The Best Legal Billing Software for Large Firms in 2024

Operating a big legislation agency is a balancing act with many shifting items—particularly in terms of legislation agency billing. That is the place authorized billing software program is available in.

Authorized billing software program streamlines many important billing duties for legislation companies—like monitoring billable hours and bills, creating invoices, and managing cost collections. For giant legislation companies, authorized billing software program is very necessary for saving time, making certain compliant billing processes, and driving profitability whereas managing many consumers and circumstances on the identical time.

Within the following weblog submit, we’ll discover learn how to discover the very best authorized billing software program for big companies like yours. We’ll cowl the advantages and key options of billing software program for legislation companies and supply ideas for choosing the best software program in your agency. That will help you consider your choices, we’ll additionally evaluate among the professionals and cons of among the high authorized billing software program choices for big legislation companies as we speak.

Does your agency battle with clunky billing and collections processes? Clio’s authorized billing software program makes it simpler for legislation companies to shortly and securely ship payments in a approach that’s simpler for purchasers—which signifies that companies receives a commission quicker.

What’s authorized billing software program?

Authorized billing software program helps legislation companies handle the multi-faceted means of billing authorized purchasers extra successfully and effectively. This sort of software program streamlines and assists with billing and collections duties like monitoring time, invoicing, reviewing payments, belief accounting compliance, processing funds, monetary reporting, and extra.

Prime authorized billing software program for big companies

Relating to deciding on authorized billing software program in your agency, there are a selection of choices to think about. The only option in your giant legislation agency will in the end rely in your agency’s measurement, apply areas, and distinctive wants.

In case your agency is contemplating adopting authorized billing software program or making a change, it’s value exploring among the extra fashionable choices. To assist with this course of, we’ve rounded up among the greatest authorized billing software program for big companies obtainable as we speak:

Clio

Clio’s cloud-based authorized apply administration software program provides a complete resolution that’s safe, environment friendly, and scalable—making it a sensible, modern selection for hundreds of mid-sized and huge companies. Clio Handle’s authorized time and billing software program provides an in depth suite of options designed to simplify the authorized course of in a approach that’s user-friendly and handy for authorized purchasers—and environment friendly and efficient for companies.

Professionals:

It enhances productiveness. Clio integrates seamlessly into mid-sized and huge companies’ tech stack, permitting groups to spice up billing productiveness by automating handbook duties and capturing correct time entries. And, when mixed with Clio’s on-line cost processing performance, Clio Funds, it’s fast and easy to gather funds on-line or in particular person by way of Clio’s cell app.

It’s scalable. Clio’s easy and clear pricing provides versatile plan choices that permit companies to decide on plans to suit the options and variety of customers they want—making it straightforward to scale relying on the agency’s wants.
It’s safe. Backed by Clio’s industry-leading safety features and protocols, Clio’s cloud-based billing software program empowers companies to ship payments securely electronically by way of a consumer portal and gather funds on-line via safe click-to-pay hyperlinks.
It enriches a tech stack. Utilizing Clio’s authorized billing options alongside different Clio choices—comparable to Clio Handle’s apply administration options, Clio Develop’s consumer consumption options, and Clio Draft’s doc drafting automation—as well as high integrations with fashionable apply administration instruments (there are at the moment over 250 apps obtainable within the Clio App Listing plus an open API permitting customized builds) unlocks extra streamlined workflows and time financial savings.
Solves for extra than simply billing. On-top of time monitoring and billing, Clio additionally has options to assist strong case administration, activity administration, calendar guidelines, consumer communication options, and extra.

Cons:

Geographic restrictions. Clio Funds and a few integrations are solely obtainable in sure international locations. Presently, Clio Funds is greatest for legislation companies with places within the US or Canada.

Elite 3E

Touted as the primary cloud-native software program as a service (SaaS) monetary and apply administration resolution for legislation companies, Elite’s 3E is legislation agency monetary software program that enables giant companies to enhance profitability and streamline billing operations.

Professionals:

It’s cloud-native. As a cloud-native resolution, constructed for the cloud, 3E can supply a versatile, scalable resolution for big legislation companies.
It’s customizable. 3E’s platform is very configurable, which implies companies can tailor workflows and customise them to suit particular wants.

Cons:

It has a studying curve. Whereas the software program can supply a extremely customizable setup for companies, the intensive customization capabilities will also be complicated and time-consuming for employees to be taught and should require intensive ongoing assist.

SurePoint

Developed primarily for mid-sized legislation companies however adaptable for big companies, SurePoint provides a variety of software program options for legislation companies, together with monetary administration, billing, and cost options.

Professionals:

It integrates monetary administration. SurePoint provides a collection of softwares that mix a number of areas of economic administration to offer a user-friendly expertise with accounting and automatic billing.
It’s predictive. Predictive timekeeping options assist predict the purchasers and issues that customers are more likely to choose, which helps make time entry simpler and boosts effectivity.

Cons:

Entails a studying curve. Mastering their software program takes time, and onboarding new customers could be a time-consuming course of that may require coaching help from their assist crew.

Aderant

Aderant provides a complete suite of software program designed to assist legislation companies run their companies higher, together with options for authorized billing, eBilling and time entry.

Professionals:

It’s complete. Aderant’s billing resolution, BillBlast, helps guarantee giant legislation companies can invoice efficiently by automating and centralizing the method from invoice seize to supply for all billing strategies (whether or not paper billing, eBilling, or e mail billing), which is essential when dealing with excessive billing volumes.
It provides superior analytics. With complete reporting and interactive dashboards, Aderant’s billing analytics assist companies make data-driven choices.

Cons:

Its implementation is complicated. Aderant provides many customization and configuration options that will attraction to giant legislation companies seeking to tailor their billing, however this complexity could make it difficult to implement and prepare employees to be taught.

Sage

Sage is thought for its vary of enterprise software program choices for wants like accounting, CRM, and billing. For authorized billing software program for legislation companies, significantly mid-sized legislation companies, Sage provides Sage Timeslips authorized time monitoring and billing.

Professionals:

It’s versatile. Saje Timeslips provides versatile billing choices that permit customers to customise payments for various billing preparations, billing charges, and guidelines.
It provides strong time-tracking options. Sage Timeslips’s automated time tracker, TimeCapture provides strong time-tracking options to simplify and enhance how customers seize time.

Cons:

It has restricted integrations. Whereas Saje Timeslips integrates with a collection of finance and cost apps, giant legislation companies with extra complicated tech stacks could search for a extra intensive vary of integrations for scalability and operational effectivity.

Soluno

Soluno’s cloud-based authorized billing, time and expense monitoring, and accounting software program is designed for legislation companies of all sizes.

Professionals:

It’s cloud-based. Soluno’s safe cloud platform offers flexibility and accessibility for customers to trace time and invoice remotely, which could be helpful for big legislation companies with a number of work preparations or places for employees.
It permits for customized billing preparations. From break up billing to the power to allocate fees to particular events, Soluno’s customized billing preparations can assist the extra complicated billing wants of enormous legislation companies.

Cons:

It has restricted integrations. At the moment, Soluno lists lower than 15 energetic integrations. For giant legislation companies in search of integrations that permit their billing software program to work with their present tech ecosystem, Soluno’s restricted vary of integrations could restrict operational effectivity.

Important options of authorized billing software program

Whereas options could differ by software program and by totally different pricing plans (some software program suppliers supply totally different tiers of options and performance for various pricing plans, for instance), key options to search for in as we speak’s authorized billing software program embody:

Time and expense monitoring options: The power to precisely observe billable hours and bills–eliminating messy spreadsheets or third-party time monitoring purposes.
Bill creation and sharing options: The power to create detailed, clear invoices for varied billing preparations (comparable to particular person and break up payments) and securely ship them electronically.
Cost processing options: The power to supply versatile cost choices and settle for on-line funds.
Versatile billing options: The power for versatile cost choices and various billing preparations.
Belief accounting options: Simplified administration of belief accounts and IOLTA accounting.
Reporting options: The power to simply observe monetary efficiency and profitability with authorized billing reviews and monetary reporting.
Accounting and bookkeeping options: The power to sync transactions together with your accounting software program reduces handbook entries and errors.
Integration options: The power in your billing software program to sync and work with apply administration instruments and accounting software program for streamlined workflows.
Security measures: Make sure the safety of consumer information and guarantee compliance with {industry} guidelines and laws.

What are the advantages of authorized billing software program?

Authorized billing software program is without doubt one of the simplest methods for legislation companies to enhance their billing and collections processes.

A few of the key advantages of authorized billing software program for big companies are associated to:

Effectivity. Authorized billing software program provides improved effectivity for a lot of billing processes, comparable to time monitoring, invoicing, and cost collections. Decreasing time spent on these time-consuming handbook duties helps giant legislation companies save time and increase productiveness.
Accuracy. Equally, utilizing software program for billing duties helps to scale back the danger of handbook billing errors or inaccurate time and expense monitoring.
Money circulate and profitability. Because the 2024 Authorized Traits Report for Mid-Sized Regulation Companies discovered, the median complete cost lockup (unbilled and uncollected income) amongst mid-sized legislation companies is 101 days. Adopting streamlined billing and handy cost choices makes it simpler to invoice purchasers quicker and for purchasers to pay promptly, resulting in elevated income in your agency.
Compliance. From LEDES billing to belief accounting, legislation companies have many distinctive authorized, accounting, and moral tasks in terms of billing. Authorized billing software program options make it simpler to handle complicated processes and keep compliant.
Reporting. Info is vital to sound decision-making and monetary administration for legislation companies, and reporting options in legislation agency billing software program make it simpler for companies to trace key efficiency indicators and analyze information.
Shopper expertise. Authorized billing software program makes it simpler for companies to ship clear, detailed invoices to purchasers in much less time. Elevated transparency and a well timed billing course of contribute to a greater expertise for purchasers.

Price concerns: Budgeting for software program options

Finances is without doubt one of the major concerns when deciding on authorized billing software program for mid to large-sized legislation companies. Weigh the next components when budgeting for potential authorized billing software program options that can assist you discover the best match:

Tiered pricing. Many authorized billing software program options supply totally different pricing tiers relying on the particular options {that a} agency could need to use. Take into account which tier and value would greatest fit your agency.
Subscription charges and contracts. You should definitely examine if signing up means you’re locked in with a software program for a set interval.
Month-to-month vs. annual costs. Some software program options supply a reduction when subscribing on an annual foundation.
Integration charges. Are you hoping to make use of a selected software program with sure software program integrations that you simply don’t already pay for? In that case, take into account any app prices for integrations and embody them in your price range.
Onboarding and coaching prices. Are there charges or prices required for coaching, setup, or onboarding?
Extra charges. Search for any hidden prices for issues like further storage or further options.
Return on funding (ROI). Along with contemplating how a lot a software program will price, take a while to think about what price financial savings it could possibly present the agency as an ROI.

Ideas for choosing the best software program for big companies

Take into account the next ideas when vetting potential authorized billing options for a big legislation agency:

1. Know what your agency wants

As with virtually any software program resolution, there’s a big selection of nice choices obtainable to select from in terms of authorized billing software program—however that doesn’t imply that each one would be the proper match.

To keep away from selecting software program that doesn’t have the options your agency actually wants—or, conversely, paying an excessive amount of for software program with options your agency received’t use—begin by taking the time to evaluate the particular wants, desires, and ache factors your agency at the moment has with authorized billing.

What billing duties are taking on essentially the most time or inflicting essentially the most frustration at your agency? Establish these, then when evaluating authorized software program search for an answer that addresses these particularly.

2. Maintain scalability in thoughts

Along with figuring out areas of enchancment in your agency’s billing now, it’s additionally necessary to prioritize scalability for the longer term. Authorized billing software program for big companies ought to have the ability to scale because the apply expands and extra circumstances and purchasers come on board.

3. Bear in mind the price range

As talked about beforehand, it’s necessary to fastidiously take into account what suits the price range. Ensure a possible software program suits the price range, and search for any free trials or demos obtainable.

Additionally, take into account scalability with the price range: Can your agency begin at a extra fundamental tier for a decrease price, then transfer as much as extra fully-featured tiers later?

4. Standalone billing software program or a authorized apply administration platform?

Does your agency need an all-in-one resolution for apply administration and billing options or simply billing software program? For those who’re selecting a standalone software program, make sure you take into account how nicely it may combine together with your present apply administration software program.

5. Take into account product innovation 

You need to choose an answer that may put money into delivering you the very best product. This implies ensuring the answer you selected has a product crew that delivers on their guarantees. That is essential as we speak the place we see developments in issues like AI impacting how we work.

6. Take into account integrations

Equally, it’s additionally necessary to think about how nicely a possible billing software program will have the ability to combine together with your present tech stack and programs. Can it combine together with your accounting software program? Does it combine with different instruments that your agency continuously makes use of?

7. Verify on buyer assist

Take the time to analysis potential resolution’s buyer assist and coaching assets. Does the software program supply responsive buyer assist if one thing goes improper? How will your agency learn to use the software program?

With the above ideas in thoughts, make sure you spend time completely researching and evaluating potential options earlier than implementing one at your agency.

The impression of AI on authorized billing software program

Synthetic intelligence (AI) has already had a major impression on legislation agency workflows and processes, together with authorized billing.

When used ethically, AI instruments (like Clio’s upcoming generative AI-powered accomplice, Clio Duo, which is coming quickly) may help attorneys streamline processes and enhance workflows. Within the realm of authorized billing, this will imply a variety of capabilities, comparable to:

Constructed-in time monitoring to make it simpler to trace billable hours
AI-powered bill evaluate to flag errors or inconsistencies
Detailed reporting by way of AI-driven analytics
And extra

Cellular capabilities: Billing on the go

Cellular functionality is one other necessary issue to keep in mind when contemplating authorized billing software program options.

From distant working to engaged on the go, the power to trace time and handle billing flexibly enhances effectivity.

Clio’s top-rated cell app, for instance, makes it straightforward to tug up payments and seize billable time on the go.

Compliance options: Safeguarding consumer information

As with every software program or instrument your agency makes use of, safeguarding consumer information is critically necessary when contemplating any authorized billing software program.

Any software program your agency makes use of ought to have, at minimal, strong safety features, be compliant with {industry} requirements and necessities, and use security-focused options.

To be taught extra about learn how to hold your agency safe, learn our information to legislation agency information safety.

Clio, for instance, protects consumer data with high safety features and protocols, together with:

Having devoted safety consultants obtainable 24x7x365 to answer safety incidents
Making use of in-transit and at-rest encryption utilizing {industry} greatest practices (comparable to HTTPS and TLS)
Assembly compliance necessities, together with GDPR pointers, HIPAA requirements, SOC2 compliance, and making certain all funds are PCI-compliant

You possibly can be taught extra about Clio’s safety features and protocols right here.

Conclusion: Selecting the very best authorized billing resolution in your agency

Authorized billing for a big legislation agency could be complicated and time-consuming, however the best software program may help. The proper authorized billing software program resolution can streamline workflows, enhance effectivity, and guarantee extra correct and efficient billing, all whereas protecting consumer information safe.

The important thing to selecting the very best resolution in your legislation agency is to do your analysis. By figuring out the areas the place your agency may most profit from enchancment, you may then discover the best authorized billing software program to assist.

Clio’s authorized billing software program is a good selection for a streamlined, modern, and complete resolution. Clio’s billing options make it simpler to invoice your purchasers in a approach that’s handy and clear for them—whereas additionally making the entire billing and collections course of simpler, faster, and simpler in your agency.

Be taught extra about Clio’s authorized billing software program right here.

We revealed this weblog submit in September 2024. Final up to date: September 3, 2024.

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Enterprise, Know-how