CoCounselor is the only cloud-based practice management solution designed with the Personal Injury Firm in mind. Gain operational efficiencies, keep your entire staff on the same page, work from anywhere on any device, and build valuable dashboards and reports to keep you up-to-date on important deadlines and the overall health of your firm.

Retirement of a senior partner can be a major blow to a firm. The practice loses a source of legal wisdom, and clients are unhappy with the loss of a familiar face. In order to prepare for a smooth transition, firms must use the latest tools, including law firm accounting software and law practice management software, to create a strategic plan to handle succession.

Define Partner Roles

The first step in creating a succession plan is to document the roles and responsibilities of each of the partners. When a partner exits the practice, it becomes obvious what gaps will appear in the firm and the other partners can formulate a plan to redistribute these roles to existing partners, or to find someone to fill the position.

The duties laid out on paper may not be how the firm actually operates. Law practice management software can be helpful in this aspect because it tracks each attorney's workload and ensures the defined roles are accurate. If a partner frequently operates outside of defined limits, either the partner needs to be corrected or the roles need to be redefined. In either case, an accurate picture of the division of labor in the practice will make succession planning easier.

Scout New Leaders

Many firms choose to recruit new partners after finding out a current partner is leaving. If no suitable talent exists within the practice, they are left to compete for the free agents in the job market or at a competing firm. This is a shortsighted and inefficient method.

Instead, law practices should be scouting for new partners from within their ranks. Grooming today's junior attorney to be tomorrow's partner is a process that can take six to ten years, so it needs to be started well in advance. Law firm accounting software gives the partners detailed reports on how individual attorneys are performing, showing who is getting more done with less, and how much revenue is being generated for the organization. Law practice management software allows senior attorneys to easily delegate duties to these rising stars, giving the junior attorneys the skills they will need to later succeed as a partner.

Compensation and Retirement Plans

Successful compensation plans reward existing attorneys for delegating their duties appropriately, which leads to more efficient operation, better training throughout the firm and building better client relations. Law firm accounting software tracks compensation and productivity, showing who is meeting company goals.

Retirement plans assist partners in the transition between active work and eventual retirement. It is common for
etired partners to continue to provide services to the firm to help with the transition and with client retention. Law practice management software tracks these activities to ensure all parties are getting the most out of the arrangement.

Secondly, you're going to be able to enjoy a more efficient use of assets - human or otherwise

Tracking the success of your law firm can be a challenging endeavor. Fortunately, recent advents in technology have afforded law firms an easier method of tracking company progress with practice management software. Legal software can help firms maximize staff productivity by streamlining several crucial areas of operation, such as conflict avoidance, data collection storage, docket/calendar management and profitability. There are several benefits to using legal software, with the main benefit being the fact that it can save time. This time saving can allow the law firm to become more efficient and grow because of the increased level of productivity.

Conflict Avoidance

This feature allows firm to avoid conflicts of interest by centralizing client information within the firm's legal management software (LMS) system. Once the system administrator defines what type of client information the tool will track, users can check for potential conflicts by typing keyword descriptions such as client names, data type numbers and vendor information into the application search box.

Data Collection Storage

This program collects and organizes raw financial data. The tool allows firms to make more confident financial decisions by organizing data in a way that allow users to make comparisons and identify trends.

Docket and Calendar Management

This application improves resource management by allowing calendar events and scheduling activities for the entire staff to be maintained under one platform. Additional benefits include increased administrative efficiency, more hands-on project management oversight and decreased insurance liability.

Enterprise Information Portal

A portal allows users to remotely access the firm's practice management applications, thereby extending the ability to conduct job-related tasks beyond the workplace.

Server-based Document/Case Management

Document and case management systems such as WANDOCs provide convenient and reliable access to documents and case files on a single interface. Some of the many features include unlimited customized fields, bates numbering, rule-based buttons and data exchange providing document assembly.

Profitability

This tool can breakdown the profitability of virtually any aspect of firm operations; per client, per case, per specific area of law, etc. This capability allows firms to take a more fact-based approach when making decisions pertaining to hiring, staff reductions, billing rates and collections among other areas.

Three major sources of malpractice liability are mismanagement of trust funds, noncompliance to court rules and mistakes in documents. Typically these are small errors, such as a missed court deadline or a misplaced comma, yet these seeming trivial errors can lead to expensive and drawn-out court battles. No matter how vigilant an attorney is, a fleeting lapse can lead to long-term repercussions.

Hundreds of thousands of elite level professionals all around the world are taking advantage of practice management systems to help them better and more efficiently run their law firms or other professional services. Offering the perfect blend of out-of-the-box capabilities (and infinite customization), the very best practice management systems can give even brand-new businesses the exact same advantages that they are more established competition has been using for years and years.

That being said, there are certainly a number of major benefits and advantages to using the latest legal practice management software available - some of which we are going to dive into right now.

The first major benefit that you're going to find when using legal practice management software is a more streamlined communication system

Trying to juggle all of the different communication mediums that we have access to in our modern world (email text message, phone call, fax, and a whole host of others) can be one of the biggest hassles of trying to properly manage and communicate across a legal firm. The last thing that your clients and customers are going to want to hear is that you are unable to dig up all of the information you need to take care of their unique case and situation - all because your communication systems have failed.

No, you're going to want to install a high-level legal practice management software just as soon as humanly possible to help you juggle all of the different communications coming in and going out of your practice. Not only will you have records for each and every one of these communications, but you should also be able to more effectively manage, categorize, and access each and every single one of them.

Secondly, you're going to be able to enjoy a more efficient use of assets - human or otherwise

Having a large legal practice (or any professional service, for that matter) is like trying to operate a delicate machine - any minor faults or cracks in the system can quickly bogged down of efficiency to ridiculously low levels.

Just by installing matter management software and practice management systems - in training each and every one of your practice employees or members in the use of these platforms - gives you a decided advantage in eliminating much of the waste and confusion that can arise. No, you'll be able to effectively and efficiently tap into human assets (getting inside information, professional insights, or outside advice from experienced members who may not be working on a specific case at any given time) or other assets as well, allowing you to better serve your clients.

Finally, using a specific legal practice management software will help you to create a built in knowledge base for future reference

All lawyers, attorneys, and other professionals understand that sometimes looking back at what has happened in the past - really tracing previous precedents that have already been established - can give you tremendous insights for moving forward. The right practice management systems and matter management software allow you to communicate effectively across your practice, all while creating a built-in knowledge base that you can refer to time and time again.

Hundreds of thousands of elite level professionals all around the world are taking advantage of practice management systems to help them better and more efficiently run their law firms or other professional services. Offering the perfect blend of out-of-the-box capabilities (and infinite customization), the very best practice management systems can give even brand-new businesses the exact same advantages that they are more established competition has been using for years and years.

That being said, there are certainly a number of major benefits and advantages to using the latest legal practice management software available - some of which we are going to dive into right now.

The first major benefit that you're going to find when using legal practice management software is a more streamlined communication system

Trying to juggle all of the different communication mediums that we have access to in our modern world (email text message, phone call, fax, and a whole host of others) can be one of the biggest hassles of trying to properly manage and communicate across a legal firm. The last thing that your clients and customers are going to want to hear is that you are unable to dig up all of the information you need to take care of their unique case and situation - all because your communication systems have failed.

No, you're going to want to install a high-level legal practice management software just as soon as humanly possible to help you juggle all of the different communications coming in and going out of your practice. Not only will you have records for each and every one of these communications, but you should also be able to more effectively manage, categorize, and access each and every single one of them.

Secondly, you're going to be able to enjoy a more efficient use of assets - human or otherwise

Having a large legal practice (or any professional service, for that matter) is like trying to operate a delicate machine - any minor faults or cracks in the system can quickly bogged down of efficiency to ridiculously low levels.

Just by installing matter management software and practice management systems - in training each and every one of your practice employees or members in the use of these platforms - gives you a decided advantage in eliminating much of the waste and confusion that can arise. No, you'll be able to effectively and efficiently tap into human assets (getting inside information, professional insights, or outside advice from experienced members who may not be working on a specific case at any given time) or other assets as well, allowing you to better serve your clients.

Finally, using a specific legal practice management software will help you to create a built in knowledge base for future reference

All lawyers, attorneys, and other professionals understand that sometimes looking back at what has happened in the past - really tracing previous precedents that have already been established - can give you tremendous insights for moving forward. The right practice management systems and matter management software allow you to communicate effectively across your practice, all while creating a built-in knowledge base that you can refer to time and time again.

Time-saving technology tools like case management software help law firms meet this need. But there are so many of these tools available from so many different vendors - case and document management, time & billing, accounting, scanning, reports etc. - that it's difficult to even know where to begin. That's where an integrated practice management system comes in. Law firms properly utilizing these systems gain an advantage over firms who don't, both in terms of efficiency and overall productivity. To better understand how, first let's take a look at the relationship between people, technology and productivity.

Just as subtle details can change the outcome of legal actions, small oversights can make one practice management software application a star and another one a dud. There are three phases of law firm management software adoption - vendor selection, installation and training, and compliance. If you take the time to do this right, your practice will greatly benefit.

Shop Around

Make a list of the features you want from law firm management software. Think about core functions such as billable time tracking, client databases and document management, but also consider additional features. For example, do you want an application that also handles email or will you want it to integrate with your company's current email system?

Try before you buy. Choose a vendor that will send a representative to your office for a demonstration or do a virtual presentation online; but don't just sit there and listen to a marketing presentation. You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it first, and the same should go for a product that will have such a significant impact on your practice. Get a hands-on feel for how intuitive and responsive the system can be to your needs. Come up with specific scenarios you want to see, like how practice management software would generate a client report for a specific period, or how you can view two attorneys' calendars at the same time.

Installation And Training

You cannot install a new program on your law firm's network and assume that's the end of it. This is just the beginning. After installation and testing on your firm's computer systems, training and consulting for your attorneys and staff are critical to ensure you get the most value from the newly integrated law management software.

As a rule, expect to spend as much on these services as you spent on the original product. Third-party consultants provide the education necessary to get all employees using the system with confidence from day one. They teach your organization to use the application to its full potential, and assist in customizing the application to your law firm's specific needs. Consultants ease the transition period and get your organization back up to speed more quickly, rather than stumbling along on your own.

Compliance

Some attorneys will be resistant to the new practice management software. Routine tasks may be perceived as more challenging because they don't know the system anymore. They are tempted to find ways around the new technology, stubbornly clinging to old methods. Don't let them. Distribute written policies that make it clear that all tasks must be carried out with the new firm management system.

Often the most resistant users are the senior attorneys in the law firm. It is critical to get them on board from the beginning, because if they won't comply with the new system it sends the wrong message to other employees and can potentially jeopardize paper trails and audits, to name a few.

Another issue of interest as far as succession and law practice management software are concerned is assisting in the process of coming up with an applicable retirement and compensation plan. A successful compensation plan will reward the existing attorneys in a major way especially on the issue of delegating duties appropriately. In addition to creating a better relationship between the law firm and clients, the practicing attorneys also stand to benefit from provision of more improved training programs and efficient operations. When a well formulated retirement plan is in place, there will surely be a better transition and no operations will come to an abrupt halt just because a partner has retired. Any focused law firm must think about getting practice management software as the law firm has a lot to benefit from its installation. So, the next time one of the partners is going for retirement, you don't have to worry about problems that might arise during the succession process as it will be easy and smooth with the software.

Is it more important for a law firm to do the right things, or is it better to do things right? Management gurus have long asked this very question. A common consensus declares that businesses which are able to excel at both are the ones that will eventually come out on top. While doing the right things is an idea that relates to effectiveness, doing things right is more about efficiency. Thus, when a law office has the proper systems in place, and more importantly is using these systems properly, they will see a rise in efficiency, which ultimately translates to increased productivity across the firm.

Most of the 2,200 law practices we've worked with often have much of the doing the right things part down pat by the time they come to us. They have an excellent team of partners, attorneys and support staff in place. They have strong relationships with long-time clients who value their service. And they've built a knowledge base from their experience within a unique set of practice areas that is both extensive and valuable. Where they typically need a boost is in the area of efficiency. And a law firm, like any other business, needs to maximize efficiency if it intends to compete and grow in the long run.

Time-saving technology tools like case management software help law firms meet this need. But there are so many of these tools available from so many different vendors - case and document management, time & billing, accounting, scanning, reports etc. - that it's difficult to even know where to begin. That's where an integrated practice management system comes in. Law firms properly utilizing these systems gain an advantage over firms who don't, both in terms of efficiency and overall productivity. To better understand how, first let's take a look at the relationship between people, technology and productivity.

Business managers often talk about three ways in which productivity can be increased: more labor, greater investment in technology, and third, increases in the level of efficiency between the two. It's this final piece of the puzzle that is often the most elusive. You can have a strong team in place with great talent, and you can choose to re-invest your firm's profits into productive technological assets. But for many businesses, and law firms are no exception, there is often a substantial gap between how much output a business is capable of and how much it actually produces. Business analysts refer to this relationship between people and technical resources as total factor productivity, which examines the level of efficiency between these two resources. In a law office, we can take the same approach to determine whether people and technology are being properly utilized to produce the highest levels of efficiencies, and ultimately profits, for the firm.