Tabs3 Practice Management Blog for Law Firms

Tax season doesn’t have to be a time of stress and last-minute scrambling for law firms and attorneys. With the right preparation (and tools), you can turn this often-dreaded period into a smooth, manageable process.

Whether you’re flying solo or are part of a large legal practice, there are straightforward steps you can take to get your financial house in order well before you need to file taxes for the year.

Let’s review some essential tips to ensure your law firm is ready to meet tax season head-on.

Make tax preparation a year-long process

Tax prep is inevitable. If you chip away at the main tasks and stay organized during the year, you’ll barely register the stress of this notoriously challenging season.

Prepare for tax season throughout the year with efficient record-keeping and billing practices. Keeping documents organized prevents the end-of-year or last-minute scramble to balance accounts and locate information to complete tax forms.

For example, use the advanced reporting features in your legal billing software to keep track of your accounts receivable, expenses, write-offs, and other financial information each month.

Additionally, check in on your general ledger processes early to stay on top of your bank account balances and reconciliation status, and correct coding errors when necessary.

What else can you do to stay on top of your tax-related tasks? Here are five more tips.

1. Manage IRS Form 1099 year-round

Many law firms struggle with IRS Form 1099-MISC and Form 1099-NEC each year, and each form has different requirements to follow. For example, the IRS requires Form 1099-NEC when your law firm pays over $600 in compensation for services to individuals who are non-employees, such as court reporters, expert witnesses, co-counsels, jury consultants, etc.

Who issues Form 1099s?

Typically, the payor of a taxable settlement or judgment payment issues Form 1099-MISC to the payee. However, some law firms might be required to issue a form 1099-MISC if they play a significant role in overseeing and managing the client’s settlement or trust funds.

When do law firms receive 1099s?

In addition to issuing numerous 1099s, your law firm should receive 1099s from clients who pay you $600 or more during the year for legal services or nonlegal services. The 1099s you receive must be included with your law firm’s business tax return.

When should 1099s be issued?

The deadlines range from January 31^st to the end of February, depending on the type of form 1099 being issued.

You can avoid headaches with 1099s by tracking payment activity throughout the year. Law firm accounting software helps you record payments and receipts that require 1099s, prepare tax forms, mail recipient copies, and file the forms electronically with taxing authorities.

2. Track deductions and expenses

Many expenses your law firm incurs can be deducted on tax returns. Examples of typical law firm deductions include, but are not limited to:

• Credit card transaction fees
• Travel and mileage
• Office expenses
• Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
• Advertising and marketing
• Insurance premiums
• Professional dues
• Research materials
• Retirement plan contributions for employees
• Fees for professionals

Your tax professional should advise you about the business expenses you can deduct.

However, you need to provide your tax professional with accurate and complete information about law firm expenses for them to determine which expenses can be used as law firm deductions for tax purposes.

Tracking expenses throughout the year and posting the amounts to the correct categories is essential. Legal accounting software can help, especially when it’s time to print a detailed report of the law firm’s expenses for the year.

3. Invest in legal accounting software

If your law firm is manually entering and preparing financial reports or using software not specifically designed for law firms, switching to a law firm accounting software may be the best way to prepare for tax season.

Legal accounting software streamlines your law firm’s accounting process and provides enhanced financial information about your law firm, which decreases the risk of costly errors and mistakes.

When choosing legal accounting software, search for a provider that integrates with your practice management software. Many systems also integrate with other products a law firm might use, such as document management platforms, secure file sharing, payroll services, and tax form preparation and filing.

4. Complete your year-end financial analysis

Attorneys and law firms need to perform a year-end financial analysis for many reasons, including preparing for tax time.

Because you may need to take care of outstanding issues before the end of the year, you benefit from performing these year-end accounting and financial steps in November:

• Identify and collect outstanding accounts receivable. Ensure all billing and time entries are current, prepare an accounts receivable report, and take steps to collect outstanding balances.
• Review the law firm’s accounts payable report to ensure all payments due before the end of the year are paid.
• Ensure all client ledgers are up-to-date and balanced. Reconcile all trust accounts before December 31^st.
• Review your Owner’s Draw account to ensure attorneys are paid all amounts owed to date. If you have unpaid receipts or travel expenses, pay those now before the end of the year.
• Make year-end charitable donations and retirement contributions to reduce taxable income.

Finally, prepare and review the law firm’s financial statements. Financial statements include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Your law firm’s financial statements give you an overview of the practice to ensure everything is recorded and reconciled.

5. Know your tax filing deadlines

Various tax filings have different deadlines. Check with your tax professional to verify tax deadlines now so you are not in the position of rushing to complete financial reporting and tax forms at the last minute.

You should also know tax deadlines for filing payroll taxes, quarterly taxes, and other tax obligations for the law firm.

Tabs3 Software simplifies tax season for law firms

Tabs3 provides reliable and trusted service to lawyers and law firms. Our legal accounting software has effective tools to manage all aspects of your law firm’s finances, from trust accounting and billing clients to tracking expenses and preparing for tax season.

To learn more about how Tabs3 can help make tax season less stressful by managing your daily law firm finances, schedule a free demo today!

From small offices to full-service firms, legal practices of all sizes have much to gain from embracing cloud-based legal technology.

According to research, businesses should expect to see a return on investment that more than doubles the amount of money they spend to set up cloud-based services. This is partly because cloud options offer an immediate and significant reduction in IT costs. They also make scaling simple, which is advantageous for the ever-growing number of firms that have taken on increasing workloads in 2023.

By opting for a cloud-based solution that comes packed with powerful billing and accounting features, like Tabs3 Cloud, not only are you streamlining your firm’s operations, but you also get to enjoy the same easy-to-use interface and data privacy as our traditional on-premises options.

As an industry leader in legal software solutions, we recognize just how impactful these factors are on your firm’s efficiency, culture, and bottom line. That’s why we’re taking everything you know and love about Tabs3 Billing and Tabs3 Financials to the convenience of the cloud.

Here’s what you can expect from Tabs3 Cloud

Tabs3 Cloud is a cloud-based legal billing and financial software solution designed specifically for the way today’s fast-paced, multifaceted law firms operate. It includes our most popular Tabs3 Billing and Tabs3 Financials features so you can manage your time, billing, and finances more effectively.

Tabs3 Billing tools

By accessing the Tabs3 Billing Matter Manager in the cloud, you can review all of the information it takes to run a financially healthy legal practice whenever and wherever it suits you:

• Client contact information
• Write-offs
• Work-in-process
• Account balances
• Recent payments

Much like the on-premises version of our billing and financials software, Tabs3 Cloud automates your workflows with customizable, easy access to all of the tasks your firm completes most often.

Tabs3 Billing also features stopwatch timers, which allow you to track and bill for your work in a single click. Keep your most important financial data, from accounts receivable to works in process, within reach with handy widgets and intuitive graphs that display your most recent billing data using the dashboard.

Even batch billing is made easier with Tabs3 Cloud. With Tabs3 Cloud, remote team members can collaborate on billing tasks in real time without having to be in the same physical location. This means that bills can be created, updated, and approved more quickly and efficiently without waiting for key stakeholders to be available in-office.

When clients are ready to submit payment, Tabs3Pay makes payment processing simple for them, with a streamlined and secure experience.

Tabs3 Financials features

Tabs3 Cloud also includes a full range of robust accounting features that are tailor-made to meet your legal practice’s unique needs.

Like the on-premises version of Tabs3 Financials, you can track and manage trust accounts with confidence that Tabs3’s built-in safeguards will protect your firm from accidental compliance violations and potential malpractice claims. Tabs3 Cloud also alleviates the tedium of three-way reconciliations of your client trust accounts, and even conveys trust account balances to your clients automatically on their statements.

Every dollar is accounted for, every day. To top things off, a wide variety of visually intuitive reports are available so that you can make data-driven decisions about your firm’s financial future.

Remaining in good standing with your vendors is simplified with the ability to view your accounts payable data remotely, including:

• Vendor invoices
• Payments
• Advanced client costs
• Transaction status

The check register maintains a record of all of the checks that you have written, along with the date, amount, and payee. It also shows the status of each check, so you can easily tell which checks have cleared and which are still outstanding.

Say goodbye to server struggles for good

Tabs3 Cloud brings all of the reliability and experience you’ve come to expect from Tabs3 without the potential drawbacks of a traditional on-premises server. You’ll save time, money, and energy by making the switch to cloud-based billing and accounting tools, but you won’t have to sacrifice efficiency or compliance to do it.

Work from anywhere

Tabs3 Cloud opens up new realms of possibility for remote work. Whether you’re commuting across town or flying around the world, you can access your billing and financial applications securely from anywhere.

Data privacy and security

Leave the details to the legal technology professionals so you can spend more time serving your clients and less time maintaining your server. Tabs3 Cloud provide you with the peace of mind that only industry-leading security measures can bring:

• Data encryption
• Role-based access control
• Two-factor authentication
• Regular security audits
• PCI DSS compliance

Friendly, US-based support

Our award-winning support staff is available by phone or email during business hours, and they consistently receive a customer satisfaction rating of 98% or higher. When you need assistance, you’ll get to speak with a real human committed to your firm’s success.

Effortless collaboration

When multiple legal team members work on a matter, collaboration may be needed to create a complete invoice. Cloud-based legal technology, like Tabs3 Cloud, can help law firms improve their collaboration by providing a central repository for data and real-time communication tools.

Take your legal practice to new heights with the reliable software and trusted service only Tabs3 Software can provide

Propel your firm toward higher profits with reliable software that’s designed specifically for the way that today’s fast-paced, multifaceted law firms operate.

Tabs3 Cloud includes all of the features you trust from Tabs3 Billing and Tabs3 Financials and puts them on your browser in the same easy-to-navigate interface you’re familiar with.

Whether you’re a longtime Tabs3 user or switching from another billing tool, Tabs3 Cloud is the perfect solution to keep operating accounts and client funds organized and accounted for.

Discover what the most dependable software solution for billing and financials on the market can do for your legal practice. Learn more about the benefits of Tabs3 Cloud today!

As a lawyer, you know that you have a duty to “zealously protect and pursue a client’s legitimate interests.” But what happens when those interests collide with another client’s, or even your own?

Understanding and managing conflicts of interest is essential for managing an ethical legal practice and maintaining client trust.

Let’s explore what constitutes a conflict of interest, why it’s a pivotal issue, and how you can effectively navigate conflict checks at intake by using the latest technological tools.

Understanding the concept of conflict of interest

Conflicts of interest in the legal field are an issue that can have real-world repercussions for both lawyers and their clients. That’s why attorneys usually begin an initial consultation with a conflict of interest check to see if a prospective client’s matters are at odds with those of an existing client.

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct contain extensive rules on conflicts of interest, both for current and prospective clients.

According to Rule 1.7, a conflict of interest exists when there is a significant risk that a lawyer’s ability to represent a client will be materially limited by the lawyer’s responsibilities to another client, a former client, or a third person, or by a personal interest of the lawyer.

In simpler terms, a conflict arises when:

• your duty to one client could adversely affect another, OR
• your personal interests are at odds with your professional responsibilities

It’s a situation that demands immediate attention and resolution because failing to address it can lead to ethical violations and penalties.

The importance of loyalty and independent judgment

At the core of the attorney-client relationship is the principle of loyalty and independent judgment.

Clients entrust lawyers with all manner of highly sensitive data, including financial and personal information, and rely on them for legal advice and representation. Any form of conflict can erode this trust and compromise the quality of legal services provided.

For instance, if you’re representing two clients in a business transaction, can you truly advocate for both parties equally? The answer is often no, and this is where conflict of interest checks come into play.

Conflict of interest checks are not just a formality. They’re a crucial step in maintaining the integrity of the legal profession.

Common types of conflicts in legal practice

There are always nuances to legal practice, and conflicts of interest are no different. Understanding these types of conflicts is about adhering to legal guidelines and maintaining the trust and integrity that are the bedrock of the legal profession.

Opposing client interests

This type of conflict arises when you represent clients whose interests could potentially clash in the future, even if they aren’t directly opposed at the moment.

For example, you might represent two different clients in separate but similar business negotiations. If one client’s successful deal could negatively impact the market conditions for the other client, you are in a situation of opposing client interests.

Limited abilities due to other responsibilities

Sometimes, your ability to fully represent a client is hindered by obligations to another party. This could be another client, a former client, or even a personal matter. When this situation arises, it becomes difficult to give both parties your best effort.

Exposure to the opposing party’s information

If you’ve had access to sensitive information from an opposing party in a previous case, taking on a new case against that party is fraught with ethical pitfalls.

Business transactions with clients

It’s widely known that, as the ABA’s ethical guidance states, a “lawyer’s own interests should not be permitted to have an adverse effect on representation of a client.”

Entering into business deals with a client can muddy the professional relationship. Your interests could easily become misaligned, leading to a conflict that is hard to resolve.

The traditional way of conducting conflict checks

Before the advent of specialized legal software, conflict checks were often a manual, time-consuming process. Lawyers would rely on:

• Centralized databases: Manually searching through databases for names and entities related to potential new clients.
• Team consultations: Discussing potential conflicts with other lawyers and paralegals in the firm.
• Manual legal obligation review: Examining legal documents like confidentiality agreements or noncompete clauses that could cause conflicts.

These methods are prone to human error and can be incredibly time-consuming. These days, there are much more efficient ways to keep yourself in the clear.

The role of informed consent

Keep in mind that in some scenarios, conflicts can be managed through informed consent. This means all affected parties agree to proceed after full disclosure of the potential conflict. However, not all conflicts can be resolved this way, and in some cases, you may need to decline representation altogether.

The modern solution: Specialized legal software

In contrast with manual conflict checks, which are cumbersome and error-prone, specialized legal software has features designed to automate and streamline the conflict identification process, boosting speed and accuracy.

A software solution helps you conduct more accurate and efficient checks by allowing you to:

• Search through a comprehensive database of clients, matters, and related parties.
• Generate detailed conflict reports for review.
• Maintain a record of all conflict checks for compliance and auditing purposes.

By integrating advanced software solutions into your conflict check procedures, you save time and enhance the reliability and integrity of the process.

Simplify conflict checks with Tabs3’s specialized tools

As an attorney, your reputation is one of your most valuable assets. Upholding ethical standards is a cornerstone of a successful practice. By staying informed about the nuances of what constitutes a conflict of interest and employing effective management strategies, you can safeguard your reputation and build stronger, more trusting relationships with your clients.

Tabs3 offers a range of features that make conflict checks more reliable and efficient:

• Comprehensive database searches. Quickly search through a centralized database that includes current clients, past clients, and opposing parties, as well as any associated information for these clients.
• Team collaboration features. Easily consult with team members within the platform, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
• Search inside and outside of the database. PracticeMaster enable you to search outside documents and emails to ensure as comprehensive a search as possible.

By adopting PracticeMaster, you can significantly reduce the time and effort required for conflict checks, allowing you to focus more on your clients and less on administrative tasks.

Tabs3 is a comprehensive software solution designed to streamline your legal practice and enhance compliance. From legal billing to a financial suite, Tabs3 provides the tools you need to maintain airtight ethical integrity.

Don’t leave your reputation to chance. Invest in a solution that supports your commitment to ethical practice. Schedule a demo or begin your free trial today.

Expanding your client base is one of the best ways to grow your law firm. But without the right tools, all of the steps involved in lead management and the hurdles of client intake can require more time and attention than you have to spare. (After all, you must also provide excellent service to your existing clients.)

The good news is that today, law firms can leverage legal-specific client relationship management software like Tabs3 CRM to streamline the administrative and marketing aspects of growing your client base.

Even better, Tabs3 CRM integrates with our legal practice management software PracticeMaster, which means you can keep all your client data under one roof.

What is legal CRM?

As law firms grow, it can become incredibly time-consuming to market your firm, perform all of the necessary tasks associated with client intake, maintain strong client relationships, and complete enough billable hours.

Client relationship management (CRM) software is designed to streamline the client intake process and expand aspects of your marketing strategy. Yet practices that start out with industry-agnostic CRMs often face additional costs and effort to adapt their CRM to the specific needs of law firms.

Legal CRM takes the best parts of CRM technology and adds features that make it easy for law firms to implement in less time, with a faster return on investment.

Legal CRM includes features like:

• Customizable intelligent intake forms
• Automated texts and emails
• Streamlined marketing planning
• Document automation
• Secure file-sharing
• Data synchronization

5 ways Tabs3 CRM can transform your client intake

Your tools should work for you, not create more work. Tabs3 CRM is designed to make marketing and client intake easy for law firms.

1.   Engage more leads through automated marketing campaigns

Converting leads into clients can require a lot of touchpoints. When done manually through individual emails, texts, or phone calls, this process can be quite time-consuming.

When you automate lead-converting marketing campaigns, though, you can nurture leads more effectively and with greater results. Tabs3 CRM helps firms set up drip campaigns by:

• Creating personalized email templates
• Scheduling follow-ups automatically
• Tracking engagement for leads throughout the process

If you’re worried that your messages will come across as “automated,” remember that you can fully customize your messaging. Automated email sequences and text messages don’t have to be impersonal.

You can use Tabs3 CRM to create personalized marketing email campaigns specific to each step in your client intake process. Email drip campaigns require an initial setup, and once complete, you can use them indefinitely with only minor adjustments, saving your firm countless hours of email outreach to potential leads.

2.   Use customizable logic-based intake forms for greater efficiency

A manual client intake process is time-consuming and error-prone. It requires repetitive, tedious administrative work. Moreover, if a lead isn’t the right fit for your firm, you may feel frustrated at the time spent on work that didn’t generate revenue.

Logic-based intake forms help firms identify which leads may be a fit for their firm from the start. Through customizable and intelligent intake forms, law firms can pose questions that qualify leads based on the practice area or services required.

Because Tabs3 CRM integrates with PracticeMaster, any data generated can be synced between the two applications. This saves time on data entry and reduces human errors.

3.   Reduce follow-up with clients

Even after intake forms are submitted, you have more work to do before a lead officially becomes a client. This may mean phone calls, consultations, and further meetings.

Leading your potential client through these meetings and getting them to sign on the dotted line requires good communication and follow-up. After all, you’re busy, but so are your leads.

Tabs3 CRM can reduce your workload by sending out automated messages to:

• Schedule meetings
• Remind leads about upcoming meetings
• Send follow-up paperwork
• And more

4.   Assemble documents automatically and share securely through text or email

Document management is a critical part of the client intake process, but it has historically been a hands-on process. Whether it’s document assembly or reminding clients to return a signed document, even minor issues can delay the intake process and leave your client with a less-than-perfect first impression.

With a legal CRM, law firms can automate document assembly to streamline client intake workflows by pulling from client profiles within the CRM.

Tabs3 CRM makes it easy to share files with clients securely, obtain legally binding eSignatures from clients, and import documents once signed. With text message automation, you can share documents securely and send automated follow-ups, reminders, eSignature requests, and appointment confirmations. Firms can begin their relationship with new clients on the right foot through a prompt and seamless client intake process.

5.    Maximize your productivity and efficiency with integrations

When your systems don’t integrate, you spend more time switching between systems, transferring data, and triple-checking for errors.

In addition to the relationships you build with your clients, an integrated CRM saves your legal team significant time throughout the week with streamlined workflows that maximize efficiency.

Rather than constantly switching between different platforms and devices, Tabs3 CRM provides a single, user-friendly platform where a law firm can manage client intake, schedule appointments, and share files without missing a beat.

When a lead becomes a client, Tabs3 CRM seamlessly integrates with PracticeMaster to simplify client information data entry, making it easier than ever to stay organized and simplify the process of managing your matters.

Streamline your client intake process with Tabs3 CRM

Growing your client base doesn’t have to be a catch-22. It is possible to bring in more clients in less time without sacrificing billable hours for your current clients.

With Tabs3 CRM, your law firm can spend more time providing expert legal services and less time on marketing and lead conversion. And rather than sacrificing your marketing efforts or the quality of your client relationship management, Tabs3 CRM simplifies the process to enable effective marketing and client communication with tools specifically built for law firms.

Boost your productivity and profitability with Tabs3 CRM. Schedule a demo today and see how marketing automation can grow your law firm to new heights.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the 20th annual event designed to raise awareness about cybersecurity measures anyone can take to stay safe online. But for law firms, practicing cybersecurity year-round is critical for protecting sensitive client data.

One of the most common issues facing law firms today is the rapid advancement of technology and subsequent security threats from hacks and data breaches. What worked five or ten years ago may not be the most effective safeguard today.

In the ABA’s 2022 Legal Technology Survey Report, 27% of respondents stated that their firm had experienced some sort of security breach, while an additional 25% reported that they didn’t know if their firm experienced a security breach. And security breaches where sensitive data is involved can be costly; in 2023, the average cost of a data breach was $4.45 million.

Suffice it to say cybersecurity is essential for law firms today. Thankfully, your billing and practice management software can help secure your firm’s sensitive data with built-in security features.

With Tabs3’s security features, your data stays secure any way you access your firm’s practice management software. In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, here are six ways security features in Tabs3 protect your firm and clients.

1.  Secure file sharing allows attorneys to collaborate from anywhere

Currently, email is one of the more vulnerable vehicles for sharing information. Email practices are prone to human error, phishing scams, and account hacks that increase the risk of compromised client data.

Similarly, email can also be vulnerable for your clients. Almost everyone is familiar with emails sent to them from “Amazon” or the “IRS” asking for sensitive data. Many of these phishing emails are increasingly difficult to spot.

A secure file-sharing system provides added security and peace of mind for your firm and your clients. By having an established procedure for sharing files, both parties can identify potential phishing attempts, and their information stays secure.

For example, Tabs3’s practice management software PracticeMaster integrates with LexShare, a software solution that provides bank-level security measures for file-sharing. It provides additional layers of security as you collaborate with colleagues or clients, even when one or both parties are working remotely.

Remote work is the new normal for many firms. Last year, 87% of lawyers reported that their law firms allow for remote work. However, remote work poses additional security and compliance risks when it comes to accessing confidential or proprietary information, so it’s crucial to share documents and files securely.

2.  eSignatures are secure and legally binding

Few clients want to come to an in-person meeting for the sole purpose of signing a document for an ongoing case. Digital signatures are increasingly common, but obtaining signatures via email can increase exposure to data or security breaches.

That’s where using a secure eSignature feature comes in. PracticeMaster has integrated with LexSign so that users can obtain signatures securely and remotely. These signatures are legally binding, and allow clients to communicate with their attorneys from anywhere for added convenience.

eSignatures also improve internal workflows by reducing the steps it takes to obtain client signatures, all while using secure cloud technology to protect files from potential security breaches. These eSignatures feature specialized encryption tools, secure links, and knowledge-based authentication.

3.  SSL protocols provide bank-level security

Banks and other financial institutions use Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) to create a secure connection between multiple services. SSL also encrypts data between websites, browsers, and devices.

Tabs3 Platinum Edition uses SSL to establish encrypted connections between remote devices and a central server, which is especially important for remote workers or clients. With an SSL, attorneys can access confidential client documents securely from their smartphone or laptop.

4.  Tabs3 Connect creates a secure connection anywhere

With Tabs3 Platinum Edition, attorneys also have access to Tabs3 Connect, which provides secure access to Tabs3 Billing and PracticeMaster when out of the office.

Whether you work remotely or just need to access client data on-the-go, a mobile-friendly legal software application can help you access data safely from a secure server without copying files to your personal device. Through an encrypted connection, legal staff and attorneys can confidently access their practice management system through their smartphones, tablets, laptops, or home desktops.

5.  Hot backup and auto-recovery tools protect data

When time is literally money for law firms, a lost connection or ill-timed computer crash can have significant impacts on your team.

The Hot Backup feature with Tabs3 Platinum Edition empowers users to back up data, even while people are working within your practice management system. Users can schedule regular backups or start backups whenever they need it. For added peace of mind, users can receive email confirmation upon completion of each Hot Backup.

To optimize security for your firm, admins can control how many backups are stored on your server and where they are stored.

If you happen to lose connection while in the courthouse or while working from home, Tabs3’s auto-recovery tools have you covered so you can work without worrying about disruptions or connection issues.

6.  Access restrictions protect sensitive information

For law firms, not every team member needs access to every piece of information in the system. Protocols for access restriction can provide safe strategies for protecting client data.

Access protocols in practice management software let you determine who has access to which documents and how users interact with them.

This access customization keeps sensitive information secure and prevents unwanted alterations, misplacement, or deletion of sensitive data. You can even grant or restrict access for files down to specific fields, such as appointment dates or client phone numbers within your client database.

Access restrictions ensure that sensitive information is only available to those who need it.

Protect your law firm with Tabs3

Your legal billing and practice management software should be functional and secure.

Get on the path to protection this Cyber Security Month and schedule a demo to learn how Tabs3 Software can protect your law firm and clients.

Every detail matters when you’re running a legal practice. And while generic accounting software may get the job done, it lacks specialized features that have the potential to make or break a law firm’s financial compliance and efficiency.

So, what are you sacrificing by not opting for a legal-specific accounting solution?

Let’s explore the distinct advantages of legal-specific accounting software and why making the switch is necessary for law firms that want to stay at the top in a highly competitive industry.

Understanding the legal industry’s unique accounting needs

The legal industry has specific accounting needs that differ significantly from those of other industries. These requirements stem from the industry’s regulatory environment, trust and IOLTA account management, client expense tracking, and the need for meticulous time tracking and billing.

Regulatory environment

Law firms operate within a strict regulatory framework, with in-depth financial reporting and compliance requirements. Failing to comply with bar association rules can result in sanctions or reputational damage—even disbarment.

Legal-specific billing and accounting software is designed to adhere to these regulations, with baked-in safeguards that reduce the risk of non-compliance.

Trust and IOLTA account management

Trust accounts, also known as IOLTA accounts (Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts), hold client funds for various transactions.

Because the money in trust is the client’s property until services are performed, billed for, and approved (or disbursed, in the case of settlement awards), lawyers have a fiduciary responsibility to keep it safe.

IOLTA accounts come with complex rules, and failure to comply can lead to severe penalties. Legal-specific accounting software offers features to manage these accounts accurately and efficiently, minimizing the risk of errors.

Client expense tracking

Law firms often incur expenses on behalf of their clients that need to be accurately tracked and billed for. Improper expense tracking can lead to financial losses for a firm or overcharging clients.

Time tracking and billing

Accurate and timely billing is crucial for law firms. Lawyers that bill based on hours accrued put their reputation (and ability to practice) in jeopardy if they pad their hours or overcharge their clients, even unintentionally.

The limitations of general accounting software

While general accounting software, like QuickBooks, is widely used across many industries, it lacks the specialized features needed to handle the unique accounting needs of law firms. Consider the following limitations of general accounting software.

Lack of legal-specific features

General accounting software does not cater to the specific needs of law firms, such as trust accounting, client expense tracking, and legal-specific reporting. Without these features, your law firm may experience inefficiencies and potential errors in your accounting processes.

Inefficiency

Customizing general accounting software to meet the unique needs of a law firm can be a complex and time-consuming process. Even if your generic software offers some level of customization, it may result in less-than-optimal solutions that do not fully meet your firm’s needs.

Risk of errors

Using multiple software solutions for accounting and billing can lead to communication gaps and discrepancies, increasing the risk of errors. Errors at your firm can result in financial losses and erode client trust.

Six benefits of legal-specific accounting software

Legal-specific accounting software is designed to meet the unique accounting needs of law firms. It offers several advantages to enhance your firm’s productivity and accuracy in managing your accounting needs.

1.   Reduced compliance risks

Legal-specific accounting software is designed in compliance with the strict regulations of the legal industry. It includes features like trust account management and detailed financial reporting, reducing the risk of non-compliance.

2.   Customizable workflows

The best law firm accounting software enables you to tailor the software to meet your firm’s operational needs. This flexibility can significantly improve your firm’s productivity and efficiency, which allows you to focus on higher-level tasks.

3.   Effective management of trust funds

The management of trust funds presents a unique set of challenges that require specialized solutions. Legal-specific accounting software is engineered to facilitate the meticulous administration of trust funds, streamlining the process lawyers must use to track, manage, and reconcile accounts.

By incorporating built-in safeguards, the software prevents common errors like overdrawing accounts, ensuring accuracy and compliance in managing trust funds.

4.   Efficient routine accounting

Handling routine accounting tasks can be a time-consuming process. Legal-specific accounting software streamlines these tasks, allowing you to focus on client service.

5.   Integration with practice management software

Ideally, your law firm accounting software will integrate seamlessly with practice management software, providing a comprehensive solution for your firm’s accounting and operational needs.

Integration offers several benefits, including:

• Cost savings when separate software tools aren’t needed
• Improved efficiency, resulting in time savings
• Reduced risk of errors

Seamless integration between practice management and legal accounting software eliminates the need for duplicate data entry, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and data integrity.

6.   Detailed reporting and account management

Legal-specific accounting software enables you to generate detailed financial reports that provide instant insights into your firm’s financial health. It also allows you to manage your chart of accounts efficiently, catering to your firm’s specific needs.

Elevate your firm’s accounting practices with Tabs3 Financials

Choosing a legal-specific accounting software is critical for any law firm committed to operational excellence. Tabs3 Financials offer a comprehensive array of features meticulously designed to meet the distinct requirements of the legal sector.

With Tabs3 Financials, law firms enhance operational efficiency, minimize the likelihood of errors, and ensure steadfast adherence to regulatory mandates.

Unlike generic accounting software, Tabs3 Financials is designed specifically for law firms, offering seamless integration with Tabs3 Billing. From within a single platform, you can manage:

• Law firm operations and workflows
• Trust Accounting
• Accounts Payable
• Chart of accounts
• General Ledger
• Billing and payments
• Tax filing for 1099s

Ready to transform your law firm’s accounting processes with Tabs3 Financials? Get in touch with us today for a free demo.

Summer has come and gone, and it’s already time to think about year-end for your firm. Before the year draws to a close, your firm should evaluate its overall performance, examine opportunities to streamline operations, and lay the groundwork for a successful 2024.

Here are six strategic approaches to help you end the year on a high note by nurturing your client relationships, reviewing firm finances, boosting efficiency, and allowing your partners and employees to take a well-earned break.

1.   Check in with your clients

Building and maintaining strong client relationships is crucial for any business and key to creating a successful legal practice. Before the year ends, it’s essential to proactively reach out to your clients to check in on their satisfaction, address any concerns, and gather valuable feedback.

Specialized law practice management software can play a pivotal role in the client communications process, particularly when you have an integrated client relationship management (CRM) tool that maintains updated client data and records of all interactions.

You also may want to augment your check-ins with an internal review of the clients—after all, good client relationships go both ways. Ask yourself these questions: Are you maintaining services for a client who consistently pays late? Could there be an opportunity to focus on new or current clients and better serve your firm’s goals and bottom line?

2.   Wrap up any open or overdue invoices

You already know unpaid invoices can significantly impact your firm’s cash flow and profitability.
It’s essential to identify and address any open or overdue invoices promptly and set up payment arrangements where necessary. Keep in mind that once an invoice passes the 180-day mark, there’s a 56% chance it will never be paid. You can’t afford to let these invoices go, especially if it rolls over into next year’s problem.

If your comprehensive practice management software or standalone billing and accounts receivable software has the right capabilities, you can easily generate and track invoices, send timely reminders, and simplify the payment process, so this activity shouldn’t eat into your staff time or billable hours. The best options will allow you to take advantage of reporting features to gain insights into your firm’s financial health and identify areas for improvement.

3.   Start organizing your calendar

A well-organized calendar is a crucial building block of a productive workplace. As you head into Q4, take the time to review and update your firm’s calendar for the upcoming year. Scheduling appointments, court dates, deadlines, and tasks in an effective calendaring system can help every member of your firm manage time on—and time off—efficiently.

Consider a calendaring tool that can give you visibility into not only individual tasks and meetings but the firm as a whole. The flexibility to schedule appointments for one person, a group, or everyone in your firm makes it easier for your team to sync and for you to use your time wisely.

It’s also a good time to review or set reminders and alarms to ensure you never miss a meeting or forget to do something important. By carefully planning and scheduling your workload, you can start 2024 on the right foot with minimal disruptions and maximum productivity.

4.   Complete an operational review

Conducting an operational review of your law firm is a critical step in identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This is a key best practice for any business. A thorough evaluation of the available data and analytics is instrumental in this process.

The data and trends you get out of generating reports are only as good as what you put in. If your firm has maintained consistent and meticulous time records, that information will be extremely valuable as you review the activities and productivity of the year on both the individual and organizational levels.

If possible, use your software’s reporting features to assess key performance metrics, such as billable hours, client acquisition costs, and resource utilization.

Take a critical look at your existing reports. As you perform your operational review, consider these questions:

• Where can processes and workflows be streamlined or reassigned to increase profitability?
• What improvements or changes can be made now and measured for effectiveness in 2024?

Answering these questions will help you make data-driven decisions, improve operational processes, and optimize the efficiency of your firm.

5.   Make a marketing plan for a successful year ahead

A well-crafted marketing plan is essential for attracting new clients and retaining existing ones.

As you near year-end, take the time to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy for the coming year. Have this plan follow your operational review, so you can determine which practice areas are most profitable and then focus your marketing efforts accordingly.

If you’re using legal CRM software, check whether you’re getting everything you can out of it. When used to the fullest, a client relationship management tool with law firm-specific functionality will help you win business, connect with clients, and maximize billable hours.

Additionally, you should be able to segment your client base and target specific demographics with tailored marketing messages.

Finally, examine your marketing spend and ROI for the year. Where do you see the most significant returns? It may make sense to double down on what’s working and cut back or eliminate what is not.

6.   Make remote work easy

Remote work has become an integral part of the legal industry, offering flexibility and accessibility for employees and clients.

To ensure seamless remote work operations, invest in the right technology.

Remote solutions like private hosting and cloud products enable your team to work from anywhere, providing secure access to essential case information, billing records, and client data. Implementing remote work capabilities improves your firm’s agility and enhances employee satisfaction and work-life balance, something that can come into sharper scrutiny at the end of the year when your staff may be juggling work obligations alongside increased home and family obligations.

Software has become more versatile, and features to access documents, manage project and case files, and provide online payment options have become more powerful. This all allows lawyers to create streamlined workflows and maximize productivity while out of the office. These tools are built into comprehensive legal practice management software for a seamless experience.

Power up with Tabs3 Software

Even if it seems premature, it’s wise for law firms to take proactive steps to finish 2023 strong and prepare for a successful year ahead. The sooner your firm begins to process the lessons from this calendar year and your aspirations for the next one, the better prepared you will be for success.

By leveraging Tabs3 Software, law firms can streamline operations, enhance client service, and optimize their practice management.

Take advantage of features like:

• Tabs3 Financials
• Tabs3 Billing
• PracticeMaster
• Tabs3 CRM

Embracing the legal-specific features in Tabs3 Software will result in a strong year-end and lay the foundation for a prosperous and thriving legal practice.

Schedule a demo or begin your free trial today.

From the staff you’ve hired to the office environment you’ve created, you’ve done your best to make your clients feel at ease from the moment they walk through the door of your law firm. But do you offer them the same carefully considered experience online?

First impressions matter, and for many clients, they happen on the web. To convey the message that your firm is capable, professional, and trustworthy, you need a website that’s as informative and engaging as your legal arguments.

According to an American Bar Association survey, it’s estimated that 94% of law firms have a website. So while many legal professionals are attempting to meet this expectation, some law firms fall short, and there’s no doubt as to why.

Carving out the time and funds it takes to create a site that’s compliant, secure, and up-to-date can be difficult when you have a lot on your plate. And alternatives like outsourcing can be costly, time-consuming, and unreliable.

As a result, many managing partners decide that having an underwhelming website is better than not having one at all.

The problem is that a poorly designed or inconvenient website damages your credibility in the eyes of potential clients. In other words, a bare-bones site that lacks the features, security, and polished aesthetic your clients seek doesn’t just lead to a bad experience. It’s bad for your bottom line.

If your law firm’s website is lackluster, a reputable, client-oriented website that’s affordable and easy to manage is now within reach with Tabs3 Websites.

7 things your firm—and your clients—will love about Tabs3 Websites

1.   Compliant and confidential

Attorneys often collect sensitive data from their clients, such as credit card numbers and birth dates. Depending on the practice areas served, they may even collect medical records, employment history, or proprietary business information. This makes your website a prime target for hackers who constantly seek ways to steal this information.

Many well-meaning attorneys enter contracts with industry-agnostic web developers who boast strong security standards, yet don’t understand the specific risks and regulations law firms face. This can lead to data breaches and compliance violations that put your clients—and license to practice law—at risk.

When you choose Tabs3 Websites, you can rest assured that your site is hosted on a reliable platform with industry-leading, bank-grade SSL security (a measure only 43% of firms currently implement). Your clients also benefit from a malware-resistant firewall and multiple layers of spam protection. SSAe, SOC2, and ADA compliance keep your site in good legal and ethical standing.

2.   Simple to search

If potential clients can’t find you, they can’t contact you.

A website that doesn’t appear on a Google search can be a major turnoff for prospects who have heard great things about your firm from referral sources and are considering working with you. It may even lead to them choosing a different attorney altogether.

People who are just beginning their search for an attorney in their area often start with the number one search result and work their way down the list. This isn’t ideal if your site doesn’t rank on the first page of Google.

Figuring out how to improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) ranking on your own is a never-ending experiment and often yields poor results if you don’t have experienced professional support. Plus, repeatedly changing your site in an effort to please the algorithm is confusing and off-putting for your current legal clients.

Tabs3 Websites uses data-driven best practices to optimize your website for search engines so that finding your site is convenient for potential clients, with no guesswork necessary.

3.   Easy to use and eye catching

Successful websites are both easy to use and visually appealing. Still, all too often, designers encourage law firms to include features that look nice but slow down load times and glitch out on mobile devices.

When potential clients are pressed for time and seeking urgent legal help, they don’t have time to waste waiting for pictures or video to load, nor spend precious minutes (or even seconds) figuring out how to navigate your site for contact information.

Law firm websites with an intuitive navigation system and clear, skimmable content stand out because they reduce stress for clients at an otherwise overwhelming time.

That said, you don’t have to resort to dull imagery or forgo your branding. Vivid visuals do a lot to create a positive impression. Tabs3 Websites strikes the right balance between form and function with high-quality photos, vibrant customization options, and a user-friendly interface that’s easy to use on any device.

4.   Made to meet your clients’ needs

From scheduling a consultation to paying their final bill, every interaction your clients make with your website shapes their opinion of your firm. When it comes to showing your clients that you care about their convenience, a one-size-fits-all “solution” that only includes static information won’t cut it. Your website should offer access to the resources and services your clients want most.

We work with you to determine which features suit your workflow and ideal clients best, including client intake forms, payment processing, and client portal access. From there, we work behind the scenes to make sure they flow together seamlessly.

While many web designers consider these options to be “extras,” we consider them integral to the function of any legal practice’s website.

5.   Content worth reading

Most clients will only skim your site for the information most relevant to them. Still, every word you publish is an opportunity to highlight your firm’s value and expertise. Keep your service pages, blog, and attorney bios engaging and informative.

Who has time to create and execute a content strategy that stands out in a sea of sites, though? Not busy attorneys.

Tabs3 Websites relieves your internal legal staff (and marketing budget) from the burden of content creation by including 15 pre-written blog posts for up to three practice areas with your website. We’ll make sure your posts are published and updated at the right cadence to keep your blog fresh, relevant, and favorable to search engines.

6.   Ready in weeks, not months

You don’t have the time (or patience) to go back and forth between your firm and a design team over your website’s structure or minor details. And you shouldn’t have to.

You need a team that understands how critical your website is to your clients and your workflow. Our team prioritizies efficiency to get the job done quickly. Instead of waiting months, you can receive a complete website draft within three weeks.

7.   Competitive pricing

Your legal clients want a high-quality client experience, not higher prices.

With traditional web design options, unexpected speed bumps can arise. Plus, upcharges for features that should be basic for law firms can easily cause you to exceed your budget. You may even need to recoup the cost by raising your rates.

With Tabs3 Websites, you get the service Tabs3 clients come to expect without paying extra for the features your firm requires to function at its best.

Want to learn more about Tabs3 Websites?

If you want to ensure you’re doing all you can to maximize your web presence while maintaining compliance and security, you want a legal-specific website solution.

That’s where Tabs3 Websites comes in. This exciting addition to the Tabs3 product line can help impress your clients, convert leads, and improve your firm’s profitability.

Schedule your free demo of Tabs3 Websites today.

Trust accounting is a cornerstone for any legal practice, and it must be handled with great care to maintain compliance with legal and ethical standards as well as to ensure transparency with your clients.

The complex nature of trust accounts and the unique rules set by state bar associations make trust accounting a challenging part of practicing law.

Here are six trust accounting best practices that aim to shed light on how law firms can streamline their accounting process.

Understanding trust accounting

Law firms must keep client funds given in trust separate from law firm operating funds. These funds can include:

• Retainers
• Advances for costs, such as court fees, used to manage the case
• Settlement funds obtained through personal injury cases or real estate transactions
• Judgment funds awarded by the court
• Third-party funds to pay for property sold or services rendered

The primary purpose of trust accounting processes is to safeguard client funds, maintain transparency, and adhere to legal and ethical obligations.

The complexity of trust accounting lies in its stringent rules and regulations. Law firms must:

• Maintain an individual ledger for each client
• Perform regular three-way reconciliations
• Ensure a clear separation of trust accounts and operating accounts

Non-compliance can lead to severe consequences, including disciplinary actions and legal liability. Therefore, understanding and implementing trust accounting best practices is crucial for every law firm.

Best practices for law firm trust accounting

Trust accounting is nuanced, but there are steps attorneys can take to simplify how they manage it and decrease the risk of missteps. Let’s take a look at the top six trust accounting best practices.

1.   Adhere to bar association rules

The first step to achieving compliance in trust accounting is understanding the laws and regulations set forth by your state bar association.

Every state has unique rules for trust accounting that law firms must follow, but they all have these two basic points in common: keep accurate and detailed records, and avoid commingling funds.

Some states require monthly or quarterly three-way reconciliation for trust accounts. This process involves comparing your client ledgers, trust ledgers, and trust bank statements, ensuring that all records match. Regular adherence to this practice can help law firms stay compliant and manage their trust accounts efficiently.

2.   Maintain separate accounts for trust funds and operating funds

One of the fundamental trust accounting best practices is the clear segregation of client funds from the law firm’s funds. This rule, set by the American Bar Association, ensures client funds are not commingled with the firm’s assets.

The money in a trust account usually consists of prepayment for services yet to be rendered, and it legally belongs to your client until the payment terms are fulfilled. Therefore, these funds should not be reported as income. Once a law firm has completed the service agreement, any remaining funds in the trust account must be returned to the client.

3.   Communicate billing practices clearly to clients

Law firms cannot simply draw from trust funds as they see fit without an agreement on when and how much they will deduct to cover costs and services rendered. That’s why clear communication of billing practices is another crucial aspect of trust accounting best practices.

Law firms should provide clients with a detailed understanding of their billing practices, fees, and timeline. They can do this with a written agreement that specifies how funds will be distributed and how any retainer fees will be used.

Moreover, law firms should educate clients about the workings of trust accounts and the measures they take to secure them. This transparency can foster trust between law firms and their clients and preempt any misconceptions or confusion regarding trust accounting practices.

4.   Establish clear procedures for handling trust accounts

Trust accounting requires precise procedures for handling client money held in trust, including everything from when to withdraw funds to replenishing retainers.

Having explicit agreements for the disbursement of trust funds is critical to avoid inadvertently violating state bar regulations. Your team and your clients need to know the procedures.

Additionally, law firms should allow adequate time for deposits to clear in the account before disbursing funds. Regular implementation of these procedures can help law firms manage their trust accounts efficiently and remain compliant.

5.   Perform regular three-way reconciliations

Regular three-way reconciliations are a key component of trust accounting best practices. This process ensures that the IOLTA bank balance matches the checkbook trust balance and that both match the sum of all individual client ledger balances.

Performing three-way reconciliations regularly, preferably within the first 10 days following month-end, helps identify discrepancies, errors, or potentially fraudulent activities. It also ensures the accuracy of trust accounting records and provides law firms with a complete and precise overview of the funds they are holding in trust for clients.

6.   Implement legal-specific tools for trust accounting

Trust accounting is challenging and involves many rules for which there are stiff penalties, so leveraging legal-specific tools can significantly streamline the process and help avoid risk.

Tools like Tabs3 Financials offer a comprehensive suite of features designed to simplify trust accounting and ensure compliance.

Tabs3 Financials allow law firms to track an unlimited number of trust accounts, execute three-way reconciliations, manage trust accounts from one system, and view dashboard summaries of account activity. It also supports the Positive Pay program, a fraud prevention measure used by banks.

With the latest legal-specific software, firms can automate their trust accounting practices, reduce the risk of human error, and maintain a transparent and efficient system for managing their clients’ trust accounts.

An easier way to ensure compliant trust accounting

Law firms used to maintain client ledgers by hand or on stand-alone spreadsheets. But not anymore. Legal-specific software can simplify trust accounting for law firms. It should integrate seamlessly with a law firm’s general accounting system and offer robust trust accounting, general ledger, and accounts payable features.

Tabs3 is an industry-leading software solution with features that make it an ideal choice for managing trust accounts:

• Trust accounting: Tabs3 Financials allows you to track unlimited trust accounts, ensuring precise and efficient management of all client funds.
• Three-way reconciliation: The software enables regular three-way reconciliations for trust accounts, ensuring compliance with state bar association rules and providing an accurate overview of your trust accounts.
• Dashboard summaries: Tabs3 offers dashboard summaries of account activity, providing a quick glance at your firm’s trust accounts and bank balances.
• Positive Pay: Tabs3 supports the Positive Pay program, helping law firms prevent fraud and safeguard their clients’ trust funds.

Law firms can implement trust accounting best practices efficiently, maintaining compliance with state bar regulations and enhancing client trust using Tabs3.

See what Tabs3 Software can do for you

To explore how Tabs3 can help your law firm manage trust accounts accurately and efficiently, schedule a walkthrough demo or sign up for a free trial today.

Summer is here and you’re ready to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation. Due to the nature of the legal industry, however, you can’t completely unplug for days or weeks at a time. Like thousands of other attorneys across the nation, you may find yourself taking your work on vacation with you.

But even if you’ve successfully worked during your “time off” in the past, a lot has changed in recent years, especially in the legal industry’s cybersecurity landscape. Since 2020, a series of significant data breaches against law firms has affected hundreds of thousands of client files.

To keep your firm out of the news, protect your brand reputation, and fulfill your fiduciary duty to your clients, make cybersecurity a priority even while you’re checking in during vacation. Here are a few prudent tips that can help you do so without putting a damper on your downtime.

Invest in a secure mobile solution

If you’re working remotely, there’s a good chance that you’ll be relying heavily on mobile devices like your smartphone or tablet.

Although these devices provide a convenient way of staying connected to the office, they can also be a major security risk. Remote work in general seems to increase the likelihood of a cyber attack, with approximately 20% of organizations experiencing a breach due to the actions of a remote worker.

Fortunately, you can prevent your firm from contributing to this statistic by leveraging a platform that provides mobile access to your organizational data.

A mobile-friendly legal software application helps you safely access your data from your server without copying files onto your personal mobile device. When you log out, the connection is severed, and your device is no longer an access point for confidential client information.

Make sure your practice management software uses SSL

Financial institutions and other entities that manage critical data use a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to encrypt data between browsers, devices, and websites. This encryption security protocol can also create a secure connection between two servers.

Using practice management software with SSL allows you to create an encrypted connection between your mobile devices and your server. With an SSL in place, you can confidently access confidential client documents and check off important tasks while taking a break from the office.

That said, if you’re using any software that isn’t integrated with the practice management solution, those files won’t be encrypted and may still be susceptible to cyber crimes.

To limit your vulnerability to malicious digital activities, consider using a fully integrated practice management solution for your law firm. For instance, Tabs3 Software can support a wide range of core functions, including accounting, client relationship management (CRM), and more.

Verify that your data is encrypted

Encrypting data involves encoding it using a digital key. Ideally, only individuals with access to the key will be able to unencrypt the data and access the underlying information. But although an SSL encrypts data while it’s being shared between a server and device, your information may still be vulnerable while “at rest.”

To maximize data security, you need a practice management solution that encrypts data at rest and in transit, which reduces data vulnerability and improves your security stance.

Leverage access restriction tools

While fellow attorneys, legal staff, and even your clients may need access to different files, global access can put your law firm in a risky position. A safer strategy for access? Creating a protocol for access restrictions.

When setting up user profiles, you can implement access restriction rules, which govern what documents users can view, enter, edit, delete, or share. Use access profiles to keep sensitive information secure, prevent accidental deletions, and maintain the integrity of your database.

It’s vital to use software that supports access restrictions, though. For example, PracticeMaster is an extremely versatile practice management solution that you can use to grant or restrict editing access down to specific fields.

For instance, you might grant a support team member the ability to view important files but only allow them to edit basic data like appointment dates, client phone numbers, etc. This functionality guarantees that sensitive information remains accessible only to those who need it.

Back up your data

You have access to fast, reliable internet connection and a robust Wi-Fi network when you’re in the office. When you’re trying to get a little work done on vacation, though, the quality and availability of your connection can vary greatly.

You need a way to back up your data while you work that allows you to continuously save your work as you make changes, input new client information, prepare documents, or perform other mission-critical tasks. With a robust tool for backing up your data, you can rest assured that your data can be salvaged even if your device is stolen or a poolside beverage tips over on your laptop.

Use auto-recovery tools

Auto-recovery tools can protect your data from damage caused by lost network connections or power outages. This allows you to work confidently without worrying about sudden disruptions to your connection.

Take advantage of eSignature and secure file-sharing tools

Exchanging files and obtaining signatures is a staple of law firm work. But what happens when you need to share files with an outside entity while on vacation?

Using a standard email account exposes you to undue liability and can lead to a breach. A better alternative is leveraging secure file-sharing and eSignature software. These tools allow you to:

• Send or receive encrypted documents from third parties
• Request signatures on critical documents
• Send and upload large files without compromising security

Enjoy unmatched security anywhere with Tabs3 Software

Ready to learn more about how Tabs3 can protect your data whether you’re working in the office, nestled in a mountain cabin, or lounging poolside? Connect with our team to schedule a demo or speak with one of our friendly legal software professionals.