CRM system for a law firm

In the 21st century, still the vast majority of law firms – lawyers’ and attorneys’ offices – operate without professional workflow and case management systems. All work is done off-line, based on Excel statements or paper files. Lawyers do not have a proper data backup system – a lost file does not have its counterpart in the archive. The only “innovative” solution is the network drive on which the law firm works, also rarely backed up.

What system for a law firm to choose?

Nowadays, lawyers have the opportunity to choose from many solutions available on the market. Most software is based on web-based solutions, accessible from a web browser and requiring the Internet. Software companies are moving away from installing software on the client’s computers. Cloud access, hosted on servers, give many advantages:

– Online service without the need to travel to the customer;

– Quick updates, while the law firm is not working;

– Data backup, often already provided by the hosting company itself.

What to look for when choosing a system for a law firm?

The systems offered to law firms are based on different technologies, have different functionalities, different levels of security, and different prices. Below we describe some of the basic issues that a lawyer should consider before purchasing a system for a law firm.

Law firm software price

The price range is very wide. From about £30 to £500 per month, payable by subscription depending on the software parameters selected, functionality, data limit, etc. The price is basically an outgrowth of the functionality and limits on the software the lawyer receives. Any increase in the limit will entail a price increase.

The alternative to a subscription solution will be to commission the creation of software from scratch, which will involve high financial (from PLN 25,000 to even PLN 200,000, depending on the company) and time expenses – programming from scratch is a time-consuming process, requiring first the design of functionality and front-end, then coding. Creating a system for a law firm from scratch can take up to two years.

Available CRM functionality for law firms?

A functional system must cost money. The system is supposed to handle several, a dozen processes in the law firm, it is supposed to be usable, so the number of functions will be significant. From contractor/client data, contact maintenance (email integration?), document archiving, to task scheduling (calendar) and billing (invoices, lawyer time measurement). Each law firm has different work characteristics, different expectations and hopes placed on the system, and finally it handles different processes, different types of cases.

Buying tailor-made software is unlikely to be an option (time + high costs), so when choosing a system, it is worthwhile to shop around on the market and choose one that meets as many of the law firm’s needs as possible at the start.

In the subscription version, access to more modules and functionality will incur a higher fee.

User limits in the system

Limiting system users is the most popular form of subscription price differentiation. For small 1-4 person law firms, this factor should not affect the price, but for compensation law firms (extensive legal and service team, thousands of sales representatives/agents) it can have a decisive impact.

Server space and file archiving

Working in a law firm involves processing thousands of documents – case files, pleadings, photos, scans. Due to the settings of most scanning equipment, these are usually 3-5 mb files. When handling hundreds or thousands of cases, the server space will run out in no time. Therefore, it is worth choosing solutions that have high or no area limits (there are none on the market today). It is relatively worth checking whether the service provider allows software installation on its own server.

Software update and service

Subscription, web-based solutions often involve free software updates and maintenance. Service provider eliminates software bugs, responds to incidents. There may also be a free upgrade or functionality upgrade as part of the subscription agreement. The primary issue in the updates is security.

Software development and customization

Before purchasing the software, it is worth considering whether it will be possible to expand and adapt it to the law firm’s needs. Unfortunately, most companies do not allow tampering with the code, and rarely undertake feature extensions on behalf of clients either. Some of the solutions are created outside the country, and this significantly limits development. When choosing a system, ask if you can customize it to your needs by outsourcing the work to a licensor.

CRM system implementation costs

Each system requires implementation, installation, and employee training. It is worth finding out how the costs are shaped and what they depend on.

Data security and compliance with RODO

Security and confidentiality of the data stored in the system and compliance with RODO in the system is one of the most critical issues raised by lawyers.