As you know, these past few weeks have been all about me reviewing a legal billing or practice management apps.  It got me thinking, what processes do attorneys or bookkeepers go through to find the right software?  Where do you go to first? How do you investigate them/test them?   Where do you turn?  Well, besides my last two amazing reviews….let’s be honest.  There is a slew of apps for attorneys to use to manage their time and billing.  Probably 1000 or more.  Yup, I said 1,000 +. Wowza!  

Do you feel like you’ve spent so much time looking over the various Law Firm apps, that you ought to have just dressed for the part? Deerstalker hat… Check! Tobacco pipe?  Check! Fancy cloak… Check! Magnifying glass? Check, check CHECK!

Even Sherlock would be exhausted. 

There is a better way, aside from the obvious “ask your very impressive, highly experienced and witty, law firm accountant at Artesani Bookkeeping”,  seriously though, comparing apps can be tedious.

I recommend websites like Capterra where you can filter for your specific needs, as well as look over reviews. Need to compare legal billing software? What about Law Practice Management? Yep! Capterra had that as an option too! Super neat!

One reason why I like Capterra as a comparison tool, as opposed to other (shall not be named) comparison tools online, is the statement that they “list all vendors – not just those that pay”

It tells me that they care as much as I do to serve web visitors well – giving them their very best chance at success, whether they’re a client or not. If you don’t have the best tools for the job…well…that’s just not very helpful at all, is it!?

Hey, Watson!

Don’t just filter the results for pricing, features, and “deployment” compatibility. Those are needed, of course, but I mentioned reviews above for a good reason. Apps can be buggy, or simply not user friendly, and we don’t want any regrets when it comes to implementing new software; all that time spent getting the app implemented into your legal practice is at a cost to you.

“It’s elementary, my dear Watson” 

LOL! Okay, enough with the Sherlock references…you’re gonna think I’m all up on a soapbox when in reality I’m just wanting to take a frustrating process like app comparisons and make it a little more fun for ya. 😉

Read Reviews. You don’t have to believe everything you read. Quite honestly, I’ve read several reviews where it was obvious that the person just didn’t know their own tech well enough to know that the new app was never going to work with their antiquated system. There are plenty of other reviews though that will be useful and give you what you need in terms of confidence in the software, or lack thereof.

Finally, (as I not so humbly mentioned before) …you have an ally. ASK ASK ASK – Ask your accounting professional, and others you work with to refer you to software apps they know and like. Many of us work hard to stay informed about apps. We also hear things in training events and online seminars that are meant for us to take back and use to help our clients.

One app you’d hear me talk about a lot is LeanLaw. No matter how it compares to other apps like it, in a web search, you can’t beat the personal testimonials from professionals you know, who have done a test run or work with the app consistently. I use LeanLaw on a regular basis for our clients and can’t say enough great things about the software. 

Here are a few other apps I would recommend:

1. QuickBooks Advanced
2. ReachReporting
3. Clio

Got a question or need further guidance? Contact Us. Also, we’re up to some pretty amazing things with a new company for Data Migration service– check that page out while you’re here.

If you’re an accountant or bookkeeper and need more guidance, please join our Facebook group QB Community Live! It’s a safe place to ask any question. I co-admin group, and I’m here to help. Our motto is, Together We All Succeed! #TWA$