Why Not To Buy Legal Billing and Accounting Software If You Are An Attorney

And Stay Where You Are, Doing More Accounting than Legal Practice!

Strange as it may seem quite a few attorneys are averse to going in for computerization of any kind, even law firm billing software when it so obviously proves helpful and productive for them. Today we have some very professional Legal time and billing software incorporating almost everything the attorneys need to keep track of billable hours and back office accounting procedures. Consider what top of the line law firm billing software does for an attorney:

Saves him time by automating and computerization of the main matters regarding :

•  Billable hours in respect of each matter relating to each client or a number of matters relating to a single client, with separate track of hours to be billed and expenses incurred against each matter in hand.

•  Keeping track of matter based record keeping is important especially when there may be many cases connected with a single client as happens in the event the lawyer is dealing with a corporate client. Today's top Legal time and billing software automatically maintain matter based record keeping beautifully, freeing lawyers of cumber some tasks and accounting labor.

•  Keeping track of advances or retainer ships that have to be accounted for in a separate trust account. This can be crucial as such receivables are subject to audit and if there are flaws or queries a lawyer stands to lose a lot and be fined. Legal billing and accounting software literally saves his skin by providing perfect records of all past transactions.

•  Generation of reports of unpaid bills and works for which bills are to be issued. Simply set markers and the software does the rest for you at scheduled intervals.

•  Very user friendly interface and a short learning curve enable lawyers to become proficient with all its features.

So why not to buy legal billing and accounting software if you are an attorney?

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.

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.