Law office management software: matters, hearings and fees in one place

A law office sells time and expertise, and it loses when a hearing is missed, a deadline passes or worked hours are never billed. Good practice management software makes all three visible every morning.

The matter in one place

Every matter needs one file holding the client, the parties and opponents, the case type and court, hearings and dates, documents, time and expenses. When it is all in one place, any lawyer in the office can carry on the work if a colleague is away.

Hearings and deadlines

• A morning screen with today's hearings and consultations.
• A list of deadlines falling due, early enough to act.
• A report of hearings by status, to see what was adjourned and what concluded.

Time and fees

Whether you bill by the hour or by fixed fee, record each lawyer's time on each matter. Ask for two reports in particular: unbilled hours by matter, and unbilled work in progress by age in days. These two reports alone reveal lost income in most offices.

Client money

Deposits a client makes for fees and expenses must be kept apart from the office's own money, with a record of every deposit and disbursement. Choose software that runs a clear trust account per client.

Confidentiality

Client files are among the most confidential data there is. Bawabetna's program runs on the office's own computers and keeps the records encrypted with you, not on an unknown server, and it works without internet. Each role has its own permissions: lawyer, paralegal, secretary and accountant.

Checklist

• A matter file with its parties, hearings and deadlines.
• Time and expense recording that turns into an invoice.
• A trust account per client.
• Hours reports by lawyer, matter and practice area.
• A free trial with no time limit, and a price that follows the size of the office.