(part of a thread from the listserv, www.TechnoLawyer.com)
TechnoLawyer member Carrie King asks: "I have researched several case management software programs for use in our firm, but thus far we have not purchased one. I believe the primary reason is due to the fact that there is such a great expense up front and no guarantee that the software will meet all of our needs. Most of the programs seem to have a lot of "bells and whistles" that I don't think we would have the time to use and the programs would require a lot of work at the onset to enter all of our existing case information. It would be helpful to hear from firms that have successfully used some of the programs -- specifically what type of law they practice and how the software program actually makes their firm more productive rather than just making more work."(Reply) I have a solo general practice, two experienced secretaries, some non-jury court work but my work is mostly transactional, and I have used Time Matters and now Amicus Attorney client/server version (and worth the extra bucks).First, when you install the program you do not have to key in all your existing case information and contact information again. All of the well established case management systems will mine the billing and contact information from your existing systems such as PCLaw, Quicken, Timeslips, Palm desktop, Outlook and soon, even (or especially) other case management systems, which cuts down on your time investment. Tech support will walk you through this, and help you map the fields.Regarding the nuisance of all the bells and whistles, these are actually what make the programs so useful. Three examples:Structure the system to dial the telephone. Of course you or your secretary can dial manually. However, this "bell" also logs the incoming phone message and your response call to the contact page and to that file’s communications page, and optionally creates a timeslip for the billing software. Ditto e-mail. Having a searchable list of all the incoming and outgoing calls and e-mails is of enormous utility, the automatic timeslip enhances your billing, and even for contingency files allows you to impress the client with all you've done and gives you a handle on how much resources the file is costing you. AND when the client calls, you can see at a glance what you've done lately.Document generation. See DOCUMENT GENERATION. Learning to use this "whistle" to adapt your forms to the case management system not only triples your secretary's output (or yours), but also automatically places all documents related to a file where you can see them at a glance. When opposing counsel wants to review the divorce stipulation, the draft copy and the financial affidavit are on the split screen of WordPerfect before he finishes saying hello.Or take the Library feature of Amicus. See KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT. Whenever you do a memo, a pleading, a great interrogatory, obtain an abstract of title, come across a useful precedent or Web site, you log it to the library, and will always find it easily years later. This not only enhances your gradually failing memory (take my word for this), but tremendously increases the ability of your new associate (or other firm members) to stand on your shoulders.Of course it takes work to set it up, but you do it a lot of it incrementally. Adding a new contact whenever you call someone (or having your assistant do it) gradually increases the utility of the program. Importing a form to the document generation system, adding a library precedent, setting up a linked calendar template, are all tasks done one at a time, as you use them. What was a nuisance the first few times becomes a habit which leverages the knowledge base dramatically over time. On the other hand, if you don't have one person in the firm truly dedicated to making the thing work, or a super consultant in the office next door, you may never come to appreciate all those bells and whistles, and will lose an opportunity to be competitive in an increasingly crowded market.© Robert R. Howard, 2005.
