It is impossible to organize your law firm or your liberal activity without relying on a legal software. However, when it comes to choosing, how can you select the tool that will best meet your needs today and tomorrow? 5 questions to ask yourself in order to make a relevant decision…
Take legal software specifically
Many software programs offer time entry, file management or CRM functionalities. But only exclusively legal software is designed for the specific organization of legal professions and lawyers. It is therefore important to ensure that your software is aimed specifically at lawyers and not at all professions.
Focus on features
Although the subject is complex, you must, as a lawyer and entrepreneur, check that the solution you wish to equip your office with corresponds to your work habits.
Time entry and invoicing features are essential. What about case management? editing documents? Can we share our internal information? and with clients or opposing parties? Is there a CRM? So many questions that must be asked and so many answers that must be analyzed in order to make the right choice.
Check the quality of customer relations service
Once your solution is purchased/subscribed, you will use it every day. Verify that your solution provider will support you and how. Customer support at the start of the subscription, frequent webinars, easy and responsive access to support teams are all decisive subjects for your experience with your new legal software to be conclusive.
The brand image of the supplier is not necessarily a sufficient guarantee: mobile telephone or Internet access operators are common examples of large companies incapable of delivering a satisfactory support service.
Ask questions, ask what tools are deployed on a daily basis for users: you will make a more reassuring purchasing decision over time.
Hosted solution or local solution?
Software installed locally, on your computer or server, suffers from several disadvantages. First, they are expensive because they require constant IT maintenance. Updates are also longer and more complicated. They are installed via a CD or DVD. They are generally chargeable. Finally, locally installed solutions are exposed to computer attacks (viruses, ransomware).
We therefore advise favoring hosted solutions and ideally in a private cloud. Indeed, installing your software on a hosted server still requires you to secure your infrastructure and complicates daily use. A private cloud as offered by Jarvis Legal is the better security for your data and offers ergonomic use.
Watch the full cost over the life of use
Some solutions may seem cheaper because they offer a lower monthly payment. For example, many costs are not in the monthly payments: cost of migration, installation, configuration, training (obligatory or not)? Then, the scope included in the price can change between competitors, with some integrating options that others do not include.
It is therefore the complete cost over 3 years which truly allows legal software to be compared with each other. And there, generally, the cheapest offers are no longer what we think… This is the case for Jarvis Legal which offers low entry costs and a variable monthly payment between €29 and €86 per month. Thus, the complete cost to the practice is generally lower than the competition.
