My Search For The Right Attorney Billing Software

A lawyer never has any spare time. The more cases I take on, the more work I have to do in the background. Billing and accounting take up more of my time that I could profitably spend on cases. I had heard of attorney billing software but was a bit confused as to which one to select for my needs. For me the right legal billing and accounting software would have to include everything I did manually. I short listed a few popular law firm billing softwares available and considered their features and compared them against what I needed. For me the ideal software would have to include features I listed below.

Billing
I compared legal time and billing software for the billing features. I looked at the software's capability to keep track of each client and hourly billing with expenses shown separately for each case I handle on behalf of each client. Then I considered whether the attorney time billing software had a provision for fixed fee billing showing the fees and expenses separately. The attorney billing software I wanted to buy should have these facilities as also account retainer based cases separately, issuing a bill automatically when the retainer amount fell below a predefined limit. I also wanted the legal billing and accounting software to maintain records of cases taken on a contingency basis and issue a bill only on successful completion. I wanted software that could do all these and maintain the billable amounts and expenses amounts separately. I also wanted it to maintain trust based accounts separately where needed according to State laws. I did not want to spend a lot of time in case of future audits, searching for causes of discrepancies and satisfying queries.

Matter Based Record Keeping
In my line of work it is important to maintain perfect records of billing and accounting for each client and in case of multiple cases on behalf of the same client, separate accounting and record keeping of each case. I wanted a comprehensive, easy to use lawyer billing software that would automatically maintain matter based records individually for each case even though multiple cases were connected with a single client.

User Friendliness
Since I had only a passing familiarity with computers and did not have time to spare to learn complicated procedures I searched for legal time and billing software that was user friendly, with an easy menu system and a short learning curve. It had to be intuitive, well designed, fast and easy to use from day one.

Record Keeping
I specially looked for a feature in the lawyer billing software that would maintain complete records of each individual case, cross searchable and linkable with client name, all in one folder and save these in Word or PDF format for printing or emailing any time in the future.

Mobile Portability
Though not absolutely necessary I looked to see if any of the best billing software for lawyers that I had short listed had mobile portability features.
Luckily for me, I happened to come across one such lawyer billing software that had all these features and was affordably priced too. What is more the developer has agreed to give one on trial so I can explore it before committing my accounting and billing tasks to this software.

Points to Look For When Choosing Attorney Billing Software

Accounts and billing are important for any attorney just as much as the legal practice is. Unfortunately the complicated maze of record keeping can eat into his time. Time spent on accounting and billing is not billable time and hence not profitable. This procedure can be done manually, using a worksheet or by going in for a sophisticated, automated attorney billing software. The best billing software for lawyers reduces time and provides full functionality. With so many vendors offering law firm billing software , a lawyer can find it difficult to make a choice without knowing in depth the features of the legal billing and accounting software . A lawyer's choice becomes easier when he checks the software to see if it includes all the features required for accounting, billing and record keeping. Accounting and billing related to a lawyer's activities are quite different from other services and moreover, they are governed by State laws.

A lawyer's accounting and billing covers the following functions and a law firm billing software should desirably include all these. These are :

Billing

The legal time and billing software should have an easy provision to bill on an hourly basis for each client and if a lawyer is handling more than one case for one client, accounts and records should be kept separately. If a lawyer is working on a fixed fee basis as happens in mundane traffic violation matters, the attorney time billing software should have an easy method to generate bills and a list of expenses separately. Lawyers usually work on a retainer cum billing basis and would naturally expect the software to have a provision to bill when the retainer falls below a pre-determined figure. In cases where lawyers work on a contingency basis, the legal billing and accounting software should be able to maintain expense list and billable amount separately and then issue a bill only on successful completion of the case.

Matter Bases Records

An important and must-have feature of any legal billing and accounting software is that it should keep separate accounts and issue separate bills for billable hours and expenses in respect of each case, even when it relates to a single client. A helpful feature of the software is that it should be able to keep records of all pertinent documents and forms in a single folder that can be accessed individually at the click of a button at any time in the future.

Retainer and Trust Accounts

Any lawyer billing software must have a provision to maintain accounts in respect of retainers deposited in attorney trust accounts according to local State laws so that in case of any audit in future, there is no discrepancy or a query against the lawyer.

In addition to these basic requirements, the best billing software for lawyers usually has a provision to compile all documents, forms and papers related to a single case in a single folder, save them in Word or PDF format. Any lawyer billing software not having these features would be incomplete and only complicate tasks so look for these before deciding on one.

Comprehensive Attorney Billing Software

Lawyers and attorneys are busier than ever and to help them maintain records and account, they have access to attorney billing software . However, not all software includes the needed features. A law firm billing software needs to comprehensively cover all the specific requirements of record keeping, billing and accounting that are specific to legal practice in the United States , in consonance with its laws, further complicated by the fact that each state may need a lawyer to comply to local rules too.
Before choosing a lawyer billing software , attorneys need to check and consider whether that particular software offers them what they need. If one important part is left out, then the utility of the software reduces dramatically and may even be worthless as a lawyer will have to maintain the record manually. Billing and accounting are inter-related and if an important element is left out it does not serve the purpose at all. When considering a legal billing and accounting software , attorneys need to consider the features and scope for future upgradeability.
Minimally, a lawyer billing software should cover the basic requirements of billing and software. Lawyers follow different billing methods for each client and one particular client may be billed on an hourly basis in one particular matter while the same client may be paying him a fixed fee for another matter.
Consider the desirable features of a law office billing software:

• A facility to bill according to arrangements with clients either on an hourly basis, on a fixed fee basis, on a retainer plus hourly and on a contingency basis as may be previously agreed upon. The legal billing software keeps track of each individual case and related expense for each client. In case of retainer plus hourly billing basis, the software automatically creates an alert when funds fall below a defined level.
• A feature that keeps track of each individual case, billable hours and related expenses in respect of multiple cases for a single client on a matter based record keeping basis.

• An ability to keep track of all monies received towards billable hours and for expenses according to State defined code of ethics to answer all audit queries when raised.

• A feature that keeps perfect trust accounts in respect of retainers paid by clients to comply with existing federal and State laws, keeping lawyers safe from any charges of negligence in case of audits in future.

• A lawyer may need reports and statements at any time and the law firm billing software easily provides this. An attorney may wish to be alerted to the outstanding receivables and have weekly, fortnightly or monthly statements to ensure that cash flow is maintained through regular billing.

As a practice grows, an attorney needs a software that does virtually all the back office functions for him. Moreover, it should be easy to operate, be very user-friendly and provide a variety of statistics and reports when needed besides archiving old cases and making them available whenever needed in future. A legal billing software like this saves a lot of time for lawyers and lets them focus on their cases and clients.

Maintain Accurate Records with Attorney Billing Software

An attorney's billing, accounting and book-keeping procedures are different, complicated, extended and time consuming. Moreover, attorney billing practices are governed by laws. An attorney with a bare minimum of staff would find it easy to maintain records, accounts and bill clients with the use of a law office billing software .
Developers of the law firm billing software have thoughtfully considered all aspects connected with a lawyer or a law firm's billing methods, accounting practices and record keeping in a comprehensively designed lawyer billing software . It is possible to maintain accurate records with the legal time and billing software . This is a great relief for all practitioners of the law since random audits are conducted and if there is a discrepancy in the trust accounts, it may render a lawyer liable to disciplinary action and even disbarment.
The importance and benefits of accuracy in trust account transactions is well known to lawyers. However, with a lot of work load, a number of clients and a number of cases per client, it is obvious there is a possibility of an error if accounting is done manually. For all trust account transactions where the advance deposit is maintained in a separate account and monies withdrawn according to hours billed, the law office billing software automatically adjusts each account, bills the client and also generates reports for greater transparency in dealings. An audit will never show up a discrepancy with the software handling each transaction with perfect accuracy.
Other than trust accounts where lawyers have to be extra careful, the attorney time billing software maintains matter based records with accuracy and zero errors. Successful lawyers have clients who entrust them with various matters. In each case relating to a client, the software maintains detailed and itemized account and bills the client separately according to the matter handled. This matter based record keeping and billing keeps every dealing transparent for both parties. Handling such detailed matter based record keeping and billing with ease, the software frees a lawyer to focus on handling cases in hand and in taking up additional cases to generate more revenue. The payback period of a law firm billing software is quite short considering the accuracy, enormous ease and convenience it brings to a lawyer's billing and accounting operations that follow state law defined code of ethics. In all cases the legal firm billing software keeps a separate account and track of lawyer's fees and itemized expenses related to each case.
These features are included along with easy billing and reporting according to billable hours method, contingency method, fixed fee and retainers method. In each case, accuracy in maintaining records and accounts without making any demands on the lawyer's time and in addition, presenting him with reports on demands mean a smoother cash flow and very few outstanding receivables.
Over and above being accurate in all accounting matters, the lawyer billing software gives lawyers great peace of mind and freedom. In a way the software, indirectly, helps lawyers earn more money and becomes an indispensable part of his legal practice.

Attorney Billing Software Syncs BackOffice Ops Seamlessly

Ask any lawyer or attorney what he dislikes the most about his work and he will say that keeping track of billable hours, accounting, retainers and expenses is the most bothersome. It eats into his time, keeps him away from important work on which he needs to concentrate but it has to be done nonetheless. Computer technologies and sophisticated software development resulted in the development of attorney billing softwares for lawyers and this has made life oh-so-much easier for them in more ways than one.
With a plethora of billing softwares, the best billing software for lawyers is undoubtedly the one that incorporates all features an attorney needs, plus it should be easy to understand and easy to use. Some of the best billing software for lawyers incorporates features such as tracking billable hours for each client and also where a single client have multiple matters. It tracks the expenses under various heads, tracks retainers and billable hours deducted from the advance, gives a notice when the advance paid is nearing depletion levels, maintain separate accounts for retainers as per laws of the State, generate reports in word and excel or PDF format and prints.
Attorney billing software for lawyers and attorneys, if developed by competent and knowledgeable software development firm, takes into consideration not only individual state laws for accounting and retainers, it also considers the various types of accounting a lawyer has to maintain according to established practices. The best billing software for lawyers incorporates various billing practices. The billing is usually done on any one of the following basis:
•  Fixed fee basis: The lawyer and client agree on a pre-determined fee in addition to expenses incurred relevant to the case. This arrangement works in case of traffic violations that are relatively simple affairs.
•  Hourly billable basis: Lawyers in family law, real estate, commercial litigation, etc, work on hourly billing arrangement where the software keeps track of the number of hours the lawyer has dedicated to the case in and out of court. Related expenses are accounted and shown separately.
•  Contingency billing: This works in case of motor accident claims, personal injury claims, debt collection, etc. The lawyer agrees to bill and ask for payment only if the case is resolved successfully in favor of the client. If not the client pays nothing, not even costs and expenses.
In a lawyer's firm one or more of the above billing systems may be in use with the same client or for different clients. A lawyer can generate a report immediately if a client requests it and this promotes transparency in attorney-client relationships. Since accounting laws pertaining to lawyers may vary from state to state, the attorney billing software needs to factor in all these to avoid any issues.
At the same time, by keeping a close watch on accounts receivable and making efforts to collect due payments, an attorney's firm has cash in hand instead of on paper and thus, the costs of a billing software are easily repaid.