By Legal Futures Associate OneAdvanced
Considering a new practice and case management system for your law firm can be both an exciting and daunting proposition. The potential to improve your legal practice and reach your goals faster meets questions around suitability, functionality and being able to seamlessly integrate into your processes.
Choosing the right system is a crucial decision that can significantly impact the firm’s efficiency, productivity, and overall success, and there are several questions that you should ask vendors when procuring legal software. In this article, we’ve highlighted a few things to keep an eye out for that you may not have considered previously when looking for a new system.
Accessibility
Talent attraction and retention are key challenges that a lot of law firms are facing right now. For a few years now, the realisation for many that a hybrid working environment and flexible working environments that empower lawyers to be able to work in ways that make them the most productive has been vital for talent attraction and retention, as well as maintaining and increasing productivity within firms.
As such, flexibility and accessibility are key facets. A good practice and case management system should provide secure but easy access from different devices and locations. This allows lawyers and staff to access case information and manage tasks from anywhere, enhancing flexibility and productivity.
Ease of use
In a similar vein to accessibility, functionality is important for providing focus and removing barriers to functionality. A case management system should have an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate. A user-friendly system minimises training time and helps staff quickly adapt to the new software. When lawyers and support staff can effortlessly find and use the features they need, it reduces frustration and enhances overall efficiency.
This also extends to reporting and access to dashboards. These tools allow for greater focus on individual tasks, matters, and KPIs which in turn drives productivity and progress against key targets for the practice.
Integrations
The array of legal software and digital tools has become vast, with many law firms optimising the use of various tools to aid matter progression and day-to-day tasks. As such, any case management system is going to need to be able to incorporate these in some way in order to streamline processes and operations.
A system that integrates seamlessly with other tools and software already in use, such as email platforms, document management systems, and accounting software, can save time and reduce the risk of errors.
Going one step further, a system that offers features that previously required API integrations or working off-platform would allow, in many cases, for single-source data input which in turn offers greater data security and efficiency within workflows and matter progression.
Additional features
To that end, firms should look for systems that offer additional features such as legal-centric accounts management, time recording, document management, reporting, wills management, legal forms, and client collaboration tools. These features can streamline various aspects of case management, making it easier to handle everything from tracking billable hours to ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements.
Cloud-native
One of the biggest decisions law firms face when selecting a practice and case management system is whether to opt for an on-premise or cloud-based solution. While both options have their advantages, cloud-based systems are increasingly becoming the preferred choice for many firms.
Cloud-native systems offer several benefits, including scalability, which allows the system to grow as the practice grows. They provide unmatched accessibility, enabling users to access information from virtually anywhere with an internet connection. Additionally, cloud-based systems reduce the burden on a firm’s IT resources by having the service provider handle maintenance and software updates as well as the all-important security updates, all automatically updated through the cloud.
OneAdvanced Legal is our cloud-native practice and case management offering. Our portfolio of legal-specific solutions such as legal forms, legal-specific accounts management, The National Will Register, and time recording would normally be disparate systems for law firms and integrated through API. With these underpinned by a cloud-native platform, they form part of the system allowing for seamless use within your case management.
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