Find tips to choose legal software for your team
The world of legal software is expansive. Doing a quick Google search will quickly show you that. You can find options for everything from time tracking software for attorneys to document management—and that’s only the first page of results. It’s enough to make your head spin. However, it doesn’t have to be an uphill battle to choose law manager software. You just need to know what you need and what tools can help you get the job done.
To help make the selection process a little easier and a lot less risky, the Legal Files Law Manager Software team is breaking down the different law practice management software options. We’re also explaining how you can decide which tools are right for your team.
Knowing your options when you choose legal software
Each legal department is unique. They work in different areas of law and handle matters for diverse clients. However, they do share similarities. For example, they will likely need to choose corporate legal software that offers the following functions:
- Billing and time tracking: You can find basic accounting programs or tools that are specific to law. Talk to your team about which option is best. Also, decide if you need billing software. Many customers only need time or expense tracking. Legal Files provides robust tools for these functions.
- Calendaring and email: Having your email and calendar on hand is critical as a legal professional. Most legal departments find Legal Files’ two-way email and calendar integration is exactly what they need. You’ll never miss a message or a deadline.
- Document management: Saying legal departments are no stranger to documents is an understatement. Managing the sheer amount of research, legal documents, emails and correspondence requires a strong organizational system. With the right legal document management software, you can securely store, organize and query documents. With document assembly, you can draft documents, maintain a record of your revisions and automate document creation. A built-in document management/document assembly system within Legal Files provides these functions and more.
Avoiding distractions to select the right legal software
Because there are so many different legal programs on the market, you and your team will need to stay focused. We recommend you start by making a list of your daily tasks. Also, think about the areas where you and your team could be more efficient and organized. Your list will help you narrow down what features you do and do not need when you choose legal software.
Once you decide which features you need, you can narrow down the list of legal case management system software options. From there, you should research more than just information about costs. You should ask software providers questions about reliability and scalability. For example, you may want to ask about the program’s recommended server and workstation configurations.
Customer reviews are also a great place to gain information about a product. However, you want to be sure you’re looking at credible ones. Our next blog will talk about how to make sure you’re looking in the right places for product reviews.