You Can Lead a Lawyer to Software but You Can’t Make Them Use It
With law practice management systems, you can easily streamline your work, get more accomplished, improve security, be more responsive, work from virtually anywhere, and, consequently, increase client satisfaction and the revenues that come with that. But you’re not going to get any of these benefits by merely investing in the system – you have to make sure you and your team use it consistently.
While that should be obvious, the fact is that too many law offices invest in systems that remain little more than an expensive shortcut on their computer screen. According to the 2017 ABA Technology Survey Report, even though most law firms with at least two attorneys have law practice management systems, the number of lawyers using them is decreasing.
If lawyers aren’t using a system that is supposed to make their life easier and their work more profitable, they likely think it’s too much effort to take advantage of it. To avoid this, make sure you select the best possible option for everyone in your law firm. Begin by reviewing this comprehensive guide by Jim Calloway, Director of the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Management Assistance Program: How to Select the Right Law Practice Management Software for Your Firm. (As a legal technology blogger and podcaster, Calloway knows legal technology – both its benefits and pitfalls.)
Then consider a study by Blue Hill Research. The independent technology research organization analyzed more than 350 small law firms. They revealed that lawyers prefer practice management technology that’s integrated. This could be because integrated systems allow you to:
- Log in once to access all its tools. Solutions that aren’t integrated require you to log in to and out of each tool like time and billing, file management, or client communication. So you have to keep track of multiple user IDs and passwords.
- See all your applications on a single dashboard that provides direct access to them. Again, you don’t have to log into and out of tools and toggle between screens.
- Move seamlessly between applications like invoicing, research and drafting. You can get what you need done with fewer keystrokes.
- Upload and access data without having to package it into text files. You don’t need to become an IT expert to accomplish what should be simple task.
- Automatically sync data between applications – for instance, an update on one calendar means everyone else’s will be updated, too. You can avoid duplicating effort.
It’s no wonder that Blue Hill research discovered that lawyers at general practice law firms use integrated law practice management:
- 44% more for invoicing and collections
- 82% more for matter management
- 130% more for early case assessment and planning
- 360% more for case analysis
If you want to make sure you get this kind of engagement with your practice management, be sure to check out Calloway’s unbiased insight in his guide: How to Select the Right Law Practice Management Software for Your Firm. Especially if you care about getting the highest return on your practice management investment.
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