so it’s essential to work with a legal website provider who knows the ins and outs of this industry and can help you stay compliant.
Your CRM also aids in creating a strong first impression. As detailed below, it allows for a high degree of personalized communication and messaging, setting the right tone for future client interactions.
Keeping leads engaged
Your website visitors typically aren’t coming to your website because they’re just researching a particular practice area. They’re most likely visiting because they’re in the market for legal services.
But if your website doesn’t go beyond your attorney bios and a few practice areas, they might as well be stuck in research mode.
You can prevent this from happening with a site intentionally designed to engage them. This includes:
- Relevant, informative blog posts
- Detailed practice area pages with real-world examples and case studies
- A resource center with downloadable guides, checklists, and other helpful content
However, to truly keep leads engaged, you need to help them take the next step towards becoming a client. Incorporate well-placed contact forms, lead magnets, and calls to action on your site.
Once leads have reached out, their information is added to your CRM as a contact, and you can put your CRM to work with marketing automation strategies like:
- Automated email drip campaigns to keep leads warm and nurture them towards a consultation
- Personalized follow-ups with relevant information based on their specific needs and interests
- Targeted messaging and content to address common pain points and objections
Making intake smoother
If you want new clients to feel like their relationship with you is off to a promising start, one of the best things you can do is offer a friction-free intake process. When intake goes smoothly, clients feel like they’re getting a preview of your firm’s capabilities.
Unfortunately, the traditional manual intake processes can be prone to bottlenecks and miscommunication, not to mention data entry errors.
The solution here is surprisingly simple, though. With a legal CRM offering smart, logic-based intake forms that can be embedded on your website, you can create a straightforward process:
- Client fills out an intake form
- The intake form gathers relevant information
- Information is synced with your practice management system
- Client receives automated follow-up about next steps
- Your team is notified, and next steps are triggered
This process helps your clients feel attended to from the beginning, a great sign for client service expectations.
But just as importantly, the process eliminates numerous manual tasks from the intake process. Instead of walking new clients through forms or tracking down who needs to follow up with whom (and when), your team can focus on billable tasks or business development work.
Creating smooth client service and smoother workflows
When you build a website that is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and full of useful content, both leads and clients will look at it as a resource. They’ll be able to use your website as a way to educate themselves on their legal matters, but they’ll also turn to it to facilitate client service.
For example, from your website, your clients can:
- Schedule appointments with your team
- Connect to their document portal for secure access to important files
- Make payments or view invoices
This benefits your law firm as well. With a website and CRM working together to facilitate client service, you can automate time-consuming administrative tasks and create a more efficient process overall. This means you can take on more clients without sacrificing the quality of your services, leading to potential revenue growth for your firm.
Getting your firm paid faster
In addition to improving communication and workflows, your website and CRM can work in tandem to help you get paid faster.
There are several ways you can achieve this. The simplest way (which is often the best way!) is to add online payment links to your website. Putting a “Make a Payment” link on your homepage reduces head-scratching when your client is ready to pay but can’t find their invoice.
If your law firm uses legal practice management software with a client portal feature, you can also add a client portal link to your website to increase accessibility.
Where does your legal CRM come into the picture? Your legal CRM can be used to send automated invoice reminders. These reminders can help increase the rate of payment, as well as reduce the chances that clients will pay late or be sent to collections.
Leveraging data for better decision making
Your website is a huge source of data for your firm. So is your legal CRM. When combined, they offer insight into:
- Potential clients: How they find your site, which pages they visit, and what content they engage with can give you data on how to best focus your marketing budget.
- Current clients: Email opens and clicks, website visits, and document downloads can help you identify areas for improvement in client service or communication.
- Overall performance: With the data from your website and CRM, you can evaluate metrics like conversion rates, average response times, and client satisfaction and use that information to inform decision making to improve your productivity and profitability.
Empower your firm’s growth with Tabs3 Websites and CRM
The combination of Tabs3 Websites and CRM gives your law firm the tools it needs to attract, engage, and retain clients more effectively than ever. By harnessing the support of these platforms, your team can deliver exceptional service while nurturing your firm’s growth and success.
Explore how Tabs3 can transform your practice by scheduling a demo or signing up for a free trial today.
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April 11, 2024
All Products
A Guide for Lawyers Working From Home: What You Need to Know
Remote working is not the same buzzword it was back in 2020 or 2021. Today, remote working has become an accepted and embraced part of the professional landscape.
16% of companies are fully remote and 51% have adopted hybrid work for their employees. There are now three times more remote jobs than there were in 2020. 98% of remote employees want to continue working remotely indefinitely.
But how is remote work playing out for law firms? The legal industry has long been slower to adopt trends and tends to take more conservative perspectives on workplace culture. Still, where does that leave us today? How has the landscape changed and what can your law firm do to make the right choices for how your practice operates?
Here’s what lawyers need to know about how they can most effectively work remotely and from home.
Can lawyers work from home?
Although it used to be less common, more law firms are embracing remote work models and giving attorneys the freedom to work from home. The transition to remote work within the legal profession has unfolded against a backdrop of necessity and evolving workplace expectations, clearly demonstrating that lawyers can effectively work from home. This capability has transformed not only where legal work can be done but also how law firms envision the structure and delivery of their services. Remote work, once a novel concept, has become a mainstay in the legal sector, signifying a permanent shift towards more flexible and digitalized working arrangements.
In fact, lawyers, like the majority of the working population, have embraced remote work. In an ABA report, the vast majority of attorneys (87%) stated their workplaces permitted remote work. A third of respondents stated that they primarily worked from home, but, intriguingly, another third of respondents stated they worked primarily in their office.
Attorneys who work remotely or on a hybrid basis reported that neither the quality of their work nor productivity nor billable hours have been negatively affected by their working arrangements. Women in particular stated they benefited from remote and hybrid work, as it helped them balance work and family responsibilities. So, the question is no longer whether lawyers can work from home, but how can they do so most efficiently.
Leveraging technology for remote legal work
Legal tech has helped bridge the gap between office work and work out of the office. In 2021, legal tech generated $27.6 billion in revenue worldwide and the market is forecasted to expand by over 4% annually through 2027.
While the drivers of the legal tech industry are complex and can’t be solely attributed to remote work, it has doubtlessly benefited from the development and expansion of tools used to power remote legal work. Tools that law firms rely on to work remotely include:
- Video conferencing software
- Communication tools such as messaging apps
- File-sharing and eSignature tools
- Cloud-based storage
Even tools that aren’t tied directly to remote work have thrived in the remote work environment.
Document automation, project and case management software, and online payment options have become more powerful, allowing lawyers to streamline their workflows and maximize productivity. What’s more, an increasing number of these tools are being built into legal practice management software, creating a more seamless experience for lawyers as they conduct their work.
Collaboration can happen easily (without compliance risks)
Tools like those detailed above have made working on legal matters between coworkers easy. Colleagues can use project management software to ensure everyone is on the same page with progress on legal matters. File-sharing makes it simple to exchange documents. Video conferencing allows attorneys, legal staff, and clients to meet regardless of location.
But can they do so and stay in line with legal compliance requirements?
Compliance questions need to be considered in all aspects of legal practice, but they have borne particular concern as law firms shift into remote work. That’s because the protocol for maintaining security for client information requires calibration.
Thankfully, with the right tools and policies, attorneys can strictly adhere to legal compliance standards.
Take, for example, implementing eSignature software to finalize critical legal documents. eSignature is not only recognized as legally valid but when practice management software, such as Tabs3, integrates with a legal-specific eSignature like LexSign, client data is protected by bank-level end-to-end encryption.
Client preference plays a big role in how remote work plays out
The client experience factors into how law firms consider remote work options for their practice. But which way is the wind blowing?
The answer is nuanced. While there is variation based on practice area, client demographics, and stage of a legal matter, many clients indicate that they prefer in-person meetings with attorneys during the initial stages of legal matters. However, they often prefer to receive updates through other forms of communication (phone, email, client portal, etc.) rather than coming into the office for a meeting.
Importantly, a 2021 survey by Thomson Reuters indicates that clients have not perceived a negative impact in their experience with their attorneys working remotely.
Tips for lawyers working remotely
Regardless of how your law firm proceeds with its own approach to remote work, there are steps you can take to make it more successful for your attorneys. Follow the tips below to make working from home (or wherever your attorneys choose to open up their laptops) as successful as possible.
Establish a clear remote work policy—or ask for one
Inconsistent policies about how often your attorneys can work remotely and how they are expected to conduct their work cause stress, confusion, and decreased productivity. Clear, consistently implemented policies, on the other hand, give your team confidence and empower them to do their best work.
A robust remote work policy should cover the following concerns:
- Which team members can work remotely and how often
- Working hours
- Expectations for timekeeping
- Communication guidelines
- Technology usage
- Security and compliance protocols
Keep your tech stack up to date
The early days of remote working are gone. It’s not reasonable to expect attorneys to cobble together software and tools so they can do their jobs remotely.
Instead, attorneys expect that their employers have considered all the resources and guidance they need to successfully do their job out-of-the-office. That means your legal tech stack needs to be configured for attorneys and staff who are not in the office.
One of the most significant pieces of this consideration is legal practice management software. While the early days of the pandemic saw a boom in cloud-based software, desktop software has caught up by establishing efficient, effective processes to allow remote workers to access their software from anywhere.
With secure access to fully integrated law firm practice management software, attorneys can complete their most common tasks from home, including:
- Billing and invoicing
- Time tracking
- Planning and setting appointments
- Sending and receiving secure emails, legal documents, eSignatures, and more
- Managing progress of legal matters
- Compliant legal accounting
- And more
While it is possible to build out a solid tech stack for your law firm by combining different tools, your team may benefit from a comprehensive practice management system that combines all the tools they need.
Tabs3 has been an industry leader in on-premise practice management software for decades. But for Tabs3 users, desktop software doesn’t mean being confined to your desk. With Tabs3 Cloud, you can access all the features of Tabs3 Billing and Financials from wherever you work. For mobile users, Tabs3 Connect brings the full functionalities of Tabs3 Billing and PracticeMaster to your phone. You also get access to features like HotBackUp, Auto-Recovery, and more.
Security needs to be a priority
Security threats have been on the rise since before the pandemic, but the remote work boom kicked them into high gear. As a legal professional, you need to ensure the highest degree of security possible for your team and your clients. Steps you should take include:
- Provide privacy and security training for all attorneys and legal staff
- Limit access to sensitive data in your practice management system
- Assess your cybersecurity protocols
- Work with your IT professionals to ensure they have the appropriate certifications to protect your server
Remote work + Tabs3 is a winning combination for law firms
Remote work with Tabs3 Software is secure, compliant, convenient, and accessible. With more than 40 years of experience offering cutting-edge legal technology to law firms, we’re dedicated to following even the industry’s strictest compliance and data security regulations while offering attorneys a flexible working experience.
Check out the Tabs3 Cloud and Tabs3 Connect product pages to learn more about what each has to offer.
Request your free trial or schedule a demo to see how Tabs3 Software’s fully integrated suite of software products can revolutionize the way your law firm functions on a day-to-day basis, whether remotely or in the office.
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April 02, 2024
All Products
Trust Accounting Software for Lawyers: The Complete Guide
In the legal profession, managing client trust funds is not only a matter of sound financial practice—it’s a matter of compliance and ethical duty. Unfortunately, many firms still rely on outdated or generic accounting systems that don’t meet the specific requirements of legal trust accounting.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and there’s a better way. Modern trust accounting software for lawyers is purpose-built to meet bar association rules, reduce manual work, and improve accuracy.
Need a proven legal trust accounting solution?
Explore Tabs3 Trust Accounting Software
What Is Legal Trust Accounting and Why Does It Matter?
Legal trust accounting refers to the process of tracking and managing client funds held in trust, separate from a law firm’s operating account. These funds may include retainers, settlements, or other payments made in advance of legal services.
The American Bar Association (ABA) and all state bar associations require attorneys to manage these funds according to strict regulations. The most basic rule? Never commingle trust funds with firm operating funds.
In addition to ethical requirements, trust funds are subject to different tax laws and must be documented thoroughly to protect both the client and the firm.
For that reason, it’s vital for law firms to use tools that:
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Keep trust records separate and secure
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Track detailed transactions
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Generate audit-ready reports
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Ensure state bar compliance
Why Law Firms Should Use Trust Accounting Software
Even experienced attorneys can struggle with the complexity of managing multiple client trust accounts manually. That’s where software makes a major difference.
Trust accounting software for lawyers provides automation, accuracy, and visibility across all trust-related activity. The benefits include:
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Compliance & Risk Reduction – Built-in safeguards prevent overdrafts and unauthorized access
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Time Savings – Automated entries, reconciliations, and reporting streamline operations
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Better Oversight – Dashboards and reports offer a real-time view of trust account status
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Audit Readiness – Generate detailed reports that meet state and ABA requirements
When designed specifically for law firms, trust accounting software removes the guesswork—and the risk—from trust fund management.
Read more: 6 Ways to Improve Your Firm’s Trust Accounting
Trust Accounting Best Practices for Lawyers
Even with the best tools, following these legal trust accounting best practices is key to avoiding errors:
Maintain Accurate, Segregated Records
Never mix trust and firm funds. Ensure records are updated in real-time and that each transaction is logged with full documentation.
Enforce Strong Security Protocols
Trust accounts are frequent targets for fraud. Use software that limits access, enforces user permissions, and logs all activity.
Monitor Purpose-Specific Use
Trust funds must only be used for their designated legal purpose. Track and document every disbursement carefully.
Prioritize Transparency
Make trust records accessible within your firm and shareable with clients when requested. Transparency builds trust—and helps avoid complaints.
Limit Transactions to Minimize Risk
Fewer transactions = fewer chances for error. Structure payment plans and invoicing to reduce transaction volume where possible.
Read more: Six Trust Accounting Best Practices for Lawyers
Tabs3: Your Versatile Trust Accounting Software Solution
Tabs3 Trust Accounting software is built exclusively for law firms—designed to make trust fund management intuitive, compliant, and efficient.
With key features accessible from a single dashboard, you can reduce time spent on administrative tasks and stay focused on serving your clients.
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Track multiple client trust accounts
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Run three-way reconciliations
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Prevent errors with built-in safeguards
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Securely process deposits with Tabs3Pay
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Seamlessly integrate with Tabs3 Billing, General Ledger, and Accounts Payable
Whether your firm is managing one trust or hundreds, Tabs3 simplifies the process and helps keep you compliant.
How Tabs3 Software Integrates Across Your Firm
Tabs3 Trust Accounting works hand-in-hand with the rest of the Tabs3 Financial Software Suite to deliver firm-wide financial visibility:
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View trust balances within the Matter Manager
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Include trust info on statements and work-in-process reports
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Sync activity across Billing, General Ledger, and Accounts Payable
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Accept credit card deposits with Tabs3Pay
All trust activity is recorded automatically, so your books stay clean—and your team stays audit-ready.
Three-Way Reconciliation & Trust Fund Protection
Tabs3 includes a Three-Way Reconciliation Report, required in many jurisdictions, to confirm that:
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Bank balances
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Individual client ledgers
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Internal trust ledgers are all in sync.
You’ll also be alerted if an account drops below a minimum balance or if any transactions are flagged for review—helping prevent ethical violations and client complaints before they happen.
Additional Features of Tabs3 Trust Accounting
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Customizable Dashboards – Pin your most-used actions and view recent transactions at a glance
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Positive Pay Export – Export approved checks to your bank for added fraud protection
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Role-Based Security – Customize access to sensitive data based on staff roles
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Cloud and On-Premises Availability – Choose what fits your firm’s infrastructure
Streamline Your Trust Accounting with Tabs3
Experience the difference that Tabs3 Trust Accounting software can make for your firm! All Tabs3 Financials software, including Trust Accounting, General Ledger, and Accounts Payable, are available to access with Tabs3 Cloud and on-premises subscription plans. View our pricing plans for more information and find the solution that best fits your needs.
Schedule your free demo today.
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March 28, 2024
Trust Accounting
8 Advantages of Secure File Sharing for Law Firms
Whether your goal is to run an entirely remote law firm or you simply want to see more efficiency around the office, secure file-sharing can help your legal practice run better.
But let’s start with the basics: what is secure file-sharing? Secure file-sharing is an ethical method of sending sensitive documents digitally, using encryption and other technology to protect them from unauthorized viewers. To prevent hackers or identity thieves from accessing client data, the documents may be encrypted at rest, in transit, or both. Password protection and other measures add additional layers of privacy, as well.
This expedient, secure way to share legal files creates numerous opportunities for tech-savvy law firms to benefit from enhanced client relations and fewer operational silos. Below, we outline eight benefits of secure file sharing for a more profitable firm and more effective practice management.
1. Integration of eSignatures for Efficient Document Handlings
An eSignature is a digital signature that is typed or “written” on a touch screen using a finger, stylus, or mouse. eSignatures are legally binding, secure, and speedy. They’re also considerably more cost-efficient than printing paper documents to collect wet-ink signatures.
Using secure file-sharing and eSignatures in tandem simply makes sense, especially for lawyers. The duo eliminates the frustrating bottlenecks and data-entry errors that plague the legal process when paper documents must be mailed, scanned, and stored.
2. Enhancing Client Experience through Digital Accessibility
Using technology to offer more client-centered service demonstrates that your firm values clients’ time and energy. Ultimately, this makes them more likely to work with your firm again in the future.
Sharing legal files securely and digitally creates significant advantages for your clients. It’s also an increasingly standard expectation for doing business in the on-demand world we live in. Instead of waiting for the mail or driving to your office in person, file-sharing enables clients to review and sign important documents whenever and wherever it’s best for them.
In total, secure file-sharing and eSignatures cut the amount of time clients spend reviewing and signing documents by 80%.
3. The Potential of a Paperless Law Firm
Evolving to become a paperless law firm creates boundless opportunities to improve your law firm’s business practices. Cutting paper doesn’t cut cash, though, at least not metaphorically. Switching to paperless systems saves most companies money. Plus, paperless firms may be able to reap state and federal tax benefits.
Environment-conscious clients and employees will also appreciate the impact made by firms that share files online: lower water usage, decreased CO2 emissions, less waste sent to landfills, and fewer fossil fuels burned by driving to review and sign documents are all added benefits of secure file sharing.
4. More Opportunities to Work Remotely
Many lawyers, from junior associates to managing partners, appreciate the flexibility that remote work allows, whether due to an unexpected illness, family needs, or travel. While many law firms operate solely in-office, others have permanently adopted hybrid and remote work models. No matter which camp your firm falls in, it’s crucial to stay agile.
As an added bonus, remote work technologies, such as secure file-sharing, make it possible to accept clients from a wider geographical area. Your firm’s horizons are expanded when time and distance are no longer barriers to sharing documents or collecting signatures.
5. Streamlining Client Intake and Onboarding
The benefits of secure file-sharing extend far beyond completing legal work on client matters.
Secure file-sharing transforms the client intake process. When clients fill out paper-and-ink forms about their legal matters, legal staff must manually enter that information into your practice management software, often more than once. The repetition creates a large margin for data entry errors and pulls legal staff’s focus away from billable tasks.
By contrast, secure file-sharing empowers clients to complete the intake process faster. The need to complete onboarding paperwork in person is eliminated, and updating new clients’ personal information is instantaneous; no digging through file folders required. This reduces manual data entry errors dramatically.
6. Optimizing Time Management and Workflows
Your firm’s most important, and limited, resource is time. Secure file-sharing streamlines workflows and preserves limited resources by eliminating the need to compare calendars. What could your team achieve without wasting time waiting for schedules to align or hounding clients to return yet another email and schedule an appointment?
Getting documents in front of the right eyes is as simple as sending an email. However, email places a size limit on the files you can attach, while secure file-sharing makes it easy to send files that are particularly large (as files tend to be in legal work). To make things even more expedient, many file-sharing platforms have built-in, customizable templates and document management software too.
These features keep everything searchable and easily accessible for efficient workflows.
7. Improved Data Security
When it comes to legal work, compliance is key.
Few professionals handle such a large volume of sensitive data as attorneys. Depending on your practice area, clients entrust your firm with intellectual property, protected health information, potentially incriminating evidence, personal identifiable information, tax records, and more. Not only does the American Bar Association heavily regulate the way this information should be managed, but state and federal governments do so as well.
Secure file-sharing software makes following the industry’s strict ethics and client confidentiality requirements a breeze. Robust data encryption and password-protected links offer a higher level of security than sharing files via email or the postal service and lessen the likelihood of a breach of confidentiality.
8. Faster, More Fruitful Collaboration
When your clients and colleagues can access important files at any time, from anywhere, there’s no need to meet in an office. Work is completed faster. Instead of stretching the feedback process out for days (or even weeks), attorneys can edit legal documents in real time rather than sending them back and forth and waiting on them to be reviewed several times.
Legal Software Solutions that Work as Hard as You Do
Tabs3 Software now integrates with LexShare. LexShare offers maximum confidentiality in an intuitive interface, so sending and receiving files internally and externally is simple for every user, client, and colleague.
However, secure file-sharing for lawyers is just one of the many user-friendly, flexible features that Tabs3’s industry-leading legal software solutions have to offer your firm. Our software works reliably and effortlessly, so attorneys can spend more time focusing on securing and serving clients and less time troubleshooting or training on new software.
A more organized, profitable legal practice awaits, and it’s easy to get started. Schedule a demo or sign up for a free trial of Tabs3 now.
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March 14, 2024
PracticeMaster
How to Choose the Best Law Practice Management Software
But do they create more challenges than they solve? Patching together different and sometimes outdated software can take a significant toll on a firm’s organizational efficiency, productivity, quality of service, and even profitability.
A reliable, integrated practice management software helps your law firm:
- Organize and execute matter-related workflows more efficiently
- Better capture and invoice for billable hours
- Increase transparency and accountability among team members
- Provide a more consistent level of service to your clients
There are dozens of practice management solutions on the market. How do you pick the right one for your firm to invest in? This blog post will guide you through the essential factors to consider in selecting the best legal practice management software to meet your firm’s needs.
What is legal practice management software?
Legal practice management software is a comprehensive tool that facilitates the smooth operation of law firms. It integrates various functions such as case and client management, document handling, billing, time tracking, and calendaring into a single platform. This software simplifies the management of case details, appointments, and documents, enabling legal professionals to focus on delivering quality service.
By consolidating these functionalities, the best law practice management software serves as an indispensable asset in enhancing a law firm’s efficiency, reducing errors, and improving service delivery.
Benefits of legal practice management software
Your law firm likely already uses certain software for time tracking, billing, and other aspects of matter management, so you may be wondering whether legal practice management software is a worthwhile investment for your firm.
Although your software needs will depend on how big your firm is and what practice areas you work in, there are a number of reasons why an integrated practice management software can serve as a worthwhile investment for nearly any practice.
The right practice management tools can help your law firm:
- Consolidate knowledge bases to increase efficiency and ensure consistency across matters
- Track billable hours more effectively and send more accurate invoices
- Increase billable hours by freeing up more time for your attorneys
- Better delegate tasks and facilitate easier communication and collaboration between team members
- Avoid costly mistakes, compliance violations, and billing errors
Taken together, these advantages can more than justify the cost of investing in an integrated practice management software.
Essential questions to ask for choosing the right practice management software
Once you’ve decided that practice management software is right for your firm, the next step is to choose the best software for your practice’s needs. As you make that decision, there are a number of questions to consider.
Is the software cloud-based or on-premises?
One of the first and most important decisions you should make is whether you want software that is stored locally or in the cloud.
Cloud-based software offers your attorneys greater flexibility in choosing where they work since your practice management tools will be accessible from anywhere. They can also cut down on IT issues for your team and protect you against the possibility of data loss in the event of sudden hardware failure.
But cloud-based practice management tools also come with certain drawbacks. Since they rely on access to the cloud provider’s network, they may not be available if you lose access to the internet. They also present possible security concerns since your firm’s data will have to pass through the software provider and won’t be stored locally on-site.
By contrast, on-premises practice management software offers you a higher level of data security, which may be especially important if some of your clients restrict their data from being stored in the cloud.
Ultimately, the best choice for your firm will depend on your practice area, data security needs, and whether or not your attorneys need the option to work from home. For added flexibility, you can also look for practice management software that supports both on-premises and cloud-based usage.
Read more: On-Premises vs Cloud vs Hosted Solutions: The Ultimate Legal Software Guide for Law Firms
What integrations does the software offer?
A good practice management software should integrate with the other software tools you use every day. Otherwise, you’ll still find yourself switching tabs and windows throughout the day, and your firm’s data will still be stored in multiple discrete locations, increasing the chances of inconsistencies and errors.
In particular, you may want to look for software that integrates with your attorney’s email accounts and Office 365, so you can more easily generate, manage, and send matter-related documents.
What security features does the software include?
Your practice management software will be responsible for handling sensitive client data, and you’ll want to make sure whatever software you choose keeps this information secure.
If the software you’re considering is cloud-based, you should ask what the company does to ensure the security of data stored in the cloud. You should also look for software that allows you to set customized user restrictions, so you can place important limits on who has access to what data.
Is the software designed specifically for law firms?
There are many popular practice management tools on the market that serve as generalized “jacks-of-all-trades.” While these software options are perfectly fine in other professional contexts, law firms will usually find better value in a practice management tool specifically designed with legal practices in mind.
A practice management software built for law firms will include invoicing, billing, document assembly, and matter management features that are fine-tuned to meet the specific needs of busy attorneys, as well as industry-specific capabilities such as conflict of interest searches and trust accounting tools.
Does the software have the features we need?
This is perhaps the most important consideration of all.
A prospective legal practice management solution should offer a wide range of easy-to-use features that streamline your law firm’s workloads and free up more time for your attorneys. Here are a few important features to look for.
Calendars and matter management tools
A legal practice management software should make it easy to sort, track, and manage matters from client intake through to invoicing and payment. It should also come with an integrated calendar so you can keep scheduling clear and transparent for everyone at your firm.
Document assembly and management
The right software should also allow you to effortlessly import, export, file, and find all of your firm’s documents, even when creating those documents in another software like Microsoft Word or Excel.
Some practice management tools even include document assembly capabilities that allow you to quickly and automatically populate the fields in common legal documents.
Time tracking and billing
Integrated timers are another key feature that allows your attorneys to easily track their time from within your practice management software. And when it comes time to bill for those hours, your attorneys will also benefit from software with time-saving billing and invoicing capabilities.
Conflict checking
One of the biggest advantages of choosing software that’s specific to law firms is the availability of conflict-checking tools.
The software you choose should include robust search tools that allow you to instantly see potential conflicts of interest, helping you stay within compliance regulations and protecting your firm’s reputation.
Options for remote work
If members of your team travel frequently, work from home, or sometimes do their work on the go, you may want to look for a practice management system that allows them to work from mobile devices or access the software remotely from home computers.
However, you should always be sure that the software provider has sufficient security measures in place before you invest in software tools that allow for remote access.
Get started with Tabs3
Tabs3 Software offers industry-leading software solutions designed specifically to meet the needs of law firms. Our mission is to provide legal practices with a wide range of reliable practice management, billing, and accounting tools. We offer both cloud-based and on-premises practice management software solutions, all feature data security and are designed to cater to the diverse needs of modern legal practices. Whether your firm prioritizes the flexibility and accessibility of cloud-based software or prefers the control of on-premises solutions, Tabs3 has you covered.
To see why tens of thousands of legal professionals choose to trust our software, schedule a demo or sign up for a free trial.
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March 07, 2024
PracticeMaster
What Law Firms Are Loving About Tabs3 Cloud
In an increasingly digital world, legal professionals are finding enormous value in cloud-based solutions for their billing and accounting software. The transition to the cloud is more than a mere trend; it’s a significant shift that helps enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and increase collaboration. From tracking time to staying on top of vendor payments, law firms benefit when they rely on software solutions built for the legal industry that can meet the specific needs of attorneys. This is where Tabs3 Cloud shines.
What Is Tabs3 Cloud?
Financial and billing activities are among law firms’ most important operational activities. That’s why firms need specialized tools that are robust, flexible, and user-friendly. Tabs3 Cloud offers a secure, integrated suite of powerful, customizable financial and billing tools that support financially healthy law practices. Billing features
- Track billable hours with stopwatch timers and convert into fees with a single click
- Nearly unlimited billing rate flexibility
- Review client and matter information, including write-offs, work in process, accounts receivable, and more
- Create and send invoices
- Batch billing
Financial features
- Manage trust accounts
- Oversee accounts payable and general ledger, including vendor invoices, payments, advanced client costs, and transaction status
- Build and run robust reports
As part of the Tabs3 line of software, Tabs3 Cloud includes Tabs3Pay to facilitate timely online payments. This integration allows law firms to maintain a strong cash flow while giving clients the convenience they want.
Seven reasons why law firms love using Tabs3 Cloud
Tabs3 Cloud software joins the list of Tabs3 Software solutions that tens of thousands of legal professionals use every day. Let’s look at the features of Tabs3 Cloud and see how it makes running a profitable law firm more manageable than ever.
1. Reliable billing and financial management
Tabs3 Cloud’s full-featured Tabs3 Billing and Financials products are tailored specifically for law firms. They integrate seamlessly together to reduce time spent entering data and managing billing and accounting functions. Unlimited billing rates, electronic invoicing, and detailed reporting options help streamline work and save firms hours of time each month. With the ability to access these tools and information to do work from nearly anywhere, law firms can now handle their financial operations with greater ease and accuracy. This flexibility to access accurate and up-to-date data is crucial.
2. Financial and billing custom-tailored to law firms
Size, geographical location, clientele, practice areas… there are many differences between law firms. Yet some software solutions expect legal professionals to shoehorn their needs into products that aren’t made for the legal industry, or products that aren’t versatile. Tabs3 was built specifically for law firms and has user flexibility at the heart of all their products. This means that firms with specialized needs can use the software in the way that works best for them. With Tabs3 products, including Tabs3 Cloud, legal practices have one-click access to the tasks they do most often, and tools to send invoices and get paid faster.
3. Expanded options for access
When law firms rely on server-based software, they commit to the IT costs of managing the software, servers, and any issues that may arise. This model works well for many law firms, but like most consumers, firms want to have options. Tabs3 Cloud allows law firms to integrate cloud-based software into their tech stack. For firms that don’t have IT support readily available or don’t want to manage their own server, a cloud solution is the perfect option.
4. Top-notch data privacy and security
Client confidentiality and data security are of the utmost importance. That’s why Tabs3 Cloud is committed to data privacy and security. The software incorporates advanced security measures, including:
- Data encryption to secure sensitive information
- Role-based access control that helps firms manage data access based on user roles
- Two-factor authentication that adds an extra security layer against unauthorized access
- Regular security audits to continuously assesses and enhances security measures
- PCI DSS compliance to adhere to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards
These features protect sensitive client information and firm data against unauthorized access and breaches. Tabs3 Cloud’s adherence to rigorous security standards and regular audits exemplifies its dedication to safeguarding the digital integrity of legal practices.
5. Automated data backups = reduced IT struggles
Tabs3 Cloud significantly alleviates IT-related stress by automating the process of data back-ups. Automated backups ensure that all critical firm data is consistently backed up without requiring manual intervention. This automation means fewer IT struggles and minimal downtime for law firms and, importantly, provides much-needed peace of mind for both attorneys and their clients in today’s environment of rising cyber threats.
6. Real-time collaboration and communication
Tabs3 Cloud enhances team dynamics by facilitating real-time collaboration and communication. This feature allows legal teams to work together more effectively, regardless of their physical location. By providing a platform where financial and billing information can be shared, edited, and discussed in real-time, Tabs3 Cloud ensures that all team members are on the same page, leading to increased efficiency and better-coordinated efforts. This collaborative environment is crucial for modern law firms where prompt teamwork can significantly impact client satisfaction and operational efficiency.
7. Industry-leading customer support
Tabs3 Cloud distinguishes itself with its exceptional support team. Because we understand the importance of timely and effective assistance, we provide users with access to experienced, professional U.S.-based customer service. This support is not just about addressing technical issues; it extends to helping firms maximize Tabs3 Cloud features and creating tailored billing and financial solutions. High customer satisfaction ratings reflect our commitment to ensuring law firms have a positive experience.
Transform your law firm’s billing and financial operations with Tabs3 Cloud
Get the flexible, customized billing and financial solutions your law firm needs to achieve its goals. Tabs3 Cloud combines the reliable software you trust with the accessibility of cloud-based functionalities. Sign up for a demo today and experience firsthand how Tabs3 Cloud can streamline your operations, enhance collaboration, and safeguard your data.
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February 23, 2024
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