The
legal case management software is the gift of technology to the legal
departments. A gift that helps all the legal departments stays organized and increases
their efficiency. Incepted in around 1980, the software has graduated from
being a basic system to something that manages anything and everything
important to the legal department.
The
case management software stores all the case related data, documents, contacts,
emails, appointments, deadlines, billing, reports, research work and all other
critical information together in one secured and accessible location. Thus,
allowing all the team members to access any piece of information, from anywhere
anytime.
The
importance of this software is known to all and hence it is a must-have for
every legal department. But the question is which software is the best for you?
The market is flooded with the law firm software,
selecting the best for you could be overwhelming. Don’t worry; the MyCase team
is there to help. Our step wise guide will explain what to consider while
selecting the case management software. Read on for more details.
There
are many commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), available in the market. When you
begin your search for the legal case management software, you will get a list
of dozens of different software. Even when you eliminate the ones that are not
for your law practice domain, there will be plenty to choose from. While going
through the list, you will realize that almost 80 per cent functions of all the
software are same, just with different user interfaces. This means that you
should consider the remaining 20 per cent to narrow your search. Let us see how
this 20 per cent and the handling of the bulk 80 per cent will determine the
best legal software for you.
Reliability and
Scalability
- · Go for the software that is reliable. Buying the one simply because it is cheaper will not serve the purpose. Baring the initial cost, you will spend more because of the performance issues. Similarly, the software should be able to support all your needs and users. Going for a cheaper version all the happiness of saving money is short-lived once the system crashes due to too many user logins.
- · Before buying ask the vendor about the recommended server and a workstation configuration that is required to support the number of users you will have. The software that has larger server requirements or a separate server requirement is a big no.
- · Ask for the development history of the software. If the software is not designed for a SQL relational database there could be problems in the smooth functioning of the software. So to avoid future issues make sure the software you buy is specifically designed for SQL relational database management system.
- · Next thing is to ask for any references. It is always good to learn about the product from happy customers.
Calendar and Email Integration
The
legal professionals can’t function without a calendar and email. The calendar
keeps track of all the important dates, while the email boosts flawless
communication. So the software you select should integrate with all the popular
email systems and calendaring systems. Stay away from the software that
requires direct integration with the server, to avoid placing additional
workload and storage requirements on the critical email server.
Document Management
Document
management is undoubtedly the most important feature of the case management
software and you should know how it works.
- · The first question that you should ask the vendors here is whether the system manages actual document storage or just stores a link to the document. For easy access, the system needs to store the actual documents in a centralized location on a network drive.
- · Another point is the interface of the software and its management in saving and accessing the documents.
Flexibility and After
Services
- · The software should be flexible and customizable to manage all the case related documents.
- · The services of the vendor are also important. The software team should brief you about the product, carry out smooth transition and also lend support whenever required.
Source - https://mycases.online/how-to-select-the-best-legal-case-management-software/
0 coment�rios: