Attorney’s Back Office™ Feature Introduction

RSS Feeds Module 

Today we’re introducing the RSS Feeds module designed to be your helpful assistant, so you can spend less time conducting research, and more time enjoying it.

RSS is a Web feed format, used for Web syndication and stands for Really Simple Syndication.

Web feeds are widely used by the web community for sharing the latest entries headlines or their full text, and even attach multimedia files. Some providers allow other websites to incorporate their syndicated headline or short summary feeds.

Attorney’s Back Office™ RSS Feeds module is used for many purposes, including marketing, research, or any other activity involving periodic updates and publications. Many companies use RSS feeds for delivering their news, replacing email and fax distribution. The news media also widely uses RSS by bypassing traditional news sources. Users access news and other information instantly and no longer waste time searching.

Attorney’s Back Office™ application comes with an RSS reader - it can check a list of feeds and display any updated articles that it finds. Every RSS feed has a unique address similar to the Web URLs. You don't need to use any other program or application to read the feeds - it is delivered to you right within the Attorney’s Back Office™ application

To view an RSS feed, enter the addresses into the Attorney’s Back Office™ RSS Feeds module and the information will be available to you with a click of a mouse. You can change the RSS Feed URL, delete it or create a new one.

For more information on how to set the RSS Feeds up within the Attorney’s Back Office™ application watch the video tutorial.

What Do You Need to Know About the Rules and Guidelines that Apply to a 

Virtual Law Office – Part 1

In our previous publications, we’ve talked about how a virtual law practice, or a virtual law office, an on-line (“cloud”) software application, like the Attorney’s Back Office, is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to the traditional, physical law office. The most important components within these software applications are the modules that help manage the entire law practice, including matters, clients, document management, calendaring, e-mail, tasking, accounting, time & billing, and reporting, as well as others. These modules provide an attorney/paralegal access to the software in order to run daily business operations and handle other business transactions related to the delivery of the legal services. 
A virtual law practice, or a virtual law office, also typically involves the use of a secure internet portal to render legal services, communicate with clients on the matters, and exchange documents and information within a digitally secure on-line environment with an end-to-end encryption.

Advocates of this type of approach emphasize decreased office rent and other overhead costs. They say that it helps increase productivity and the attorneys' ability to find that so called “work-life” balance allowing them to spend more time with their families and work from home. 
Critics of this approach stress the need for in-person client meetings to collaborate with them, to manage the firm’s staff on-site to resolve day-to-day issues and problems, and to run daily business operations. 
However, advocates and critics agree on one thing: attorneys practicing in a virtual law office must be in full compliance with the employment laws and the rules of professional conduct.

Under the employment laws, issues related to the operation of a virtual law office are similar to the policies that apply to telecommuting. Law firms that use the virtual law office software should adhere and implement practices and policies to address the following:
• Firm’s clients’ and staff's privacy and safeguarding of confidential information;
• Well-defined methods for time tracking, billing, and reporting;
• Firm’s staff's access to the Internet, computers, and the use of other equipment;
• Firm’s staff's compensation and safety issues.

In the United Stated, most of the State Bar Associations have issued their own Rules of Professional Conduct that the law practitioners must consider when using a virtual law office. These Rules are modeled after the August 2012 ABA-approved recommendations. They are based on the recommendations issued by the Ethics 20/20 Commission in order to amend the Model Rules regarding attorneys’ use of technology. 

In California, for example, there are no special rules of professional conduct that specifically address lawyers practicing and using virtual law office software. The chosen approach is simple – the same exact rules of professional conduct that apply to a traditional law firm apply to a virtual law firm.

The application and the enforcement of the rules, however, bring up some unique questions for virtual law office users, such as unauthorized practice of law, safekeeping clients' confidential information, communication and collaboration with clients, and others.

In our next article we will discuss more details related to the Rules of Professional Conduct.

For more information on the features and functions of the On-line Practice & Case Management Software Application visit our site @ www.attorneysbackoffice.com

Features and Functions of the On-line Practice & Case Management Software Application

In our previous article about the On-line Practice & Case Management Applications, we pointed out that in most cases, the software from different providers can vary in features, types of client bases that use it, and the area of the law that a firm specializes in. We also mentioned that, depending on the firm size and law areas, some of the features might not be suitable for larger firms, while some of the features might very well fit and serve effectively for a solo or small firm. When making your selection, always keep in mind that you need an application that will help to enhance your practice effectively and allow you to communicate with your client base seamlessly.

These are some of the features and functions that the On-line Practice & Case Management Software Application must include:

Client Account and Contacts Management

Client Account records usually contain client information details including their contact, address, phone, and other relevant info. The records might also store and track logs and details of phone calls, e-mails, and other forms of correspondence with your clients. A Client Account record usually serves as a base record that links all related to it records from other modules in order make it easy to automate the process and track all the other activities related to a specific client account.

Matter/Case Management

This is a module that keeps records of your matters/cases. It must be linked to a specific Client Account and is usually supplemented by Tasks, Deadlines, Opposition Info, Calendaring, To-Dos, Conflicts of Interest, and other essential modules

Time & Billing Modules

These features allow to record, track and invoice billable time. Billing can be done on an hourly, contingent, transactional, or flat-fee basis; per individually user-defined fees, or firm-wide. It might also be linked to a variety of time, billing, and accounting programs, or the application’s internal accounting modules. It should be able to create billing reports for each individual attorney or paralegal working in the firm.

Accounting

The various Accounting modules make it easy to manage a firm's accounts and clients' trust accounts. Whenever money is received or paid, a transaction record to register the event is created. Whether a transaction is created based on the Time & Billing record or a stand-alone invoice, your accounting should always be accurate and up to date.

Document Management and Assembly

These modules allow for managing, drafting, and merging of the documents. Usually they are linked to some sort of word processing program that can allow you to easily create or edit documents. These modules should also allow for documents to be assigned to a firm’s personnel to work on and chosen documents to be shared with clients via the Client Portal.

Calendaring & Docketing

These features are designed to allow a firm’s staff to view tasks, deadlines, appointments, and meetings by day, week, month, or year. Some of the applications can calculate calendar dates for filings, docketing, and handle reminders and deadlines. They should also manage schedules for appointments and meetings, and send reminders about those meeting.

Performance Analysis & Reporting

The reporting tools help improve a company’s activity, drive your business ahead, as well as increase efficiency and revenue. With these tools you’d be able to identify your most profitable matters and your firm's employees with most hours billed. You must have an ability to create and run a wide variety of reports at any time and download them into Excel or PDF files.

Client Portal

With the on-line, secure web-based Client Portal, you can share documents, tasks, deadlines and other information with your firm's clients. The private and secure portal access allows a firm’s clients to view all the important details pertaining to their matters. They should also be able to submit questions via the Client Inquiries module.

SSL Encryption

Ensure that all transmissions within the application are protected from the prying eye of hackers and anybody who wants to get their hands on any sensitive information. The application provider must make sure that that all the transactions are performed in a secured environment using the SSL encryption

Multi-user Access

Web-based Practice & Case Management Applications are up and running 24/7. They are accessible via virtually any PC, device, or platform. An unlimited number of authorized users can access data securely from any computer as long as they have Internet access, whether it is from their office, courthouse, home, or even while on vacation, if they chose to do so.

For more information on the features and functions of the On-line Practice & Case Management Software Application visit our site @ www.attorneysbackoffice.com

About  the On-line Practice & Case Management Software Applications

An On-line Practice & Case Management Application represents a wide variety of software tools that provide attorneys, paralegals, and other industry professionals with a convenient method of effectively managing their day-to-day operations.

An application usually includes features and functions that help manage client information, matters (both litigation and non-litigation), events, calendaring, tasking, deadlines, docketing and documents, details on the opposing party and their legal representation, and other specifics.

The core of the application is the CRM - Customer Relations Management software. The CRM allows a salesforce-type automation of the law practice eliminating the necessity to enter the same information more than once within the application – once a parent record is created everything else gets linked to it.

Applications are usually multi-user accessible. This means they allow information sharing with other attorneys and firm’s personnel. Nowadays, most of the On-line Practice & Case Management Applications are also mobile device-compatible - users can have easy access to client and matter information, calendar, tasks and schedules and other records anywhere and at any time needed.

On-line Practice & Case Management Applications usually vary in features, types of clients, and the area of law that a firm specializes in. For example, depending on the firm size, which ranges from solo practitioners to large law firms, some of the features might not be suitable for larger firms. However, some of the features might very well fit and serve effectively for a solo practitioner or small firm. Some of the application’s features might not work for an attorney that specializes in the bankruptcy law, but they will be a perfect fit for an immigration or personal injury attorney.

When time comes to select an On-line Practice & Case Management application:

-       Define what your practice management needs first;

-       Determine the features and functions that you and your personnel use daily;

-       Select an application that fits into your budget - pricing is crucial when it comes to On-line Practice & Case Management applications;

-       Make sure that the application provider allows you to have sufficient free trial time for you and your firm’s personnel to try the software and decide on its merits;

-       Select an application that will help enhance your practice effectively and provide you with the ability to collaborate and share matter information and documents with your firm’s clients seamlessly via an independent and secure client portal.

For more information on the features and functions of the On-line Practice & Case Management Software Application visit our site @ www.attorneysbackoffice.com