Within the past decade, technology has played an increasingly prominent role in the legal field. Today, if you want to make sure your corporation or government department is efficient and productive, you must make the most of powerful case management legal software.
In this guide, we will provide an in-depth look into corporate & government legal case software, from the benefits to the different options that are available to you. Every law business or government legal department has a unique culture, with an individual system for getting work done and meeting its goals. Often, highly individualized processes are used, with each professional using technology that fits their needs and comfort levels.
In this sort of tech free-for-all work environment, inefficiency, frustration, and miscommunication can arise. Legal staff feel like they are constantly scrabbling to understand each other and accommodate individualized, (i.e., “quirky”) organizational Preferences. This means that a lot of hours are wasted, essential messages are not communicated to everyone, and vital tasks fall through the crack.
When this goes on, your organization isn’t getting the best from their legal team. Plus, the issue only gets worse for bigger organizations, or those spread across a wide, geographical area. This is where legal case & matter management software comes in.
What exactly is case management software?
Before we delve deeper into the benefits of case management software, let’s take a look at what it actually means! After all, there is no denying that the legal industry is known for its use of complicated jargon. Legal case management software is a centralized program for recording your data, monitoring it, assessing it, and sharing it with everyone who needs it. This includes all of your case notes, appointments, contact details, emails, and documents. With everything stored in a central location, daily tasks can be carried out with greater efficiency. More informed decisions can be made, and it’s easier to achieve compliance. Of course, all software differs from provider to provider, yet we will take a look at some of the most common features to help you understand the functionality of these programs.
Document management and organizational tools
With some case software, you will be able to access, edit, and assemble new documents, as well as gather and attach relevant images. You can also manage tasks and deadlines, keep records for compliance and audit, track messages and communications, and schedule appointments. Your software will provide you with an efficient place to house details about each party and case as well, from history to contact information.
Monitoring costs
Legal case management software should also enable you to track and report internal and external costs and time, create sub-budgets, determine budget status, track and approve expenses, and customize invoice approval workflow. You can also validate information against billing guidelines and budget by matter.
Generating meaningful reports
Intelligent decision making is empowered by the ability to query data, integrate with other report writers, and identify and address litigation exposures and priority matters. You will also be able to export your reports to various major applications, such as Microsoft Excel, so that you have complete flexibility.
What are the benefits of legal case management software?
Now that you have a better understanding of what this sort of software does, we’re going to take a look at why your governmental department or corporation needs to deploy a program like this.
Reduce risk
One of the main reasons to use corporate legal case management software is that you will be able to lower your organization’s risk.
Today’s organizations expect their legal teams to be their trusted partners, understanding the ins and outs of their issues and concerns. They expect you to be wholly invested in the overall success of the organization.. With access to up-to-date and detailed legal materials, attorneys have the insight they need to minimize any issues that may arise.
Work from anywhere in the world
A lot of corporate and government legal professionals find themselves traveling frequently. With the right software, you can access your documents and matters from any location and at any time. All you need is a secure Internet connection. In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to work remotely has been highlighted more than ever before, so this is a feature that more and more legal pros appreciate and make use of.
Improve file organization and manage deadlines
As a legal professional, the value of meeting deadlines is something you will be very familiar with. Any lapse could have a serious impact on the outcome of a legal case or matter.
You can meet your deadlines with greater ease by employing corporate management tools or government legal case & matter management software.
Modern systems enable you to incorporate your critical dates into the case management for government workflow. This makes sure that the system supports the way you work, and that an upcoming deadline never takes you by surprise.
You can manage and store documents and emails quickly and retrieve them just as fast too. In the best systems, all data about a case or matter is stored in one place, so accessing information is straightforward.
Improve collaboration
Without the proper technology in place, having more than one person trying to work on the same file can be a nightmare. The use of modern legal case management software makes the process incredibly seamless. It only takes a few clicks in a centralized and shared environment to bring everyone together. This is just one example of how software can enhance collaboration.
Delegated employees will be able to share email, documents and notes with ease. They won’t need to keep going back and forth with emails, or calls to make sure no one has dropped the ball and everyone is on the same back. Team members and managers can glance at the file and immediately determine its status, what.
Here are some of the different features you can expect from corporate and government legal case management software to help boost operations across the board:
- Work from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection.
- Provide all your team members with anytime access to the most current information.
- Launches workflows specific to your operations.
- Reduce the time your team spends on routine processes and dramatically improve productivity and efficiency.
Increase efficiency
From reducing risk to improving collaboration, the benefits that we have mentioned all come down to one thing: improving the efficiency of your legal organization.
You will be able to handle cases and daily tasks in a much more efficient manner, producing better results and being able to accomplish more with the same, or even fewer, resources
Choosing the best legal case software for your needs
Every legal department is different. Yet, operational challenges tend to be fairly similar. Because of this, there are some key things that all organizations need to think about when choosing a legal case management tool. This includes:
- What do other customers say – Ask for several references and take the time to call or send a quick email to see what other people have had to say about the software you’re considering. Be wary of popular, online review platforms since many are “pay to play.”
- Integration and compatibility – Examine how the software will fit into your current environment. Will it work with Microsoft Office, including Outlook, if that’s what you use. How that integration works is important, too. Is the integration seamless and easy to use?
- Capabilities – Figure out what capabilities matter the most to you when looking for legal case management software. Thinking about what frustrates you the most regarding your current software can help you find something better suited to you. Also, does the software support automation for the workflows you need the most? Or will you have to “work around” the software?
- Features – Of course, it’s essential to make sure that the software has all of the features you need for your organization’s needs. For governments and corporations, the scope of features that are going to be required will be fairly broad, yet you will still want to look into future scalability.
- Price – Finally, you will want to make sure you are getting the best value from the software you choose. Don’t just look at up-front costs. What is the cost of the software over its lifetime? Can it grow and accommodate your needs, as those needs and requirements change? Assess the price and the payment structure, for example, whether it is subscription-based or a fixed fee. You will need to make sure the software fits in with your budget. Make sure you find out whether you need to pay more for add-ons and software upgrades in the future as well.
Summary
So there you have it: everything that you need to know about corporate legal case management and government legal case & matter management software. To run your organization in a modern and efficient manner, case software is simply a must. This will enable you to improve collaboration, productivity, and ultimately, the success of your legal organization.