As technology continues to be integrated into society, it becomes more and more important for law firms and businesses, such as Diamond and Diamond, to stay on the cutting edge of innovation. Law firms need tools that allow them to become more efficient, while building a larger client base at the same time.
It’s important for law firms and businesses to use customer relationship management (CRM) tools in order to grow customer relations as well as tools that help to share files, manage tasks, and everything else that goes on in daily operations. We recently spoke with Jeremy Diamond of Diamond and Diamond Personal Injury Lawyers, a highly regarded law firm in Toronto, to gain his top list of tools.
Jeremy Diamond, Lawyer, says that he uses these tools on a daily bases for managing his clients and communicating with other lawyers who are on his staff among other things.
Here are some of the top tools that you can start using today for your firm and businesses.
Task Management Software
Asana
Developed by one of the co-founders of Facebook and one of the ex-engineers, this app was designed to help Facebook employers become as productive as possible. With only one account you’ll be able to join multiple workspaces to collaborate on different projects, this is great for a firm like Diamond and Diamond that has multiple teams and legal niches that it serves. You can track assignments through scheduled tasks and the calendar feature makes it easy to see when deadlines are coming up. The user-interface on this app is seamless as well. Asana is free for up to 15 people.
Basecamp
This cloud-based software is widely used in the business world for its ability to be used on just about every computing platform. It has well-built product management tools and even allows you to configure it to personal needs quite easily. Diamond and Diamond heavily relies on it for team communication and discussion. To support its users, the company offers free online classes every week and holds live Q&A sessions about its product. You can get this software for $20 per month and there’s no user limit. Basecamp is $99 per month.
Communication Software
Slack
One of the best group messaging apps out on the market, Slack will revolutionize your communication experience. The app is designed with the workplace in mind and it can be used across multiple devices as well. Inside the Slack app you are able to build group chats and discuss topics one-on-one with other lawyers and clients. Diamond and Diamond will create individual chat channels for various cases, to make it as easy as possible to quickly communicate between lawyers, paralegals and intake coordinators. The app also makes it easy to upload and share files and make Skype video calls.
Skype
For video chatting, there really isn’t a better route to go than through Skype. Skype is a great tool for hosting one-on-one video chats which are ideal for talking to clients when you’re unable to meet face-to-face. At Diamond and Diamond, many of its clients are unable to visit the office (or vice versa), making face-to-face chat very important for providing more personal support. If you’d like to host a group video conference, you’re able to do that as well. The messaging chat feature makes for easy and quick communication and will let you share files. It’s a simple, but quality software.
Law Firm Management Software
Clio
Clio is a legal case and practice management software. It will help you to organize your whole firm through structuring workflows along with tasks. You’ll be able to schedule meetings and share documents with your clients directly and its payment system allows for you to receive your money quickly. It is able to integrate itself with QuickBooks, unlike many other management softwares. Clio is $39 per user per month when billed annually, or $49 on a month to month basis.
QuickBooks
Financials are never fun to deal with, but QuickBooks aims to make it a seamless process. This product is a great accounting service for a small law firm to help manage its books. It’s easy to add expenses in and expenses out, while also having other great features such as automated spending, organization assistance, dashboard overview, and more. You can start a 30-day free trial and from there it’s $30 per month.
Time Matters
Developed by LexisNexis Business of Law, Time Matters is used by more than 50,000 firms, including Diamond and Diamond Lawyers. These firms rely on it for custom case & matter management, billing, and more. This powerful software is specifically made for you and it’s easily customizable. It will help you to get rid of the information overload that comes from not being able to read every file or every email. And it will help you to multi-task easier, freeing up more time for your clients and associates.
MyCase
This online client portal allows your clients to review their cases and make any payments from their personal devices through mobile apps. The clients won’t have access to all the information you do, but they will see what you share with them. Diamond and Diamond believes this is a great way to increase transparency and client engagement. This means they can see things such as appointments, tasks, invoices, and whatever else you feel comfortable sharing. MyCase is $39 per month per attorney and $29 for support staff and paralegals.
Miscellaneous Software
Framestr
If you have no coding knowledge, fear not. Framestr is here for you. This app helps you to build an online form with ease. You do not have to have any previous coding knowledge and you’ll be able to build something that’s effective and branded to your law firm’s name. Diamond and Diamond recently implemented A/B testing for its contact forms and saw a 60% increase in form submissions. Framestr swears by helping you manage your online brand and workflow effectively.
Dropbox
Dropbox has been in use for a long time, but no one has quite taken its throne yet as a file sharing service. Dropbox is a cloud based storage service that gives every member a little space on the cloud of their own by allowing you to store and share large files. You can purchase 500 GB of space for only $9.99 per month.
Microsoft Office 365
As the name would suggest, Office 365 is a set of tools for you to run a virtual office. You’ll have access to a business-class email address with your law firms name among other communication tools such as video conferencing. There are file storage services as well that give up to 1 TB of data per user. You’ll also be able to use shared calendars, team chat, and more. There’s no need of worrying about limits either, as you can add hundreds of people to your virtual office. Plans range between $5 per month per user to $12.50.
These are a few of the best tools currently on the market for managing your law firm or business, communicating with team members and clients, and for many of your other operational needs. These tools will help you to work efficiently so that you can operate expertly. We’d like to thank Jeremy Diamond for giving us the list of tools his law firm Diamond and Diamond uses every day to run efficiently and effectively.
