What is the difference between legal case management and practice management?
Have you ever paused to consider the type of legal management system you're utilising in today’s fast-paced world? You want it to do what you want when you want it to; thus, the answer is probably no.
Although law firms employ legal case management and legal practice management software to organise their workflow, they have different functions.
We examine the variations and how your legal practice may profit from them.
It's time we resolved the age-old debate over the distinction between case and practice management. Law firms are becoming more computer-savvy and continuously striving to expand and improve their tech stack.
Legal Case Management - an explanation?
A Legal Case Management system forms a vital part of overall practice management; it’s a digital tool that enables law firms to manage their clients and legal cases, designed to support law firms in tracking and managing essential tasks associated with various matters—allowing for a more streamlined workflow, efficient billing, time tracking and document management process.
The key benefits of a case management system come from having a centralised source of truth that can be accessed securely from any device, anywhere and at any time. A decent case management software will allow you to create automated workflows to reduce that all-powerful admin burden leaving your lawyers to drive efficiencies and be more proactive with clients.
Key features of Legal Case Management Software
Some, but not all, key features of a legal case management software:
- Central point for contact information and communication for clients, witnesses and more
- Ability to create bespoke workflows and automation to increase efficiencies
- Integration with a wide range of additional applications to build the perfect eco-system for your firm
- Efficient task and matter management through a central, secure location available for all to access
- Time and expense recording in real-time that feeds into commercial reports for greater control of budgets and revenue streams
There you have it: case management software is that digital tool to help you become more efficient and productive, which in turn will free up your lawyers to work more collaboratively with clients.
Scope of Legal Practice Management Systems
A Legal Practice Management System, on the other hand, is designed to help law firms manage their overall practice. It typically includes features such as contact management, time and billing, document management, task management and accounting. This type of software is focused on managing the business operations of the law firm, such as billing, financial reporting, and general business processes.
Key features of Legal Practice Management Software
The legal practice management software takes all of the benefits and features of case management but adds on managing all the business and admin functions needed to run a law firm. It lets you see and manage data and other processes that support the firm’s core, from financial health to team workflows and client relationships.
On top of the case management key features, a decent practice management system will provide legal accounting, BI, cost drafting, business continuity and, more importantly, facilitate any legal compliance requirements set out but the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
To put it simply, case management software is made to aid with managing the specifics of individual cases. In contrast, practice management software is made to help manage the general operations of a law firm.
