Law Firm CRMs, Legal CRM Software, & Other Content Management Tips for Your Legal Practice

Law Firm CRMs, Legal CRM Software, & Other Content Management Tips for Your Legal Practice

Law firm CRMs are used in marketing and management every single day. No matter what your goals are, you can use a CRM to fit your needs and keep your law firm on top of all of your cases. Let’s take a look at how and why CRMs are beneficial for law firms.

What Does CRM Stand for?

Legal CRM stands for legal client relationship management software. A CRM is a software system that does, well, just that: manage customer relationships! CRM software collects, stores, and organizes information about your clients/customers. A law firm CRM is a database that stores and sorts information about:

• Current clients
• Past clients
• Prospective clients

CRM software can also do the following:

• Assist with billing
• Gather reports on client/customer data
• Manage communication with your clientele
• Manage clients’ activity
• Track leads
• Organize clients based on their needs and the services your law firm provides
• Be the bookkeeper for your office, keeping all files and records sorted and refreshed by date

A CRM is a fast and accessible way to manage your clients and track patterns. With CRM, you can be informed about your clients, their needs, and your marketing.

In summary, your law firm CRM can help you manage and communicate with your clients. CRMs will keep track of all interactions you have with a client and create a story with data of the growth you’ve had with this client as well as important information about the client themselves.

Is a CRM The Same as a CMS?

No, a CRM is not the same as a CMS. A CMS is a content management system. Although they have similar aspects, they are fundamentally different. They are both organization systems to store specific types of data and information, but the information is not the same. A CMS manages your web content, not client information. It does help with storage and managing; it also helps with actual content creation and can help you manage your website.

CRMs deal directly with your clients—or, in marketing terms, your audience or users. Both can be useful, but for organizing content specifically about your clients, it is best to go with a legal CRM.

What Is Legal CRM Software?

CRM for lawyers adheres to the needs of law firms rather than other business needs, such as sales and purchasing information. Legal CRM software is able to accommodate your area of practice. No matter if you work in personal injury law, immigration law, or estate planning law, there is a law firm CRM that exists for your needs.

AbacusLaw

AbacusNext is a trusted legal CRM company that has been in the legal CRM software game for longer than most of their competitors. With over 30 years of providing software to law firms, they are a well-rounded CRM company.

Their CRM software for legal services provides the following:

• Case management
• Legal workflow tool
• Time tracking and organizing
• eSign features for eDocuments
• And more

So much of the legal workflow can take place within this software. However, it does come with its drawbacks, too. It can be difficult to transfer information that is placed elsewhere outside the workflow. For example, if you have a meeting scheduled that does not have to do with a specific case, the software does not really comply with your needs. It is very useful for specific cases but can be difficult to navigate if there are matters outside of cases involved.

Overall, AbacusLaw is an industry go-to. If you’re interested in this particular software but want more in-depth advice and help to manage its set-up, our Metric Marketing team manages many CRMs for law firms and other companies.

CASEpeer

CASEpeer legal CRM software is a management system that is user-friendly, intuitive, and has many extra features other legal CRMs do not provide. It is also relatively affordable compared to other CRM software for legal services specifically. This pricing—$55/month for the solo plan—is actually one of the reasons the CASEpeer software is so competitive.

CASEpeer has features that include:

• Referral system
• Multi-service case management
• Automated document management
• Billing assistance
• Time-tracking features
• And much more

When deciding what the best CRM for lawyers is, it’s important to consider the capacity of the system. CASEpeer has lots of top-end CRM features, but their software is tailored for smaller marketing campaigns, meaning it cannot necessarily be used to build your clientele—it simply stores information.

Other CRM Options

AbacusNext and CASEpeer are just two of many law firm CRMs to choose from. Choosing a CRM is a big decision, as it will determine your law firm’s organization and filing system. You will come to rely on the law firm CRM that you do choose, and rightfully so, so its selection should be carefully considered.

If you are not very familiar with the different law firm CRM systems, it can be hard to choose, and even hard to know what to look for in a system.

Our team at Metric Marketing manages CRMs for our clients, and we can help you with your decision in choosing your law firm’s CRM. There are many attributes of CRMs that may work well for your law firm and not for others. Getting advice from other law firms can be a great start, but the risk is closing yourself off from other options that may be better suited for your particular law firm’s needs.

HubSpot

Here at Metric Marketing, we cannot possibly recommend HubSpot more highly for your law firm CRM. We have set up numerous clients with HubSpot and manage their CRM system software on a daily basis.

HubSpot is our go-to because of its accessibility. What we like most is that everything is in one spot, making management comprehensive and extremely organized. It’s also user-friendly, meaning we have no trouble navigating through the CRM software. We also enjoy features such as:

• Easy access to analytics, which we use for developing marketing strategies
• Audit logging
• Well-developed search features
• Ability to pin record pages
• Integration with your social media accounts and website
• And so much more

Consider HubSpot when searching for options for your CRM. It’s a high-quality CRM that our marketing experts here at Metric fully endorse.

How to Choose the Best CRM for Lawyers

Your law firm is different from your competition. You have your own unique values and goals for what you want to achieve. Therefore, your client and case management should be tailored to fit your needs. Your goals should determine the legal client relationship management software you use. So, how do you choose?

How Simple Is the CRM to Use?

Sometimes, simple is best. You want to have a well-rounded legal CRM, yet you also want your law firm CRM to be practical for your workplace. Some questions to ask when considering the simplicity of a legal CRM are:

• How much time will it take to train your team to use the CRM?
• Do you have the resources to train your team?
• How well can you operate in the new system?
• How functional is the CRM system in your day-to-day work practices?

Incorporating a CRM into a law firm will impact how your entire law firm will operate. Take the time to get to know the system and see if it functions well in your work environment.

Typically, free legal CRM training will be available. If the training is not free, that may be an indication of a red flag. Take the time to try the free legal CRM training and discuss the options with your team.

Will the CRM Be Customizable Enough for Your Law Firm?

Legal CRM software has lots of features that can be extremely beneficial. When conducting your search, compile a list of all of the features you are looking for in your law firm CRM. Once you find a CRM that matches those features, it’s time to determine if you can use those features for your needs.

Can you customize the CRM to fit those needs? If so, how easily can you do so? Or maybe the CRM comes ready to use and you don’t want to customize it. That’s always an option, too.

The software you choose will depend on how well the CRM fits your firm’s personal needs. The highest-rated CRM may have great features, but if it lacks the essential parts you want for your firm’s operation, it won’t be the best for you.

Conversely, you may find that the perfect CRM for you is one that is adaptable to all of your needs. The more boxes you can check off of your list for what you want out of a CRM, the better!

Will the CRM Integrate With Other Legal Software?

One of the determining factors is if you can easily merge the CRM with the software you are already using. For example, look at your:

• Email
• Online meeting spaces
• Work calendar
• Points of contact

Your pre-established management software should easily merge. Or, if not easily, it should at least be manageable to transfer. If the process of integrating the new CRM with the legal software you’re already using is inconvenient, consider choosing a different software.

In addition, if integration is difficult, this means that incoming documents may be cumbersome to integrate into the software.

Choose a CRM that is adaptable; being able to integrate with software such as Google (G Suite) and/or Office 365 may need to be a requirement for your legal CRM search.

Know Where You Need the Most Improvement

If you are struggling with organization either in your current software or in a general area in the firm, see if there is a CRM that can meet those needs and alleviate your struggles. CRMs are meant to be a tool to make your life more manageable. Where there is a need for improvement, a CRM can often assist.

The best CRM for lawyers will meet your needs. Some needs to be considered might include:

• Client portals
• Invoicing
• Client management
• Integration with other system software
• Client intake
• The functionality of the system
• E-signatures
• Fee structures
• Time tracking
• Access to analytics
• Email campaigns
• Client follow-ups
• Client engagement
• Marketing efforts
• Knowing high-value clients

If you struggle in these areas or others, consider adding them to the list of what you need out of a legal CRM.

Or Metric Can Do Everything for You

We realize this is a lot of information. Choosing the right CRM for your law firm takes time. As does participating in free trials, comparing legal CRM systems, integrating the CRM into your law firm, and learning/teaching the ins and outs of the CRM.

If this all seems a bit overwhelming, Metric Marketing is here for you. We are a qualified manager for any type of CRM. On a daily basis, we assist our clients with managing and taking full advantage of their CRMs.

If you have any questions about CRMs or marketing in general, we’re just a phone call away! Reach out at (734) 404-8714 or fill out an online contact form today. We look forward to hearing from you!

Law Firm CRM FAQ

Does My Law Firm Need a CRM?

CRMs, especially in this digital age, are extremely helpful. As the digital age continues to expand into all areas of life, it’s important to stay ahead of the game with your digital marketing and organization.

Do Law Firms Need “Legal” Specific CRMs?

Many CRMs can be adaptable to a legal environment. Choosing your CRM will depend on your law firm’s needs and what you expect out of a CRM. You do not necessarily need a legal-specific CRM just because you are a law firm. Speak with our team at Metric Marketing to discuss the best CRM options for you.

Are There Any Free Legal CRMs?

Though legal CRMs should offer a free trial, it’s uncommon for legal CRMs to be free. And even if they are, it is probably a good idea to be wary. The best CRMs, though maybe inexpensive, still do cost money. If you have questions or need help finding a legal CRM, contact our team to help evaluate if the system is reputable or not.