Size matters...
For a new start-up law firm, with a handful users it can be relatively quick to get up and running with a new suite of software. It could be anywhere between 6 weeks and 6 months depending on many factors. For example, for a new firm with say up to 5 users, it could be six weeks or less from placing the order to go-live. This would include the training of staff, for a straight-forward legal accounts software implementation. However, for larger firms, with several branches, and more complex needs – it can take a while longer. For example, for a 100+ user firm with national branch offices implementing legal accounts, and case management with workflows across several practice departments. Especially if there are complex integrations with third-party software applications, plus a data migration to consider. The law firm could be looking at around 6 months to get the software in and everyone trained up ready for go live.
- Topic:
- Legal
In the context of law firm practice management software, a ‘legal accounts data conversion’ happens when a law firm buys a new software system and works with both its old and new software supplier to take the firm’s accounts data over from the firm’s old computer system to its new system. It is also often referred to as a legal accounts ‘data migration’ or ‘data transfer’.
- Topic:
- Legal
Every law firm is different, each with its own unique characteristics. A law firm that practises several areas of law, manages complex cases and has sophisticated fee earner needs is probably better with a fully integrated suite of practice management software. Especially for its staple software modules such as legal accounts, case management, time recording and CRM (client relationship management). The more straight-forward law firm, specialising in just one niche area of law perhaps, may be fine with separate applications.
- Topic:
- Legal
A law firm has a number of options when it comes to how and where they host their legal practice management software. Firstly, does the firm go with cloud or on-premise? If they go with the cloud do they choose browser-run or cloud-desktop? Then finally they must choose the type of cloud; public, private, hybrid or multiclouds. All of these decisions are of a technical nature. With a good software partner the law firm’s users shouldn’t notice the difference wherever and however the software is hosted. The functionality, look and feel of the software remains exactly the same from any location, via any device supported device. This blog explains all the options.
- Topic:
- Legal
One of the first questions asked when considering moving from an on premise infrastructure to one in the cloud is cost. However this is not a simple question to answer. And more often than not it will come down to value, rather than cost.
While cloud is sometimes positioned as more “cost-effective”, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll save money. It ultimately depends on what you want to achieve by moving your IT to the cloud. This often includes considerations not only in terms of monetary cost, but in terms of resource, time and user experience.
- Topic:
- Legal
A law firm’s decision to switch to new software can be based on a wide variety of reasons, but one thing they all have in common is they are all striving to make their businesses better.
Changing software is no small undertaking. It affects everyone in the firm. But with the right supplier a software switch for the right reasons will undoubtedly improve the business.
With many years of experience in the legal software sector, we are pleased to be at a point where we receive many enquiries for Access Legal software every day. In this blog we reflect on our analysis relating to the seven main reasons law firms are choosing to switch to new legal software.
- Topic:
- Legal
