The Lawmatics Blog

Legal specialty software is a digital platform that helps attorneys retain clients with law firm marketing automation and manage client contact information, case notes, appointments, communications, billing, and more in one secure, central location. We'll explore the capabilities of this transformational technology in this brief guide. Let's get started!

What does legal software do?

Legal case management software performs numerous functions for lawyers and law firms, such as:

• Track time. Legal time-tracking software allows lawyers to capture more billable hours. According to American Bar Association (ABA) research, over half of all law firms recorded additional time after implementing legal time tracking software, and nearly 10 percent billed a minimum of 15 extra hours each month.
• Automate routine tasks. Irrespective of practice area, nearly every attorney spends a significant portion of their time on administrative tasks that are a tedious yet vital part of running a practice. Law firm automation handles these tasks so attorneys and legal teams can focus on clients.
• Streamline intake. Legal specialty software automates intake with customizable client intake forms, document request templates, automated appointment scheduling and follow-ups, and e-signature capabilities to take the headache out of client management tasks.
• Document management. Legal document automation software allows legal teams to use custom fields to merge data from matters and contacts and then auto-fill directly into your boilerplate legal forms to save hours on document creation, minimize errors, and help ensure the accuracy of all completed forms.
• Put marketing on autopilot. Lawyers want to spend their time practicing law, not marketing to prospective clients. Legal software solutions systems help them focus on engaging and nurturing leads with targeted messaging visual pathways, step-by-step templates, timed trigger action campaigns, and segmented follow-up messages.
• Manage billing. Generating invoices and accepting payments are among the most time-consuming tasks performed in a law firm. However, legal invoicing software automates billing to save time, allow for more consistent billing, and create a better client experience.

When equipped with software for lawyers, legal teams can work more efficiently, capitalize on new ways to create value from data, and provide superior service to clients.

How can software make law more effective?

Even if your law firm has a system in place, cutting-edge legal technology provides many benefits. Here are some reasons why firms should invest in legal specialty software:

• Better customer service. With easy access to contact information, documents, notes, and other data, lawyers can build stronger relationships with clients.
• Stronger data security. Law firms must keep confidential client information secure. Specialty legal software safely contains sensitive data in one secure system – online and on-premises.
• Targeted marketing. Law firm marketing automation allows firms to Identify target markets and send automated communications to help them engage with potential clients.
• Valuable insights. When law firms can access analytics from a single platform, they can comprehensively view their operations and make data-driven decisions.

With legal software, legal teams can more efficiently conduct business – without letting anything slip through the cracks.

What kind of software do lawyers use?

The most successful law firms use technology to work more efficiently and securely in an increasingly remote workplace. Some of the most common legal software systems for lawyers include:

• Lawmatics. The #1 legal software for growing law firms, the Lawmatics platform offers client intake, legal CRM, marketing automation, invoicing, document creation, and more in one straightforward system.
• Microsoft 365. Software as a service (SaaS) program Microsoft 365 includes essential business tools like Word, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams, and more.
• Google Workspace. Google Workspace provides a word processor similar to Microsoft Word, which is a good option for attorneys whose work requires collaboration.
• LawPay. Lawyers utilize software solutions like LawPay to send out invoices and facilitate credit card and other online payments.
• RingCentral. All-in-one platforms for voice, video meetings, team messaging, and collaboration, like RingCentral, are popular with attorneys who favor click-to-dial functionality and one-click video conferencing capabilities.
• DocuSign. Electronic signature platforms like DocuSign makes document signing faster, easier, and more secure for lawyers and clients.

Lawmatics: your partner for specialized legal software

All-in-one legal specialty software is an indispensable tool that helps law firms maximize operational efficiency, improve customer service, improve marketing results, and gain valuable insights into business operations to make data-driven decisions.How do you keep track of your legal cases? Lawmatics is the best legal case management software available on the market. Are you ready to learn more about how Lawmatics legal specialty software will transform your law firm? Schedule your product demo today.

Many lawyers spend their workdays performing non-billable administrative, financial, or marketing tasks instead of serving clients. So how can busy lawyers keep their offices running, serve their current clients and keep new ones coming in – without sacrificing quality and work-life balance? One way is through law firm automation.

What does automation mean in law?

Automation involves the creation of computer software and automated systems that can complete repeatable processes and reduce the need for human intervention. Legal automation (or Law Firm Automation) automates the routine manual tasks and workflows that lawyers and legal teams perform. According to data compiled by McKinsey, roughly 23 percent of an attorney’s work can be automated using existing technology.

What legal processes can be automated?

Although automation is possible in many legal areas, some tasks are more suited to automation than others, like those with clearly defined rules and processes, relatively simple manual tasks, and frequent workflows. Here are some of the processes that can be completed via law firm automation:

• Appointment scheduling. Automated scheduling software takes the back and forth out of setting up appointments by enabling clients to schedule their own meetings.
• Document creation. Automation allows you to merge the data you need from your custom fields and auto-fill directly into boilerplate legal forms to generate documents.
• Document execution. Secure, universally-recognized electronic signature for law firms provides added convenience and efficiency for lawyers and clients.
• Legal workflows. Automation allows legal teams and law firms to automate numerous manual processes, including client intake, to streamline routine workflows.
• Time and expense tracking. Legal time tracking software provides an accurate and efficient way to track your time, whether you bill hourly, fixed fee, or contingency.
• Billing management. Law firm billing software will automate every stage of the billing process, including invoice creation, billing, collection, and provide payment status.
• Online payments. Want to make it easier for your clients to securely pay their invoices online? Payment processing software does the job, allowing you to get paid faster.
• Lead management. With the help of automated pipeline management, law firms can manage, prioritize, and nurture prospective clients every step of the way.
• Marketing campaigns. Why reinvent the wheel when you can build repeatable processes with email marketing drip campaigns that initiate an automatic response?

Automation is transforming the law profession. However, firms must partner with the right provider to access the necessary tools.

What are the different types of legal technology?

Lawyers utilize various technologies to do their jobs. Here are some common types of legal technology used by lawyers:

• Online file storage. Platforms that protect files from internal and external threats with end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption.
• Document management. Document automation tools streamline document creation by utilizing information previously collected to populate standard letters and forms.
• eDiscovery tools. Most discovery is now electronic and relies on technology to streamline the eDiscovery process.
• Practice management. Practice management software enables attorneys to manage court dates, automate workflows, calendar events, and more.
• Cloud-based office suites. Cloud-based platforms allow attorneys to access, share, and edit documents, files, and other data from anywhere in the world.
• Legal CRM. Legal client relationship management (CRM) software provides an overview of matters, documents, communications, transactions, and billings – through one secure client portal.

Technology simplifies attorneys’ jobs by increasing the access and value of legal services while helping lower the associated costs.

Will lawyers be automated?

Some speculate that lawyers will be replaced by tech. However, artificial intelligence (AI) cannot automate every aspect of every job, particularly the responsibilities of a lawyer. After all, the human brain can associate concepts and identify solutions to complicated problems that will meet client needs and mitigate risk while a robot, no matter how intelligent, is incapable of processing and relating concepts independently.While AI can pinpoint irregularities and provide feedback, it’s not yet capable of conceptually determining a solution to complex legal issues without human assistance. Instead, technology can automate laborious, time-consuming administrative tasks and allow attorneys to reallocate their time to focus on serving clients and bring more critical thinking and analysis to their cases.

Lawmatics: technology as a tool to make lawyers better

Legal technology is not a replacement for people. Rather, it is a tool to make humans better lawyers. Lawmatics legal software works behind the scenes to bring you more business and keep your clients happy, so you can focus your attention on what you do best. Our system offers:

• Legal client intake
• Law practice CRM
• Document management
• Time and expense tracking
• Legal billing
• Online payments
• Marketing automation

And much more into one convenient, easy-to-use platform. No wonder Lawmatics is widely considered the best legal document automation software for growing law firms! Are you ready to try legal technology that saves time on legal operations, such as document and task management, by automating processes that typically take hours or even days? Sign up for a Lawmatics product demo today.

Register for upcoming Monthly Deep Dives

1. Select the event type and give your webinar a name and a description. Remember that the event type is more broad, such as Webinar, whereas the event name is specific to this event, such as Summer 2023 Webinar.

1. Continue making selections for the host and the date and time.

1. You will also need to enter a location for the event, either an external link or a physical address. If this is a virtual event, simply put the external link in the box provided, and this will automatically be added to the description of the calendar invite that is sent to registrants for this event.

1. Your virtual event may be held via Zoom, Teams, or some other platform, simply copy and paste the meeting link.

1. For in person events, enter in the physical address. This will also be added to the event invite when applicable.

.Engaging events such as webinars, seminars, luncheons, are a great way for attorneys to fortify relationships with new and existing clients. If event management has been a technical roadblock for you up to this point, we’ve got great news: Lawmatics now allows you to effortlessly manage all such events without the hassle of integrating with other tools or relying on Zaps.With our Event Management feature, Lawmatics users can configure various event types (webinars, networking events, etc.), easily create and promote an event, and collect registrants. We’ve also added the following:

• A setting for built-in confirmation and reminder emails.
• A new entry condition for Automations to trigger a custom workflow upon an event registration.

Whether you are already a master event organizer or just looking to start implementing events into your firm, Lawmatics is your one stop shop for event management.

Event settings

Before diving into the world of event management with Lawmatics, let's get those essential event settings sorted out. Simply locate the gear icon in the top right corner of your Lawmatics window, and then navigate to Appointments/Events on the left sidebar.Now, let's take a quick moment to distinguish between appointments and events. In Lawmatics, appointments are reserved for a single matter or contact, like consultations, strategy sessions, or lunch meetings. On the flip side, events can accommodate anywhere from one to thousands of enthusiastic registrants and aren't tailored to individual attendees. Let the distinction sink in and get ready to unleash the power of Lawmatics for your event management needs!When you first arrive on the Appointments/Events page in settings, you will first see your settings for appointments, scroll down on the page until you land on the Events section.

Event types

To ensure seamless automation and precise triggers, you’ll need to first establish distinct event types for your diverse range of gatherings. These event types hold the key to orchestrating specific actions based on registrations. For instance, you might want to kickstart an automated drip campaign when someone signs up for a webinar, while reserving a different response for those joining a networking event. By setting up event types, you unlock the power to customize and optimize your automation game plan. Let Lawmatics do the heavy lifting while you effortlessly navigate the realm of tailored event experiences.

You also have the freedom to craft unique confirmation and reminder sequences for each event type according to your preferences, and we'll delve into that soon. Feel free to create as many event types as you desire, knowing that you can always return to add, modify, or delete existing ones. When crafting your event types, you even have the option to set a default duration, if that suits your needs.

Confirmation

Lawmatics offers built-in confirmation and reminder settings for your events, no need to build a custom email template and automation for each event. This confirmation will be sent to the registrant as soon as they have signed up for the event.Simply click the setting option for Add Confirmation, and you can then build out your own email template and/or text message as shown below.

You’ll see that you can merge in fields as needed, including event fields to input the unique event date, description, link, etc for each respective event.It is then important to select which of your event types this confirmation email applies for. Depending on the nature of your events, you may use a generic confirmation for all of your event types or perhaps you’d like to create something more specific for each.

Reminders

As with event confirmations, reminders are built into Lawmatics although they are optional. However, we highly recommend utilizing them to ensure your event registrants stay on top of upcoming gatherings.

Feel free to create as many reminders as you desire, and once again, you have the power to apply them to any or all of your event types. It's all about keeping your attendees engaged, informed, and excited about the events they've signed up for.

Creating an Event

Now that you have finished setting up this groundwork, you are ready to create an event:

1. Hover your mouse on CRM and select Event Management to navigate to the Events page. Here you will see all past and upcoming events with the option to add a new event. When adding an event, you will see various options as shown below:

Event registration

And now for the fun part: collecting registrants for your event! There are several ways you can go about doing this, we’ll break them down here.

Custom Form

In addition to using Custom Forms for collecting leads or contacts, utilizing a form is an excellent method for gathering event registrants. With the introduction of the Event Management feature, we've incorporated an event registration field that seamlessly integrates into your custom forms. You have the freedom to incorporate this field into your existing forms or even create a brand new registration form from scratch.

1. When editing your Form, add any fields to the form as you normally would.
2. Click the Advanced section on the left sidebar.
3. Drag and drop the Event Registration field wherever you would like it on the form.

1. Once you have this field in the form, click on it to make additional selections. In the options for this field, as shown below, you will select what label you want for the registration option, and then select which of your events can be registered for from this form.

1. You may choose to have just one event per form, and market that form specifically as a sign-up for that particular event. Alternatively, you can opt to include multiple events on a form so that potential registrants can register for any or all of them.

In the sample shown above, a registrant would simply enter their name and email, then click on both or either event to register respectively.Just like any other custom form, this form can be embedded on your site, shared via hyperlink, or even sent via automation.

Manual registration

Your other option for registering event attendees is to do so manually. This method is certainly not as efficient or automatic, so we definitely recommend using this as a contingency method to the Custom Form.To manually register an attendee, go to the Event Management page and click the plus sign icon. You can then search from existing contacts in your CRM or add a new one to be registered for the event.

Regardless of the method you opt for to register individuals for your event, they will be seamlessly added to the registrant list. Once added, they will receive the confirmation and reminders you have set up in your settings. To conveniently view all event registrants, head over to the Event Management page and click on the specific event you're interested in. There, you'll find a comprehensive list displaying each attendee's name, email address, as well as the date and time of their registration. It's a hassle-free way to stay informed and organized throughout your event planning journey.

Events & Automation

As with all Lawmatics features, Event Management can also be included in your Automations. With the introduction of this new feature we have added a new Automation Trigger: Registered for Event.

1. Simply select the “Registered for Event” trigger, and then select an event type to trigger the automation. This goes all the way back to the first section regarding your Event Settings, it is very important to set up your event types so that you can trigger Automations appropriately for different events.
2. Once you have selected an Event Type, you then have the option to let this Automation run for all individual events within that type, or you can select a specific event so that the automation only runs for that event.
3. Now add in your various action items and build out your automated workflow. Whether you’re creating a drip campaign, internal tasks, data updates like tagging, or whatever else you wish to automate, simply select the action items to add them into the automation.

Remember that your event confirmation and reminders are built-in on the Settings page, so no need to create an Automation for those.Creating an Automation for event registrants is a great way to automate long term follow up with a goal of increasing conversion, or just to stay in touch and top of mind with that audience.

Conclusion

We’ve got all the tools you need to manage your major events such as webinars, luncheons, and networking events, all under the roof of Lawmatics.Set up custom event types and confirmation emails in Settings, then easily create an event, start promoting it, and collect registrants. Plus don’t forget that you’ll also find a new entry condition in Automations to trigger a custom workflow when someone registers for your event.Events are a great way to create new lead channels and bring in more business for your firm without having to spend big money on marketing campaigns. Whether you are a seasoned expert at event management or planning out your first event, Lawmatics is just the tool for incorporating events seamlessly into your firm’s marketing efforts.**Event Management is available to users on the Pro Tier and above**

What is your role at Lawmatics, and what does your job entail?

I'm a Software QA Engineer, and I test new features developed by our engineering team to ensure quality standards are met and goals are aligned with our product team. I write test plans and report failed scenarios to the developers so they can quickly reproduce issues. Recently, I've been working more with writing code and test automation to prevent code regressions.

How did you end up working for Lawmatics?

A fellow engineer first joined the engineering team who then recommended me. We were both junior full stack engineers at our previous company, working on different projects. I worked on a small mobile app, and was involved in every part of the development process, from planning to deployment. I found testing and debugging to be pretty tedious, yet the most rewarding parts of the whole process. So in my initial interview with Lawmatics, I asked about testing, and we went from there.

What’s the best part of your job?

I really enjoy supporting my team with identifying bugs in the code and reproducing them. When something strays from the happy path of usability (i.e. an edge case), it's satisfying to squash that bug during the development phase. 100% bug free code can be hard to achieve, so coming to terms with what's acceptable or not and working with our product team is another part of the equation that keeps my job engaging.

Where are you from, and how did you end up in San Diego?

I was born and raised in San Diego while my parents are both from the Philippines. I lived in Tucson, AZ for about 5 years though and it was the hardest decision to leave a small town, surprisingly.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

My 4-year-old daughter brings me so much joy in life. We play with Legos and she does most of the building. Sometimes we'll play hide and seek. We take turns and hide in the exact same spot every time. Laughing about it never gets old.

What is a fun fact most people may not know about you?

I have 5 older brothers! Playing video games, helping with house renovations, and in general, just growing up with a bunch of boys made being a woman engineer easier. Wish it was easier on my mom though, it was like she had a 6th son in a way.

Tell us about an unforgettable experience that you’ve had?

When I was 12, my mom and I visited my older brother in Japan. He taught English to junior high school students out in the countryside. It was an amazing experience to see cherry blossoms in the spring. But the memory that sticks with me the most is our tour of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It evoked so many emotions to see scenes and displays of the magnitude and devastation of the event.

What is the one thing you can’t live without and why?

Yoga. It's my water in life and it brings me balance.

Do you have a favorite saying, quote, or personal mantra and if so, what is it and why?

You are exactly where you are meant to be. This phrase reminds me to stay present, focus on the progress I've made, and embrace where I am today. Showing compassion for myself is important and helps me to have more compassion for others.

What is your favorite thing about working for Lawmatics?

That's so hard to pick! There's the people! The work! And of course, the kitchen snacks! Avocados, peanut butter, trail mix... yet at the end of the day, I really enjoy being challenged, growing, and working with everyone here... and talking about who ate the last apple.

What’s your go-to hype song?

I love a good pop song. My go to is Lights Follow - Live Your Beautiful Life.

Based on your experience, what words of wisdom or advice do you have for legal professionals looking to help their law firms win more business, impress clients, and be more efficient?

Our Automations are so powerful and they can help automate a workflow by triggering off a Custom Form that was filled, then moving on to send an email or a document to the user or contact. So many or’s and and’s here. I highly recommend double or triple checking entry conditions, the logic used, and getting in touch with us if there's ever any doubt when building out your Automations.

Summer just got a whole lot hotter with our sizzling new feature lineup. So set down your BBQ tongs and beach ball and check out our latest batch of Lawmatics feature releases.

Google AdWords Integration

We're excited to announce the addition of Google AdWords to our integration lineup. Now, syncing your AdWords account with Lawmatics is a breeze. Simply head to the Integrations page in your Lawmatics Admin settings, and Lawmatics will automatically import your marketing spend and campaign data from AdWords, logging these respectively in your Lawmatics marketing sources and campaigns. This integration allows you to make the most of our built-in source reporting and ROI tracking like never before by bringing your AdWords data into the CRM automatically.Learn more about using this exciting new feature here.

LM[AI]

Earlier this month, we made a groundbreaking announcement: the launch of LM[AI], our very own artificial intelligence text generative tool. With LM[AI], drafting client emails has never been easier — you can do it in seconds. Simply click on the AI button, provide a prompt, and watch as LM[AI] composes a complete email, complete with merge fields. You have full control over the generated text, as you can manually edit it to your liking. Additionally, you can instruct LM[AI] to make edits itself, whether it's adjusting the tone to be friendlier or more formal, or rephrasing the content. From nurturing leads to check-ins and promotions, LM[AI] will ensure your email campaigns are engaging and captivating.Click here to learn more about LM[AI].

Bulk Select & Update Companies

As with our Matters and Contacts pages, we've now added the bulk editing capability to the Companies page. Simply check the box next to the companies you want to include, click the Update Companies button in the top menu, choose the field you want to update, enter the new value, and save. Say goodbye to tedious individual editing, as you can now make updates in bulk with just a few clicks.

Learn more about managing company matters in Lawmatics here.

‘Assigned By’ Field on Tasks

Lawmatics has always been your trusted platform for managing tasks, whether they're assigned to clients or internal staff. To enhance collaboration and clarity, we've introduced a new feature: the "Assigned By" field. Now, when your staff members receive a new Task, they'll immediately know who assigned it. This makes it easier for them to seek clarification or additional information, ensuring smooth task execution. Alongside this addition, we've made several other improvements to our task functionality, such as comments and mentions. Don't forget to explore these enhancements as well!Learn all about Tasks here.

Create From Within Updates

Check out the latest additions to our revolutionary user experience improvements, with even more still to come!

Create a new appointment type from any internal booking module

Create a new marketing audience from within an email campaign

As always, thanks for checking out this latest update from Lawmatics! Stay tuned for even more exciting features to come!

Register for upcoming Monthly Deep Dives here.We are so thrilled to announce LM[AI], the brand new artificial intelligence text generative tool from Lawmatics, making us the first legal CRM to launch its own AI.For anyone who has had the experience of staring at a blank email draft not knowing what to write, this feature is for you.

What is LM[AI]?

Intuitive, easy-to-use, and found directly within the Lawmatics platform, LM[AI] is our brand new text generative artificial intelligence tool. LM[AI] allows you to turn a simple prompt into a fully developed email within a matter of seconds.This feature is available to users on the Pro Tier and above.

Why use LM[AI]?

First and foremost, LM[AI] will save you precious time. You’re a law firm, not a marketing agency, you don’t want to spend your time writing attention grabbing, actionable email content. LM[AI] does all that work for you.In addition to saving time, use this powerful tool to jumpstart your creativity and put your best foot forward in marketing your law firm. Whether you use it for nurturing, checking in, promoting, or anything else, LM[AI] will help keep your email campaigns robust and interesting.

How to use LM[AI]

When drafting a plain text email, you now have the option to let artificial intelligence write the email for you. Simply click on the Help Me Write button, provide a prompt, and LM[AI] will draft a complete email, including merge fields.

You can then manually edit the generated text as needed, or instruct LM[AI] to edit its own content by making it more friendly or formal, or just by rephrasing the text.

Conclusion

Breakthroughs in automation and AI are fundamentally transforming the business of law. By making this cutting-edge AI technology accessible and intuitive, this development bolsters Lawmatics’ position as the leader of the smartfirm revolution.Cheers to better emails in the future with LM[AI]!