Top 9 Legal Softwares of 2018

In February of 2017, we published a list of our favorite legal softwares, breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of seven different software products, and providing insight on how they could be used to aid the day-to-day operations of a law office.

Of course things move quickly in the software world, with companies almost always making updates on their products in order to keep up with competitors. That is why a year removed from our initial legal software post, it seemed more than necessary to produce an updated list.

This year, we’ve expanded our list to nine impressive companies. On our new list you’ll see some familiar faces, along with a few new softwares on the rise. Take a look through to see if a legal software you use made our list, or to see if there is a worthwhile software your firm needs to invest in.

1. Lexicata

For the second straight year Lexicata has cracked a spot on our legal software list. Last year the company impressed us with their customizable online intake forms, e-signature technology, and ability to keep track of your leads. Since then, Lexicata has been hard at work making their product even more attorney friendly.

What The Software Does:

Lexicata is a contact management software and Legal CRM that stores all of your contacts in an easy to use platform. It allows you to customize contacts, add specific notes, and track the source of your leads as well as schedule tasks and reminders in order to keep you on top of every case!

Recent Developments:

• Lexicata has just released the biggest upgrade to its software ever, with the recent introduction of Lexicata 3.0. The upgraded software features an enhanced user interface and user experience.
• The company’s recent upgrades have made the software much easier to use and navigate. Lexicata has also put a focus on making their product more usable for mobile devices.
• Other recent additions to Lexicata include several new features from the software’s Quick Form and Quick Appointment features, enhanced workflows, and a user signer feature.

Coming Soon to Lexicata:

According to company CEO Michael Chasin, “Lexicata 3.0 was just the start of a massive shift in the power of Lexicata. We have plans to release a handful of new integrations as well as release new features. A few of them would be a more robust reporting and analytics section as well as a new and improved intake forms feature with a lot more power and capabilities.”

Pricing:

Lexicata customizes their pricing to each and every law firm, and you only pay for the amount of users you’ll need. You’ll need to contact Lexicata for your firm’s custom price quote.

Unlock pricing here!

2. LawPay

LawPay is another returning software from our previous legal software list. Coming into 2017, LawPay was already an impressive and easy to use payment processing system. Over the past year, the company has continued to rise, making updates to their software and partnering up with a few of the other top software companies found on this list.

What The Software Does:

LawPay is a simple online payment technology that correctly separates unearned fees into your IOLTA account and earned fees into your operating account to avoid any commingling of funds, while also protecting your IOLTA from any 3rd party debiting. It is the most widely trusted credit card processing software for law firms and works with 46 State BAR associations as well as specialty and local bar associations.

Recent Developments:

• In 2017, LawPay launched an updated dashboard, which provides users with instant access to valuable business metrics.
• The company’s Charge tab has also been recently streamlined to show everything needed to request payments at a glance.
• Firms can also now use LawPay to see their most recent transactions and top ten clients by volume and use the payment volume and source charts to spot trends and project cash flow.
• As of 2017, three of LawPay’s integrated partners - Clio, CosmoLex and PracticePanther - now cover the LawPay monthly fee if you subscribe to their product.
• LawPay is dedicated to creating a more comprehensive experience with updates to its Quick Bill feature. Firms can now track every Quick Bill that has gone out. They can view the status of each bill - when it is received, see if it has been viewed and when it is paid. All Quick Bills go to a personalized payment portal for the client which enhances their user experience, allowing them to see all of their outstanding Quick Bills in one place, and pay multiple bills at once.

Coming Soon to LawPay:

After a busy past 12 months, LawPay will bring more exciting updates to its product later this year. According to company brand manager, Samantha Figueroa, “LawPay will be launching an integration with time management partner Sage/Timeslips and also looks forward to focusing efforts on security for both law firms and their clients in 2018 and beyond.”

Pricing:

LawPay offers a trust plan for $20 a month, and a standard plan for $15 a month. The trust plan gives firms the ability to deposit advanced fees separately to your trust account, while the standard plan allows depositing only into a trust or operating account.

See full pricing here!

3. PracticePanther

PracticePanther is a newcomer to our legal software list, and could be the perfect fit for solo and smaller sized law firms.

What The Software Does:

PracticePanther is a management and billing software solution that is specially catered to users in the legal profession, from solo lawyers to entire law offices.

Standout Features:

• PracticePanther combines the capabilities of time tracking, billing, payment processing, expense management, and calendaring together in an all-in-one secure, automated software.
• The products, which are also made to be mobile-friendly, is designed to help users work more efficiently and save hours of time each week in managing their practice.
• The software is intuitive, easy to use, and user-friendly, with the power and speed to be one of the fastest and easiest websites to navigate. As such, it helps eliminate the need for long training calls, webinars, and 95% of all typical support questions.

Coming Soon to PracticePanther:

According to marketing coordinator Jaliz Maldonado, PracticePanther is “currently working on several updates and even more integrations.”

Pricing:

$49 per month, annually. $59 each month, if you choose to go month-to-month.

See full pricing here!

4. Captorra

Another company we’re happy to include on our list once again is Captorra. Last year we were impressed with the software’s legal intake and lead tracking capabilities, and the product has only seemed to improve since then.

What The Software Does:

Captorra is a legal intake software that exists entirely in the cloud, and is essentially a guide for your legal intake call professional. The legal intake call professional can use Captorra almost as a step-by-step guide to performing the legal intake process.

Recent Developments:

• Captorra has introduced a new referral portal, which allows outside partners to both send leads to your Captorra environment and to update your firm on referrals that you sent them directly through the portal.
• The software now allows you to text your sign up packet directly to a claimant so that they can complete your fee agreement while they are on the phone with you.
• Automated phone campaign tracking with solutions like Call Rail and Call Tracking Metrics.

Coming Soon to Captorra:

Captorra will be releasing a new version of its product in 2018, which according to director of sales Denny Newberry, will provide, “updates to user interface and a more seamless API for outside solutions.” You can also expect to see a smartphone app and added outlook integration from the company this year.

Pricing:

$150 per month

Contact Captorra here!

5. CosmoLex

We made it clear on last year’s list that CosmoLex was a case management software you can trust, as they already provided a free portal for bookkeeping purposes, 1-on-1 product support and flat fee per month pricing. A year later, our opinion of the company has not swayed, as the CosmoLex software is better looking than ever before.

What The Software Does:

CosmoLex is a cloud-based practice management software, that comes with its own proprietary accounting solution, meaning you won’t need QuickBooks integration! The company’s primary mission is to provide a robust alternative for law firms migrating from desktop based legacy systems, as well as for firms who do not wish to use QuickBooks for law office accounting.

Recent Developments:

• Over the past year, CosmoLex has introduced a sleeker looking user interface, along with new custom fields and document assembly features.
• CosmoLex now also provides deep data mining, advanced search, and filtering, allowing users to easily track down the information they are looking for.
• Other new features include 1099 e-filing, Matter/Contact Auto Numbering, Class-Based Accounting, and A Canadian Accounting Compliant Version of CosmoLex

Coming Soon to CosmoLex:

Moving forward CosmoLex remains focused on developing enterprise grade features. CosmoLex marketing director Joshua Goldberg said, “We have many advanced accounting functions planned along with deep data analytics capabilities related to profitability and productivity.”

Pricing:

$49 per month, annually. $59 each month, if you choose to go month-to-month.

See full pricing here!

6. AbacusLaw

AbacusLaw wasn’t included on our previous rankings of best legal software, but proved to be one of the biggest surprises of a legal software survey we conducted in the fall of 2017. We found many of our clients to already be using the software, and decided this was a company we could no longer fail to recognize.

What The Software Does:

A practice management software that makes capturing new client information easy with intake screens.

Standout Features:

• Centralizes documents and emails, handles form creation to produce signature ready forms, and can be easily customized to meet the needs of a specific firm.
• Provides an accounting module that integrates billing, time keeping, and reporting and handles trust accounts and retainers.
• Comes with a number of automation features that help attorneys save time, including deadline management alerts.

Pricing:

Not listed on site.

Contact Abacus about pricing here!

7. Clio

We were high on Clio last year, and continue to be after the company added on several new features to its software over the past year. The organization has a clear mission, which is to help attorneys make better use if their time in the office each day. By upgrading it’s software to run quicker and more efficiently, Clio hopes to see attorneys limit the time they waste on administrative tasks, and instead rack up more billable hours.

What The Software Does:

Clio is one of the largest cloud based management softwares, boasting over 70,000 users and partnerships with more than 38 BAR associations. Clio does everything from intake to invoice, and doesn’t miss much in between.

Recent Developments:

• “The new Clio experience”, implemented last year, features over 220 enhancements and incorporates nine years of customer feedback to further advance the leading practice management platform. Every aspect of the software, including mobile, now leverages a common Application Programming Interface, API v4, which lets partners and customers alike connect complementary technologies with Clio to share information and streamline workflows.
• Clio now offers over 90 integration partners that span a range of categories but have one common focus—they are transformative solutions that complement Clio, enabling legal professionals to scale their firms, harness new efficiencies, and better serve their clients in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
• Over the last year, Clio has also become the first and only cloud-based practice management platform to offer a native integration for both Outlook’s desktop and 365 platforms. In addition, the company has launched an App Directory, which categorizes our partner integrations based on the services they provide and offers details descriptions on each service.

Coming soon to Clio:

According to Corporate Communications Manager Sasha Perrin, Clio remains focused on developing technology that will help legal professionals better serve their clients. “In the coming year, we will continue to expand Clio’s powerful ecosystem for legal professionals to get more of the tools they need in one place,” she said. “This will allow them to deliver low-friction experiences, instant access to information, and timely answers that clients are increasingly looking for. This will also allow lawyers to remain on top of their business and accounts in one comprehensive system.”

Pricing:

Clio lists three different pricing plans on it’s site, including a starter package at $39 per month annually ($49 month-per-month), a boutique (standard) package at $59 per month annually ($69 month-per-month), and an elite package at $99 per month annually ($109 month-per-month)

See full pricing here!

8. MyCase

In 2017, Answering Legal surveyed a group of attorneys on which legal softwares they use in their office, and MyCase proved to be the leading response. In this case, we very much agree with our customers, as we thought MyCase was a quality enough software to shoutout for a second straight year.

What The Software Does:

MyCase is a legal practice management software that has a case and matter filing system, task and calendar automation, document storage, invoicing and billing system, and a direct private messaging portal for you and your clients.

Recent Developments:

• MyCase has always been known for its easy-to-use client portal, and last December, the company announced a newly upgraded Client Portal experience. According to the software’s company blog, “It offers a better experience for your clients, making it easier than ever for them to accomplish important tasks, such as sending and receiving secure messages, accessing documents, and paying invoices.”
• The new portal has also been optimized for mobile phones, meaning that users can accomplish tasks faster and with fewer clicks. The portal’s mobile friendly design also looks great on all screen sizes.

Pricing:

MyCase lists a price of $39 per user a month on its website.)

See full pricing here!

9. FileVine

FileVine is another software that law firms have taken a liking to over the past year. They offer a high level of case file management and make communication between law firm employees simpler and more efficient than most softwares do.

What The Software Does:

Filevine is a plaintiff-side law practice management software program that lets you easily connect with colleagues through an easy to use interface. You can assign tasks, tag firm members and clients, and keep tabs on everything in Filevine’s social media-inspired feed.

Standout Features:

• Helps teams of four or more people effectively communicate and handle clients.
• Makes organizing case files simple.
• Attorneys can directly text clients through their feed in FileVine.
• Filevine assigns a dedicated rep to each firm they work for, and the rep will completely take care of the setup process.

Pricing:

Not listed on site.

Request a product demo here!

If you’re looking for further insight on how legal softwares are being used by firms today, we recommend you check out the eBook referenced several times throughout this piece.

Click here for a free download of the eBook, “How Top Lawyers Are Using Softwares For Their Firms”.