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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.
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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.
pmichalski
“Centerbase Customer Support is Appalling”
April 8, 2019 11:07 PM
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.
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