Successful lawyers know the value of good time management, and they know that accurate timekeeping is a crucial component of that. The value of time-tracking technology will become increasingly apparent to lawyers in 2023 as they face the commercial problems of maintaining a lucrative legal company. Because of this, investing in reliable timekeeping software for your legal practice is crucial to the firm’s long-term financial health.
However, picking the best tool for your business from the ever-expanding pool of options can be challenging. Separate timekeeping solutions are available, as are those integrated into legal billing and law firm management programs.
This article will teach you why your law firm requires timekeeping software and how to pick the best program for your practice. To further aid your research, we’ve included a list of standalone and integrated time-tracking solutions for solo and small-firm lawyers. Please be aware that this is by no means an exhaustive list but does cover some of the more well-known and widely accepted choices accessible today.
Before we look at some of those tools, it’s important to note that they are cloud-based, meaning that your data will be stored on servers owned by a third party. Your ethical requirements (which include technology competence) compel you to conduct extensive due diligence on the technology provider hosting and storing your law firm’s data because you will be entrusting that data to them. This responsibility includes finding out such details as the location of the company’s data storage servers, the identities of the individuals who will have access to the data, and the frequency and method of data backups.
Why use time-tracking tools?
Accurately tracking billable time is a major obstacle to the financial success of law firms. Law firms can better capture their work and bill their clients by employing online and mobile billing technologies. By eliminating the need for lawyers to spend time at the end of the day, week, or month recreating their workday from scratch in the face of a blank timesheet, modern cloud-based time-tracking software streamlines the timekeeping process and incentivizes them to measure time as they work.
By improving the functionality of online time-tracking systems, legal practices can better track and bill for more billable hours, resulting in higher profits. Some systems, for instance, include built-in passive timekeeping capabilities that monitor user activity and record any time spent on a computer, mobile device, or piece of software.
Statistics from the recently released MyCase + LawPay 2023 Benchmark Report Part 1 show that software with passive time-tracking capabilities can significantly increase a firm’s bottom line. The analysis found that attorneys who used passive time-tracking software were able to bill an extra 64 hours of time in 2022, which, at the average hourly rate of $350, amounted to an extra $22,425.
Choosing time-tracking software
When looking into timekeeping software, it’s important to take into account your company’s specific requirements and the technologies currently in use. Find out if you can get by with a standalone tool or if you’ll need to spring for more sophisticated software like legal billing software or law firm management software that incorporates time-tracking capability.
Remember that the following resources offer a wide range of features and can help you with many aspects of time management. Your final decision should be based on how well the software supports your company’s workflows, operations, and goals.
Timekeeping tools to consider
You can try Tackle to meet your time-tracking and billing needs seamlessly. While there are numerous solutions available online, we highly recommend Tackle as a comprehensive and user-friendly option. With Tackle’s intuitive interface and robust features, you can effortlessly track billable hours, manage client invoices, and streamline your firm’s financial processes. By utilizing Tackle, you gain access to a powerful tool that not only simplifies your tracking and billing tasks but also enhances efficiency and accuracy. Take advantage of Tackle’s capabilities by signing up for free or by scheduling a call with our team. For more information, click here.
There are a number of benefits to using time-tracking tools embedded in practice management or legal billing software. First, the timekeeping feature is often integrated into the subscription cost of the software package. And any billable time recorded is automatically linked with the appropriate case, a capability that streamlines the process of generating, modifying, and sending invoices. Inefficiencies are reduced since there’s no need for duplicate entry of time data from a stand-alone time-tracking software program into another software program.
No matter how you look at it, it’s clear that the benefits of time-tracking technology have the potential to propel your law firm toward greater efficiency and profitability. But choosing the right tool is essential. When conducting your research, make sure to take advantage of any free trials, get input from key stakeholders, and ensure that the software you ultimately choose includes the features needed to achieve your firm’s legal billing goals.
Rest assured that your careful research and planning will pay off. By embracing innovative time-tracking technology, you’ll be ensuring your firm’s future success. Your hard work will give your firm a competitive advantage, and your investment will ultimately improve its bottom line.
