Legal time tracking and billing systems are supposed to provide valuable assistance and resources to the attorneys who choose to invest in them. Unfortunately, far too many of the traditional legacy systems have failed to meet this expectation. From costly maintenance requirements to frequent technical issues, these systems have left countless attorneys frustrated and searching for a more efficient and effective alternative.
Frustration and concerns are often communicated in the reviews of these traditional products, which tend to be packed with more complaints than compliments. Below are a few of the most common complaints and some advice on what you can do to avoid these problems within your legal practice.
Unreasonable costs
The unreasonable cost of legacy billing systems, like Timeslips, has become a constant complaint within the legal community. Purchasing these products involves a yearly or monthly subscription, with a substantial initial user fee and additional costs for each additional user.
It is entirely possible for midsized firms to spend thousands of dollars to purchase one of the traditional legal billing software. These already prohibitive costs may even increase when these companies force attorneys to buy “premium” packages just to access up-to-date features.
But the cost conversation does not end once the billing system is purchased. Many of the legacy systems use necessary system upgrades to charge unnecessary and unreasonable fees. They may even go so far as to make older versions of the software ineligible for technical support once new versions are made available.
The dedicated server that is necessary to run these legacy systems also contributes to their high cost. From the expense of purchasing and setting up the server to the ongoing costs of maintenance and repair, legacy system customers have no shortage of valid complaints.
You can avoid the high cost of legacy billing software by opting for Time Solv’s cloud-based billing systems, which offers more affordable options. Their monthly subscription price is inclusive of all the company’s services, so there’s no need to invest in an expensive “premium” option and no requirement to maintain a costly dedicated server. With Time Solv, your law office gets a quality legal billing system at a reasonable cost.
Too complex
Another extremely common legal billing system complaint involves their unnecessary complexity, which makes these systems difficult to learn and unpleasant to use. Small and mid-sized firms need billing systems that maximize their investments by helping their busy attorneys, not hinder them. When the software is too difficult to use, expensive features aren’t being utilized and value is lost both in terms of productivity and time entered.
It all appears to work in a big circle that, once again, seems to lead to more cost than value. The systems are extremely difficult to understand without company support. That support and training creates an additional cost that many small and medium firms cannot afford. So, the system that costs your firm so much money to purchase is now being underutilized, if it is utilized at all.
The folks at Time Solv pride themselves on providing a legal time tracking and billing system that is user-friendly and easily adaptable to the specific needs of small and medium law firms. The platform offers a straightforward experience that is simple to follow and use. In addition, the company also provides comprehensive training, which can be scheduled to meet the specific needs of your law office.
Should problems or questions arise later, TimeSolv users have access to highly available customer support options. With an entire library of video tutorials, along with email and telephone support options, Time Solv promotes a seamless experience for its customers.
Lack of mobility and reliability
Though many legacy billing systems claim to offer mobility, most require an internet connection to log into your office system for time and expense tracking. In a legal environment that has become increasingly mobile, many attorneys complain that this type of configuration restrains their ability to adequately time track during the regular course of the day.
We live in a time where work commonly occurs outside of the physical office, and the legal profession is no exception. For accurate billing to occur, attorneys need the ability to track time as soon as possible after a task is completed… even if no internet connection is immediately available.
Timely billing also requires a reliable and available tracking system, which brings up another common complaint about legacy billing software. It is often so slow, complicated, and riddled with bugs that is far too often unavailable for use. Your law office is extremely busy, and you need systems that are going to work when you need them to work.
Imagine how frustrating it would be to start the billing process and your system malfunctions half way through. Well, for many legacy system customers, this imagined scenario has been their actual experience.
With Time Solv, you can effectively avoid problems with mobility. The mobile app allows your attorneys to track their time from virtually any location in the world, even if with no available internet connection. With one touch, they can either manually enter their time and task description or start a timer that keeps track of the time spent on a task in real time. When an internet connection becomes available, the mobile app will automatically sync with the office system/
Availability is also no problem with TimeSolv. The cloud-based system can be accessed from all of your various devices, so it’s always accessible and ready to use. They also utilize a highly secure, state-of-the-art agile development environment to provide you with almost 100% uptime.
The legal industry is largely based in tradition, but as countless complaints exemplify, that traditional billing system is probably not the right fit for your law office. Instead, choose an innovative and forward-thinking company that places your firm’s needs and interests first. Click here for your free trial of TimeSolv’s legal time tracking and billing system.
About Erika Winston:
Erika Winston is a freelance writer with a passion for law. Through her business, The Legal Writing Studio, she helps legal professionals deliver effective written messages. Erika is a regular contributor to TimeSolv and a variety of other publications.