Law Firm ManagementTechnology

For Home Offices & Small

Law FirmsWilliam E. Olson

Home Office

• Technology is the name of the game. Since you are not allowed any employees who aren’t family members to work in your home, at least in Lincoln, it becomes mandatory that you involve technology in your practice.

Required Equipment

• Phone with Answering machine/Voice Mail

• Fax machine

• Voice mail

• Copier

• Computer with word processing/spreadsheet/e-mail capability.

Multi-Function Equipment

• Computer with Internet Service– Includes answering machine– Voice mail– Voice over Internet Protocal

• Combination printer-fax-scanner-copier

• Bundled phone/cable/internet packages

Ink jet v. Laser Printers

• Ink jet models less than $200– CompUSA.com

- All-In-One Printers » Printers – Laser jet versions under $300.– Color laser jet models are pricier at around

$600

A Well-equipped computer is less than $1,500, including Microsoft

Office 2007 with Vista• Dell Computing's Web site for current

prices.

• Opt for MS Office vs. pre-loaded such as Microsoft Works®

• Do not rely solely on Microsoft Works to generate documents, spreadsheets, etc. because its files are not compatible with MS Office files.

Other Software which may be Pre-Loaded

• Money management program, such as Quicken® or Managing your Money®, eliminating the immediate need for more expensive and powerful accounting programs.

• Security/Anti-Spam such as Norton Internet Security is A MUST

Document Assembly Software Systems

• Do it Yourself Systems– HotDocs– GhostFill– Pythagoras– MS Word Templates– WordPerfect Merge

Off-The Shelf Document Management Systems

• Nebraska Probate System V

• Wills & Trusts Systems

High End Systems

• May/Should include Quite a bit of Authors’ Knowledge

• Should offer many clause options

• Should provide support– May require additional fee

• Annual• Up front

– Some support provided

• Wealth Transfer Planning– Web Site: Interactive Legal Systems– Authors: Jonathan Blattmacher and Michael

Graham– Uses Hotdocs as its engine– Been around for years

Wealth Transfer includes extensive knowledge base

– During Q & A session, rationale behind decision tree is almost always available

– Guides the user through the process

• Pricing:– While certainly not cheap, it seems very

competitive with other high-end systems

• Cowles Legal Systems– Now owned by Thompson – West– Trust Plus® Estate Planning System is the high end

product– Website: Thompson-West Cowles Legal Systems– Trust Plus® includes document assembly software

modules• See http://west.thomson.com/cowles/TrustPlus.aspx to

review features

– Similar Features to Wealth Transfer– Additionally, Cowles provides physical tools to

make the end product appear “professional”• supporting documents • funding documents • correspondence • invoicing • custom covers and envelopes • documents for one-time data entry

• http://west.thomson.com/cowles/TrustPlusDocList.aspx

• Fore! Trust Software– Visit http://www.4trustsoftware.com/ to see what this

can do for you.– Doesn’t appear to be “high end” since it is advertised

as “not just for the Estate Planning Specialist”– Look at the “compare” page at

http://www.4trustsoftware.com/compare.htm where Fore! Compares itself to other products

• For a list of Fore!’s templates, go to http://www.4trustsoftware.com/t&w.htm

• The basic price is $995. Pricing appears at the foregoing Web page, near the bottom.

• Hotdocs driven templates.

• LawFirmSoftware.com sells its systems for Wills and Trusts– Estate Planning Pro Software, Version 5.0

Promotion Price: $229 95

– If the price is right, visit the Web site at: http://www.lawfirmsoftware.com/software/estate.htm

• Wealth Counsel, LLC, which is a membership organizaation, offers WealthDocs– Web site is at http://www.wealthcounsel.com – High End – High Price (see discussion at in

earlier slides)

Build-it-Yourself with Document Assembly Engines

• Very Time-Consuming to do more than simple assembly systems

• Can be used effectively for basic forms, such as Deeds, powers of attorney, etc.

• Should be very tech-savy to create systems with HotDocs etc.

Backing up Files

• On-Line Solutions– For Review of Services and lists see the review at

ConsumerSearch

– Can be as cheap as “free”

• External Hard Drives and similar media– Inexpensive – 500 Gigabytes for $175 or less

– Requires Due Diligence

– For reviews of current products see PC Magazine online

• Importance of testing for failures

Calendar Systems

• MS Outlook as “cheap” solution– Very flexible– If combined in Network setting with MS Exchange, can be used

office-wide– Not law-office specific

• Case Management systems, such as Time Matters® (now owned by Lexis/Nexis®), Amicus Attorney® and PracticeMaster,® a Software Technology, Inc. product are law firm specific systems which provide extensive docket control and calendar functions

• Professional liability insurance carriers require at least two calendar systems

Conflict Checking

• New client intake should always include an internal conflict of interest check

• Paper systems based on a card file or other means, e.g., circulation of “new clients” list to other lawyers

• “Memory” systems based on asking the other lawyers is NOT the best methodology

• Practice Management and document management systems include conflict checking

Time & Billing Systems

• Most important management system for your practice

• Should contain the following elements:– Keep track of time by increments, usually in

one-tenths, and by client names, numbers and matters

– Produce draft statements in variety of formats

Time & Billing Systems

• Produce finished final statements on a variety of printers and formats

• Generate monthly billing/receipt reports by timekeeper tracking both billable and non-billable time

Time & Billing Systems

• Produce accounts receivable reports by client and attorney

• Keep track of client billings and payments by client and individual client matter

• Track and report billings and payments by practice area

• Integrate with word processing programs and case management systems

Time & Billing Systems

• Timeslips® which is widely available, is relatively inexpensive starting at $295 for the basic program

• Tabs3 starts at $295

Trust Accounts Systems

• Separate account required

• Can use accounting systems and establish separate account, such as Quickbooks®, see discussion at QuickBooks TimesheetTime & Billing System

• Law Firm Specific software, e.g., Tabs3r - Trust Accounting Software

Document Management

• Create electronic versions of paper files• Scan incoming documents and save them to

client/matter file• Save all internally created documents to client/matter file• Save incoming and outgoing e-mails to a client file• Can result if almost paperless office• Ability to access file from computer• See Open Directory - Society: Law: Products: Practice

Management: Software: Document Management for a fairly complete listing of document and case management software

Case Management/Practice Management

• Case Management/Practice Management systems provide many of the functions of time/billing, docket control, document management functions

• Can provide basis for document assembly if fully utilized

• Small firm systems such as Time Matters®, Amicus Attorney® and PracticeMaster,® are priced at around $500 for single user licenses

• See, e.g., the Amicus site at Amicus Attorney – Overview for a description of functionality of these systems

Litigation Management Systems

• Defined at Legal Practice - Litigation Software• For a fairly complete listing of the variations, see

Case assessment and analysis with case management tools from LexisNexis Litigation Services for Firms Serving Individuals & S :: LexisNexis

• Could include electronic discovery in the category– See Electronic Discovery Software White Papers,

Webcasts and Case Studies for a full discussion of this topic

Legal Research Alternatives to Books

• Westlaw and Lexis/Nexis are the “Cadillacs” of online research, but they come with a price

• Other alternatives exist

• The Nebraska Bar Association offers a free service to its members, CaseMaker, which is found at www.nebar.com

Other Sources for “free” research

• Nebraska State Bar Association• U.S. Government’s General Web Site• Internal Revenue Service• Library of Congress• Government Printing Office• Nebraska Courts Web Site• Nebraska State Government Web Site• Nebraska Legislature Web Site• Securities and Exchange Commission

And now, a word about Metadata

• Metadata, or “data about data,” abound in MS Word files and other documents.

• What is “metadata?” Microsoft explains at Find and remove metadata (hidden information) in your legal documents - Help and How-to - Microsoft Office Online

Why should you be concerned?

• Use of prior documents/versions

• Shared file with adverse (or friendly parties)

• May reveal client information not intended for release

• May reveal strategy of case or transaction

What to do about it?

• Buy a commercial “scrubber” program

• E.g., Payne Consulting Group’s Metadata Assistant

• Never send an attachment in MS Word that hasn’t been “scrubbed”