7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Hypothesis:

Small and solo law firms in the US lack a comprehensive software support solution that supports the entire practice, marketing to case management simply because it does not exist.

The Who:

I interviewed 5 attorneys, solos and those in small firms (2 and 3 attorneys), and virtually polled 47 others.  None of the attorneys are delighted by their current practice management software solution and approximately half do not have any client or case management software.  There are 5 major software solutions for law firms, 3 of which were used by the 5 attorneys I interviewed.  Each attorney I spoke with was able to come up with a list of 4-7 items that were missing from their current solution.  It appears that the more administrative, clerical and paralegal support attorneys had, the less interested they were in switching software, even to one that would fit their needs perfectly.  In some instances attorneys were unfamiliar with practical challenges that concern activities done by their staff.  More support staff means attorneys are focused on lawyering alone, or lawyering and bringing in business and have the manpower to support the tasks that are repetitive (and could therefore be automated), tracking of various metrics (for those attorneys that do), and other “non-lawyering” activities. 

The What: The common thread in the concerns the attorneys voiced, especially the solo practitioners, was that there are too many softwares and applications that support different functions of the firm.  For example, one program is used to automate the intake process, another to get signatures from clients, a third one for billing, a fourth for calendaring appointments, etc.  Each of the attorneys, even the ones who use practice management software currently, was concerned about their trust account compliance.  Those who use software currently, report spending from $150 to $240 per month on various technology platforms that support their firm.  Average cost of practice management software is $60 per month.

The Why: The consensus of the attorneys I spoke with was that solution providers simply do not understand the practical, day-to-day realities of a busy law firms.  Even the ones that promote themselves as “made for lawyers, by lawyers” fall short, especially in the integration aspects.

Summary: Through this exercise I discovered that there is a real need for a comprehensive software solution that integrates most, if not all aspects of law practice.  I also became reassured that through thorough research, especially by talking to attorneys, I can identify their needs, goals and best-case scenarios.  On the other hand, I was presented with a challenge of many different practice areas requiring very different management solutions.  What I learned from the interviews is that law is still a very traditional profession.  Even younger attorneys at times shy away from certain technologies or innovations, but at the same time, all are willing to invest in a solution that will diminish the burden of busy work and create more time for lawyering and family time.