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11 Best Legal Softwares For 2019
Joe Galotti
February 19, 2019
Back to top Welcome to our third annual list of top legal softwares. Once again, we’ll be breaking down for you several of the best softwares for attorneys, and providing you information on new product developments. We’ll also be talking to some of the people working for the software companies, and get a sneak preview at what they have planned for the rest of 2019. There are six returning software companies on this year’s list, as well as five newcomers! We hope the information in this piece will inspire you in making your next legal software purchase, and provide you with the knowledge necessary to pick the perfect program for your firm. Featured Softwares
LawPay
Online Payment Technology Software
LawPay is back for a third straight year on our top legal softwares list, and remains the go-to payment solution for the legal industry. The software makes it incredibly simple for attorneys to collect, request, and refund client payments. This product has been vetted and approved by all 50 state bars, and is one of the most trusted softwares in the industry.
LawPay's Top Features
- Secure online payments for law firms and IOLTA compliant.
- Helps attorneys get paid up to 39% faster.
- Integrates with more than 30 legal software products.
Checking in with Samantha Figueroa
Samantha Figueroa
Brand Manager at LawPay
Why is LawPay a must-have software for attorneys?
"LawPay’s online payment solution is simply the easiest way for attorneys to get paid online in 2019, via credit card or eCheck.
Our solution saves attorneys valuable time, helping them get paid up to 39% faster.
We have been helping attorneys get paid for more than a decade, and built our solution with feedback from our bar partners and in alignment with ABA rules and regulations.
More than 35,000 firms already trust their payments to LawPay and love our solution because it’s the proven payment partner, and also gives them a seamless, user-friendly experience."
What updates have been made to LawPay’s software over the past year?
"As one of the most requested feature updates, our Quick Bill feature now also allows our customers to attach any form, agreement, or document to a Quick Bill to allow clients to easily view any invoice addendums, making the billing and payment process all-the-more seamless
Additionally, LawPay's online payment system now includes an option for eCheck processing for 0% and a flat $2 per transaction, giving clients more ways to pay their attorneys.
This year, LawPay also launched a QuickBooks Online integration allowing users to reconcile their LawPay payments via QuickBooks making it even easier to manage their firm’s cash flow."
Coming soon for LawPay users…
"This year, LawPay is making it even easier for attorneys get paid with the launch of 0% eCheck, with a flat fee of $2 per transaction.
Starting March 7th, clients can pay their firms via a secure, modern online experience in whichever form of payment they choose, while firms remain 100% IOLTA complaint in credit card and eCheck processing in all 50 states.”
Interested in LawPay?
PracticePanther
Law firm case management software
PracticePanther is back for a second straight year on our top legal softwares list, and continues to innovate its product, with the mission of making the lives of lawyers and paralegals easier. Thousands of firms in over 170 countries now use PracticePanther to automate their firms, and save time. And with the support of new investors and a new CEO, this company looks primed to do big things for years to come.
PracticePanther's Top Features
- Makes tracking billable minutes easy.
- Allows invoices and bills to be generated with one click.
- Integrates with many of the apps you’re already using.
Checking in with David Helberg
David Helberg
Marketing Manager at PracticePanther
Why is PracticePanther a must-have software for attorneys?
“We save firms hundreds of hours every single month in billable time by speeding up their workflow with a plethora of easy to set up automated systems.
Track your contacts and matters, calendar, time and billing, all in one easy to navigate platform.
Automatically remind clients of overdue invoices and be the first to know when they've viewed them. Automate lead capture with our in-house intake forms, and nurture those leads and old clients with automated emails using our MailChimp integration. Collect payments electronically, schedule automated payments and request retainers all via our LawPay integration.
See where every dollar stemmed from by utilizing our Originating Attorney Report. Feel free to use our in house 3-way trust reconciliation reports or if your bookkeeper is already familiar with QuickBooks Online we sync with them as well for their convenience! Lastly, PracticePanther is a gift that never stops giving.
With multiple FREE updates every month, we continue to listen to client feedback to reevaluate any methods possible to make lawyers’ lives easier so you can focus more on what matters; practicing law.”
What updates have been made to PracticePanther’s software over the past year?
“2018 was an incredible year for PracticePanther subscribers in terms of new features that save them time.
Users can now automatically update records when updating items on an invoice.
(We also now offer) improved Zapier connectivity so you can build even more automatic functions between PracticePanther and your favorite platforms like Google Drive, Todoist, Google Tasks, Ringcentral, Calendly, Trello, Gmail, and thousands more.”
Some other new features mentioned by Helberg:
- Use Panther Payment Plans, to automatically save a client’s credit card on file (securely through LawPay).
- Enjoy the luxury of hands-free time tracking utilizing our integration with Tali!
- Dedicated Gmail Add-on allows you to easily archive your emails, create follow-up tasks and track your time from the home of your Gmail inbox.
- Customize invoices by case type to allow for different styles of invoicing based on the type of client your handling! Automatically generate documents for your contacts and matters at once.
- Flat fee billing and reporting.
Coming soon for PracticePanther users…
“PracticePanther is now backed by Alpine Investors and will be making significant improvements across the board in 2019. In 2019, we’re taking ease-of-use to a whole new level.
With more partnerships and integrations, your law firm can outgrow the competition. And, with more internal features and automation, you can get more done in less time. PracticePanther's all-in-one-software helps your law firm stay top-of-mind."
Interested in PracticePanther?
Clio Manage
Legal practice management software
Clio Manage is back for a 3rd straight year on our top legal softwares list, and remains a top choice for any firm. The software aims to help attorneys manage their firms, cases, and clients, while in the process, getting back more of their day. Clio Manage’s powerful technology allows lawyers to be more efficient in accomplishing administrative tasks, leaving them more time to focus on billable case work.
Clio Manage's Top Features
- Helps streamline day-to-day processes and keep cases organized.
- Offers reports and dashboards that make billing and keeping track of financials easy.
- Provides comprehensive case management, along with advanced document management and automation.
Checking in with Sasha Perrin
Sasha Perrin
Clio Senior Manager, Brand & Communications
Why is Clio Manage a must-have software for attorneys?
“With Clio Manage, and now Clio Grow, we help law firms streamline their day-to-day processes to keep lawyers more organized and efficient in managing their cases. We also make the financial side of running a practice much easier, helping firms get bills out quickly and easily, while also getting them paid faster with online payments.
And now, for the first time, we help lawyers manage the intake side of their firm, making it easier to secure new business and deliver more client-centered firm experiences.
Together, with Clio Manage and Clio Grow, lawyers get the advantage of being able to see intelligent insights on any area of their practice—whether it's checking on the status of a case or payment, or determining what marketing efforts are driving the most business for their firm.”
What updates have been made to Clio Manage’s software over the past year?
“In the past year, we also redeveloped our document workflows with the release of our Clio Launcher feature, which is included with Clio Manage.
With Clio Launcher, lawyers can quickly edit and update any of the unlimited number of documents stored in their Clio Manage account.
We also added new functionalities to our Clio Payments offerings. Clio Payments allows law firms to collect electronic payments to pay bills or deposit funds into a client trust account.
In the past year, we've created the ability for lawyers to schedule recurring payment plans that collect funds automatically based on flexible schedules that work for clients. We added the ability to send secure payment links to make collecting funds even easier.
And we improved the ability for firms to streamline reconciliations, check payment statuses, and see a record of transactions all at a glance.”
Coming soon for Clio Manage users…
“In the coming year, we'll continue to expand our integration network to provide lawyers with more options in tailoring their firm's technology to meet the needs of their practice.
Clio Manage already offers the largest integration network that includes apps designed specifically for legal practice, as well as some of the most widely used services for business productivity.
We'll also be continuing to develop new functionalities to help lawyers better manage and grow their firms. Our research into customer needs is ongoing, and we're always looking for ways to improve our offerings to help lawyers run more successful, and profitable, legal practices.
Interested in Clio Manage?
Clio Grow
Client intake and legal CRM software
After appearing on our top legal software list the past two years, Lexicata has joined the Clio family, and taken on a new name. The company’s existing client relationship management and client intake platform is now evolving into a more advanced client engagement platform. Clio Grow is sold as a separate product from Clio Manage, but fully integrates with Clio Manage’s software, and will aim to help firms gain a better understanding of where their leads are coming from and how they can best go about converting them into clients.
Clio Grow's Top Features
- Allows you to automate intake, engagement agreements, and more.
- Makes it easy to track how each potential client progresses.
- Helps identify a firm’s most valuable partners and clients through advanced data reporting.
Checking in with Sasha Perrin
Sasha Perrin
Clio Senior Manager, Brand & Communications
What can users expect from Clio Grow?
“Bringing Lexicata into the Clio team was a major milestone for both our companies. We've always shared the same vision for creating transformative technologies to help law firms.
The fact that more than half of Lexicata's existing customer base already used Clio was a sign that working together was the right way to move forward.
With our expertise joined under the Clio banner, we've been able to create a seamless end-to-end suite experience that will only get better as we continue to develop these products further.
We now offer Clio Grow as a standalone product for anyone looking for client intake and legal CRM software on its own.
We also offer a special bundled price for any firms that purchase Clio Grow with Clio Manage as the Clio Suite.”
Interested in Clio Grow?
CosmoLex
Cloud-based law practice management software
CosmoLex is back for a third straight year on our top legal softwares list, and has a lot of exciting new updates to share. Since this law practice management software is cloud-based, the company is able to frequently add on new features and functions to its product. CosmoLex now boasts new Document Assembly and Custom Fields tools, and there is very little that a firm can’t accomplish through this platform.
CosmoLex's Top Features
- Offers built-in legal accounting with no need for QuickBooks.
- Provides extensive practice management tools.
- Helps bills go out on time, with just a single click.
Checking in with Joshua Goldberg
Joshua Goldberg
Marketing Director at CosmoLex
Why is CosmoLex a must-have software for attorneys?
“In many ways, CosmoLex is in a league of its own. Even our approach is totally unique, in that we designed CosmoLex as not just another piece of ‘must-have’ software, but as the only software an attorney needs to run their entire practice.”
According to Goldberg, CosmoLex is:
- Comprehensive- “It’s loaded with all the right tools that a lawyer needs to get everything and anything done.”
- Compliant- “CosmoLex -- right out of the box -- keeps you compliant using built-in checks and balances. Most of them are automatic, keeping you safe without lifting a finger.”
- Convenient- “CosmoLex is 100% on the Cloud. You know, 24/7 mobile access is essential in 2019. Without it, you’re simply not competitive. And Cloud Convenience extends to more than getting work done from anywhere. It’s about freedom from things you no longer need to struggle with, like software updates, backups, data hygiene and all those other IT hassles.”
What updates have been made to CosmoLex’s software over the past year?
“We’ve added a LOT of new feature to CosmoLex this year… as we did the year before and we will do this coming year.
That’s the beauty of Cloud Apps. They never get bloated or kludgy like desktop software. Because the Cloud is like having an infinite ‘supercomputer’ at your service. And that lets us make CosmoLex richer in features & functions all the time.”
Some recently added features mentioned by Goldberg:
- Document Assembly -- especially helpful to standardize & simplify the production of all those documents a practice needs to use over and over again.
- Custom Fields -- that enable attorneys to create absolutely ANY type of document.
- Robust User Permission Management -- there’s so much sensitive data, it’s vitally important that only the right people see the right information.
- Over 20 New Reports -- we spoke about Compliance earlier…reports are a key way to keep a firm compliant.
- Advanced Class-Based Accounting -- it’s really the only way to know exactly where the money is coming from and where your profits reside. Our attorneys love this one.
Coming soon for CosmoLex users…
“Our roadmap for 2019 is the busiest ever. For now, we need to keep most of it under wraps -- because we are definitely going to turn some heads our way this year.
Our next release is this month, and I can tell you it will include, on the accounting side Built-In Finance Charges and Bulk Trust-to-General Transfers.”
Interested in CosmoLex?
Filevine
Case management software
Filevine is back for a second straight year on our top legal softwares list, and continues to excel at meeting the needs of the modern law firm. The software is great for busy practices with a lot of moving parts, as it makes it easy to update co-workers and clients on the status of cases, and what’s coming next. Flievine is arguably the best in the game when it comes to helping attorneys communicate, and is only getting better as time goes on.
Filevine's Top Features
- Allows for easy collaboration among team members.
- Lets attorneys directly communicate with clients through its software.
- Offers a high number of customizable special features.
Checking in with Michael Radford
Michael Radford
Content Manager at Filevine
Why is Filevine a must-have software for attorneys?
“Filevine enables automation at every level of your law firm. Keep your cases moving forward with our Dynamic Taskflows; text clients conveniently without giving out your personal cell number; stay in touch with instant SMS, email, and Slack notifications; and answer the tough questions about expanding your practice with Filevine Periscope, a powerful data visualization tool.”
What updates have been made to Filevine’s software over the past year?
According to Raford, Filevine has recently added the following new features:
- Filevine Periscope: Gain unprecedented access and insight into your law firm's case and marketing data.
- Edit-in-Place: Make changes to documents on the fly, and keep track of revision history.
- Auto-hashtags: Automatically hashtag cases that meet custom criteria.
- Dynamic Autotasks: Pull task-specific information from a case file directly into an automatically generated task.
- Taskflow Triggers: Build out processes for any eventuality that arises from a case.
- Templated Project Folders: Start every case with a pre-built folder structure.
Coming soon for Filevine users…
“In 2019, Filevine finds itself poised to become the premiere case management system not only for plaintiff-side attorneys, but for the legal industry as a whole.
Our tools have already been proven to work and promote growth, but we're dedicated to perfecting case management and making the lives of Attorneys - and their clients - better because of it.
You can expect big things from us in the months and years to come!”
Interested in Filevine?
CASEpeer
Case management software for personal injury law firms
CASEpeer is making its first appearance on our top legal softwares list, and is likely to end up being a regular on this annual list. The software is quite unique, as it combines the flexibility of the cloud with the power of a comprehensive case management solution. CASEpeer is customized towards personal injury law firms, and makes it easy for them to work together with team members and clients.
CASEpeer's Top Features
- Integrated client texting and a client portal make communication simple.
- Comes with enhanced lead tracking, which helps boost client conversions.
- Allows lawyers to assign tasks on the go and create custom task flows.
Checking in with Gabriela Cubeiro
Gabriela Cubeiro
Director & Co-Founder of CASEpeer
Why is CASEpeer a must-have software for attorneys?
“CASEpeer is the comprehensive case management solution for plaintiffs’ attorneys.
Our cloud-based software is customized for personal injury law firms, streamlining cases from intake to settlement.
Law firms using CASEpeer report converting more leads, securing better results, and having more insight into their cases.
Personal injury law firms have unique needs compared to other practices. Most don’t require invoicing and time tracking, but do need to track information specific to insurance policies, adjusters, medical treatment, and more. Combined with CASEpeer’s management and automation tools, plaintiffs’ attorneys using CASEpeer are more proactive and can make strategic decisions about the growth of their business.”
What updates have been made to CASEpeer’s software over the past year?
“At CASEpeer we release major updates every three to four weeks.
In the last year new features included an iOS app, client portal, e-signature functionality, and custom intake forms.
We also launched valuable integrations with Dropbox and Ngage Live Chat.”
Coming soon for CASEpeer users…
“CASEpeer has a busy development calendar for 2019.
We’re about to announce a two-way QuickBooks online integration, and have other accounting, reporting, and productivity features in the works.
In addition to feature releases, we are constantly improving our existing infrastructure to provide the best possible user experience for our law firms.”
Interested in CASEpeer?
Practice Pipeline
Pipeline management software for attorneys
Practice Pipeline is making its first appearance on our top legal softwares list, and is quickly establishing itself as one of the best legal practice development tools on the market today. The software is a great alternative for those who find using CRMs to be too complex. Practice Pipeline helps lawyers keep their most important relationships and top referral sources top of mind.
Practice Pipeline's Top Features
- Designed with a simple and easy to use dashboard.
- Provides follow-up reminders, management reports, and calendar updates.
- Offers API integration with the CRM platform of your choice.
Checking in with Olivia Watson
Olivia Watson
Senior Marketing Manager at Ackert
Why is Practice Pipeline a must-have software for attorneys?
“Practice Pipeline is an innovative business development tool that helps lawyers nurture the business opportunities in their core network.
Unlike CRM, which can be overly cumbersome and time-consuming, Practice Pipeline’s sleek and simple interface requires minimal time to create a big impact on business development revenue.
As a result, Practice Pipeline’s adoption rates are 15 times higher than legal CRM, and our clients routinely generate over 3-10X ROI on their initial pilot.”
What updates have been made to Practice Pipeline’s software over the past year?
“While Practice Pipeline already has robust reporting features that allow marketers to oversee lawyer business development activity, we’ve recently added a business intelligence module that gives you an even broader birds-eye view of the firm’s performance.
This tool integrates with virtually any other software (accounting, timekeeping, CRM, you name it) to display strategic metrics for firm management, operations, and marketing teams. We custom-build your metrics dashboard so you make smarter business decisions easily.”
Coming soon for Practice Pipeline users…
“We are very excited to announce that we are currently building a business planning tool called Practice Driver, which will seamlessly integrate with Practice Pipeline.
This tool aligns firm-wide strategy with practice group plans, client team plans, and individual attorney business plans. Its intuitive 'build your own business plan' interface streamlines the process with a templated structure.
Lawyers can choose from suggested goals and customize them as they see fit. They can also tag other lawyers to their goals for a team-oriented approach.”
Interested in Practice Pipeline?
Actionstep
Legal practice management software
Actionstep is making its first appearance on our top legal softwares list, and is a cloud-based solution eager to meet the needs of a new generation of law professionals. The workflows in this software are highly customizable, allowing attorneys to work more efficiently and provide better value to their clients. Actionstep can be a great software solution for growing firms, supporting anywhere between 1 and 50 users according to Capterra.
Actionstep's Top Features
- Allows attorneys to manage cases, clients, and financial accounting in one platform.
- Has an automation system which helps with staying on top of paperwork.
- Integrates with Microsoft Office.
Checking in with Diane Hannay
Diane Hannay
Chief Marketing Officer for Actionstep
Why is Actionstep a must-have software for attorneys?
“While each matter may be unique, the process and milestones that it needs to travel through within a law firm is not. And that’s where Actionstep practice management software stands apart from other vendors.
Actionstep provides a flexible workflow to guide legal matters through a journey to conclusion.
Lawyers can use pre-built workflows for a number of practice areas (elder law, litigation etc), or build their own step-by-step process to suit their practice.
Actionstep is also fully cloud-based (work anywhere, anytime on any device) and offers a complete end-to-end solution for law firms (including CRM).
From an accounting perspective clients can choose to integrate with Quickbooks, Xero or use the Actionstep accounting module.”
What updates have been made to Actionstep’s software over the past year?
According to Hannay, Actionstep has launched the following over the past 12 months:
Time Matters and Amicus Attorney Conversion Tool
“While many firms are moving from on-premise to cloud-based practice management solutions, the task of moving customer data and historical matters can be a barrier,” Hannay said. “The folks at Actionstep have recognized this and built a clever conversion tool to help you migrate your valuable information across from Time Matters or Amicus Attorney, to Actionstep.”
LawToolBox Integration
“Managing court deadlines is never easy,” Hannay said. “This smart integration between Actionstep and LawToolBox goes a long way to simplifying the task. Rules-based calendaring enables you to get deadlines automatically synced to your calendar (with daily updates of any changes), and push notifications to help minimize the risk of missing any important deadlines.”
Foreign Currency Billing
“An ideal feature for firms with offshore clients or clients who prefer to be billed in foreign currency,” Hannay said. “Actionstep have released this feature within their Enhanced Billing Module, allowing firms to set different currencies for billing different matters. There’s also the flexibility to update exchange rates on the fly.”
Coming soon for Actionstep users…
“Our new Quickbooks integration is an exciting announcement for us this year, as it provides more flexibility for how firms wish to handle their accounting needs.
You can also expect a new tiered product structure to be announced this year that makes it easy to start and grow with Actionstep.
Lastly, there’s some exciting work underway to improve our alignment with Microsoft Office 365."
Interested in Actionstep?
10to8
Appointment Scheduling Software
10to8 is making its first appearance on our top legal softwares list, and can be a highly useful tool for lawyers that have become overwhelmed trying to organize and keep up with their busy schedules. Not only can the software integrate with your Google Calendar, it can also take online payments for bookings using PayPal. It could end up being a real lifesaver for your business.
10to8's Top Features
- Lets users chat with clients through the software platform.
- Offers smart text reminders and emails for events on your calendar.
- Clients can book their own appointments, based on times slots you deem to be available.
Checking in with Craig Gibson
Craig Gibson
International Marketing Manager at 10to8
Why is 10to8 a must-have software for attorneys?
“In my opinion, it's the flexibility of 10to8 as an all-in-one solution.”
According to Gibson 10to8 empowers attorneys to:
- Offer clients online bookings.
- Take payments at the point of booking (optional).
- Integrate their customizable online booking page on any existing website with ease.
- 2-way sync with any external calendar such as Google.
- Secure document and case management via private notes and integrations.
- Obtain HIPAA compliance in the United States for any applicable client medical data stored.
- Send free SMS and email appointment reminders.
- Seamlessly integrate with over 500 everyday apps.
What updates have been made to 10to8’s software over the past year?
“We're releasing new exciting features and product enhancements every month, which is predominately based on customer feedback.
For instance, we've recently become HIPAA compliant, made availability improvements, enhancements in terms of customization of SMS messages, and even the ability to integrate Google Analytics with the 10to8 booking page.”
Coming soon for 10to8 users…
“Further improvements and enhancements to the product to improve upon client communications. For example, automated and customized voice calls could soon be introduced to further reduce appointment no-shows rates and complement SMS reminders.
It's worth noting that our intelligent appointment management system can already help to alert attorneys to the risk of a no-show before they happen based on our intuitive system. We will look to refine this further.
We are also considering launching a new and improved app this year.”
Interested in 10to8?
Zola Suite
Legal practice management software
Zola Suite is making its first appearance on our top legal softwares list, and has become a favorite among viewers on G2Crowd in recent years. The software is a great fit for firms of all sizes, and has built-in features that a large number of practice areas will find useful. Zola Suite will ultimately help attorneys stay more organized, bill more efficiently, and be more productive.
Zola Suite's Top Features
- Has built-in intelligent email technology.
- Comes with built-in billing and accounting services.
- Powerful mobile capabilities allow lawyers to control their firm right from an app on their phone.
Checking in with Sarah Minischetti
Sarah Minischetti
Social Media Marketing Manager at Zola Media LLC
Why is Zola Suite a must-have software for attorneys?
"Our platform doesn’t rely on clunky integrations to help firms manage day-to-day tasks like sending emails, generating invoices, scheduling meetings and sharing documents with clients. This means that our clients have a single, easy-to-use dashboard, one set of login credentials and one monthly bill - we believe in harnessing the “power of one” to maximize efficiency and profitability.
We’re not slowing down! In 2018, we made 983 updates to our platform to help our users work faster and smarter.
Our platform wasn’t just designed with efficiency in mind, it was designed to help attorneys and support staff reduce errors in the hundreds of actions they take throughout the day. A perfect example of this is our SmartSuggest email feature. When drafting a new email in a matter, Zola Suite suggests individuals who are listed as contacts for the matter (along with their respective roles) so you don’t have that moment of panic when you realize you sent a motion to the wrong “Michael.” At the same time you’re drafting that email, Zola Suite is generating a new time entry for your work, so you don’t forget to bill for every task you do throughout the day."
What updates have been made to Zola Suite’s software over the past year?
According to Minischetti, Zola Suite has recently added the following new features:
- Download bank and credit card activity
- Bulk apply trust funds
- Bulk email invoices
- Rate cards
- Split origination/responsible attorney report
- Smart intake form sharing
- Invoice blasting
- Bulk share with Caseway client portal
- WIP-AR-Trust report
- Vendor bills
- Fee Allocation report
Zola Suite’s app also allows lawyers to stay in control of their practice on the go. Through the app you can create and review time entries, send and receive emails, scan business cards and multi-page documents and much more.
Coming soon for Zola Suite users…
"In the next few weeks, we'll be releasing an update which gives users the ability to customize matter views and save these filters so they can efficiently manage their caseloads with the click of a button.
Our users love our document management and assembly tool, which is the most robust of all the practice management solutions, but we want to make it even better. In 2019, we're making massive enhancements to this feature.
While we can't say too much about this just yet, we have been hard at work on a ground-breaking practice area-specific tool that will change the way thousands of firms think about efficiency.
We're also enhancing our comprehensive accounting tools, adding class and location-based accounting to the platform."
Interested in Zola Suite?
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