Centerbase is highly configurable, full-featured law practice management software for small- to medium-sized law firms. Among its features is advanced workflow automation that can be customized for your firm’s needs.
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Who Centerbase is For
With all its features, Centerbase is probably overkill for most solos. It is best suited for firms of 5 lawyers or more that can take advantage of its advanced workflow automation features and are willing to invest time and money in training and implementation.
Centerbase Features
Website
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www.centerbase.com |
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Starting Cost
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$52/user/month |
Apps
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Installation
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Case/Matter Management
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✓ |
Client/Contact Management
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✓ |
Task Management
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✓ |
Calendar
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✓ |
Timekeeping
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✓ |
Conflict Checking
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✓ |
Email Client
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✗ |
Text Messaging
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✗ |
Document Management
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✓ |
Document Assembly
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✓ |
Secure Client Portal
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✓ |
Basic Bookkeeping
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✓ |
Trust Accounting
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✓ |
Full Accounting
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✓ |
Billing & Invoicing
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✓ |
Online Payments
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✓ |
Software Integrations
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Open API
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✗ |
Additional Details about Centerbase
Some assembly required. Centerbase is powerful software that must be customized to your firm’s needs and workflows. It takes longer (and costs more) to set up than many other cloud-based law practice management software products, but the trade-off is that you get a system that works exactly how you want it to. Implementation and training is not included in the purchase price. The company partners with consultants on all their rollouts, and you must hire a certified consultant—who is not employed by Centerbase—for training and configuration. The fees depend on the consultant.
Mapped drive. Files can be opened and saved directly to a Centerbase drive that can be mapped to your network. 5 TB of storage is included with your subscription package.
Updated accounting tool. For an additional fee Centerbase offers a complete accounting package. You can bill clients, manage attorney and firm expenses, and create an accounting journal to better track bills and invoices, and pull in live bank feeds for all your accounts.
Continuous improvement. The company updates its software every 2-4 weeks, based in part on customer feedback.
Security. The company hosts its own servers, has multiple data centers, and owns its own infrastructure. They use 256-bit AES encryption for data at rest and 256-bit SSL encryption for data in transit.
Centerbase Customer Support is Appalling
Centerbase is a powerful product but customer support is the worst I have ever experienced for any software product–I predict it will be their downfall. Perhaps they treat larger firms better, but their attitude toward a small firm is appalling and arrogant. Centerbase’s customer service model is to require you to use a third-party “partner” at $200/hour. The Centerbase system touts customizability as a key feature; however, if your customization causes a glitch (which is easy because documentation is primitive), Centerbase will charge you $200/hour to fix their system. Their attitude toward a small firm is “too bad”–even after you have invested hundreds of hours in implementation.