Why to Use legal billing software?

In present scenario, busy law offices incorporate and call for optimal potency. As lawyers and law companies struggle for clients they're regularly challenged to proffer services at lowest prices with larger potency, so that law companies grow practice-specific procedures and utilize modern technologies to help in completing such challenges. Confining complete to be billed time and producing invoices in a suitable manner are crucial for the profitability of any law firm. Legal time and billing software is a technique to boost obedience and reduce prices.
Why Use legal billing software ?
Legal software is a proficient mode to track your firm's monetary records. These days, legal time and billing software is employed by several lawyers in nearly each and every practice, to track and bill their time properly. Benefits of this automated software include:
•  Accuracy:   Lawyer Billing Software proffers a perfect book keeping system that aids to sustain the premier standards of compliance, which is awfully vital for any legal firm. Managing and tracking time and expenses in a professional and timely manner is vital for the profitability of the firm and aids to shorten the turn-around time for compilation.
•  Simple Use: the most effective section is that legal time and billing software can be employed & used by anyone with very little or no assistance. In simple words you'll be able to track the bank transactions of your legal firm and settle accounts when required, speedily while not sweating.
•  Simple to Install: As a separate application, lawyer billing software can be installed simply, it takes negligible time to line up, organize, and use.
•  Automation: The main aspect of legal time and billing software is that it automates regular billing cycles. If you've regular or repeated clients, or if you are constantly making invoices for a particular company for the supply of merchandise or services, the software eradicates plenty of pointless paperwork and by making new invoices automatically completes the work hassle free.
•  Multiple Users: If your law company uses a wireless network, your billing software can be lined up with multiple user support across your complete network. You'll be able to produce extra password protections to confirm that solely licensed users and staff are able to use your invoices and bills.
•  Time Saver: the key benefit of billing software is that it roughly lessens the amount of your labor and time that you or your staff got to pay while making invoices. By automating the method, you'll be able to collect payments more quickly and revel in potency enhancements which will boom throughout your complete business.
Efficient time tracking software repays itself. Having the ability to exactly track the time spent on numerous projects allows you to bill your clients exactly and handle your time more professionally. Legal time and billing software is very simple to find out and use, and embody reporting and billing options.

For Your Eyes Only – Attorney Billing Software

James Bond. Now there's someone with universal appeal and an Aston Martin to boot.

Not all data is meant to be seen by all eyes within the same law office. Billing entries. Bank account information. And client escrow transactions. Each of these sensitive areas are ones that need to be controlled through management “permissions” granted to those who have access to legal billing software .

You don't need 007 when you have Easy Soft to help you keep billing information all in one program database, but viewable only to approved eyes.

With our legal billing software , “Easy TimeBill,” you can set the permissions for each person in the office you authorize to use this attorney billing software. You can limit a paralegal to view only her own entries. You can authorize an associate to view his own entries and that of her paralegal, in order to perform appropriate mid-level management functions. You can assign a section partner to view her own group in Litigation while staying out of Family Law.

Easy TimeBill legal software allows you to set up a unique user name and password for each person in your office who has permission to use this legal software . For each new time or expense entry, the user identifies the timekeeper by selecting from a drop-down list of authorized billers.

Perhaps more importantly, you can set permissions on who within the firm has permission to write checks and view bank account information in Easy Soft's legal billing software . Set up a user with “time entry only” permissions, and that user cannot see any sensitive financial information relative to clients and bank accounts.

Download a free demo of our lawyer billing software or purchase the full program on our 30-day money back guarantee. It will be like having your own Q in your computer.

Legal Billing and Accounting Software Take Drudgery Out Of A Lawyer’s Life

Given the complexity of billing and accounting in a lawyer's operations, the more clients he takes on, the more time he has to spend on maintaining accounts. This can become drudgery, eating into his time and preventing him from devoting more time for the cases in hand. Legal billing and accounting software take drudgery out of a lawyer's life. If an attorney chooses wisely and goes in for lawyer billing software that does all that he has been doing manually, he saves a lot of time and energy handling routine billing and accounting tasks. Computerized and automated, these tasks can be done fast. Though expensive, the investment in such attorney billing software is easily recouped considering that the lawyer now becomes more efficient and has more time to devote to existing as well as new clients. Almost all lawyers using the right lawyer billing software report an increase in productivity and revenues.

There is a huge market for attorney billing software and in their rush to capture a market share developers usually leave out features, make the software cumbersome or heavy code-wise, making it slow and prone to errors. The user interface is complicated and not easy to navigate with features commonly required hidden behind menus and sub-menus. Incomplete and buggy software can hamper rather than help lawyers in their billing and accounting functions and for this reason alone lawyers have become cautious in selecting a software that actually works the way they want it to. The perfect legal billing and accounting software for most lawyers is the one that does all that they used to do manually, smoothly and flawlessly. The right attorney billing software has a very intuitively designed interface and navigation structure plus additional features that prove quite helpful such as compiling all relevant documents pertinent to a case in one folder for archiving and retrieval at any time in the future.

A well planned and integrated legal billing software would have these features and naturally include what is expected of it such as keeping track of each client and his billable hours plus expenses separately, issuing bills when the amount of advance amount falls below a pre set level. The lawyer billing software would naturally handle billable hours where no advance is received and bills are issued periodically in respect of billable hours and expenses. In cases where lawyers work on contingency basis and an account is created on this basis, the software would keep track of expenses and the percentage of amount to be billed when the lawyer inputs “completed” against the case. Attorney billing software lawyers appreciate usually has these features in addition to keeping track of retainers and trust accounts and matter based record keeping that is extremely important to avoid confusion and mix-ups and importantly, comply with federal and state laws in that regard. These are the basic minimum required to work flawlessly regardless of the number of cases and time period.

I Simply Can’t Do Without Lawyer Billing Software

A lawyer's life is always busy. On the one hand, as a lawyer I have to handle cases in the courtroom, prepare the matter and have time for new clients. On the other hand, and this what irked me the most in the past was that I had to spend a lot of time in keeping track of billable hours, expenses and accounting in respect of each case for each client. I considered this activity unproductive but could not delegate the work to anyone else. Mix-ups in billing also led to some misunderstanding with a few clients. That's when I started looking around for the right lawyer billing software to take care of all these matters and save me time as well as hassles. Lawyers are cautious and I was no different. I asked my colleagues whether they were using any software and took time off to explore each one. I had to look around quite a bit. While most of the software in use could do a lot, there was something or the other missing that meant I would have to take care of it manually. Until I came upon this legal billing and accounting software that seemed to do everything that I was doing manually. I double checked it in detail before deciding to buy it and I was glad I came across this attorney billing software .

What does this legal billing software do for me? It does everything I used to do manually covering the following functions:

• It handles and maintains records of each client and each case separately. In cases taken on a retainer cum billable hour's basis, it keeps track of the advance amount and issues a billing notice when the amount falls below a preset limit. The attorney billing software also keeps track of expenses incurred in each case separate. I can see at a glance the billable hours, advances and the expenses.
• The lawyer billing software handles billable hours beautifully. It maintains separate records for each client and for each case of each client in case I handle more than one case for the same client. Billable hours are kept separate from expenses and invoices can be issued in time as the software automatically issues alerts for outstanding issues. This has helped in a healthy revenue flow.
• When I enter details of a case I can put it down as a contingency case and that means I raise a bill only when I win the case.
• What I liked about this legal billing and accounting software is the way it handles trust funds and advance/retainer amounts that have to be accounted in compliance with state and federal laws. Now I need not fear any audits; the records are maintained immaculately.
• Another factor that impressed me was the way it handled matter based record keeping—no mixups, no confusions even when there were multiple cases for each client.

These are the main points. What particularly impressed me was the way it compiled all documents relating to my cases in separate folders and archived them for printing, conversion to Word or PDF facility, emailing from within the software and porting to mobile phones for review while on the go. Now I know all my records are in perfect order and accessible anytime in the future.
Needless to say my life has become less stressful in a way and more productive as well as satisfying. I can now focus more on existing clients and take on new clients. With the additional revenue I expect, the cost of this lawyer billing software will soon be recouped.

Attorney Billing Software Reduce Stress and Increase Productivity

As the number of clients increase, the stress levels and time consumed in keeping track of billable hours and back office accounting increases in proportion and some lawyers might very well find themselves spending as much time on accounting and billing as they do on their cases. This situation causes stress; stress because they have to account rigorously in order to keep perfect accounts that stand up to any future audits and also stress because they worry that they are not being as productive as they would want. Attorney billing software helps lawyers drastically cut down on the time they spend on keeping track of billable hours and accounts, leaving more than enough time to either relax or take on more cases. Stress, as a result, vanishes.

The right legal billing and accounting software takes on complete responsibilities and carries out all functions in respect of billing and accounting, particularly from a lawyer's view point in conformity with federal and state laws. Comprehensively designed, structured and easy to use lawyer billing software covers all aspects of billing and keeping track of each client. This includes:

• Keeping track of billable hours for each client and maintaining a separate record for each case for each client and a separate record of the expenses incurred against each case.
• Where cases are handled on fixed fee basis the attorney billing software automatically issues a bill when notified of a completion, showing the fees amount and the expenses separately, posting these amounts to account heads by itself.
• In the same way, cases handled on contingency basis will be handled by the legal billing and accounting software accordingly, issuing a bill for the fees once the case is shown as complete and won.
• In cases of retainer plus hourly basis cases, lawyers can set the limit below which a billing alert will be issued by the lawyer billing software . Again, in this case, the advance, hours billed and expenses are accounted separately for each case, even though a lawyer may handle several cases on behalf of a single client.

A comprehensive and well designed legal billing and accounting software considers billing and matter based record keeping as integrated aspects of the software. With such software, it is easy for attorneys to maintain separate accounts for each case even though he may be handling several cases for one client on different billing basis. There is no confusion and distinct records are maintained according to each matter in hand.
Since a lawyer's accounts are subject to audit and query at any time, leading to severe penalties if there are discrepancies, the attorney billing software should as a matter of course include a provision for compiling complete records and accounts of a case under one single head that can be accessed at any later date. Useful features like outputting to Word, Excel or PDF files and portability to mobile phones improves functionality.
In the main, by reducing the work load on an attorney, the lawyer billing software frees attorneys of stress in this direction and helps them utilize the time freed up to concentrate on present cases or take on more cases and generate more revenue.

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.

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.