Effective communication is the backbone of any successful business, and law firms are no exception. In today’s fast-paced world, legal teams must work collaboratively and efficiently to handle a high volume of cases and meet tight deadlines. This is where internal communication becomes crucial, as it can make or break a firm’s ability to meet its goals and deliver results for its clients.
With the rise of cloud-based technology, law firms now have access to backdocket, a sophisticated practice management solution that can help elevate their internal communication and collaboration to a whole new level.
When everyone on the legal team has access to the latest information about a case, they can work more efficiently and effectively, which can increase productivity and reduce the amount of time it takes to handle a case. This can in turn free up time for the legal team to take on more cases, resulting in increased revenue for the firm.
Once you elevate your internal communication, your firm can become a better environment for collaboration between team members. This means higher-quality work, better outcomes for your clients, and overall improved client satisfaction, building a positive reputation for your firm.
When legal teams are able to work together, it can foster a sense of camaraderie and a shared sense of purpose. This can lead to improved team morale and a more positive work environment, reducing the risk of burnout and turnover.
With real-time insights into the performance of the firm, managers and staff can make informed decisions about the allocation of resources and the direction of the firm. This can lead to more effective decision-making and improved outcomes for the firm.
Backdocket is a cloud-based practice management software that provides a centralized platform for legal teams to manage their cases, documents, time tracking, invoicing, and reporting.
By using backdocket, legal teams can improve their internal communication in several ways, including:
Elevating your firm’s internal communication with a cloud-based practice management solution like backdocket can provide huge benefits. From improved case management to better reporting, this software can help your firm’s legal team work more efficiently, increase their productivity, and deliver better results for your clients.
Contact us today for a free demo.
Originally published on June 8, 2020. Updated March 10, 2023.
Law firms use software to streamline processes, reduce inefficiencies, and offer better services to their clients. The right software exponentially improves the way your team works, so if you’ve been looking for solutions for your firm, know that you’ll benefit greatly from incorporating one into your law firm’s workflow.
When you consider options for a management software, you’ll notice that there are two types of systems: case management software and practice management software.
So, what is the difference between case management software and practice management software, and which is best for your law firm? Read on for more information to help you decide.
Case management software provides you with the tools you’ll need to stay on top of all aspects of your cases. Client outreach, correspondence with insurance companies, and many other vital processes can be tracked, assigned, and in some cases, automated through case management software.
Practice management software includes the same features of case management software, but it has the added benefit of managing other data and processes that are vital to running your firm. One of the most powerful tools is the inclusion of business analytics, which can help you identify how cases are impacting your bottom line.
We’re big believers in practice management software as a solution to most law firms’ problems. Practice management software offers users a more comprehensive toolkit to grow their firms.
As we mentioned, this type of software has all the benefits of case management systems. It also improves communication and efficiency across all aspects of a firm’s operations, not just those directly related to cases.
When you use practice management software, you’re incorporating business analytics into the data you use. This means that you aren’t simply optimizing the parts of your practice that relate directly to litigating cases. Instead, you’re looking at how to bring in new clients, follow up on prospects, move cases forward, and follow up on settlements or owed payments.
Although they’re more capable and powerful, practice management systems aren’t necessarily more expensive than case management systems, either. You’ll often get a much bigger bang for your buck with the right practice management software.
Ultimately, you’ll want to research the specific features of each software you’re considering to determine whether it’s the right fit for your firm. Every firm has different needs, so conducting some basic research will help you narrow the field of candidates.
Look for software that meets your needs regarding:
Some firms are granular about what they need from software. If that’s the case at your firm, consider it a good thing; you know exactly what you need the software to do. However, in most cases, a firm’s team members want their management system to be flexible. Take time to speak to representatives of the management software you’re considering to make sure it offers what you’re looking for.
At backdocket, we’ve built our software to solve the most pressing problems facing growing law firms. In fact, we are constantly collaborating with our clients to address their specific needs, and offer the option to customize any client’s software to make sure it delivers the features and functionality our clients want.
Our team centralizes all your firm’s information so your staff can quickly access a client’s information. We’ve automated processes that might otherwise be overlooked and create a backlog. Above all else, we want backdocket to meet you on your terms instead of requiring you to fit to our system.
Choosing the right management software for your law firm might seem daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. At backdocket, we love working with law firms to assess their needs and see how our product could solve their problems.
We also know that cost is a concern for every firm, regardless of their size or growth. That’s why we charge a flat monthly rate of $39.99 per user. This price point makes our software extremely competitive with other systems that are less accommodating to the needs of growing firms. If you’re in the market for a practice management software, give us a call to learn more about backdocket. We offer free demonstrations, so you can find out if backdocket is the right fit for your law firm.
From the second you acquire a lead, it’s important that you track and nurture it. You can do so by managing your leads in a systematic way. An effective lead management system can help you nurture interest among your firm’s prospects and streamline the client onboarding process to bolster conversions.
Backdocket’s practice management software helps you do all of that and more, as it allows you to make sure no interaction or pertinent information gets lost in the shuffle.
Whether you’re already a backdocket client or are exploring ways to improve your law firm’s lead management process, our free guide has tips that can help.
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At backdocket, our practice management software considers the entire lifecycle of a case. That means we have a system for managing the pre-retention phase (before a prospect hires your firm) all the way through conversion and case management.
Contact us today to schedule your free demo.
The path to success at a law firm starts internally. That’s why it’s vital to ensure employees are happy by providing a good work-life balance through improved processes. Happy team members are more productive and engaged in their jobs. When law firms adopt cloud-based technology, staff and lawyers are empowered to work more efficiently and with greater ease.
At backdocket, our cloud-based practice management software improves staff access and morale, leading to a more productive and satisfied team. Read on to learn the ways moving to the cloud can boost the morale of everyone at your firm.
Cloud services like backdocket allow your firm to work from anywhere, at any time, and on any device. This flexibility to access work at home, from the courtroom, or even the waiting room of their kids’ orthodontist leads to less stress and better productivity. Having a firm that’s equipped to operate remotely is one of the wisest moves you can make. In fact, a two-year study by Stanford University points to a dramatic increase in productivity for employees who work remotely.
When your team works in the cloud, everyone has access to the most recent data and versions of documents, because it allows you to store everything in a centralized location. Centralizing all of your firm’s docs and data helps avoid human error. All updates are done in real-time, so there is no need to email docs back and forth or go on a mad search for the most recent files. This saves time, prevents mental fatigue and mistakes, and puts the focus on the needs of your clients.
A cloud-based platform can improve your law firm’s communications. Not only does it allow lawyers to communicate more efficiently with clients, but it allows instant communication between attorneys and staff members. When team members need to communicate or share documents quickly to meet the needs of a client, working within a cloud-based practice management software like backdocket helps them do just that. When it’s easy for attorneys and staff to communicate, interactions are filled with helpful exchanges instead of stressful questions and frustration. Minimizing stress creates a culture that runs on positive energy–and positive energy is often contagious among team members.
Those are just a few of the advantages associated with cloud-based technology. When a firm can streamline processes and communication on the cloud, time- consuming tasks associated with billing, scheduling, invoicing, tracking, etc., are minimized or eliminated. With backdocket practice management software, the entire firm can work remotely, get help with task management, communicate quickly, improve upon the client experience, and more.
As we’ve mentioned throughout this blog, cloud-based platforms like backdocket help law firms work collaboratively and more efficiently. This creates a mentally and emotionally healthy work environment while boosting firm success. Nothing will help you attract and retain talent like a happy and productive team that doesn’t have to deal with some of the most common time-consuming roadblocks that most firms face.
Contact us today to schedule a free demo to learn more about backdocket’s cloud-based practice management software.
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”Peter Drucker, Founder of Modern Management
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
Peter Drucker, Founder of Modern Management
A key performance indicator (KPI) is any metric that measures the success of your firm. If tracked properly, each KPI should easily allow you to identify performance.
Look at it this way—tracking your firm’s KPIs is like having a GPS to help guide you toward where you want to go. Just like a GPS, KPIs tell you where you are and allow you to reroute and change course when necessary. Using the data from tracking to refine your KPIs allows your firm to make informed decisions about your goals along the way.
At backdocket, we offer your firm a way to organize KPIs and adjust while keeping everyone on the same page. Read on to learn more about how to approach creating and monitoring KPIs and how practice management software can help.
These are just a few areas where creating and monitor KPIs could lead to consistent growth and a deeper understanding of your business at every stage. It’s important to remember that it’s not necessary to track every KPI, but rather to choose your KPIs carefully to make sure they are achievable and cost effective.
Everyone at your firm (all staff and attorneys) should understand what you’re trying to accomplish and exactly how you plan to measure progress. This is where backdocket’s practice management software can make a huge difference.
To help your entire firm understand what’s being tracked and why, backdocket creates reports that guarantee all KPIs are accessible and actionable. From pie charts to bar graphs, enhancing your staff members’ understanding of the data by engaging them in compelling ways is essential to tracking your firm toward greater success.
Your firm’s KPIs should range from individuals’ progress to the broader aspects of your firm’s operations. That’s why it’s important that everyone plays an active role in the creation and tracking of your law firm’s KPIs.
The continuous tracking of key performance indicators, such as financial, marketing, business development, number of conversion referrals, client satisfaction, etc., is critical to a law firm’s success. The need for measuring performance has never been more important than it is now in this ever-changing and competitive industry.
Our cloud-based software can make the process of tracking KPIs easy for everyone at your firm. It is customizable and can be shared across all departments, giving every member of your staff access to real-time information. Schedule a demo today if you’re interested in streamlining your law firm’s KPI tracking processes.
A law firm’s most valuable asset is time. For a law firm to succeed, its partners and staff must manage their time wisely, and the most critical way to do so is to stay on top of one of their most time-consuming tasks: billing. The long hours spent on the billing process can feel like a lot of work for minimal reward, as the hours spent are so often non-billable.
That’s why it’s critical to streamline your billing process with backdocket practice management software. You’ll spend less time on billing, avoid as many non-billable hours as possible, create space for more billable hours, and have more time focused on helping your clients.
Here are a few features associated with backdocket practice management software that streamline the billing process and in turn help boost profitability.
Automating the billing process can keep a law firm ahead of the game on key financial tasks like distributing payroll and keeping up with bills like utilities and rent.
Also, practice management software will allow a firm to send automated invoices and follow-up reminders to clients when it’s time to make a payment. Automation creates a steady flow of on-time payments rather than financial bottlenecks that stall your firm’s success.
Practice management software like backdocket creates an efficient workflow that can dramatically boost profitability. When you’re not bogged down in administrative busy work, you have the time and freedom to help your clients in meaningful ways. Best of all, when you make things easy for you and your clients, you’ll create a good impression, and that means more referrals.
Tracking case-related expenses like lab fees, court filing fees, etc., with practice management software also helps you invoice your clients in a timely and efficient manner. These short-term and upfront expenses will eventually pass on to the client. However, it’s critical that you not allow these expenses to accumulate and create cash flow issues.
As we shared above, backdocket can manage all expenses and automate check requests so that your firm’s finances don’t get stuck in a never-ending cycle of unmonitored and unpaid procedural costs.
Cloud technology is key to decreasing the hours you spend on non-billable activities like billing. What’s especially helpful in the age of remote working is how cloud technology will allow you to do nearly everything, including billing from anywhere—at any time.
Because cloud technology provides your firm with real-time data, you have access to the most up-to-date documents and information. You won’t have to waste time double-checking documents and second-guessing billing details. When your firm works in the cloud, you can rest assured that the data you’re using during the billing process is current.
If you’re ready to bill more hours and cut back on non-billable hours by streamlining your billing process, backdocket is here to help. With customizable automation, unlimited cloud storage, and tracking capabilities, we can help small to mid-sized law firms boost their profitability to game-changing levels.
Call us today for a free demonstration of how backdocket can help with your firm’s billing processes today.
This blog was originally published on July 25, 2022. Updated on January 23, 2023.
Attorneys can find endless resources on how to get clients. We’ve even talked at length about how to turn prospects into clients to grow your law firm.
There are far fewer resources available on how a lawyer should reject a client. Turning away a prospect might feel unnatural, especially for firms who are eager to take on new cases. But it’s often the best thing for your firm and client.
It’s important to follow a few best practices when you decline to handle someone’s case. You can usually not only stay on good terms with the prospect, but also leverage the situation to build relationships with other firms.
If you work at a law firm and are looking for a rejection letter template, backdocket has you covered. Simply enter in your email address and you’ll get a free rejection letter template right away.
Visit the following sections for more information on how to reject a client:
If you’re just starting out in the legal field, the thought of turning away a case might feel like blasphemy. However, knowing the cases you shouldn’t take can be just as important as knowing the ones that are the right fit.
Taking on cases you don’t have the resources to handle can set you up for failure. The client won’t get the results they want, and you’ll be forced to pass up other cases because of the time and energy you’re investing in a case you should have rejected. For example, this could easily happen when a high-volume personal injury firm takes on a complex, catastrophic injury case.
In short, it’s better to have cases that you can be sure will provide a return on investment than a full caseload with only a partial chance of success for any individual case. Also, you can look into connecting with referral partners to send clients to if you can’t take them on yourselves as a client.
Many lawyers offer free initial consultations to potential clients to better understand their legal issues. The free consultation allows an attorney to listen to the potential client’s case, ask questions, and review evidence. However, they can decide not to take the case at this stage, since no contract has been signed yet.
You can always reject a prospective client for any reason, but you must let the client know why immediately. If a decision to deny a client was made during the consultation, you can give them a paper statement outlining your reasons for the denial before the client leaves the office. If the consultation was virtual, you can send a copy of the statement through certified mail to the client and receive proof of delivery.
A lawyer’s job is to provide legal advice and preserve the rights of those harmed by others. If you need to turn down a case, you are always justified in your reasoning. The top reasons that you may decline a case include:
Taking on a personal injury case means you and your legal team must be sure you can get paid for the time you invest in a case. Many personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means the lawyer does not receive any money until the case is successful.
If this is your payment model, you must pay for court costs and other related legal fees out of pocket for the case to have a favorable outcome. You must calculate the possibility of recovering this time and money, especially if the case takes months or years.
As the complexity of a legal case increases, you will be required to devote more time and effort to the case. When considering all case factors during a consultation, you may decide not to take the risk. Your choice doesn’t indicate that the client lacks a case but is based on your business concerns and time constraints.
In some personal injury cases, another party did not directly cause a potential client’s injuries, or the client was partially at fault. In these instances, you may need to dedicate more time to proving liability than focusing on assessing damages for the injuries.
You might refuse cases requiring you to gather excess evidence to prove liability or cases unlikely to result in a favorable verdict.
Not all lawyers practice every single aspect of the law. Some attorneys specialize in criminal law, others in consumer protection, tax, or civil law. Within these broad categories, you may further specialize in one area, such as medical malpractice or DUIs.
If your area of specialty is not related to a prospective client’s situation, you may not want to take their case. You may refer a client to another lawyer who has successfully represented clients with similar cases.
A lawyer may decline a client’s case if there is a conflict of interest, such as when you agree to represent another party in the same case. In some situations, you may deny a case if it involves someone with whom you have a personal or professional relationship.
If you’re considering turning away a case, keep the following tips in mind:
One of the biggest mistakes an attorney can make is failing to clearly communicate to the client that they aren’t handling their case.
This mistake can be costly. In the worst case, the client could operate under the assumption that you’re their lawyer. If there’s no evidence you’ve rejected their case, you could even be opening yourself to a legal malpractice lawsuit.You can avoid all this by notifying the client that you’re declining their case by giving them a formal letter. Keep a copy of the letter for your own records, too.
Rejections are always difficult to hear, so try to do it with that client’s best interests in mind. That means declining the case as quickly and clearly as possible, keeping any personal opinions to yourself, and, if possible, helping them find representation elsewhere.
A case you won’t handle might still present an opportunity to refer it to another firm. This can increase your firm’s revenue through referral fees, help you build your referral network, and ensure the client has the help they need. This also leaves the door open for future business, either from that client or the firm you refer them to.
Communicate your decision in writing as soon as you decide to refuse their case. You should also recommend the potential client visit another lawyer who can assist them with their case. A written letter serves as a factual record that you turned down the potential client’s case and explains the reason for the decision.
Always prepare a statement when declining a case. If you work at a law firm and are looking for a rejection letter template, backdocket has you covered. Simply enter in your email address and you’ll get a free rejection letter template right away.
At backdocket, we’re eager to help law firms grow. Our blog is full of practical tips to help you do just that. However, our primary goal is making our practice management software available to small- to mid-size law firms.
We’d love the chance to show you how backdocket can make your firm more efficient, communicative, organized, and ultimately profitable. Contact us today to schedule a free demonstration.
Running a successful law firm requires staying on top of organization. As law firms grow, it becomes increasingly difficult to track deadlines, hearing dates, and billable hours. Syncing your calendars (like Microsoft and Google) to good practice management software like backdocket is necessary to accomplish a smooth, collaborative system of organization for your firm.
At backdocket, we understand that nothing about your business should be left to chance or human error. That’s why we offer law firms a way to customize and streamline their calendaring processes. Read on to learn three ways practice management software improves your firm’s productivity, communication, and profitability.
Centralizing a firm’s calendar is a decision no attorney will regret. It allows everyone at the firm to see the schedule quickly. From anywhere and at any time, the entire team will have access to daily tasks, deadlines, billing hours, and daily changes.
This approach to calendaring keeps everyone aware of the current status of cases, including clients. That kind of seamless communication is valuable on a mental, emotional, and financial level. When processes are easy and communication is strong, it builds confidence and morale across the board—and that’s good for business.
Syncing your calendars with practice management software gives everyone at your firm an easy and in-depth look at everything you do, and it also provides real-time access to updates. This instant access can change everything about how you manage your firm, as it keeps everyone on the same page and progressing with supreme efficiency and transparency.
Real-time is the real deal, and it’s the only way to operate a small-to-mid-sized law firm and remain organized and competitive.
“Time is money. Wasted time means wasted money means trouble.” – Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin said it simply and best. We’ve all heard the adage: “time is money.” It was true back in the 1700s and remains true today. If time is money, then not efficiently tracking time is like throwing money away.
Centralizing a firm’s calendar will boost productivity because everyone will be working more efficiently and billing for more hours. Calendar management through software like backdocket is a key time-tracking and savings tool that we can’t recommend enough—both for the future and your collective sanity!
These top three ways law firms can get the most out of a calendaring system and improve profitability are impressive. Still, they only scratch the surface of how a reliable system for calendaring can improve the way a law firm works.
At backdocket, our practice management software can help you get started keeping better track of events, hearings, client meetings, billable hours, and more. If you want to learn more about how to cultivate a better system of calendar management, contact us today to schedule your free demonstration.
Using cloud technology is essential for law firms. Running a firm successfully requires a team with their feet planted firmly on the ground—but their tech in the cloud.
From internal communications and file sharing, to accessing and protecting data, cloud-based practice management software like backdocket is a way to give your firm the edge now and in the future.
Here are five ways every firm benefits from a cloud-based platform.
Being able to work from anywhere, anytime is a significant advantage for law firms. When all your firm’s documents and data reside in the cloud, it’s as if every member of your law firm has your entire business wherever they are.
An example of how this on-the-go aspect of the cloud can work is in the courtroom. It’s common for lawyers to use their phones in court to gain access to pertinent information or conduct business while waiting.
In fact, if you’re not accessing data and documents in court via the cloud, you’re already at a disadvantage. A 2020 American Bar Association study on mobile device use in the courtroom shows that 83% of the respondents reported using their phones in court.
Whether in the courtroom or at a personal appointment, lawyers can check messages, access data, and review calendars while they wait. This increased productivity is made possible by eliminating the hassle of traveling to pick up files and documents or accessing a physical desk. Wherever you are, you’re at the office.
A cloud-based platform improves a firm’s internal relationships as well as communication with their clients. When a law firm can share documents, exchange messages quickly, and update tasks and calendars, the entire firm wins—but nobody wins as much as their clients.
Cloud-based practice management software like backdocket facilitates speedy and responsive communication between attorneys and staff. It integrates with your calendars, allows smooth real-time collaboration, and keeps the team running like a well-oiled machine. Clients reap the rewards of solid internal communication, and happy clients equate to MORE clients.
Also, when firms can eliminate the frustration of communication roadblocks, it helps boost morale. High morale and impressive systems for communication also help firms attract and retain talent.
Migrating to the cloud also offers law firms ways to cut costs. The savings associated with cloud-based services are significant, as you only pay for what you use. This means law firms can eliminate the need for system support or extra staff for maintenance on computer server software or hardware.
Additionally, the move toward a more remote/hybrid model of work will minimize the need for additional office space for those staff members who no longer need a designated office workspace.
Embracing cloud technology means embracing a new and improved lifestyle. Getting a bit of freedom from the office allows lawyers to work at home and in the presence of their families when appropriate.
Much of the work lawyers do can be done at home or on the beach, and cloud-based workspaces can allow them to make it to their kids’ soccer games on time. There are no confines in the cloud, and this gives lawyers a better way to connect AND disconnect from work.
Security is one of the most important elements of running a law firm. Lawyers consistently deal with sensitive client information and documents that are confidential. The importance of ethical compliance cannot be understated, so document safety is at the heart of proper document management. That’s why we want attorneys to rest assured that their client information is secure and easy to access with cloud-based technology.
Client data is never lost because of server malfunctions. The data lives in multiple servers with reliable backup processes. When connection to one server is lost, the cloud allows you to access another while you wait to reconnect.
Another aspect of the cloud to help lawyers sleep better at night is encryption technology. This protects against cyberattacks and shields their clients’ information from hackers. With backdocket, we use multiple encryption methods to protect data. Our clients can know that all data uploaded to our servers is protected using the most reliable data security protocols.
Cloud technology helps firms scale operations, reduce costs, and ready their business for the present and future of remote and hybrid work. Your law firm can greatly benefit from using backdocket to transform the way your firm works, giving you a competitive edge.
Contact us to book a practice management service demo.
Client intake is your firm’s first impression, and as everyone knows, you only get one shot at those. The client intake process can be time-consuming for your firm and ultimately for your prospective clients. Making it easier for them makes it easier for your team.
At backdocket, we understand the value of a seamless intake process. We’re glad to share ways to make this process run so smoothly that it becomes a game-changer for your firm and makes an excellent impression on everyone who reaches out to your firm for help.
Download our free PDF to learn steps to organize and elevate your client intake process.
Let us show you how to get the most out of your intake process and make impressions that consistently lead to new clients. Reach out to see how backdocket can help through a free demonstration today.
