Tabs3 Practice Management Blog for Law Firms

If revenue is the lifeblood of a law firm, the billing function is its beating heart. Whether you specialize in billing or juggle many administrative duties, the questions you ask when opening a new file set the stage for successful billing and collections.

This guide offers a deep dive into definitions and fee structures. It wraps up with a list of questions to help you navigate any billing setup, no matter how complicated. Part 2 of this series will delve into how to bill for various fee structures.

Note: While this guide is software-agnostic, Tabs3 Billing users can get how-to information about each of these methods in the Billing Methods Guide.

An overview of billing terminology

Fee structures are broad categories of legal fees, like hourly, contingency, flat rate, or hybrids. 

Fees compensate the firm for its legal work, like appearing in court or preparing a document. The most common fee structure is hourly. For an hourly matter, the fees are the number of hours each timekeeper worked, multiplied by the timekeeper’s rate.

Costs compensate the firm for its expenditures, like copying files or paying court filing fees. Costs are divided into expenses and advances. Expenses represent a portion of the firm’s overhead, like copying files on the firm’s photocopier. Advances are actual payments the firm makes on behalf of a client, like filing fees paid to the court.

Discounts reduce the bill. They can apply to the entire bill, or a partner might write down (not charge for) part of the fee.

Nearly every matter has a written fee agreement, which says how the fee will be calculated, who is responsible for costs, the billing cadence, and other agreements about representation. It may also be called an engagement letter, engagement agreement, fee contract, etc.

Depending on your firm’s size and file-opening process, you may get the actual fee agreement when you are setting up a new matter or only the information related to billing.

Fee structures can be simple or complex

The most common fee structures are hourly, contingency, and flat fee. But there are also hybrids that include any two of those fee structures, or even all three.

Hourly fee structure

Most transactional and defense litigation matters are billed hourly, as are most family law and criminal defense cases. Timekeepers track the number of hours they spend on a matter, and the fee is the number of hours multiplied by the appropriate rate. Clients are usually billed monthly for the fees incurred in the prior month.

For instance, if Attorney A records 5.0 hours at $250 per hour and Paralegal B records 6.0 hours at $150 per hour, the total fees are $2,150 ($265 x 5.0 plus $150 x 6.0).

Tips and tricks for hourly fee structures

• The client is almost always responsible for costs in hourly matters.
• Most discounts are write-downs by the reviewing attorney during the statement review/pre-billing process.
• While the billing rate is set by the fee agreement, you may not have access to the actual fee agreement. Some firms assign multiple rates to a single timekeeper, or set rates based on role/seniority. You may need clarification to choose the correct rate.
• Some matters may have contingency fees or flat fees in addition to hourly fees, so it might make sense to double-check whether an hourly case is purely hourly. For many firms, however, it is rare to see anything other than straightforward hourly billing.

Contingency fee structure

Contingency fee structures are most common in plaintiff-side litigation, like personal injury or civil rights. In a pure contingency case, the firm is only paid if the client recovers money, either through settlement or winning at trial. These cases typically give the attorney a percentage of the recovery, like this:

A schoolteacher experiences sexual harassment at work and engages the firm. The teacher and the firm agree that the firm will initially pay for all costs and will not charge an hourly rate. If the teacher’s claim is successful, the firm will receive 30% of whatever she was awarded and she will reimburse the firm for costs. If she recovers nothing, the firm will not bill her for fees or costs.

After six months of work, the case settles for $100,000. The firm has incurred $5,000 in costs. When the firm receives the settlement check (and it clears), the firm deducts $5,000 for costs plus $30,000 for the contingency fee. The rest, $65,000, goes to the client.

Tips and tricks for contingency fee structures

• Nearly every state prohibits contingency fees in family law and criminal defense matters.
• Some states allow lawyers to create hybrid arrangements that include both contingency and hourly/flat rates. For instance, the client and firm might agree to a discounted hourly rate plus a bonus if there is a good outcome in the case.
• Sometimes the firm covers costs if the client does not recover money, and sometimes the client must pay for costs no matter what the outcome is. If the client is responsible for costs, the attorney might want to bill for costs monthly, once they hit a certain dollar threshold, or at the end of the case.
• If you are billing periodically for costs, the attorney may want to include fees on the statements, even though you will not be asking the client to pay them. Even if you are not billing for costs, the attorney may want to send periodic fee statements. This can reassure clients their case is being worked.
• Even if you do not bill the client for fees, you may need to prepare a fee report for settlement negotiations or when the firm is filing a fee petition. (A fee petition asks a court to make the other side pay the firm’s bill.)

Flat rate or value fee structure

Instead of billing by the hour or retaining part of a settlement, the firm can set an all-inclusive rate for the work. Typically, the client is also responsible for the costs. An example of a simple flat fee engagement:

Jane is forming a corporation. For $2,000, Attorney A agrees to prepare and mail the necessary paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office. Jane must pay $2,000 up front. She will also be billed for copies, postage, and the filing fee at the end of the case (when the costs are known).

Flat fees can also be recurring. For instance, a small business might pay a flat fee every month to have an attorney on call to help with any business problems that arise. Or a large matter might include multiple flat fee payments, with each one due at a certain stage of the project.

Tips and tricks for flat or value fee structures

• Flat fee arrangements can include hourly or contingency fee. For instance, a firm might offer a flat fee on outside general counsel services, but agree that if the client uses more than a certain number of hours per month, the excess time will be billed at an hourly rate. Or a client might agree to pay a flat rate plus a percentage of money recovered in a contingency case.
• Costs might be included in the flat fee, or you might need to bill for them. The attorney may want to bill at the end of the matter, monthly, or when a certain threshold is reached.
• It is usually a best practice to include fee entries when billing costs, even though the client is not paying hourly. This demonstrates the value the client is receiving.

Discounts, write-downs, write-ups, and write-offs impact totals

Reductions or increases in the bill are the last piece of the puzzle. Firms use a variety of words for these concepts, but the concepts themselves are the same across almost every firm.

• A discount means a reduction of the entire bill, usually by a percentage. Discounts can be one-time or recurring.
• A write-down means reducing the amount of time billed for a task, or removing certain time entries completely. Partners typically do this during statement review/pre-billing. It can also happen during collections, in which case you may need to create a revised statement. You may also be asked to run reports about write-downs, because consistent underbilling can undermine cash flow and reduce partner compensation.
• A write-up means increasing the amount billed beyond what is included in the work-in-progress. This might come up in contingency cases, where the firm is entitled to a certain percentage of a settlement even though it exceeds the amount the firm would have billed on an hourly case.
• A write-off means forgiving an unpaid bill (or part of it). Write-offs have tax consequences, so deciding to write off debt is a strategic decision.

Questions to answer when setting up a new case

The following questions can help you get prepared to set up a new case. Depending on your firm, you might get this information from the fee agreement, from someone in your department, from the attorney, or some combination of those. You may want to add other questions that reflect your firm’s unique file-opening process.

For all matters. Detailed questions are in the following sections.

• What is the fee structure for this matter (e.g., hourly, flat rate, contingency, or hybrid)?

For matters with hourly fees.

• What timekeeper rates should be used?
• Do you want to bill monthly, or at a different cadence?
• Should costs be included in every bill? If not, when (e.g., when a threshold is met, at the end of the matter)?

For matters with contingency fees.

• Will costs be billed to the client? If so, when (e.g., when a threshold is met, at the end of the matter)? Should cost invoices include fee entries?
• If we are not sending regular cost invoices, should the client get regular informational statements showing fee entries?

For matters with flat fees.

• Will costs be billed? If so, when (e.g., monthly, when a threshold is met, at the end of the matter)?
• Is there just one flat fee, or multiple flat fees? In either case, when should the flat fee(s) be billed?
• Should we include the unbilled fee entries on the flat fee and/or cost invoices?

Tabs3 makes every fee structure and billing methodology easier

If your firm is not using Tabs3 Billing yet, we would love to show you how easy even complex billing can be. The platform offers virtually unlimited billing options, with smart shortcuts to save you time. You can even handle the statement approval process entirely within Tabs3 Billing with our pre-billing feature. Set up a personalized demonstration with our experienced trainers today.

Ready to learn more? Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series on how to bill for any fee structure.

Consumers have spoken: they prefer electronic payments by an overwhelming margin. As electronic B2B transactions rise, your business clients likely are not far behind. This month, Tabs3Pay rolls out three new electronic payment options, making it even more convenient for your clients to pay their bills. 

Your clients’ needs at the forefront

Tabs3Pay allows you to provide unparalleled client service in the billing function. 

Clients can choose email billing with embedded payment links or a secure payment portal, depending on your Tabs3 configuration. For ongoing clients or complex matters, you can simplify the billing burden with scheduled and/or recurring payments. You can even accept payments over the phone. 

Your clients choose the payment method they prefer: credit card, debit card, or e-check/ACH. Starting in May 2025, clients can also pay via Venmo, PayPal, and PayPay Pay Later, unless you disable those options.

• PayPal is one of the largest, most popular, and most trusted online payment platforms. Users can send money via credit card, debit card, or bank account. Transactions are safe and encrypted. Paypal has 432 million account holders (2024).
• Venmo is a PayPal product, and works much like PayPal. It was originally optimized for transactions among friends and social sharing, but now supports business transactions. Venmo has 64 million monthly users (2024).  
• PayPal Pay Later is a buy now, pay later (BNPL) product. Your firm receives payment immediately, and the client pays PayPal over time (up to 24 months). BNPL use is growing, and is popular among younger people and those with lower credit scores. Accepting BNPL payments can help firms serve clients who are less financially secure, increasing access to legal services, while mitigating financial risk to the firm. 

A trusted platform built for attorneys and legal professionals

Professional staff, attorneys, and firm managers also reap rewards from Tabs3Pay:

• Professional staff: Electronic payment systems make it easy to accept payments, reducing repetitive, error-prone manual processes. Further, Tabs3Pay is the only payment platform that is fully integrated with your existing Tabs3 software, so you can complete all billing and accounting work in a single system. 
• Partners: By reducing friction at the point of payment, firms can get paid sooner, spend less time making collections calls, and reduce write-offs. That can add up to larger bonuses and more compensation.
• Managing partners: Law firm owners have special ethical obligations, and Tabs3Pay was created to meet them. All deposits go into your trust account, while debits (like fees) are only applied to operations accounts. The secure, PCI compliant payment system also reduces the risks of lost checks and check fraud while keeping your clients’ data safe.

Tabs3Pay: Your partner in exceptional client service

You spend your days working tirelessly for your clients. Tabs3Pay can lighten the load. With simple, transparent pricing, quick setup, and expert U.S.-based tech support, Tabs3Pay helps you delight every client.

Ready to learn more? Set up a demo with our payments team today.

Strategic legal document management is how small and mid-size law firms stay organized, secure sensitive information, and maintain compliance. If your firm struggles to quickly locate, securely share, or store and access essential documents, step forward with smarter document management solutions.

Discover tools and best practices to create more efficient workflows while safeguarding confidential data, enhancing productivity, and creating a more collaborative client experience below.

Best Practices for Efficient Legal Document Management

Small and mid-size law firms can see significant benefits from implementing best practices for legal document management. Your systems should focus on organization, security, document automation, seamless collaboration, and integrations to create more efficient workflows.

Consistent File Organization

An organized document system keeps legal files easily accessible and within reach. Following consistent naming conventions and adopting a firm-wide organization structure ensures attorneys and staff can locate essential information quickly without hunting through folders or sifting through paperwork.

Secure Storage Solutions

Prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data with practice management software featuring granular document access controls. Look for tools that enable you to set custom access permissions for critical legal documents. Secure storage protects your law firm and clients, helping ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA.

Enhanced File-Sharing

Secure, cloud-based file-sharing makes collaboration effortless. You need functionality to request eSignatures and documents from clients to keep matters running smoothly. When you can seamlessly import signed and received documents back into your practice management software, information stays coordinated across the firm.

Legal Document Automation

Document creation is less time-consuming and easily billed with automation tools built into your practice management solution. By choosing a system that offers automated document assembly, you can instantly pull all pertinent matter information into new legal documents to streamline forms, contracts, and billing processes.

Collaborative, Real-Time Access

Secure file-sharing opens the door to seamless collaboration across the firm and with your clients. Look for tools that ensure only authorized individuals can access, edit, sign, and share documents in real-time for enhanced collaboration and less time spent chasing updates or file feedback.

Legal Tool Integrations

When document management tools integrate with your most-used platforms, like practice management software, legal CRM, secure sharing tools, and billing solutions, each document is more accurate with all information synchronized across systems.

Leveraging Automated Workflows for Legal Document Management

Automated workflows are revolutionizing the legal field by streamlining and enhancing operational efficiency. Time-saving tools can be used to automate complex processes and increase productivity with less manual effort.

PracticeMaster’s WorkFlows help tasks and processes flow more smoothly. Apply automation to processes including and beyond document management, such as:

• Automatically start tasks when necessary steps are completed
• Receive task reminders when custom triggers occur
• Start emails, assemble legal documents, or automate thank-you letters

These features, combined with real-time collaboration, make document review and approval less time-consuming so you can focus on the work that matters.

Safeguarding Against Conflicts for Compliance

Beyond efficiency, speed, and security benefits, optimized document management is crucial for thorough analysis of conflicts of interest and ensuring compliance with regulations. Properly stored legal documents and emails protect confidentiality and create a consistent “paper trail.”

Conflict of Interest Analysis

Smart legal document management is essential for identifying potential conflicts of interest. You should be able to quickly access all necessary documentation to thoroughly check for potential conflicts. With tools that instantly check for conflicts and complete records of past emails, files, and communications, your law firm can evaluate with clarity.

Compliance and Governance

Adhering to governance policies and legal regulatory requirements is easier with document management tools in place. With structured oversight of document management, you can ensure all legal documents have access-based permissions to protect sensitive information and maintain compliance.

Tools for Comprehensive Legal Document Management

Modern best practices for legal document management require innovative tools that streamline and simplify the way your law firm handles, shares, and stores files. Powerful practice management software that centralizes document management and file-sharing is the best choice to keep information consolidated and accessible.

Whether you manage your practice with traditional on-premises software or in the cloud, find the tools that best fit your law firm for comprehensive document management.

PracticeMaster: Power Your Firm with Secure Document Management Tools

PracticeMaster legal practice management software is available for both on-premises and Tabs3 Cloud environments to keep your law firm aligned on every matter, document, and deadline. With built-in workflow automation and legal document management features, you can easily create documents in seconds, strategically assemble and file documents, and generate client communications quickly.

PracticeMaster is the leading solution for law firms looking to optimize legal document management, storage, assembly, and access with enhanced organization and efficiency.

Organized Document Filing

PracticeMaster automatically names and stores new files under the appropriate matter for seamless access when you need it. Stop the hunt for legal documents with a clear organizational structure that keeps your filing system tidy and easy to use.

Automated WorkFlows and Document Assembly

Built-in Document Assembly and WorkFlows automatically pull information from various sources or integrated software to start emails, assemble legal documents, and fill out contracts accurately. Review the first draft, make edits, and handle approvals faster to keep matters moving forward.

Link Files to Matters

PracticeMaster’s Matter Manager puts client profiles, related documents, and activity timelines at your fingertips. View emails, files, billing summaries, conflicts, and research notes in one place to easily spot next steps for delay-free document management.

LexShare: Share, Request, and eSign Files Securely

LexShare is a cloud-based service designed for secure file sharing and requesting eSignatures from clients. This tool works within PracticeMaster, consolidating your software needs into one place for ease of use. Integrate PracticeMaster with LexShare to protect the files you share with clients, request new documents, get signatures quickly, and offer clients a seamless experience.

Share and Request Files Securely

The LexShare integration allows you to send secure, encrypted files to clients without leaving PracticeMaster. Send important documents to clients for review. Easily manage hassle-free document requests to get the information you need, faster.

Obtain eSignatures

Chasing client signatures is a thing of the past with LexShare eSignature requests. Send secure documents and request eSignatures for faster turnaround times that make your law firm more efficient. Import signed documents into PracticeMaster to keep accurate, comprehensive records.

The Future of Legal Document Management

The right technology simplifies record-keeping and makes smart legal document management a foundational step to securing your firm’s future. From staying in compliance and increasing firm efficiency to offering standout data security, streamlining legal documents with robust tools is key to winning with clients.

Implement WorkFlows, automate document assembly, and adopt secure file-sharing tools to better protect client data and position your firm to keep up with modern best practices. Stay a step ahead with PracticeMaster and LexShare to turn legal document management into one less worry for your firm, and one more reason you stand out from the competition. Schedule a demo today!

Practice management software for law firms is supposed to make admin easier, so your team spends less time entering data into a spreadsheet. With features like client portals, time tracking, and online payments, lawyers have 24/7 access to the tools and data needed to work faster. That’s why 73 percent of law firms implement cloud-based tools like practice management software.

However, these benefits depend upon how easy the software is to use every day. Clunky interfaces, slow page loading times, and lack of integration can cause lawyers to spend more time on an important motion or contract.

If your current practice management software slows your law firm down, it might be time to consider an upgrade.

The growing pains: 7 signs your law firm has outgrown its current software

When your outdated software is critical to your law firm’s operations, it feels impossible to stop using it every day. So how do you know exactly when to cut the cord with your current legal practice management software? Watch for these seven signs:

1. Outdated software racks up non-billable hours

Practice management software should help your team operate faster. If non-billable hours are creeping up, your software could be the culprit. Outdated software starts to load slower over time. If the page takes a long time to load and then lags once it does, your team won’t want to use it. Even worse, if the page crashes and information is not saved, your paralegal will have to draft that memo all over again.

Outdated practice management software causes inefficient manual workarounds. These are temporary methods used to continue critical functions when normal systems or technology are unavailable or inadequate. Some examples your team may have experienced include:

• Tracking time or billing manually in spreadsheets.
• Going back to paper-based systems for record keeping.
• Copy-pasting information between software that doesn’t integrate.

2. Lack of scalability

A successful, small law firm turns mid-sized when it acquires more cases and legal staff. Your legal practice management software should be able to grow with your team, offering more services that help different-sized law firms.

Additionally, access control features are a must, so clients’ sensitive information is only shared with people working on that case. If your software develops performance issues with multiple users, consider other options.

3. Other tools stop working with your software

There are many facets to practice management software, such as billing, CRM (client relationship management), and trust accounting. However, not all legal software comes with built-in tools, so your team may have integrations that you find necessary. If your software has limited third-party integrations or has difficulty syncing with other applications, this can affect productivity.

4. Limited feature set

Your project management software may have been amazing for its automatic invoicing features when you initially chose it. However, it should continue to add top-of-the-line features to provide value for your firm, including:

• Scheduled backups, even when your team members are using it.
• Auto recovery of data to a reliable, usable state, cutting down the possibility of data corruption.
• Accelerated delivery for reports, filtering, and column sorting in large quantities.
• Access to data when you’re away from the office.

Additionally, software should be customizable to fit your firm’s exact needs. You should be able to adjust processes and access dashboard views to maximize time saved on each task.

5. Inadequate data security and compliance

Hackers breached security for 4 out of 10 law firms in 2023. Don’t let your law firm be next. Depending on your practice area or location, you must follow security and compliance rules as written by HIPAA, CCPA, and the SHIELD Act. Your clients expect you to protect their credit card numbers and case details. Outdated security measures and noncompliant legal software are unacceptable in any practice.

6. Poor interface and accessibility

Has your staff complained about how hard it is to find a digital document? Maybe they have a hard time tracking specific agreements due to a lack of search function, or they can never remember what each icon stands for. Roadblocks like these show that your software has a bad user interface, driving your team to manual workarounds that slow processes.

Additionally, legal software should work seamlessly away from the office so staff can use it when working from home. When lawyers have to pick up the phone once they’ve left the office, they still need to track their time. If they can’t, that quickly turns into lost hours and lost revenue.

7. Rising costs without added value

It’s normal for software costs to rise as long as you are seeing extra benefits. But if your current software is costing you more without any new features, it’s time to look at other options. Don’t pay extra for basic functions, such as document storage,  which should be included in the standard pricing.

What to look for in a new practice management solution

If your law firm struggles with any of the issues listed above, it’s time to look for a new option. While researching the plethora of practice management solutions out there, be sure that what you choose has the following options:

1. Scalability: Flexible legal software helps you add features as your firm grows.
2. A comprehensive feature set: Each product is tailored for law firms.
3. Seamless integrations: One software rarely does it all; it should integrate to fill the gaps.
4. Automation: Look for tools like smart client intake and marketing automation.
5. Robust security: SSL encryption, access restrictions, and secure file sharing should be tailored to the legal industry to ensure compliance.
6. Excellent user experience and support: Phone and email support should be available at convenient times, with a knowledge base to find answers on your own.

How to switch to new practice management software

It can be intimidating to transition to a new practice management software. Your team may be hesitant at first because they are comfortable with the previous solution. To make sure everything goes well, follow these steps to move to a new platform:

1. Assess current and future needs: Forecast features you’d like to start using once your firm grows.
2. Conduct research: Look at publications like Lawyerist for reviews from users.
3. Demo new options: Shortlist your top five and schedule a demo with each company to ask questions about how your firm can use their product.
4. Plan out data migration: Work with the company’s IT to migrate your data to the new platform.
5. Schedule staff training: Set aside training time so your employees can practice with the new system.

Reduce non-billable hours with Tabs3 Cloud and PracticeMaster

Outdated software wastes time, money, and resources your law firm desperately needs. Stop spinning your wheels and switch to Tabs3. Our legal practice management software, PracticeMaster, is available in Tabs3 Cloud and has been expertly developed to support law firms’ needs.

Plus, Tabs3 Cloud includes Tabs3 Billing and Tabs3 Financials. Let us show you how we can help you manage your practice better and schedule a demo today.

You face an endless stream of cases, administrative tasks, and client demands on a daily basis, but putting growth on the back burner sharply limits your firm’s potential. Choosing the best law firm CRM software—specifically tailored for the legal industry—can revolutionize how you manage client relationships and operations.  

The right client (or customer) relationship management (CRM) software gives your firm a competitive edge in speed and efficiency. When 78% of firms are already using these platforms to nurture new leads, streamline client communications, and cut admin time, getting lost in tedious day-to-day tasks and spreadsheets hampers your ability to grow.  

This post highlights how key features of a top legal CRM remove common barriers to growth and why it’s the best investment you can make in the future of your practice.  

The Unique Challenges of Growing a Law Firm

Offering exceptional client service is challenging when lead generation takes up a large portion of your time, but this is precisely what law firms today are tasked with. Managing contacts and clients the traditional way, often with spreadsheets and manual follow-ups, comes at the cost of missed opportunities and lost revenue.  

Running your firm without modern software solutions to streamline operations can also leave your client data and documents in disarray, leading to process bottlenecks that slow you down and inhibit growth. With clunky intake processes and no centralized insights to drive your marketing efforts, growth is hard to achieve. 

Profitable growth is only possible when you become more efficient by taking tedious client management tasks off your plate and organizing workflows with automation. Both are areas where a specialized law firm CRM can provide real value. 

How CRM Software Transforms Client Engagement

An effective CRM tool for legal client relationship management acts as a centralized hub for all your client information. With the right platform, you can expect improved client engagement through automation, organization, and personalization:  

• Automate Tedious Tasks: From sending appointment reminders to follow-up emails that nurture new leads, automation does the heavy lifting and frees up valuable time so you can concentrate on legal work. 

• Organize Data Seamlessly: Organized data helps you consolidate contact details, keep up with case notes, and manage communications in one secure system for easy access. 

• Enhance the Client Journey: Create a better client experience by using legal CRM to provide prompt, personalized service from the first contact through ongoing support.

A legal CRM drives client satisfaction and growth by minimizing manual work, ensuring your data is always accurate and current, and empowering your firm to engage clients more effectively. 

Choosing the Right CRM for Your Law Firm

When choosing a CRM, it’s essential to match the tool to your firm’s unique needs. Prioritize:  

• Legal-Specific Features: Your CRM should offer specialized features for the legal field, including custom client intake forms and automated legal appointment reminders. 

• Robust Integrations: Look for CRM integrations that connect with your firm’s practice management, billing and payments, compliant document sharing, and accounting tools. 

• User-Friendliness: Choose a system that is intuitive for both attorneys and support staff, offering easily accessible reports and time-saving automations. 

• Cost-Effectiveness: Balance essential CRM features with your firm’s budget to ensure a strong return on investment that supports your long-term growth.

Making these criteria a priority in your CRM search will ensure a good fit with the platform you choose, giving you the features you need at a price point that makes sense for your firm. 

Key Features of Legal CRM Solutions

Automation Capabilities

Automation is a game-changer for law firms, especially in managing prospective clients. CRM systems streamline many of the daily tasks that power your firm, like: 

• Client and prospect follow-ups 

• Document management 

• Securing client signatures 

• Appointment scheduling 

Templates and automation tools available in legal CRMs save time by handling routine tasks that support growth, like data entry and follow-up reminders, and free your team to focus on tasks that drive revenue.  

Flexibility and Customization

A standout feature of legal CRM software is the level of flexibility and customization the right platform can offer. With the ability to customize contact form fields, you can collect and categorize crucial client information, which helps you qualify leads quickly.  

The top legal CRMs provide substantial personalization options to ensure a tailored fit for your firm, from addressing emails and text messages with client names to setting up custom reports that keep your finger on the pulse of your progress. 

Integration with Existing Tools

Effective integration is essential for every CRM system. Making sure your data flows between your CRM tool and practice management software ensures a seamless transition from prospect to client. 

A CRM that integrates with your most-used tools is especially important during the client intake process to ensure that information flows effortlessly between systems. Integrations also minimize the time your team spends manually entering data to make your firm more efficient.  

Why a Legal CRM Is a Sound Investment  

Investing in a CRM system goes beyond keeping up with technology. It is a strategic move that drives efficiency and revenue. With benefits like these, think of a legal CRM as an investment in your firm’s future:  

• Save Time: CRM automation tools handle your firm’s most repetitive work and allow your team to focus on practicing law, not administrative tasks. 

• Improve Accuracy: Using a CRM to streamline data input reduces errors and ensures every client interaction is handled promptly. 

• Enhance Client Relationships: Personalized follow-ups, appointment reminders, and smooth intake lead to better client engagement and satisfaction. 

• Scalable Growth: As your firm expands, a flexible CRM adapts to your evolving needs without sacrificing billable time or dealing with process bottlenecks that slow you down.

The right legal CRM is a comprehensive tool that unites and centralizes your law firm’s operations, making it a sound investment in your firm’s ability to grow and thrive. 

Tabs3 CRM: Transforming Client Management  

Tabs3 CRM integrates directly within PracticeMaster. It makes client management simple for busy law firms with features that automate, personalize, and track every client interaction. Built-in tools enable you to be consistent with the marketing and communications tasks that drive revenue and client engagement.  

Nurture leads with personalized marketing campaigns and timely follow-ups, quickly qualify leads with automated client intake, and keep client and case data centralized with practice management software integrations.  

Power your firm’s ability to build strong client relationships with tools and features like these:  

• Automated Marketing Campaigns: Build personalized email and text message templates with drip automation tools to keep leads engaged with no forgotten follow-ups. 

• Customizable Intake Forms: Intelligent logic-based forms adapt to client responses to keep questions relevant, speed up intake, and make data collection easier with fewer manual errors. 

• PracticeMaster Integration: Tabs3 CRM works within PracticeMaster, which seamlessly integrates with other Tabs3 products and keeps prospect and client information synchronized across the suite of software.

With no data gaps and consistent contact monitoring in every stage of the funnel, your firm develops more streamlined workflows that set the stage for productivity and growth.  

Law Firm CRMs: A Smart Investment in Growth

A robust legal CRM system is indispensable for modern law firms who want to create room for expansion with more efficient workflows. Manual data entry and client management prevent scalable growth, but investing in the right CRM will remove those barriers and unlock more opportunities for your law firm.  

With time-saving features that optimize client intake, contact management, marketing, and synchronize with your top tools, Tabs3 CRM may be the proactive solution your firm needs to flourish. Schedule a demo now to learn how Tabs3 CRM can elevate your client management and secure the best future for your firm. 

Websites today play a critical role in making strong first impressions and conveying professionalism to potential clients. Poorly designed or underwhelming websites can harm a firm’s credibility, which directly impacts client trust and business growth. 

To convey the message that your firm is capable, professional, and trustworthy, you need a website that’s as informative and engaging as your legal arguments. Is there an easy way to get a polished, user-friendly site without the added cost, time, and hassle of outsourcing or building it from scratch? 

Using a service like Tabs3 Websites is a good solution for law firms looking for an affordable and efficient way to create a quality online presence. If your law firm’s website is lackluster, an attorney website solution that’s affordable and easy to manage is now within reach with Tabs3 Websites. 

6 Benefits that Tabs3 Website Provides  

1. Secure and compliant website designs built for attorneys 

Many well-meaning attorneys enter contracts with industry-agnostic web developers who boast strong security standards, yet don’t understand the specific risks and regulations law firms face. This can lead to data breaches and compliance violations that put your clients—and license to practice law—at risk.  

Attorneys often collect sensitive data from their clients, such as credit card numbers and birth dates. Depending on the practice areas served, they may even collect medical records, employment history, or proprietary business information. This makes your website a prime target for hackers who constantly seek ways to steal this information.   

When you choose Tabs3 Websites, you can rest assured that your site is hosted on a reliable platform with industry-leading, bank-grade SSL security. Your clients also benefit from a malware-resistant firewall and multiple layers of spam protection. SSAe, SOC2, and ADA compliance keep your site in good legal and ethical standing.  

2. Improve your law firm’s website ranking 

If potential clients can’t find you, they can’t contact you.   

A website that doesn’t appear on a Google search can be a major turnoff for prospects who have heard great things about your firm from referral sources and are considering working with you. It may even lead to them choosing a different attorney altogether.   

People who are just beginning their search for an attorney in their area often start with the number one search result and work their way down the list. This isn’t ideal if your site doesn’t rank on the first page of Google.   

Figuring out how to improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) ranking on your own is a never-ending experiment and often yields poor results if you don’t have experienced professional support. Plus, repeatedly changing your site in an effort to please the algorithm is confusing and off-putting for your current legal clients.  

Tabs3 Websites uses data-driven best practices to optimize your website for search engines so that finding your site is convenient for potential clients, with no guesswork necessary.   

3. Client and mobile-friendly website design 

Successful websites are both easy to use and visually appealing. Still, all too often, designers encourage law firms to include features that look nice but slow down load times and glitch out on mobile devices.  

When potential clients are pressed for time and seeking urgent legal help, they don’t have time to waste waiting for pictures or video to load, nor spend precious minutes (or even seconds) figuring out how to navigate your site for contact information.   

Law firm websites designed with an intuitive navigation system and clear, skimmable content stand out because they reduce stress for clients at an otherwise overwhelming time.   

That said, you don’t have to resort to dull imagery or forget about branding. Vivid visuals do a lot to create a positive impression. Tabs3 Websites strikes the right balance between form and function with high-quality photos, vibrant customization options, and a user-friendly interface that’s easy to use on any device. 

4. Legal website functionality to meet your needs 

From scheduling a consultation to paying their final bill, every interaction your clients make with your website shapes their opinion of your firm. When it comes to showing your clients that you care about their convenience, a one-size-fits-all “solution” that only includes static information won’t cut it. Your website should offer access to the resources and services your clients want most.

We work with you to determine which features suit your workflow and ideal clients best, including client intake forms, payment processing, and client portal access. From there, we work behind the scenes to make sure they flow together seamlessly.   

While many web designers consider these options to be “extras,” we consider them integral to the function of any legal practice’s website.  

5. Ready in weeks, not months  

You don’t have the time (or patience) to go back and forth between your firm and a design team over your website’s structure or minor details. And you shouldn’t have to.   

You need a team that understands how critical your website is to your clients and your workflow. Our team prioritizes efficiency to get the job done quickly. Instead of waiting months, you can receive a complete website draft within three weeks.  

6. Cost-effective website solution 

Your legal clients want a high-quality client experience, not higher prices.  

With traditional web design options, unexpected speed bumps can arise. Plus, upcharges for features that should be basic for law firms can easily cause you to exceed your budget. You may even need to recoup the cost by raising your rates.

With Tabs3 Websites, you get the service Tabs3 clients come to expect without paying extra for the features your firm requires to function at its best. 

Improve your website ranking and attract more clients with Tabs3 Websites 

If you want to ensure you’re doing all you can to maximize your web presence while maintaining compliance and security, you want a legal-specific website solution.  

That’s where Tabs3 Websites comes in. This exciting addition to the Tabs3 product line can help impress your clients, convert leads, and improve your firm’s profitability.

Schedule your free demo of Tabs3 Websites today.   

For law firms, time is quite literally money. With a finite number of billable hours in a day, the way you structure, track, and plan for time can make a significant difference in areas across your legal practice. 

Beyond accurate time management, incorrect timekeeping has far-reaching consequences for: 

• Company profits 
• ABA compliance 
• Staff management 
• Client trust 

The best way to improve all of the above? Implementing time-tracking software for attorneys.  

Six benefits of accurate legal time tracking software

Time tracking is key to accurately staffing and allocating resources for every facet of firm operations. Here are six major benefits of proper time tracking, and how you can step up your system today. 

1. Track and plan matter budgets

Because law firms build matter and case plans based on previous experience and knowledge, it can be difficult to scope projects correctly without accurate background information for similar tasks. If your firm chronically under-tracks time, then team members will consistently fall victim to underfunded projects and impossible timelines. Crucially, this can also negatively impact the client experience (and ultimately, client satisfaction). 

Under-tracking time doesn’t just impact billable hour projects, either. For non-billable business operations, under-budgeted projects lead to wasted work, inefficient systems, and poor project rollout. 

No matter how you frame it, knowing how much associate and partner time is needed for a project will have a significant impact on a matter’s overall success. Otherwise, you may not have the time and resources you need to succeed. 

Using an attorney time tracking software like Tabs3 helps your team track time in as little as two clicks. Once you’ve recorded time, you’ll be able to benchmark future projects against that time, so you budget appropriately.  

2. Allocate resources accurately

Similar to budget allocation, historical project data is critical to accurately allocating resources for billable and non-billable initiatives in a legal practice. An underestimated project will take up more than the projected time, costing the firm more money and potentially leading to stressful working conditions for attorneys and staff. 

On the other hand, if a firm overestimates necessary resources, it can have the opposite problem. Projects can be overstaffed. If staff time isn’t allocated correctly, it can cost associates and partners much-needed billable hours. What’s more, other client work may suffer and profitability can decrease across the board. 

Tabs3’s legal time tracking software not only helps you track time, our built-in journal function allows your team to keep detailed notes on each matter. This is vital for budgeting time for future tasks, as notes can inform where the most time was spent and how that can be expedited in the future.  

3. Set profitable rates and fee structures

Many firms provide different fee structures to cater to client needs, including flat fees, retainers, fee splitting, and contingency. 

If your firm uses flat fees or task-based billing, your profitability depends on accurately pricing your services based on how much time a matter will take to resolve. Without accurate legal time tracking software, you could be severely underselling your services. It’s as simple as that. 

4. Maintain compliance with ABA regulations

Beyond your own firm’s needs, time tracking is essential to maintaining compliance with ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct 1.5, 1.6, and 1.15. 

Per the American Bar Association, improper attorney time tracking can lead to serious ethical dilemmas, disciplinary measures, and even disbarment. 

It’s important to note that compliance matters for every team member, not just partners. According to Model Rule 1.5, firms can only charge reasonable fees (the definition of which varies based on several factors). If an associate charges a client unreasonable or padded fees, they are accountable for their actions, even if they were directed to do so by a supervising lawyer. 

To keep this issue to a minimum, the ABA suggests that legal staff, especially new lawyers, take care to review bills to avoid allegations of padding, especially when logging time for multiple cases at the same time. 

The ABA’s top tip for compliance? Use a desktop- and mobile-friendly time-tracking tool as part of a larger practice management system for accurate billing practices. With Tabs3, turning a legal timer on and off is so easy that it will become muscle memory.  

5. Improve client relationships

As previously noted, padded fees and invoices are a serious breach of ABA regulations. Beyond the risk of disciplinary measures, improperly tracked attorney time can compromise client trust, and trust is the cornerstone of strong client relationships for a law firm. Clients come to law firms to deal with serious and often stressful legal matters. They need someone they can trust to resolve their matters. If your firm loses that trust via padded billing practices or unreasonable fees, it’s nearly impossible to get back. 

On the other hand, consistent, transparent time tracking and fee structures promote open and honest communication which will lead to increased client satisfaction stemming from the level of transparency regarding pricing. This level of understanding fosters mutual trust, which is key to a law firm’s long-term growth. 

6. Better understand your staff’s performance

Attorney time tracking is an important measure of your firm’s efficiency and productivity, and it tells you how much staff worked on specific projects, or with certain clients. In addition to the financial, ethical, and reputational risks associated with derelict legal time tracking, inaccurate time tracking can hinder your firm’s ability to support staff who may need more help and reward staff who go above and beyond. 

All of these factors play into performance reviews, employee recognition, fair compensation, and keeping track of potential high or low performers at your firm. 

How to improve your firm’s time-tracking system

The biggest way to improve a firm’s time-tracking system is to implement automated time tracking throughout the day, rather than tracking time at the end of the day or week. 

According to the ABA, lawyers who wait until the end of the day can lose 10% of their billable time. For lawyers who wait until the end of the week, that number goes up to a 25% loss of billable time. 

We get the pushback: attorneys are busy, and they don’t want to be distracted by turning timers on and off. However, modern legal time tracking software like Tabs3 is incredibly easy to use. It takes just two clicks to start or stop a time, and it can be managed from your computer or phone, meaning your ability to track billable hours isn’t tethered to your desk.  

Simplify your time tracking with Tabs3 Software

Nobody wants tedious, menial tasks added on top of day-to-day work. But attorney time tracking doesn’t have to be that way anymore. Today, attorney time tracking software like Tabs3 make time tracking simple and help firms save time later by automatically translating tracked time to bills.   

To see how we can help transform your time tracking and firm productivity, schedule a demo today.