Firms work around their practice software
Almost every firm we work with has practice management software and a set of spreadsheets alongside it, because the software does not model something the firm actually does.
Those spreadsheets hold the real information, and they are the argument for either a better fit or a custom layer beside the existing system.
Time capture pays first
Time recorded at the end of the week is systematically understated. Capturing it as it happens typically recovers three to six per cent of billable hours that were worked and never recorded.
- Draft entries generated from calendar, email and document activity
- Confirmed by the fee earner in seconds, not minutes
- Matter allocation suggested from context
- Nothing recorded without a person confirming
Billing rules are where the complexity is
- Fixed fees, hourly, capped, conditional, staged — frequently all at once
- Different rates by fee earner and by client
- Disbursements handled separately
- Write-offs and write-ups, with approval rules
- Interim billing against work in progress
Modelling those properly is the difference between a system that produces bills and one where somebody checks every one by hand.
Reporting partners actually use
| Report | Question |
|---|---|
| Work in progress by matter | What is unbilled? |
| Realisation rate | What proportion of time gets billed? |
| Matter profitability | Which work is worth doing? |
| Utilisation | Capacity and workload |
| Aged debt | What is not being collected? |
Confidentiality shapes the design
Client material carries obligations beyond ordinary data protection, and professional rules may restrict subprocessors and hosting arrangements.
Settle those before building rather than discovering them at a security review.