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Legal Software and Information Technology Suppliers,
E to J, maintained by Delia Venables

These comments are based partly on my own notes and partly on the information provided by the suppliers themselves. If any point is particularly important to you, please do confirm this with the supplier.

This page was last updated on April 14th.

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Eclipse Legal Systems - market-leading case management software

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Easy Convey is a web-based conveyancing case management system designed specifically for small firms, generally with less than 10 fee-earners. There are several products involved, that can fit together in various ways. The firm runs the case management software (called Conveyancing Administration Software Application, or CASA for short) on their own system and can then provide case tracking information for their clients by exporting data to a secure site managed by Easy Convey. This case tracking process is called Track-A-Matter and can be customised to provide a style chosen by the firm. There can also be links at the front end of the system by providing online quotations to potential clients, also based on the easy convey site but containing the firms own charges and presentation style. This part of the system, called Online L@wyer Instruction, is designed particularly for local estate agents to look at the costs and instructions can then be received online. The system has now been designed to use any of the NLIS channels for the searches and also includes a gazetteer of over 25,800 towns, villages and districts linked to their local authority and district land registry (this part of the system is free to all to use, on the site). There is also a facility to decide whether a property is exempt from stamp duty and an extensive set of links to property-based web sites. Easy Convey is one of two software developers to have been accredited by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to submit Land Transaction Returns via the Internet. The process uses the Government's "gateway" process (requiring registration) and also uses encryption to send the forms. This is all part of the Government's push towards e-conveyancing.

Featured in the Law Society's Software Solutions Guide 2007
Member of the Legal Software Suppliers Assocation
Eclipse Legal Systems is a privately owned company with a staff of over 60 and over 400 firms amongst its clients, representing 8,000 individual users. The 2005 and 2006 Law Society Software Solutions Guides rate Eclipse as the number 1 provider that clients would most strongly recommend to colleagues and peers. The 2007 Guide ranks Eclipse top in 6 of its overall client research categories. Proclaim is used by firms encompassing the whole range of legal services: private practice, accident management firms, insurers, medical legal agencies, corporate legal departments, costs draftsmen and licensed conveyancing firms. Proclaim integrates all accounting, time recording, diary, task lists, reporting and document management functions and can be web-enabled to allow clients and referrers to securely view their live case files online or receive SMS text messages. The software can provide solutions ranging from an out-of-the-box package to a fully tailored bespoke system and can be installed for practices spread over multiple sites with hundreds of staff, to high-street firms wanting a departmental solution, or new start-ups of just one or two users. Eclipse's client list includes Barnetts Solicitors, Budget Insurance, Goldsmith Williams, Blakemores Solicitors, Colemans-ctts, Kingslegal and Co-operative Legal Services (CLS). The firm can also provide Internet/Intranet/Extranet design; hardware supply and installation; and Help Desk support via phone, fax, e-mail and web.

Member of the Legal Software Suppliers Assocation
Edgebyte was formed in 1990 by three experienced computer analysts/programmers and has since then built up a user-base of over 400 legal practices. The software is called "Lawbyte" and covers accounts and time recording software and also case management. It is simple to use and very cost effective.

e-know.net is a well established Managed Service Provider providing resilient hosting facilities for multiple software vendors. They are based in Telford with a state of the art £3 million server farm and 4,700 users worldwide. In the legal market they host applications for Axxia and DPS as well as general Microsoft Office products and around other 100 applications (non legal) for other customers. They are certified Microsoft Business Solutions providers. As well as providing Software as a Service (SaaS), they can provide Project Management, Consultancy, Implementation and training either directly or where appropriate through their network of strategic alliances.

emis intellectual technology legal systems have been developed by a team led by a practising solicitor with over 25 years IT experience and a dedicated group of external testers from an independent law firm. Focusing on trust, value and simplicity, emis intellectual technology aims to deliver easy-to-implement timesaving for lawyers and support staff through its cutting edge Seneca CM software. As legal specialists, emis has designed a software system that can adapt to each firm's working practices, as every firm is unique. Everything a firm needs is included within Seneca CM as part of the standard purchase price. This includes document management and creation (incorporating fully integrated digital dictation); workflow; CRM; an integrated accounting suite; web publishing and many other areas of powerful functionality. emis it fully manages the implementation of any new system as part of the standard purchase price with no hidden consultancy costs.
emis is already the market leader in the primary healthcare market, supplying clinical systems to 56 per cent of GPs in the UK. Every day, over 39 million patient records are trusted to an emis clinical system.

enSynergy International Ltd offers "enVisual SQL" - a range of accounting and administration software products for the professional sector. (The name comes from Greek synergos - "working together"). Their case/practice management module "enPractice SQL" includes engagement management, visual based document management, contact / marketing management client time/expense capture, complete work in progress ledgers, integrated multi-currency invoicing and sales ledger, and reporting and statistics modules. enPractice optionally integrates with their enAccount SQL multi-currency nominal ledger modules. There is also Company Secretarial, Document Custody and Portfolio Management software. All of enSynergy's software products support VAT and multi-currency and are written for client-server architecture. enSynergy have offices in London, Yorkshire, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Monaco and Bermuda.

e-Syscare Limited is a new independent company dedicated to working closely with customers to provide practical advice, guidance and support in selecting or changing, designing, implementing or maintaining case management and document assembly computer systems. They assist firms to get the most out of current systems, to replace existing systems with new ones, to install new systems from scratch and to change or re-structure their template forms and documents.

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Ferret Information Systems offers welfare benefits and tax credits calculation software suitable for all levels of experience. The software is available for a variety of platforms including PC, Pocket PC (PDA), public access terminals, internet and intranet. Ferret also produce Fintal software (and provides pay–per- case advice), which helps advisers selling equity release to meet the FSA rules in respect of benefits, tax and funding methods. Ferret publish a CD ROM, Social Security and Child Support Law, a comprehensive library of, Legislation, Precedent, Guidance and Commentary. Ferret also carry out training and consultancy.

Footsteps Management Solutions is a Business and People Consultancy for Chambers run by Jonathan & Jackie Maskew. Their services include offering advice, guidance and support in Human Resource Management, Recruitment and Selection, Coaching and Mentoring, Project and Interim Management, Business Development and Marketing, Quality Compliance and Investors in People Consultancy. Relating to software training, Footsteps can offer training in graduated fees, both criminal and family, the efficient use of Outlook, email and Sage

FWBS (FWBS) is a Northampton company offering Office Management Software Solutions for Solicitors, Accountants and Professional Services. Their Document Management System covers everything from simple word processed documents through to email management and desktop faxing. Case Manager provides progress reports by clients and matter to link with on-line case tracking for bulk work providers using the company's own secure server. Interactive law is the product umbrella for a number of web services that have been designed for law firms to get "interactive" with their web site.

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Gavel & Gown is better known under the names of its two main products, Amicus Attorney and PCLaw. Please see these two respective entries for details.

Griersons Limited provide the Griersons Office Manager range of solicitors software including Accounts, Time Recording, Document Storage & Retrieval, Computer Telephony, File Management, Practice Management, Crime Manager and Case Management software. Written in 1996 the software has continued to evolve and runs under any Microsoft platform using Microsoft Access as its core database. Griersons Ltd is a software and Hardware supplier and can provide a full bespoke solution from designing the initial system, providing hardware, software, cabling and support through to the final commissioning. They are happy to integrate with other suppliers or can become the 'one-stop' IT supplier. The software provides an automated "Unique File Number" for Crime matters and is fully integrated with HotDocs. Griersons Limited can also provide a comprehensive web design and development service which includes an e-commerce element should that be required. To that end, Griersons offers a family of easy to use, feature-rich e-commerce software solutions that can grow with the business; backed up by a comprehensive range of support options.

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Hillhead Associates provide software called COURTMAN, designed specifically for Scottish Litigators. It ensures compliance with ordinary case rules, calculates critical dates and warnings, generates standard court forms and replaces the firm's court diary. It works either as a standalone solution or in a network and is designed to work "out of the box" with minimal configuration. Designed by solicitors for solicitors, it has already been sold to several firms in Aberdeen and Glasgow.

HotDocs is document generation software created and sold by Capsoft UK Ltd. Based in Edinburgh and London, Capsoft UK has won several awards, both in the US and UK. As well as the original style of using HotDocs (where the user runs software on his/her own computer) there is also a version of the software called HotDocs Online which can be used to generate forms and documents online which some firms are using to provide legal document generation for their clients. There is a demonstration of this on the Capsoft site.

Hummingbird Communications Ltd has now been acquired by Open Text Corporation.

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Iken Business Ltd is a specialist case management, time recording, workflow and document management application for public and private sector lawyers. It has been selling its system since 2000 and is currently the fastest growing supplier of legal case management to local government with sales to more than 30 councils including London Boroughs. There are also private sector legal clients and several users outside the legal sector including case management in central government. Iken has a strong commitment to the Law Society's Lexcel standard and offers a complete working environment covering all forms of legal work from unstructured "solicitor-led" to structured "process-led" types, which simplifies the task of Lexcel compliance and risk management.

iManage is a worldwide company offering document management, content management, intranets, collaborative workspaces and portal software for major firms. The major software suite is called The Interwoven 6 Product Suite.

Infographics is the UK distribution partner for FloSuite business process and case management software, used by UK Legal 200 and major international corporate law firms (see also the FloSuite product website). Built on .NET technology, FloSuite enables legal specialists to define, deploy and continually evolve core business processes in real time, directly from the desktop, without any IT development requirement. This flexibility allows FloSuite to support cross-discipline legal case management and team-based collaboration, as well as automating processes like new file opening.

Information for Lawyers - provides a full range of electronic publishing services for the legal sector, plus electronic forms and precedents and document assembly solutions using HotDocs.

Inpractice (previously known as Practical Solutions) helps solicitors and lawyers in private practice, industry and Local Government across the UK to get results from technology and marketing. Led by well known consultant Allan Carton, the team have worked for a host of legal firms over the last 15 years, ranging from sole practitioners operating in niche areas to Top 100 firms. Offering a wide range of skills, they can assist a firm to improve profitability, streamline operations and ease pressure. The site provides regular (free) updates on business development options for lawyers.

InQuisita Law offers a comprehensive chambers management solution for chambers. It was launched as a new entrant to the barristers market in 2003/2004, designed from the ground-up in collaboration with a number of users to anticipate the changing and increasingly demanding needs of a modern chambers. There are now around 40 chambers who use the InQuisita software. The system is a browser based application enabling simplistic support and upgrading and offers both fee notes and invoice processing in multi-currency for case billing. InQuisita Law is also available with a CRM component, can be fully integrated with Exchange for Outlook users, has the option for an online data security service called IQ Guardian and is provided as standard with a contractual SLA for the support services.

Interface Software was bought by LexisNexis. See entry on these pages under LexisNexis Interaction.

Iris is a major UK software company which last year bought out the Computer Software Group - which itself had acquired several leading names in the legal software world over the previous couple of years, including AIM, Videss, Mountain and Laserform. Now, Iris has announced its product strategy for practice and case management. They will be concentrating their development on the Videss system (for larger firms) and Mountain's new "Connected" product (for smaller firms). In fact the Connected product is itself based on Mountain's system for Chambers, since Mountain bought out the prevous leader in the barristers' market, Meridian Law, a few years ago. Customers of AIM and TPS (The Partnership Suite, strong in Scotland) will continue to be fully supported until July 2011 and will be offered a free software upgrade to Iris Law when they are ready. Arlene Adams, MD of the company, said that they would be investing £5 in developing their legal systems over the next few years.

Isokon is a leading supplier of software for trust and probate work with software which can be scaled for large firms or small ones (there are over 500 individual users of the software). Areas covered include Estate and Probate Administration, Executry (for Scotland), Trusts Management and Administration, Investment and Portfolio Management for Trusts and Estates, Taxation - Inheritance Tax (IHT), Taxation - Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Private Client Investment Management for Individuals, Financial Statement Production for Trusts and Estates and Forms Production (Tax Returns and IHT Forms)

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Featured in the Law Society's Software Solutions Guide 2007
Member of the Legal Software Suppliers Assocation
JCS Computing Solutions is a software house specialising in the Legal and Medical markets in the UK. The company has traditionally worked with smaller firms - almost 70% of their clients are five fee-earner or less firms. They have offered cost effective solutions whilst still providing the necessary support. Their software is called Legal Ledger FiLOS.

JMC IT (previously JM Computing and also jmc.it) is a well respected computer supplier based in Manchester. JM supply other market sectors as well as solicitors and have considerable networking experience. They work with about 170 Practices, supporting them with dedicated Case Management Solutions, Practice Management Solutions, and word processing systems. In addition they design and implement inter-office links, e-mail systems, both internal and external, and X400 mail solutions. For the legal software, they offer software from Mountain Software, see next software page.

Jordans offer a range of company formation and compliance software. Formations Online is web-based software allowing you to form limited companies electronically within 24 hours. No paper forms or signatures are required. When the company is incorporated you can downloaded all the incorporation details into PCSec, Jordans' company secretarial compliance software, ready for ongoing administration. PCSec enables you to undertake the administration of any number of companies, monitoring time-critical annual events, producing all statutory documentation including forms, resolutions, minutes and statutory registers.

j t-w consulting ltd are legal sector specialists in Strategy and Business Development, Management Training, Lexcel Implementation and Investors in People (IIP) for Solicitors. Their Lexcel Consultants are registered with the Law Society and have completed the same Lexcel initial training and CPD as the assessors who will pass or fail your firm. Their management training and other courses are approved by the Law Society for solicitors' CPD. The name of the firm comes from founder and key consultant Jay Tayler-Webb.

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Comments or queries? Or a new software company to add? email delia@venables.co.uk