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For Law Practice Management Software, the following are essential features, and you should therefore expect to see a check in every box in this section.
Matter management is the defining feature of law practice management software, of course. However, some software is targeted at specific practice areas and may implement case management in different ways in order to manage information specific to those practice areas.
Managing clients and other contacts is a core feature of law practice management software.
Basic task management includes creating tasks with due dates that can be associated with cases/matters and assigned to different lawyers. Some products stick to pretty basic task management, while others offer enough features to make any Getting Things Done devotee happy.
As with email, this feature means a full calendar client, not just an integration with Outlook or Google Calendar.
Timekeeping is a core feature of practice management software, essential for lawyers who bill by the hour but useful even for those who don't.
An actual conflict checker is more than just a search box. This applies to software that actually has a conflict checking feature. Implementation varies, but at a minimum you should be able to search the entire database for matching names. It should check for conflicts accurately and intuitively, allow for a lateral hire to input their conflict database into the system, work quickly when new clients call, and comply with the rules of professional conduct for checking conflicts.
Does it include a full email client? (Alternative solutions that don't amount to an email client, like plugins for Outlook or Gmail, do not earn a check for this feature. See software integrations, below.))
Can you send and receive text messages and associate them with your matters?
Basic document management allows you to add documents and associate them with your cases/matters.
Loading your firm’s document templates into your law practice management software can save time and ensure consistency. This check means basic document assembly suitable for form letters, invoices, etc. For advanced document assembly, you’ll probably need additional software.
Does the provider have a way for your client to interact with you or their information in the system? This can take many forms. It can be a way to securely view and pay bills, a method of scheduling meetings, or a way for your client to view information about their case itself.
This means basic checkbook register–style bookkeeping, which is more limited than full accounting. You should be able to keep track of your operating accounts and reconcile your balances, but you may still need full accounting software.
This means you can track your client trust accounts, including expenses and payments. It is normal to see trust accounting without basic bookkeeping or full accounting, in which case you will need something else for accounting.
Some software includes full double-entry accounting features, making additional accounting software unnecessary.
Does the software allow you to send bills or invoices?
Payment processing is increasingly offered either as an included or add-on feature, especially with cloud-based law practice management software.
An Open application programing interface (API) allows other software programs to interact with the platform. It allows users to build integrations where there might not currently be one. However, not all APIs are equal. If you are looking to integrate using an API, it's advisable to review the platform's documentation before making a decision.
Based on 11 Reviews
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AbacusLaw is a hybrid product that uses an application on your local computer to access cloud-based data.
AbacusLaw is a custom priced product that requires you to contact their sales team for a quote.
AbacusLaw does not have any information regarding its security practices on its website. We suggest prospective users specifically ask about security during a demo.
Yes, AbacusLaw integrates with Microsoft365 (f/k/a Office365).
As of this review, AbacusLaw does not integrate with any Google Workspaces products.
AbacusLaw can handle standard law practice Trust Accounting.
Yes, through Abacus Payment Exchange, users can process ePayments directly within the app.
No. As of this review, AbacusLaw does not integrate with Zapier.
Yes. AbacusLaw integrates with HotDocs for its document assembly and automation needs.
Yes, AbacusLaw will work on both Mac and PC, but it is best run on PC.
AbacusLaw provides tiered, cloud-based solutions for law firms, providing everything from case management to a full desktop in the cloud that could replace an entire IT department. With AbacusLaw—the base case management software—you’ll get a calendar that functions as a look-a-like Outlook, custom designed for people with task-heavy jobs. Like most case management software, Abacus Law links your matters to your calendar, your clients, your documents, and your emails. From pre-set matter styles to pre-written forms for many jurisdictions (that can also auto-fill certain information), Abacus Law can streamline the basic needs of your practice.
Upgrading to AbacusLaw Gold delivers more robust tools, including time tracking, billing, and accounting. You can bill directly from case matters and run detailed reports from your accounts, trust balances, aged accounts receivable, and more. You’ll have access to over 100 standard accounting and billing related reports, and can even have additional reports built out for an additional fee.
You can work within the Abacus Private Cloud, although it is possible to run it locally. The Abacus Private Cloud integration will give you far more robust backend support. Running everything in Abacus Private Cloud means you get nightly backups of your AbacusLaw database and all your documents and forms. You also get automatic updates and system enhancements. Integration will also let you link all incoming and outgoing emails from your Outlook account directly into AbacusLaw, so emails can be added to matters seamlessly. However, this integration might be cost-prohibitive for smaller firms.
Anet B.
“Confirmed - You will spend $$$$$ and have lots of downtime”
August 17, 2021 5:52 PM
See pricing at the end of this review block. You will lose your connectivity a few times a month when you really need to be working, you will call support (who are great) and they will not be immediately available, so you will WAIT. And you will wait every time a Lacerte update needs to be run at least twice a month during tax season when you really need no interruptions in your work plans. That will take 30 minutes to an hour per update depending on how fast they respond. Try to get them to run other fixes at the same tine to minimize frustration around the WAITING. You will wait for a half hour to an hour to hear back from Support if you do not get them right away, which is more than half the time. Then there is the time it takes them to fix your connectivity, run updates, etc., while you cannot work in the cloud. I used it for two years, until the frustration of too much downtime became ridiculously interruptive. I tried to terminate a few months into an unannounced autorenewal and they refused to reduce any of the $570/month for a 2-user cloud environment for the remaining 9 months. And yes, I was very polite when I asked, explained it is not a good fit for my firm and they truly showed they did not care about me.
Michelle I.
“RUN AWAY”
February 16, 2021 9:56 AM
I'd leave zero stars if I could. This product used to be the best on the market when it wasn't in the cloud and have CONSTANT technical support issues. No one is available when you call. They call you back, sometimes never, sometimes hours later. This is not efficient for a law office. They lock you into a contract and then don't hold up their end of the deal. I'm very seriously considering moving to a different software company and paying for both of them for the remainder of my dreadful contract. I figured it'll be worth the aggravation. Over $300 a month for one attorney is insane for the little that is offered. RUN AWAY. Don't even bother with the demo.
Tim T.
“Tim T.”
February 2, 2021 2:26 PM
I have been practicing law for more than 35 years and have used numerous vendors for software and cloud services. Abacus is one of the worst I have experienced. The support is somewhere between non-existent and utterly incompetent. Don't walk away, run.
Margie P.
“Absolutely the WORST program ever!!”
May 7, 2020 1:05 PM
I absolutely HATE this program. I've been using the AbacusLaw and AbacusAccounting since 2008, and it is the most frustrating program around. It was pretty good at first, but now that they changed to the subscription, there are constantly so many problems. It's hard to get any support as they're always blaming one department or another and keep sending me back and forth and nothing gets resolved. Support can't help me with the accounting program, so I have to PAY HOURLY to get their professional accounting help, when the issue is clearly a software issue!! Also, I have been paying for legal calendaring rules and it hasn't even been updated since 2016 and it's now 2020!!!!
Eliza G.
“Torture”
March 26, 2020 5:13 PM
Abacus Law is the most archaic, glitchy, awful software that I have ever used and it gets worse every day. I keep getting locked out and after going through several tech support people (who do try their best), I was told that the software is not supported by Windows 7 and that I needed to migrate my software and all the info that is on my server to a different place and then install Windows 10 and then reinstall everything and its on me. I even tried to get on Abacus cloud a while ago and they told me that my internet is too slow. I don't know how that's possible when my internet is super fast.
Yonatann L.
“Horrific Company and Horrible Service”
January 15, 2020 11:00 AM
Promised to have my cloud system set-up in a week and lied. They are a horrible company. Buyer beware. Do not do business with them.
REVIEWS (6 out of 11)