HOA Law Firm Optimizes Billing, CRM, and Matter Management with Tabs3
2002
Year Founded
19
Timekeepers
2023
Started using Tabs3
California
Location
Platinum Edition
Software Type
Litigation and Real Estate Law
Practice Areas
“Tabs3 is the premier billing software for law firms. I’m so happy that we made the migration over.”
Maria Tanzillo
Hughes Gill Cochrane Tinetti, P.C.
The Mission
Find and implement a customizable practice management solution that could handle the needs of an established law firm operating in a complex niche.
The Challenge
Streamline and integrate billing, accounting, matter management, and practice management without losing data in the process.
The Roadblocks
Antiquated practice management systems, extensive manual billing processes, and multiple problems and inefficiencies with existing solutions, including poor customer support.
The Challenge: Streamline and integrate billing, accounting, matter management, and practice management through a fully integrated, customizable software solution
Since 2002, the law firm of Hughes Gill Cochrane Tinetti, P.C. (HGCT) has been completing corporate transactions and providing legal representation and litigation for boards of directors of homeowners associations.
Managing the varied structures and processes of common interest developments is a complicated and intricate endeavor, and the wrong practice management software can make it even more difficult.
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HGCT’s long-time software solution was a legacy DOS-based platform that could no longer keep up with the law firm’s needs. Due to a lack of robust billing and time-tracking functions, their attorneys missed out on valuable revenue.
“Our attorneys weren’t capturing all their time. Things were being billed in wrong matters before. And a lot of it was because they couldn’t see the matters,” said Office Manager and Firm Administrator Maria Tanzillo.
They researched their options before eventually choosing a leading practice management software in 2022. However, this new software failed to deliver the promised functionalities, leading to frustrations and inefficiencies.
Tanzillo states, “The hoops that we had to jump through to get a single report were absolutely ridiculous. I mean, to the point where we were downloading Excel spreadsheets and doing pivot tables. This is not what we need. We don’t need more work. We need less work. We need to have it at our fingertips.”
With so many essential functions missing and so much time lost in the process of daily operations, they knew they needed to find the right practice management solution to fully support their attorneys and their practice.
“Tabs3 does everything that we need to support our firm [and] our attorneys.”
Maria Tanzillo, Hughes Gill Cochrane Tinetti, P.C.
The Solution: A robust, integrated financial, billing, and practice management software system from Tabs3
HGCT’s experience with their previous solution made it clear: standard solutions weren’t going to cut it. Because of their firm’s complex billing scenarios, it was imperative to find software that provided high-level time-tracking, billing, and accounting functionalities. Also non-negotiable was the need for impactful customizations.
Tanzillo explained, “We needed a way of setting up the software that would allow us to bill the association, but typically through a management company and its manager. So it’s not like a straight billing.”
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They also needed to organize clients and their matters. “Management companies [and] also associations will fire management companies, so that’s an always constant turning wheel. We needed a way of keeping track of that or keeping track of these managers,” Tanzillo said.
During this process, Tanzillo recalled working with experienced Tabs3 consultant, Bill Baker, at a previous law firm. Most importantly, she recalled the positive results they had achieved with his support and the exceptional support he provided them.
After connecting with Baker, they made the switch to Tabs3 in early 2023. Along with another consultant, Baker shepherded the migration process from previous software products, helped set up key templates and workflows, and provided an on-site, multi-day training session for the firm’s staff.
The Results: By implementing Tabs3 and its customized solutions, HGCT has become more efficient in almost every aspect.
Firstly, the software simplified their billing and reporting processes. Bill Baker shares. “Some of the magic that we pulled off [in the setup] was in the formatting of the different bills and looking for certain fields that we could trigger for selecting the proper bill format.”
As a result, they saved their controller three days spent on billing time per month.
The ease of the software is another standout feature for Tanzillo, who shares how Tabs3 makes formerly frustrating processes straightforward.
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“I just love how everything talked to everything and how easy it was. Tech support, getting out invoices… There are so many little things that Tabs3 has that make it so easy for us to get out bills [and] to create a new client and start billing immediately,” says Maria. “One of the hardest things in [previous software] was creating a report to show what was billed and what was not billed. But Tabs3 makes it very easy.”
Tabs3’s matter management platform also streamlined the practice’s complicated matter management processes.
“We have different statement templates within the software, and it’s very easy when you’re setting up a client to choose that template,” shares Maria.
Its time tracking feature also helps their attorneys track time accurately and reduce lost revenue.
“With the ability of our timekeepers [to] have access to Tabs3, they can use the timer. They also use the Tabs3 Connect feature. So when they’re at home or when they’re traveling or whatever, they can just enter their time through any mobile device,” says Maria.
“And, our paralegals use PracticeMaster to calendar statutory-imposed deadlines in cases with the California court rules. They also like the integration from PracticeMaster to their attorney’s Outlook calendars.”
Tanzillo is thrilled with the results achieved through Tabs3. “It makes my job easier,” she said. “Tabs3 is the premier billing software for law firms. I’m so happy that we made the migration over.”
Baker concurs. “In selling Tabs3 software for over 20 years, there are companies that come in and say, ‘We’re better.’ But when you put them to the test, there is no comparison. Tabs3 and PracticeMaster have all the features a law firm needs today.”
About Hughes Gill Cochrane Tinetti, P.C.
Hughes Gill Cochrane Tinetti, P.C. is a California law firm, serving the greater Northern California area and providing complete legal representation of homeowner associations and other common interest developments.
Beginning as a partnership founded by Michael Hughes and John Gill in 2002, the company grew when Michael Cochrane and Amy Tinetti became shareholders in 2008 and 2017, respectively. Today, the firm’s large team of expert homeowners association attorneys provide affordable general representation and litigation for their clients, creating smart, strategic solutions that meet the complex and varied needs of common interest developments.
About Baker + Cadence Solutions
Baker + Cadence Solutions serves as a trusted resource to law firms and corporate legal departments for their technology solutions, including software applications and training, and network services and support.
Our consultants bring many years of law firm technology experience to assist your firm in finding and installing the proper economical technology solution that will increase your firm’s productivity and operations.
For more information, call (916) 677-4277 or email info@bakercadence.com.