If you’ve ever wondered how lawyers manage to keep track of all their cases, deadlines, and documents in today’s technologically driven world. Well, that’s where case management legal software comes in. If you’re in the legal profession, you know how crucial it is to have a reliable and efficient case management system in place. 

The right legal case management software can help you streamline your workflow, keep track of important deadlines and documents, and ultimately provide better service to your clients. But with so many options on the market, it can be tough to know what features to prioritize. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through some of the top features to look for in legal case management software, so you can make an informed decision and find the perfect tool for your needs. 

What is Case Management Legal Software? 

Legal case management software is a tool that helps law firms and legal professionals streamline their daily operations by managing and organizing all aspects of their cases. With this software, lawyers can track case progress, manage deadlines, schedule appointments, and collaborate with their team members all in one place.

Not only does this software make life easier for lawyers, but it also helps improve client communication and satisfaction. Clients can be updated on the progress of their cases in real-time and have access to all relevant documents and information.

As technology advanced in recent years, it gained more popularity among law firms and legal professionals as opposed to more traditional means of managing daily operations. 

How do you choose case management software?

There are many different lawyer case management software options available on the market, each with its own unique features and benefits. In order to select the right fit for you, there are a couple of important points to consider. 

Your Specific Needs

To start with, you need to consider what your specific needs are. Think about the type of cases you manage and what features you need to manage them effectively. 

For example, do you need software that can handle complex workflows or do you need a simple way to track basic case information? What are your document management needs? Are you looking for software with cloud-storage capabilities or one that simply transmits documents and offers temporary storage? Are you looking to integrate this software with your collaboration, project management and accounting tools?

These are all important questions to consider when selecting case management software.

User- Friendliness 

Is the case management software user-friendly and easy to navigate? Or will it take a while before your attorneys can learn how to properly and conveniently use it? The last thing you want is to spend hours figuring out how to use a complicated system after spending money on it.

When you’re looking for a case management legal software, try to find one with an easy-to-use interface and training and support that will help you get up to speed quickly.

Costs

How much is your budget for this software? What options on the market can give you the best value without breaking the bank? What features does this software have that can help you save on additional costs?

For instance, Digitslaw helps you save costs on additional accounting software because it provides the necessary features that you need to manage your books, track revenue and maintain trusts.. 

Make sure that the case management software fits within your budget and provides a good return on investment.

The Importance of Using Case Management Software in Legal Practice

1. Stay organized: With software for case management, you can keep track of all your cases, deadlines, and client information in one central location. This makes it easy to stay on top of your workload and ensures that nothing slips through the cracks.
2. Improve communication: A lawyer’s case management software includes tools for communication management, such as email. This can help improve collaboration with your team members and clients, and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
3. Streamline workflows: Legal case management software allows you to automate repetitive tasks and set up workflows, which can save you time and reduce the risk of errors. This can help increase productivity and ultimately improve your bottom line.
4. Better document management: Legal case management software includes features for document storage and organization, as well as document sharing and collaboration. This can help you stay organized and ensure that everyone on your team has access to the information they need.
5. Time and expense tracking: A software for case management includes tools for time tracking and expense tracking, which can help you keep track of billable hours and expenses, and ensure accurate invoicing to your clients.
6. Reporting and analytics: Legal case management software includes tools for reporting and analytics, which can help you track your firm’s performance, monitor productivity, and generate financial reports.

Now that you understand how to choose a case management software and it’s importance,  let’s take a look at some of the top features of legal case management software to look out for.

5 Features to Look for in a Software for Case Management

1. Collaboration Capabilities 

Legal work often involves collaboration between attorneys, paralegals, and other team members. It goes without saying that your team members need to collaborate efficiently while working on their matters. As such, your case management software needs to effectively and seamlessly provide for easy collaboration between lawyers, clients, and any other user of the software. 

Your case management software should have tools that allow you to share documents, assign tasks, and communicate with your team members in real-time.

For instance, Digitslaw allows you to share legal documents, progress notes, updates, and sensitive information directly with your client, without the need to schedule a meeting or drop by their office. Your client just gets an email when these documents are ready and can get to them through a secure client portal. 

It should also make it easier to track progress on a case, and monitor deadlines. This helps keep everyone accountable and ensures that the case stays on track.

This feature can help save time, reduce errors, and ultimately lead to better outcomes for clients.

2. Time Tracking and Billing 

For you to incur billable fees, you need to track the time spent offering legal services to your clients. 

An excellent lawyer case management software should have built-in time tracking and legal billing features to make this process easier. With a time tracking feature, you can easily log the time spent on each task related to a case. This makes it easy to accurately bill clients for your time and ensure you get paid for everything you do. 

It should also have a billing feature that allows you to easily generate invoices for the time spent on legal advisory activities.

3. Calendar and Task management

At any given time, a law firm or lawyer handles multiple matters at the same time, each with its own set of deadlines, court dates, and meetings. 

Keeping track of all these events can be challenging, but with a calendar and task management feature, you can ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.

A calendar feature allows you to view all your upcoming events in one place, including court dates, meetings, and deadlines. You can also set up reminders and notifications to ensure you never miss an important date. 

Task management, on the other hand, allows you to create to-do lists and assign tasks to yourself or other members of your team. 

You can also set deadlines and track your progress to ensure everything gets done on time.

4. Integration 

Another important feature to consider is integration. Does your case management software let you connect it to other tools you need to do your daily work? 

Integration in this instance, allows you to expand the functionality of your legal case management tool, in the off chance that it cannot cater to your specific needs. 

Some tools that can be integrated include: 

• Document management software (NetDocuments, Box, Dropbox)
• Time tracking and billing software (Toggl, TimeSolv, Bill4Time)
• E-signature software (DocuSign, Adobe Sign)
• Calendar and scheduling tools (Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook)
• Email management software (Microsoft Outlook, Gmail)
• Communication and collaboration tools (Slack, Microsoft Teams)
• Practice management software (Digitslaw, Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther)
• Legal research tools (LexisNexis, Westlaw)
• Client relationship management software (Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Data analytics and reporting tools (Tableau, Power BI)

5. Mobility 

In today’s fast-paced work environment, lawyers and legal staff often need to be able to work from anywhere at any time.

With mobility features in software for case management, lawyers can access case information and documents from their smartphones, tablets, or laptops, making it easier to stay on top of their work.

For instance, Digitslaw offers a mobile app that allows you to track billable time, create invoices, update and share progress notes, view documents, and browse through court updates. 

Overall, mobility is an essential feature to look out for in legal case management because it provides lawyers and legal staff with the flexibility they need to work.

Final Thoughts

In short, if you are looking at legal case management software, it is important to check it against these features. 

Digitslaw, luckily, has all of these features to help you with your practice and legal accounting.