Legal Software and Information Technology Suppliers A to D
Information on software suppliers, IT consultants and companies associated with legal software, maintained by Delia Venables.
These descriptions are based partly on Delia's own notes and partly on the information provided by the suppliers themselves.
Acorn Legal provides a legal accounts bureau service aimed at sole practitioners
and smaller firms. The practice does not need to employ a cashier, purchase software or undergo training. A fixed monthly
fee covers all accounts postings and regular reporting, including reports such as quarterly VAT figures. There is also
no limit to the number of postings so the fixed monthly fee is exactly that meaning no surprises! Online access is
also available for ledger enquiries, time recording and custom reports. The firm simply provides Acorn Legal with details
of each transaction and these are then posted to the accounts. A comprehensive report pack is provided at the end of
each month and a more detailed pack ot the year-end which the firm can hand straight to the reporting accountant.
For smaller firms unable to find a cashier or where a practitioner is managing the books him/herself, unloading the
burden of the accounts postings and freeing up enough time to raise one more bill each month would typically more
than pay for this service.
Adeo Legal Technology provides specialised information
technology advice and services to the legal profession and government agencies. Adeo has operated in Dublin
since 1992 providing quality litigation support services in both Ireland and the UK. The London office was
established in 2002 to better service the needs of a growing client base. Both offices are staffed by a
dedicated team of consultants who travel extensively within Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe depending
upon the location of a project. They assist law firms in trial preparation and trial presentation
and can assist with the collection and exchange of discoverable materials in electronic format.
Adeo provides hard copy document processing (scanning, indexing, coding and printing) and electronic
document processing (email processing, e-document processing), as well as litigation support software
and training, litigation support consultants and project managers.
ADERANT is a leading international provider of business solutions to professional
services organisations worldwide. Products offered include CMS.Net, Keystone, ADERANT Business
Intelligence, Novient and now ADERANT Front Office CRM. They are also able to offer major domain expertise.
Today with three major regional centres UK & Europe,
Asia Pacific and North America their global workforce is focused specifically on services software.
They serve more than half a million users and 630 clients worldwide.
Simon Meehan continues as General Manager.
AlphaLaw (previously MSS) has been providing legal software for over 25 years
and is one of the relatively few Law Society Recommended Software Solution Providers.
The company has over 1,600 firms throughout the UK and Ireland using their systems - probably more users
than any other supplier. Users range from the large multi-branch, city centre style of
firm to the high street practice and single practitioner. Many international commercial companies, insurance
companies and local authorities also use AlphaLAW software products.
MSS (now AlphaLaw) also specialise in network design, supply and support of computers and networks.
The products available under the AlphaLaw name are as follows:
AlphaLAW-esprit is the legal professions most widely used integrated accounting, time recording,
reporting and document production system, specifically designed for the smaller high street firm or sole practitioner.
AlphaLAW-vantage is the fully integrated Legal Practice Management System, for the larger and multi office
firm of up to 300 fee earners. The component applications interconnect via a commonly shared relational database.
AlphaLAW-Vantages new CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) facility integrates computers and
telephones to offer law firms a new way to boost firm productivity and efficiency.
The new AlphaLAW-Vantage ePost facility is an integrated document scanning and management system
for firms wanting to manage inbound and outgoing correspondence. This facility, coupled with a scanner,
enables a law firm to transform paper documents into information that is easily integrated into
AlphaLAW-Vantage applications, such as Time Recording and Matter Enquiry.
AlphaLAW-Uno is a Microsoft .Net based Case Management system that provides extensive and advanced
workflow functionality for law firms, enabling the building of complex document based collaborative solutions.
This is a total redesign of case management in both approach and functionality and is a result of the experience
gained over many, many years in designing and supporting such systems.
There are also a substantial number of users in Ireland
(200) both north and south.
Amicus Attorney from Gavel & Gown Ltd
is a Case Management
system with 225,000 users worldwide. (The parent company is Canadian but
there is full system Technical Support, implementation and Training in the
UK). The latest Version 7 has now been released, this is an SQL based
version and is offered with a Browser option. Amicus Attorney allows you to
effectively manage the continuous stream of information you must deal with
every day; providing a comprehensive suite of tools for managing client
matter files, people, documents, deadlines, appointments and "to do" time
entries, CRM, phone calls, e-mails, messages, notes, legal research,
conflict checks, business development and date calculations. It organises
all the information in one integrated system, including synchronization with
your PDA and more. Pricing is a one-off 229 per user for the Standard
Edition (includes MSDE SQL Database) and 329 for the Premium Edition (SQL
is required, 69 per user if supplied by Amicus).
Anya Designs Anya Designs has been providing legal software
for 12 years and supports over 400 firms. With a particularly strong following amongst contentious work lawyers,
users range from sole practitioners to multi partner, multi branch firms nationwide. Anya's product range includes:
· iLaw CK: The legal aid package for all franchise contract areas: Crime, Family, Civil and Immigration.
Includes time recording, case management, full legal aid and private billing, document production, accounts and reports
· iLaw Professional: The case management package for growing and larger firms, private or legal aid. As well as full
time recording, billing and accounts, iLaw Professional provides high-end case management from call logs to undertakings,
workflows to scanned document archives.
· iLaw Grad Fees and Advocate: the only stand alone packages for Crime graduated and Litigators fees
· iMobile: case management on the move, everything you need on your laptop, fully synchronisable with iLaw
when you return to your office
· iLaw Web: web design, internet marketing and SEO to enable law firms to increase client acquisition and retention.
Axiom Business Computers Ltd, established in 1982,
has been delivering Legal Software Solutions to firms throughout the UK for over 21 years.
Over 300 Law Firms in Scotland use Axiom Legal Software Solutions.
The current range of software has been developed to integrate seamlessly with
Microsoft Windows and Office products (they are Microsoft Certified Solution Providers)
and uses the power of these applications to extend the functionality of its own
applications. The current version of Practice Manager, based on Microsoft SQL Server,
is modular in design and contains Legal Accounts, Client Relationship Management,
Document Management, Case Management, Estate Agency, Time Recording and The Vault - a
Document Indexing Tool. Clients can pick and mix whichever modules they require.
Other services available include Web related reporting,
Web Site Design, Hosting and Mail Forwarding. Axiom can also
support the network infrastructure of its client so the clients have
only one point of contact for all their support needs.
Member of the Legal Software Suppliers Assocation
Axxia is now known as LexisNexis Axxia Axxia. For the past four decades, Axxia has delivered market
leading back office solutions to legal firms and organisations across the public sector; then in February 2008,
they became part of LexisNexis, a member of Reed Elsevier, a FTSE 100 company with 3.2 million customers in 100+
countries. LexisNexis is a leading provider of Practice & Productivity Management solutions. They work with
customers to drive productive, reliable and profitable decisions. Their services include Axxia dna which
redefines traditional practice management software with this fully-integrated, next generation solution.
Going beyond traditional accounting and time and billing functionality, dna also includes case and matter
management, document management, legal accounting, time and billing, contact management and workflow capabilities.
B
Bailey Solutions
is a UK based company supplying
library management software to help library and information managers run
their library efficiently so they can spend more time on front of desk
activities like legal research. They are the market leader in legal
libraries with over 110 legal libraries using one of their products
including law firms, in-house legal departments and barristers chambers.
Whether the requirement is for a simple catalogue so everyone can find titles, or
the more complex requirements of global and multi-site firms, they
have a range of products to suit every type of practice.
PenLib was originally designed for small law
firms and KnowAll is suitable for medium to large or multi-site law
firms whilst Lookup provides an instant online catalogue. All
products have a browser based interface that fits in with your intranet
so library users can search the catalogue and carry out other library
functions.
Bar Squared provide a software product called LEX Chambers Management –
a complete software solution for Barristers Chambers. Bar Squared is the latest entrant to the market
but employs an experienced team combining clerks and software developers. LEX runs through Microsoft
SQL server and Internet Explorer so is quick to deploy and can be used easily whether in chambers or remotely.
LEX offers: Multi-view Diary – Case Management – Fees and Billing – Graduated Fees - Workflow –
Drill Through Reporting – Marketing – CRM (client and prospective solicitors) - Solicitor profiling –
Mail Merge - Campaign Management – Diary to Exchange to Blackberry/Windows Mobile – Practice Analysis –
Document Management – Time Recording – LEX for Mobile IE – System Resilience.
As of August 2009, LEX has now been successfully installed at 44 Chambers across the UK since
its release in January 2007, with a further 17 Chambers currently awaiting deployment.
CBitSoft Ltd offers a suite of conveyancing software
called Case Family. This consists of CaseCollect, CaseQuote, CaseMan and CaseTrack,
all of which can be purchased, or leased, separately or together as required.
The system provides full integration with the Internet for obtaining new business,
as well as enabling clients and other parties secure
access to view the progress of their case online 24/7. The quotation module
produces quotations quickly and efficiently and the case management system
allows the conveyancer to view the progress of cases as well as being able
to automatically assemble communication documents, generate forms and access the NLIS via
Searchflow, TM Property and Transaction-Online. The system
can check its own database daily and carry out the tasks of producing the forms and
communications that are due automatically and autonomously if the user wishes.
The system user interface is highly intuitive meaning that training requirements are
minimal. Free demonstrations of the systems can be arranged and the products are available for a
free evaluation period. Systems can be purchased outright or leased if preferred.
Chris Dale Lawyer Support contains useful information
on litigation support, e-disclosure and also web site
design and he acts as a consultant on these topics, particularly in helping lawyers get started with e-disclosure.
He qualified as a solicitor in 1980 and since then has worked for 13 years as a developer of litigation software
and in litigation readiness, data conversion and
related matters, and specifically on complex or badly-presented data.
He is well-known as a commentator on both technical e-Disclosure matters, recent and pending changes to the Court
Rules, and the litigation support market, particularly as it affects firms who are not yet committed to electronic
Disclosure. He also has a litigation support Blog just beginning
here.
Chrome River Expense is an online expense reporting and management service
that is built from the ground up specifically to meet the needs of professional services organizations. With no up-front hardware or
software costs and a solution that is quickly deliverable to users around the globe, the product provides a virtually instant return on
investment. Log in over the internet and enter the expense against the appropriate matter or project number and the job is done.
Paper receipts can be scanned in and attached to the entry. It also integrates with a corporate credit card.
The company is based in the USA but is now expanding into the UK.
Member of the Legal Software Suppliers Assocation Civica UK Limited has been supplying IT systems to Legal
Departments and medium to large sized practices for over 20 years. With nearly 3,000 daily users they are both a Microsoft
and Citrix GOLD Certified Partner. As part of the Civica Group which employs more than 1500 people and delivers software
and services to more than 1800 customers in the UK and internationally, the Legal business is able to draw on the broad
experience and stability of the one of the UK's foremost software specialists. The Legal range of
software is a comprehensive and fully integrated practice, case and document management system for both private and
public sector clients. The system is totally integrated with a central relational database (SQL Server) that
operates on Windows platforms in either a 'thick' or 'thin' environment or supplied as a 'hosted' or 'managed' service.
Standard Workflows can be supplied to assist with the rapid deployment of a case system in a firm including
LEXCEL/Risk Management, Conveyancing, Personal Injury, Re-mortgage, Mortgage Repossession, Family, Criminal, Wills,
Trust and Probate and Debt Collection module as well as special applications for the Local Authority user.
The system can also be used in 'generic' mode to provide a complete, firm-wide system and conformance to 'Practice Standards'
which enables firms to manage electronic files for every Client and Case within the practice or legal department.
Other features include the ability for documents to be scanned directly into the system and updates to clients, partners,
fee earners, support staff or third party service providers being sent by e-mail, task lists, fax, SMS message or Web-based
extranet link.
Civica Legal integrates with Outlook, GroupWise and Lotus Notes to provide e-mail, calendar and task list functionality.
Civica Legal also integrates to CPC, CCBC, PCOL, NLIS, LLPG, BACS, Equitrac and various formats for bank reconciliation.
Second in the Institute of Legal Cashiers survey of user satisfaction 2007 Featured in the Law Society's Software Solutions Guide 2008 Cognito Software writes and develops innovative workflow
management software to help automate work environments.
Since 1991, the company has been supplying specialist applications to the legal profession and have
developed a powerful suite of software tools for Solicitors.
All modules can be fully integrated with each other and share a common database.
* PracticeManager - Accounting in line with SAR, 200 Management Reports,
Fee Earner Performance, Credit Control.
* CaseManager - Automatic letter generation, form filling and calculations. Time Recording, Diary,
Block Contracting LSC, Conveyancing, Debt Collection, Employment, Family, Personal Injury.
* Custodiens - Case and Trust & Probate Accounting; Automated completion of IHT 200 and D forms, Pre and
Post grant letters and Final Estate Accounts.
CompuForms,
which is part of the DMR Information and Technology Group,
design and develop UK legal and statutory forms for use with computer
based form filling systems. There are nearly 700 statutory and compliance
forms available with automatic monthly updates.
The CompuForms library is available for use with Microsoft Word,
Novell Informs, Jordans' Forms on Disk and other industry standard
software. Forms can be purchased and
downloaded from the site for running on your own premises, or (for a one-off
form) filled in on the site and then downloaded as a single finished form.
Convex IT provides IT Management Services,
Absence Cover and Case Management System Development and is run by Stephen Molyneux.
The company is a member of the Connect2Law scheme.
ConveyanceLink is designed to
streamline the whole conveyancing process, from sending a quote to finalising a completion statement.
It removes the inital investment
and annual license fees usually associated with a quality case
management solution and replaces them with a cost per file, which can be passed on as a
disbursement. The system assists users through
every step of the process, from producing the initial estimate through
to e-submission of the SDLT - producing letters, Land Registry forms,
bills and completion statements along the way.
Convey Control, from the creators
of "SDLT.co.uk" is the conveyancing case
management system for high street practices, developed by conveyancers for
conveyancers. Helping to standardise, automate and track each step in the
conveyancing process, Convey Control is intended to significantly reduce
administration time, and therefore costs, for all types of conveyancing. The
software contains over 300 easily personalised standard letters, documents
and official forms together with a database containing details of all
clients and other related parties. It monitors completion warning dates and
provides pro-active secure web-based progress reports for clients,
solicitors, estate agents and other parties.
See also SDLT.co.uk.
Corel Corporation
provides WordPerfect, which continues to battle against
the ubiquity of Microsoft Word. Corel has addressed concerns of the
compatibility of Word Perfect and Microsoft Word; files can be interchanged
easily between these formats with little or no loss of information or formatting as
well as easy publishing to pdf, html. and xml.
Based in Ottawa, Canada, Corel was an early pioneer in graphics
software and continues to develop innovative business and Internet software for a variety
of platforms, including Linux.
Crescendo provides a suite of software which allows healthcare facilities,
law firms and police departments around the world to automate and streamline the most complex documentation workflows,
from the dictation phase to the automated distribution of final reports. DigiScribe-XL
is advanced digital dictation software with rich workflow management features. Crescendo also offers a speech recognition module,
an electronic signature application, an IP gateway for real-time voice and data processing as well as
custom interfaces (i.e.: HL7) to integrate document creation with the rest of the IT infrastructure.
DESKspace is an environment for
a solicitors' practice and other professionals, designed by solicitor Nick Lightbody.
It stores and processes people,
organisations, clients, matters, reminders, files, reports/deeds /
valuables/ documents, communications, time spent, expense incurred, bills or
invoices issued, receipts and payments. The software is based on FileMaker Pro,
a relational database. The networked version can cater for up to 250 users
and there is a full double entry accounts system included.
Featured in the Law Society's Software Solutions Guide 2008 DPS Software plc, based in Enfield, Middlesex, has been one of the
leading suppliers of case management software for many years, serving over 600 practices and 15,000 individual users.
Their case management modules cover conveyancing, criminal billing and franchising, matrimonial, personal injury,
wills & probate and general litigation support.
Supplied as a modular solution, their software can be run remotely as SAAS (Software as a Service) or fully hosted and
DPS are encouraging this type of operation for smaller and medium sized firms in particular, since it reduces the
IT burden for the firm concerned. Their solutions can also be placed in products such as MS Outlook™ or within web browsers.
All DPS applications are fully integrated, working from a single common database, so data is only entered once and is
thereafter available for all applications. Their accounts system, DPS Cashier Accounts, and their Digital Dictation management
system, TeamTalk, integrate fully with the case management system. Their One Office case management system can also use TikitTFB,
Elite, Civica or any other SQL based accounts systems as their 'home' client and matter databases.
DPS OneOffice case management software assembles documents, forms and letters and tracks fee earner 'to do' lists.
In the background the system also tracks all the work that individuals have done (or had done for them) in any one day.
This can then be reviewed and electronically approved.
The system automatically costs all actions taken and prompts fee-earners when time is likely to have been used,
e.g. in a court appearance. Time can also be recorded using on-screen clocks or after the event. Matter history can be
published live to the web and can be viewed by clients and work providers using passwords.
Outlook Office from DPS allows fee earners to check their email, preview their cases and documents and indeed open
new cases from within the already familiar environment of MS Outlook. This software combines case management with the
phone, digital dictation, task, web and text messaging services, legal accounts and document assembly.
Using TeamTalk from DPS, fee earners can create letters then dictate amendments or whole sections of body text.
The voice recording along with the partial letter is then delivered to the secretaries for transcription. All jobs
are tracked in both the dictation and case management and all workflows are fully user definable.
DPS have recently announced their acquisition of the assets of Access Legal Systems. Access Legal Systems products
are fully integrated, built around a single SQL database and comprise: Practice and Client Database; Legal Accounting and
Time Recording; Time Capture; and Case Management. To support these applications the company offers a full installation,
training and ongoing software service programme.
