Why are law firms switching legal software?

The top 7 reasons law firms are switching software

Software can be an emotive subject for the people relying upon it, and so far this year we have identified that the seven key reasons law firms choose to switch to a new software are: 

1. Frustration
2. Hesitation
3. Risk
4. Addiction
5. Empathy
6. Carelessness
7. Distraction

Do any of these resonate with you and your colleagues?  

1. FRUSTRATION

Are you frustrated and therefore disillusioned with your current software?

Leaders will be patient to a point, but when their main business system is letting the firm down, a line must be drawn. A firm can only endure this kind of frustration for so long. Insufficient functionality, lack of integration and hit-and-miss support can really scupper your chances of running a tight ship. Suppliers dramatically increasing support costs, pressuring firms to take out very long-term contracts, and trying to force a move to other products of theirs – can put a real strain on a business relationship.

Stories of firms being sold a dream package, to find the software is not living up to expectations is something we hear constantly. With some software packages available to law firms today looking pretty, modern and shiny on the surface, it is imperative you look beneath the bonnet when it comes to reviewing a potential, new system to drive your business forward. 

Our blog “Top 10 Tips for law firms to consider when switching software” provides insight for law firms setting out on this journey, while our large selection of law firm case studies and testimonials speak for themselves.

2. HESITATION

Is it time you brought your firm’s IT into the 21st century?

Some firms admit they have been guilty of hesitation. The whole world is moving to the cloud, and although there are a number of web-based options available to law firms promising many benefits, some of packages out there are of far better quality than others. With horror-stories doing the rounds some firms have been slow to embrace the cloud, for valid reasons.

With a move to the cloud it really is a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ for most businesses. However, the timing of such a move is a unique decision for every law firm. Legal practice management software is available as either a traditional on-premise installation for those firms not yet ready to embrace the cloud, as well as a web-based software-as-as-service option.

A good software supplier will discuss all your aspirations and concerns regarding where you are to host your main business system, and whichever option to decide to go with they will guide you all the way. We can talk to you about the merits of ‘Cloud Desktop vs Browser-Run Software’ providing a technical overview for law firms that are ready to move to a software-as-a-service model.

If you would like to discuss this, get in touch with our experienced legal software consultants.

3. RISK

Is the IT infrastructure you currently rely upon secure enough?

High on the list of reasons for moving are to eliminate the risks firms have been taking in terms of security. In this digital age, cyber threats are very real, especially for law firms, and many are left exposed because of outdated IT. Arming your firm with the security safeguards it needs is a MUST. Some software suppliers provide far more reassurance than others in terms of their security credentials.

The best legal software suppliers are ISO 27001 certified for information security management, both at company level, and also at UK data centre level. This means they follow international standards for very best practice. Our article on “Cyber security for law firms: everything you need to know” provides a helpful starting point.

4. ADDICTION

Are you trying to ditch your addiction to paper and outdated processes?

When a firm has ‘always done it this way’, leaving behind old-fashioned paper-based systems isn’t always easy. Especially when users and even departments are almost addicted to the old way of doing things. The legal profession more than most has traditionally been heavily reliant on paper. Cutting out paper all together is not something that will happen overnight. However, with the right plan and the buy-in of your people there are tools that can make the journey to paper-light law far easier. A good software solution for law firms will have many paper-reducing features.

If you would like to discuss your paperless/paper-light goals one of our specialist legal software consultants will be happy to show you the kind of functionality you should be looking for.

5. EMPATHY (OR LACK OF)

Are you keen to empower your people to achieve a healthy work/life balance?

When you’re running a law firm, of course your people are your biggest asset. To attract the best lawyers and hold onto them, forward-thinking law firms seem to be letting the world know that they are just as concerned about their employees wellbeing as they are their legal skills and business acumen. Many firms today are now prioritising their workforce’s psychological safety by putting in measures that help all staff manage their work, their personal commitments, and aspirations.

A recent report from LawCare – the mental wellbeing charity for the sector – highlights evidence that there is a high risk of burnout amongst legal professionals. Of 1700 people in law surveyed 69% have experienced mental health problems in the previous 12 months.

For firms striving to become a magnet for the best legal talent, as opposed to a revolving door of discontented ‘could-have-beens’ a good legal software system can be a major contributor. Providing your people with the tools they need to do the best job they can is the goal, and the right legal case management software can make all the difference. Some firms know that the tools they have in place are not empowering their teams as much as they should be. In fact the wrong tech can hold your people back, disrupt their work/life balance and add to their everyday stresses and strains. The majority of firms we speak to are keen to do something about this.

6. CARELESSNESS

Are you ‘writing off’ too much time?

There is no doubt that time is the most precious resource a law firm has. It might sound obvious, but if your fee earners do not value their time, manage their time and capture their time effectively your firm’s profitability will suffer.

Part of the answer to this is attitude, it can also be a firm-wide culture thing, but your case management software has a key role to play here in terms of making it easy for your fee earners to capture ALL of their billable time easily.

The Select Legal blog “The Time Factor: Should your firm be generating an extra £111K+ per fee earner each year? ” provides powerful perspective on valuing, managing and capturing time.

7. DISTRACTION

Do your clients deserve better?

The most important reason of all for switching practice management software of course, is your clients! And many firms are telling us that having been distracted by the day-to-day of running a firm for too long, they now need to move with the times so that they can meet their clients’ 21st century tech expectations.

Firms tell us all the time they want to improve the efficiency of the services they offer. If your firm is not embracing technology to provide the kind of tools and services your clients want and expect, a sad fact of life is that they may simply vote with their feet.

Technology is moving so fast, it’s easy for busy law firms to get left behind. For example – an online client portal for case tracking is something clients of law firms increasingly want. The internet is such a huge part of many people’s lives these days, your clients expect their law firm to provide this kind of facility. SMS Text Messaging too. People are glued to their phones all day every day. They receive text messages from their doctor’s surgery, their bank and their mini cab driver – and they want to be able to receive text updates from their solicitor.

Solicitors need the tools to be able to do this and also to keep a record, on the case file, of the client text messages they send and relevant replies. It’s that simple. Both of these technologies have been around a long time, and both and much more should be available with a good suite of legal practice management software.

If any of these reasons for needing to change your firm’s software resonate with you, or you’d like to share with us your own unique reasons for wanting to switch, we’d love to hear from you.

Final thoughts

Whilst putting this article together we were thinking about the firms who want new case management software but are wavering due to a range of business pressures. The firms that recognise the need to change each have a story to tell, and there are lessons to be learned from this analysis in terms of business acumen and priorities.

Our aim has been to provide some food for thought, and to give busy execs a starting point for their buying journey. We hope you have found reasoning here that resonates with you.

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