There Is No “One Size Fits All” When It Comes To Legal Software

If you are considering using software for law firms provided by a company that specialises in it you need to be very certain of exactly what it is that you want to achieve. The simple fact is that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to software and you can be certain that the firm of solicitors in the next street, where you know them all by name, does not work in the same way that you do.

 

Therefore it follows that when you are considering software you need one that is adaptable and can be altered to suit your own individual circumstances. What you need is software that is fully integrated rather than “interfaced”. There are some software providers who have a collection of software tools that have been combined in order to provide all of the services that a practice needs, but that do not actually work very well with each other. 

In the worst case scenario the different tools may have been created and are being supported by different companies who could be based anywhere and actually know nothing about the way you run your practice. What you need is software that has been created by one team and that can be sufficiently adapted so that it operates fluently and in line with your individual goals. 

An important decision is whether you require an in-house installation or would prefer a cloud hosting option. If you opt for an in-house installation you will need more IT staff to maintain and run it, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive to operate. A cloud hosted system can be one of three different types. These are public cloud systems, private cloud systems, and a combination system of public and private hosting. Public cloud systems are the cheapest, but you may not be happy with the level of security for your confidential client documents and so opt for private hosting. Naturally, this will be more expensive. 

Security Is Vital

Of course, security is vital. Cybercrime is becoming more sophisticated by the day, and some of these criminals operate in the same way as big business with budgets for research and development, and even HR departments. It is essential that your software provider can satisfy you on a number of levels, not the least of which is that they should be ISO 27001 accredited. This shows that an organisation is operating to international security standards. The company should also be Cyber Essentials accredited. This is a government-backed certification scheme designed to prevent cyber-attacks. It would also be a bonus if the company could show you a recent penetration test report.

Another very important point to consider is that of data transfer. You obviously need to know that the data from your current system can be easily transferred to the new one. However, there is a second consideration here and that is that if you decide later that the new system is not satisfactory and you want to move on again, whether or not that data can be retrieved in a usable format. Before signing a contract you need to have a written agreement that all of your data can be retrieved including all your documents, your client and matter details, billing details, time transactions, legal aid information, and all this without any manual intervention from yourself. 

You should also look at the long term viability of your potential supplier. Check their balance sheet. If they are struggling to make a profit you might wonder how they can claim that their software will help you increase yours. This is rather like companies who specialise in SEO and guarantee to get your business on the first page of Google, yet you find that their own business is hidden away somewhere on page 9!  

Certainly, there is a lot to consider when choosing a software supplier, so it makes sense to sit down and think through everything before making a decision.