Seven key questions to help you assess and choose a legal practice management system
Which practice management software is right for your firm? Actionstep walks you through the questions you should be asking to make the tough decision.
Choosing software to help you run your firm and manage your client work takes time and research.
There are many software review sites to read, complex feature lists to interpret and compare, and the pros and cons of on-premise vs cloud solutions to get your head around. We know you’d rather be focusing on growing your practice and helping your clients. We’ve compiled the key questions to ask yourself when evaluating new practice management solutions.
We hope it makes your decision easier and gives you confidence in your selection process.
1. Can it scale?
If your billable hours are on the increase or you’re expanding your practice into new specialties, you may find your practice outgrows the limitations of your software. Avoid getting locked into long fixed-term contracts that restrict your ability to upgrade when the time’s right.
Questions to ask:
- Once I sign up, how long am I locked into this solution?
- If I decide the software isn’t right for my business, what’s the cancellation notice period?
- Am I able to adjust my users up or down during my contract?
2. Can it be tailored to suit my firm?
Mixed practice and larger specialty firms will require some customization to reflect the way you do business and gain the most from your practice management software (such as custom workflows, automation and reporting). If you want to start with a simple product, make sure there are good options within the product to upgrade to that accommodate the future growth and diversification of your practice.
Questions to ask:
- Do I need to create custom reports and other custom data fields?
- If I want to tailor the system’s workflows to match our way of doing things (or processes), how customizable is the software?
- Do I need to integrate my own precedents?
