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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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PCLaw is an on-premises platform. Which means that you will need to install it on either your computer or your network. Importantly, it is difficult to access this type of system from anywhere other than within your network. Although they do have a Mobile App, you can only access critical information in each case file.
PCLaw starts out at $39.00 per user per month. However, most of their packages require you to contact them to get a quote specific to your law firm.
On-premises products, like PCLaw, are as secure as the user makes their own network.
No. PCLaw does not have an integration with Microsoft 365, or any other Microsoft product.
No. PCLaw does not have any Google integrations.
Yes. PCLaw has billing, time tracking, and accounting features built-in. This includes trust accounting capabilities. Additionally, since the platform is usually installed on a local computer or network, users can control where their client trust data resides.
No. PCLaw does not have any integrations or built-in features that allow for users to accept online payments.
No. PCLaw does not integrate with Zapier.
Yes. PCLaw has basic mail-merge style document assembly built-in.
According to PCLaw's system requirements, it will not work on a Mac computer, nor will it work on Thin clients or Virtual Servers.
Windows-based. PCLaw is a law practice management software program designed for Windows desktop.
Billing and Accounting. Its focus is on the billing and accounting side of your practice. You can manage vendor payments and business expenses as well as write and print checks from bank or trust accounts. Additionally, you can balance your accounts and quickly pinpoint any outstanding balances. You can even see your profit and losses in real-time, useful for both startup and established firms who need to stay on track growing their firm’s revenue.
Case and Event Tracking. With the built-in calendar, you can stay on top of important meetings and deadlines. Their dashboard is built to give you a lot of useful information at a glance—toggle between My Practice, My Clients, and My Business tabs to see practically everything PCLaw is capable of.
Mobile and Web App. Even though the software is Windows desktop-based, there is a mobile version you can access via the web when you’re on the go. Keep track of billable hours and all business expenses while you’re away from the office. The web interface also lets you access critical matter information and search using client number, matter number, matter description or type of law.
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