Categories   >   Litigation Management Software
Last Reviewed: November 26th, 2024

Best Litigation Management Software Of 2024

What is Litigation Management Software?

Litigation Management Software is a digital toolset designed to streamline and optimize the complexities of legal disputes. It tackles the chaos of paperwork, deadlines, and communication, facilitating collaboration and strategic decision-making. By automating tasks and centralizing information, the software empowers legal teams to work faster, smarter, and more cost-effectively. Benefits include improved case organization, enhanced communication with clients and colleagues, and data-driven insights for stronger case strategies. Key functionalities range from document management and calendaring to e-discovery and legal research. Emerging features include AI-powered analytics and predictive modeling for case outcomes. Lawyers, paralegals, and legal teams across various industries, particularly those handling high-volume or complex litigation, reap significant benefits. However, limitations like potential integration issues and dependence on reliable internet access must be considered. Ultimately, litigation management software offers a powerful solution to navigate the intricacies of litigation, boosting efficiency and ultimately, legal success.

What Are The Key Benefits of Litigation Management Software?

  • Enhanced Efficiency
  • Reduced Costs
  • Improved Collaboration
  • Streamlined Case Management
  • Boosted Productivity
  • Data-Driven Insights
  • Stronger Case Strategies
  • Enhanced Client Communication
  • Reduced Risk & Errors
Read more

Overall

Based on the latest available data collected by SelectHub for 3 solutions, we determined the following solutions are the best Litigation Management Software overall:

TimeSolv
TimeSolv
Start Price
$17.95
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Key Features

  • Time Tracking: Track the time spent on different tasks by starting and stopping multiple timers simultaneously. Keep track of billable hours for all clients and projects without switching between different time-tracking tools. 
    • Multiple Timers: Set up timers for various clients or projects and pause or resume anytime. Manage workload while ensuring that no billable time is lost or missed. 
    • Time Entries: Record time manually or import from calendar events, such as meetings and appointments. The automatic time capture feature helps track time spent on emails, calls and other activities. 
  • Billing and Invoicing: Create and send invoices quickly with one interface. Enter billable hours and expenses, set billing rates, and create customized invoices. Add discounts or write-offs to invoices and track payments received against each invoice. 
    • Customizable Invoices: Customize invoices with logo and branding. Choose from a variety of templates and add branding elements to create invoices that reflect the firm's unique identity. 
    • Multiple Billing Options: Offers multiple billing options, including hourly rates, flat fees, contingency fees or task-based billing to bill clients according to their needs. 
    • Automatic Invoicing: Schedule automatic invoicing and reminders for recurring payments, improving cash flow and reducing the risk of payment delays. 
    • Reporting: Monitor billing and invoicing activities and generate detailed reports that show billable hours, expenses, payments received and outstanding balances. Export reports in various formats, including PDF, Excel and CSV. Customize them to show data by client, project or time period. 
  • Accurate Record-keeping: Track all transactions related to client trust accounts accurately. Stay compliant with legal accounting rules and regulations and maintain a high level of trust with clients. 
    • Trust Reports: Generate trust account reports quickly with various report types, including client balance reports, transaction reports and trust account ledgers. 
    • Reconcile Trust Accounts: Stay on top of accounting tasks with a straightforward reconciliation process. Automatically calculate any discrepancies and allow legal professionals to resolve them quickly. 
    • IOLTA Compliance: Maintain compliance with IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts) regulations. Avoid penalties and build client trust. 
  • Centralized Document Storage: Store all case-related documents in one place to avoid managing multiple repositories and easily find and access records. 
    • Customizable Folders: Create document folders based on case type, client or other criteria. 
    • Searchable Documents: Search for documents based on keywords, dates and file types. 
    • Document Versioning: Keep track of all document versions and changes made over time. Always work with the most up-to-date version. 
    • Document Management Systems: Integrate with document management systems like Dropbox and Google Drive to access and manage files and avoid duplicate file storage. 
  • Mobile App: Easily access time and expense tracking, invoicing, and document management features from mobile devices. Stay on top of legal operations, even when out of the office. 
    • Time and Expense Tracking: Track time with automatic timers and customizable time entries. Record expenses by creating custom categories and uploading receipts from the mobile device. 
    • Invoicing: Create and send invoices with customizable templates, automated invoice generation and the ability to accept online payments. Monitor invoice status and send reminders to clients who still need to pay. 
    • Document Management: Access, upload and organize documents, set permissions, and collaborate with team members on the go. 
Actionstep
Actionstep
Start Price
$60
Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Request Pricing Request Demo

Why We Picked Actionstep

Actionstep provides a cost-effective alternative to various legal practice management solutions out there. It’s completely cloud-based with robust features designed to serve multiple practice areas. Document management, eDiscovery and automation are among its strengths with dedicated workflows, templates and search tools.

However, there are tradeoffs with the most cost-effective options. Technical support can have long wait times and not always result in closure. The implementation process is lengthy, and integration options are mediocre at best. If you are on a tight budget and need a decent and reliable solution, Actionstep is a good contender.

Pros & Cons

  • Functionality: The platform offers robust features, according to 88% of users who reviewed this aspect.
  • Ease of Use: According to 70% of users who reviewed this element, the system’s customizability and UI make it easy to use.
  • Cost: 80% of reviewers mentioning cost said the software’s pricing is within reason and affordable.
  • Automation: Regarding this feature, 92% of users said automation saves a lot of time and resources.
  • Data Management: According to 71% of users who reviewed this feature, the platform has powerful data management tools, including document search and field merging.
  • Integrations: Integrations, especially email, accounting and invoicing, have a lot of room for improvement, according to 69% of reviewers mentioning this aspect.
  • Implementation: 69% of users reviewing this element said the implementation process is lengthy.
  • Service and Support: 56% of users who mentioned this aspect said support requests have long wait times.

Key Features

  • Workflow Management: Automate client management, administrative processes and matter progression with configurable workflow patterns addressing individual firm requirements. Collate firm data from reporting modules and assign tasks based on recommended workflow patterns. 
  • Accounting: Manage billables, payments, bank reconciliations, accounts and financial reporting with the UTBMS (LEDES) supported accounting portal. Automatically log client transactions and compute sales tax, GST, VAT and interest for late payments. 
    • Client Accounting: Create and operate 100% cloud-based trust accounts with regular reporting, audit trails and complete trust position visibility. Run reports on account reconciliations, ledgers, journals, matter balances and more. 
  • Conflict Check: Protect the firm from conflicts of interest by checking the client database against custom data sources like emails, matters, contacts and more. 
    • Smart Search: Group search results on the basis of configurable datasets for faster and smarter search results. Study results in greater depth with different contexts. 
    • Permissions: Limit search results depending on an account’s clearance level to protect sensitive firm information. 
    • Import Results: Export search parameters and results to PDF documents and Excel spreadsheets including date and time stamps. Connect search results with associated matters and contacts. 
  • Client Portal: Provide clients with a single, secure platform for carrying out correspondence in real time. Encrypts all communications, documents and matters exchanged between clients and counsels. 
    • Permissions: Authorize which external parties can access the client portal. Maintain confidentiality and limit client activity with account-based permissions for reading, uploading and editing documentation. 
    • Notifications: Get email and in-platform notifications for all document-related changes in the portal. 
  • Data Security: Secure firm data and communication against leaks and vulnerabilities with HTTPS encryption provided by AWS. Solve data residency requirements by storing firm data in one of four AWS data centers in the United States, Australia, Singapore or Europe. 
    • Data Backup: Automatically backup the firm database to protect against catastrophic failures. Export firm data and files securely at any time. 
  • Webforms: Optimize the client intake process with customizable, client-facing intake webforms. Use the form builder extension to configure it in accordance with firm requirements and website aesthetics. 
    • Instant Alerts: Never miss a webform submission from prospective clients with instantaneous email alerts and in-platform notifications. 
    • Secure New Clients: Measure firm response rates to prospective client inquiries in order to improve future performance. The response timer keeps measuring time until the webform is processed or removed. 
    • Data Entry and Reporting: Circumvent manual data entry by automatically converting webforms to relevant matters. Periodically export webform data for reports on the total number of inquiries received and the average firm response rate. 
  • Time Tracking: Track billable time from any device with an internet connection. Attach relevant notes to time tracked and use multiple timers to track simultaneous activities. 
    • Intuitive Recording: Fill out time entries with intuitive defaults based on immediate prior activity. Edit additional details as necessary such as associated legal matter, hours worked, billing rates and more. 
    • Intelligent Time Sheets: Keep track of employee time records and disbursements. The “Smart Suggestions” tool recommends matters and activities to fill the daily progress bar. 
    • Activity Codes: Automatically log common activities like client meetings and document creation with preset activity codes. 
  • Matter Management: Configure individual matters with independent folders including related contacts, notes, documentation, email and calendar events, time records and billing information, trust accounting, audit trails and optimized workflow pattern. 
    • Workflow Automation: Streamline firm processes with matter-specific workflow automation. Automatically perform default tasks like email outreach, data entry and task assignments. 
    • Status Reports: Get detailed reports on the status of legal matters. Customize the reports to reveal specific datasets and export the results as Excel spreadsheets or weekly/daily email reports. 
  • Document Management: Create and edit legal documents within matter-specific folders or upload files directly from third-party integrations like Microsoft Office, Google Drive and Dropbox. The document management portal provides data encryption and permission-based access to protect against unauthorized access. 
    • Data Backup: Secure firm data and documentation with automated backups. Export all data at any time. 
    • Scan and Search: Scan documents directly into legal matters and perform full text search for specific subjects. 
  • Client Management: Get a comprehensive 360-degree view of clients with unique contact records, associated matters, correspondence history and billing information, all in one place. 
    • Client Outreach: Automatically send emails and SMS messages to clients about case updates, changes in matters and upcoming events. Set tasks to remind team members about critical client touchpoints. 
    • Client Portal: Clients can securely upload relevant documents and provide e-signatures through the self-service portal. Increase client engagement by communicating the latest case-related updates through notifications. 
    • Sales Pipeline: Manage prospective clients and sales leads with the purpose-built toolkit. Automatically send follow-up emails to prospects and create reminders for employees. 
  • Calendar Management: Stay on top of important dates, appointments, hearings and legal obligations with the integrated calendar extension. Create shared calendars, synchronize entries across multiple devices and open tasks and matters directly from the extension. 
    • Calendar Sync: Synchronize the calendar tool with third-party integrations for Office 365, Microsoft Exchange and Google Calendar to receive a real-time, holistic view of firm obligations. Link matters directly to the calendar to view all related events. 
    • Calendar Reports: Prepare custom calendar reports with logged events, appointments, transactions and matter. 
    • Cashflow: Link appointments with associated matters to track pending payments. Remind clients about outstanding bills and record payments through the calendar portal itself. 
  • Reporting: Identify the firm’s most profitable practice areas, referral sources, lawyers, clients and more with powerful reporting tools. Additional reporting areas include time and fee entries, client transactions, write-offs, bill journals, aging receivables and client profitability. 
  • Marketing: Optimize the firm’s marketing policy by integrating marketing campaigns, timeframes, expectations and budgets with the recommended workflow. Get accurate feedback on return on investment (ROI) to improve future marketing efforts. 
  • Email Management: Manage all client and contact correspondence with the dedicated email platform. Integrate with applications like Outlook and Gmail to record notes and tasks directly from the source. 
    • Email Automation: Inform clients, team members and co-counsels about case developments and events with automated emails. Create perfectly worded emails with custom templates that pull data from live matters. 
    • Matter Linking: Organize the firm’s inbox and outbox based on associated matters. Redirect all sent messages and replies automatically to the designated matter folder. 
  • Document Automation: Automatically situate live data from legal matters into customizable documents and email templates to eliminate manual data entry. The document assembly tool can insert a variety of data fields including names, logos, addresses and billing information. 
  • API: Use existing applications or integrate third party extensions like Office 365, Microsoft Outlook and more as per firm requirements. 
  • Mobile App: Manage legal calendar, tasks, appointments and deadlines from the mobile app. Stay on top of all client obligations with automated synchronization of legal calendars. 
    • Mobile Time Tracking: Track time, create new entries and view timesheets on the go. Add notes and descriptions to time tracked, assign it to existing legal matters and enter billing information in real time. 
ProLaw
ProLaw
Start Price
$30,000
One-Time
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Request Pricing Request Demo

Why We Picked ProLaw

If you're a lawyer drowning in paperwork and struggling to keep your firm's finances in order, ProLaw might just be the life raft you need. ProLaw, developed by Thomson Reuters Elite, is a comprehensive legal practice management software that helps law firms of all sizes manage their cases, clients, and finances. It's like having a personal assistant, accountant, and paralegal all rolled into one!

ProLaw's strengths lie in its ease of use, comprehensive feature set, and ability to improve efficiency and productivity. Users rave about its intuitive interface and how it streamlines tasks like time tracking, billing, and document management. ProLaw's robust features, including client and contact management, matter management, conflict checking, and document automation, make it a one-stop shop for all your law firm's needs. ProLaw also integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office, which is a major plus for many users. However, ProLaw does have a couple of drawbacks. Its high price tag can be a barrier for smaller firms or solo practitioners, and its lack of integration with certain other software can be frustrating. Despite these shortcomings, ProLaw is still considered one of the top legal practice management software options on the market.

So, who is ProLaw best suited for? Law firms with 10 or more members who are looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one solution to manage their practice will find ProLaw to be a valuable asset. It's particularly well-suited for firms that handle a large volume of cases and clients, as it can help them streamline their workflows and improve their bottom line. If you're looking for a software that can help you take your law firm to the next level, ProLaw is definitely worth considering. Just be prepared to invest a significant amount of money upfront.

Pros & Cons

  • Customizable: ProLaw's flexibility allows users to tailor the software to their specific needs, including custom fields, reports, and workflows to match individual preferences and firm-specific processes.
  • Comprehensive Features: ProLaw offers a wide range of features covering various aspects of law practice management, including time tracking, billing, accounting, calendaring, document management, and reporting, providing a centralized platform for managing legal operations.
  • Integrations: ProLaw integrates with other software applications commonly used in law firms, such as Microsoft Office and QuickBooks, streamlining data exchange and reducing manual data entry.
  • Scalability: ProLaw is suitable for law firms of all sizes, from solo practitioners to large firms, as it can accommodate growing data volumes and user bases without compromising performance.
  • Learning Curve: ProLaw presents a steep learning curve due to its intricate interface and extensive features, often requiring substantial training and ongoing support for users to become proficient.
  • Customization Challenges: Adapting ProLaw to specific workflows or unique firm requirements can be complex, often necessitating advanced technical expertise or reliance on external consultants, potentially leading to increased implementation costs and delays.
  • Integration Limitations: Integrating ProLaw with other essential legal software or business applications can pose challenges, potentially hindering data exchange and workflow efficiency, particularly for firms with diverse technology ecosystems.
  • Reporting Flexibility: Generating customized reports or extracting specific data from ProLaw may require intricate knowledge of the system's reporting tools or necessitate manual data manipulation, potentially impacting efficiency and data analysis capabilities.

Key Features

  • Data Repository: Store and maintain a centrally accessible database of client and lead information. 
  • Conflict Checks: Scan potential clients for possible conflicts of interest before the onboarding process. 
  • Court Docketing and Calendar Management: Synchronize the legal calendar with jurisdictional rules to track deadlines and statutes of limitations. 
  • Case and Matter Management: The centralized database provides instantaneous access to legal documents, matters and contact information. Edit case-related data, appointments and matter information without any hassle. 
  • Time and Expense Management: Simplify the capture of daily activities, maximize the capture of billable time, reclaim client-related expenses, and increase profitability with flexible time and expense tracking options. 
  • Firm-Wide Reporting: Generate preconfigured reports to measure productivity and financial performance. Leverage actionable insights to make swift business decisions. 
  • Contingency Analysis and Disposition: Analyze firm’s financials and client’s net under differing scenarios to prepare flexible settlement strategies. Perform accounting tasks to meet the requirements of contingency-based cases. 
  • Mobile Application: Maintain access to all essential functions while on the move. View, edit and update matter information, track time, save emails, share documents and manage legal calendar remotely with the mobile application. 
  • Firm Reporting: Leverage advanced reporting capabilities to make critical decisions in real time. Build consolidated reports on productivity metrics, client profitability, billings, finances, workflow efficiency, human resources and more. Make edits with the Microsoft toolbar and export reports to Excel with the SSRS Report Builder. 
  • Integrations: Seamlessly integrate with third-party applications to keep all firm data under one environment. Commonly used integrations include Microsoft Outlook, Exchange, HotDocs, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Copitrak, QuickPayroll and more. 

COMPARE THE BEST Litigation Management Software

Select up to 2 Products from the list below to compare

 
Product
Score
i
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Litigation Management Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
Start Price
Free Trial
Company Size
Deployment
Platform
Logo
TimeSolv
$17.95
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
TimeSolv
Actionstep
$60
Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Actionstep
ProLaw
$30,000
One-Time
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
ProLaw

All Litigation Management Software (3 found)

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TimeSolv

by TimeSolv
TimeSolv
TimeSolv is a cloud-based solution that provides law firms with time and billing capabilities and helps ensure compliance with industry standards. Lawyers can track expenses, generate invoices and process payments quickly and accurately. It offers project management modules to manage deadlines, assign tasks and collaborate with colleagues. Its reporting capabilities provide insights into the firm's financial health and performance to make informed decisions and improve practice.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Request with no obligation:
Demo Pricing

Actionstep

by Actionstep
Actionstep
Actionstep is an end-to-end cloud-based platform designed for legal practices to manage and execute daily operations. It is scalable and easy to use with drag-and-drop functionality. Users can automate administrative practice workflows with extensive control over each step of the process. They can also build templates to automatically populate legal documents with required data. It provides seamless client onboarding and management with client conflict verification and record management modules. It can also automate matter management with custom structures and data filters, and streamline billing, accounting and time tracking.Businesses can utilize its assortment of integrations and native iOS and Android apps to manage day-to-day operations on-the-fly. It leverages AWS to provide end-to-end data encryption, permission-based access and automated data backups. Measure performance in different practice areas with its robust reporting.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Request with no obligation:
Demo Pricing

ProLaw

by Thomson Reuters
ProLaw
ProLaw is an end-to-end solution designed for law firms to streamline and manage different aspects of their businesses. It provides inclusions to coordinate and support the processes of various facets of the firm, including executive, legal, IT and finance. It provides a cover-all integration with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Westlaw court rules and other popular applications to help lawyers build and maintain a productive, profitable practice. It provides real-time business intelligence on the health of the firm, enabling access to and management of all important processes on the go with the mobile app and online portal. It offers additional modules, such as card processing, e-billing, legal calendar and researching to address the entire matter lifecycle to service clients more efficiently and effectively. It also provides personalized training options to promote firm-wide literacy.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: good
Cost Breakdown
$1,000 or more
Company Size
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Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
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Request with no obligation:
Demo Pricing

Buyer's Guide

Litigation Software Is All About Streamlining Case-Related Tasks With Specialized Legal Tools

By Pooja Verma, Content Editor and Senior Market Analyst at SelectHub

Litigation Management Software BG Intro

More often than not, litigation is a time and resource-intensive process. A lot takes place behind the scenes, including discovery, communication, claims, counterclaims, court hearings and document management. Litigation software brings all these discrete processes under one roof, making it significantly easier for legal professionals to track and deliver on case-related objectives.

Litigation is the backbone of the legal process, and dedicated legal software manages basic operations for everyone involved. Apart from litigation, most law firms have to deal with multiple repetitive administrative tasks daily. The software automates these processes while keeping relevant parties in the loop, improving productivity and quality of life.

Executive Summary

  • Litigation software streamlines case-related tasks, including legal discovery, case assessments, and document and matter management.
  • The platform uses automation to monitor ongoing processes and connect moving parts.
  • It unifies ancillary processes like client management, billing and accounting under a single platform.
  • Asking yourself and potential vendors the right questions is crucial to finding the right fit for your business.
What This Guide Covers:

What Is Litigation Software?

Litigation software is a specialized case management platform offering all the tools to manage litigation workflows effectively. These include purpose-built modules for legal discovery, conflict checks, case assessment, document management, matter management, client communication and legal calendaring. Its primary purpose is to organize and connect moving parts and establish a single source of truth.

When we get to the brass tacks, litigation management software gets most of the work done via automation and configurable workflows. Starting from the client intake process, it uses preconfigured forms to record client information, assign relevant caseworkers, set deadlines and schedule meetings. As litigation shapes up, it stores all relevant information, documents and contacts in a secure central depository for remote access.

The system syncs with the court and jurisdictional rules to create deadlines, schedule meetings, and notify relevant parties of important calendar events.

Most law firms deal with multiple litigations simultaneously, with overlapping lawyers, attorneys and paralegals working across various departments. It plays an essential role in keeping everyone in the loop, eliminating redundancies and limiting errors and omissions as much as possible.

Related Categories

Different categories of litigation management solutions help litigation paralegals and law firms manage caseloads efficiently and seamlessly conduct legal operations such as:

  • Case Management Software: It primarily focuses on managing and organizing cases. Includes features like case detail tracking, document and task management, scheduling, and collaboration.
  • E-Discovery Software: This platform lets you identify, collect and review electronic records to efficiently handle large volumes of electronically stored information (ESI) during the discovery process.
  • Legal Document Management Tools: You can easily organize, store, retrieve and share legal documents and files. It typically offers features like version control, indexing, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capabilities and document workflow automation.
  • Legal Research Software: This type provides access to legal databases, judicial opinions, statutes, regulations and other legal resources. It lets you conduct in-depth research, analyze cases and track relevant legal precedents.
  • Contract Management System: It assists with contract creation, review and management. Key features are contract drafting, negotiation tools, contract lifecycle tracking and alerts for important dates or contract renewals.
  • Billing Software: It’s designed to address litigation management’s financial aspects. You can track billable hours, generate invoices, manage client accounts and handle financial reporting. It can also integrate with other billing systems or legal practice management software for seamless financial management.
  • Legal Research Tools and Databases: These platforms aren’t traditional litigation software but play a crucial role in litigation management. They offer access to vast legal resources, enabling you to conduct comprehensive research, find relevant case law, analyze precedents and strengthen arguments.
  • Corporate Governance and Compliance Software:: It helps corporate legal departments adhere to regulatory requirements, manage compliance policies and track governance-related documents. These solutions offer risk assessment, policy management, regulatory reporting and audit trail tracking.

Primary Benefits

Litigation software brings a lot to the table, not just in terms of productivity and efficiency but also integrity and transparency. Let’s discuss some of its major benefits:

Litigation Management Software Benefits

Gain Real-Time Visibility

Visibility is of the utmost importance to law firms dealing with multiple litigations simultaneously. Modern platforms offer intuitive dashboards and litigation management tools for 360-degree tracking of ongoing matters. This way, you always know when to assign tasks, set deadlines or coordinate across various business units.

Optimization is a large part of what makes case management software successful. However, having all the data on hand lets you make snap decisions and plan deadlines accordingly.

Automate Critical Business Processes

Automation is the most powerful weapon in any legal software’s arsenal. As part of litigation management workflows, you can automate various processes, including document management, conflict checks, evidence organization, eDiscovery, task management and reporting.

Automated procedures free your attorneys, paralegals and lawyers to focus on improving your service instead of being bogged down by repetitive tasks.

Streamline Communication and Collaboration

Litigation management software enables you to improve interdepartmental and cross-channel communication. A live feed of upcoming deadlines, pending to-dos, legal tasks and calendar entries helps assign tasks, prep legal teams and troubleshoot issues.

A client portal provides a direct channel to your clients. You can maintain a record of all written communications and allow your clients to access their case files remotely. Ask for eSignatures, notify them of important dates and set up notifications with minimal effort.

Many litigation platforms offer collaboration tools that allow multiple team members to work on cases simultaneously. It enhances collaboration among teams and departments, improving teamwork and outcomes.

Organize and Access Legal Documents

Litigation tends to load up legal documents, and their organization can be a tremendous task. Automated document management workflows can tag, label and organize matters according to clients, case types and lawyers.

Most platforms store legal documents in a centrally accessible database, allowing lawyers to access case files remotely. State-of-the-art security, data encryption and backup protocols keep files secure from unauthorized access.

Key Features & Functionality

Time Tracking

Maximize your billables with automated time tracking. Retroactively add entries for time spent in the field or while working on client communications, meetings or hearings. Clear and direct time tracking leads to transparency and integrity in billing practices.

Run reports on time entries to identify productive sectors, reassess task assignments and improve underperforming departments.
Legal Calendar

A firm-wide legal calendar helps you stay on top of everyone’s tasks. Integrate email clients with the calendar to import tasks and add time entries directly. Set up automated notifications for important events, including hearings, court dates and client meetings.
Document Management

Store all case-related documents and legal matters in a centralized document repository. You can locate specific files using keywords and meta-tagging functions. Cloud storage facilitates remote access from any authorized device.

You can reconfigure workflows to suit your firm’s requirements and ensure zero friction with existing processes. Store as many files as you want with complete version history and unlimited cloud storage.
E-Discovery

This feature lets you identify, collect and preserve electronic information that can act as evidence. Collect electronic data from various sources like emails, documents and social media. It helps process and filter this information so you can focus on the most relevant documents.

The software also offers data review and analysis tools, allowing you to search, tag and annotate documents. This way, you can find the evidence you need to build a strong case without spending endless hours manually sifting through heaps of electronic information.
Automated Workflows

Automation covers every inch of your business processes. You can create automated workflows to process client intake, record contact information with custom forms, assign tasks and send notifications and alerts.

It’s a crucial part of the process that improves productivity and reduces errors and omissions.
CRM

The client portal is a one-stop-shop for everything client. You can send and receive communication, answer doubts, request documents, and send files for eSignatures.

Your clients get a direct line to their respective lawyers and access to their case files and legal calendars.
Legal Billing

This integrated module can convert time entries directly to bills. Build custom payment methods for your clients and process credit cards and eChecks without hassle. Run financial reports based on your billing history to diagnose your firm’s financial condition.

Software Comparison Strategy

Here are some factors that can directly influence litigation software’s scalability, adaptability and overall efficiency:

  • Preferred Features: Look for software with robust case and document management capabilities. It should allow you to organize, search and retrieve data efficiently. Features like version control, document tagging and metadata management can enhance document management efficiency.
  • Integrations: When migrating from an existing system, ensure the litigation management software supports your existing third-party partnerships and integrations. Migrating to an entirely new platform is enough work, even when not searching for new integrations.
  • Budget: The software of your choice should fit into your budget. You can get away with a barebones litigation management system if you’re a small law firm. But, mid to large-sized firms usually require a comprehensive approach, which is a marriage of legal practice management and litigation management capabilities. Whatever you choose, ensure the software can scale along with your business.
  • Customizations and Scalability: The platform should have use cases for your practice area. Configuring workflows and customizing intake forms with previous use cases will be easier. Also, investing in a scalable solution is a good idea so your business doesn’t outgrow its software capabilities. 
  • Remote Accessibility: If you need remote access or a mobile app, it’s best to inquire beforehand.
  • Security and Data Privacy: Litigation management software deals with sensitive and confidential information. So, you must ensure the system provides data protection measures. Look for features like encryption, user access controls, audit trails and compliance with data security regulations like GDPR or HIPAA.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Analytical capabilities provide valuable insights into case management, resource allocation and timelines. Find software that offers advanced analytics and reporting features, such as data visualization, predictive analytics and customizable reports, to help you make data-driven decisions.

For more guidance, check out our easy-to-follow nine-step Lean Selection methodology. It’ll guide you through the entire software selection process, from identifying your needs to finalizing the contract.

Cost & Pricing Considerations

You’ll be surprised how often it happens that people find the perfect software for their needs but can’t accommodate it within their budget. It’s important to remember that it’s not the right fit for you if it can’t fit your budget. Having said that, there are a few places where you can trim some fat:

Mode of Deployment

It’s no longer a secret that cloud-based deployment or SaaS delivery is cheaper than on-premise deployment, both in the short and long term. It has a lower cost of ownership, is easier to maintain and upgrade, offers remote access, and comes with no strings attached. There are a few disadvantages, though, including downtime, security vulnerabilities and lack of customizability.

On the other hand, on-premise deployment offers better security, configurability and ownership. The most obvious trade-off is the increase in overall cost. Factors contributing to this increase in price are IT dependencies, maintenance costs, hardware hosting charges, rent, utilities and more.

Additional Services

If you need extra services like data localization, data migration, employee training and premium support, you might have to choose between additional services or fidelity to your budget. It can be difficult to accommodate both within a tight budget.

The Most Popular Litigation Software

Law firms have diverse requirements when it comes to litigation software. The option that works for you might not necessarily be the de facto best software out there. As such, crowning any platform as the best choice is difficult. Therefore, we’ve prepared a list of the most popular litigation management software:

Case Notebook

Case Notebook by Thomas Reuters is a comprehensive case management solution that helps organize, analyze and share legal documents. Its robust search capabilities let you easily find information in court transcripts, research, exhibits and other files. You can track and visualize case facts, issues and events in a graphical timeline with the case timeline feature.

Case Notebook

Easily compile and organize events in Case Timeline. Source

Centralized issue codes and annotation author tracking help you manage litigation cases consistently across your team. Keep remote participants informed by following the live transcript of legal proceedings and streaming it to them.

Law Practice Management

Law Practice Management by PracticePanther is an all-in-one case management software that enables firms of all sizes to automate their daily legal processes. You can get in-depth visibility into the case status on a single dashboard. Cloud storage provides access to files, documents, images and videos on the go.

Law Practice Management

Communicate with clients through a secure client portal. Source

You can use different timers, turn calendar events into time entries and use tags to attribute time to cases. The platform lets you perform three-way conciliations and set threshold notifications for the trust account balance to maintain compliance.

Actionstep

Actionstep is a cloud-based, adaptable system for mid-sized law firms. It helps build templates to auto-populate documents with necessary data. Use client conflict verification and record management modules for seamless onboarding and management.

Actionstep

Create bills with Actionstep’s Enhanced Billing Mode. Source

Its capabilities include CRM, time and billing, matter management, reporting, and trust and office accounting. You can create end-to-end client experiences with flexible client intake, billing procedures and communication.

 

Questions To Ask

If you’re still here with us, we’re sure you have questions. Good! Every question is a step to better understanding your firm’s requirements and software options.

In addition to questions you already have, we’ve prepared a few questions you should ask yourself to get started:

  • How much litigation is our firm looking to process?
  • Do we need a standalone litigation management system or an enterprise-grade platform?
  • Do we need remote access to case files?
  • Does our law firm have in-house IT technicians?
  • Do we need in-person product training for legal professionals?

Litigation Management Software Key Questions

Here’s a list of questions to communicate your needs to potential vendors:

  • Does the software sync with jurisdictional court rules?
  • Can the platform operate business and trust accounts without third-party apps?
  • What kind of security does the platform provide?
  • Does the vendor provide data localization services?
  • What kind of third-party apps does the platform support?

FAQs

What is the litigation technique?

Litigation technique is a strategic and tactical approach used during litigation. It involves the following steps:

  • Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a case.
  • Conducting legal research to understand applicable laws and precedents.
  • Collecting and preserving evidence to support claims or defenses.
  • Drafting pleadings and motions to present legal arguments and requests to the court.
  • Discovering and gathering information and evidence from opposing parties.
  • Pursuing settlement negotiations to potentially resolve the case outside of court.
  • Trial preparation includes witness preparation, expert testimony and trial strategy.
  • Case presentation in court involves effective courtroom advocacy.
  • Involved parties may file post-trial motions and appeals if necessary.

What are the three stages of litigation?

The three stages of litigation are as follows:

  1. Pre-Trial: This stage involves the initial preparation and planning for the litigation process. It includes conducting legal research, gathering evidence, drafting pleadings, filing the lawsuit and engaging in discovery to exchange information with the opposing party.
  2. Trial: In this stage, both parties present the case before a judge or jury in court. They show their arguments, evidence and witness testimony. It involves opening statements, examination and cross-examination of witnesses, presenting exhibits, and making closing arguments.
  3. Post-Trial: It includes post-trial motions, such as motions for judgment or a new trial, and the court's decision. If unsatisfied with the outcome, parties may choose to file an appeal to a higher court, initiating the appellate process. This stage also involves enforcing the court's judgment if applicable.

What’s the purpose of litigation software?

Handling litigation can be demanding and complex. Litigation software serves as a valuable tool for legal professionals, providing seamless processes and improved efficiency throughout the litigation process. The platform helps:

  • Streamline and automate litigation tasks to increase productivity.
  • Organize and manage documents and case information.
  • Facilitate easy document searching and retrieval.
  • Foster collaboration and communication among team members.
  • Leverage case management and timeline tracking tools.
  • Analyze case data for informed decision-making.
  • Save time and reduce costs in the litigation process.
  • Improve overall outcome and success of litigation cases.

Next Steps

Litigation is an essential part of any law firm’s critical processes and has the potential to make or break your organization’s reputation. Good litigation software can catapult your firm’s efficiency and productivity, improving profitability and brand identity.

Most law firms worth their salt are already using legal document management or litigation management software of one kind or another. But finding the right one for your needs can be challenging. So, talk to your peers and find out what works for them and what issues they discovered retrospectively. Combine their perspectives with what you’ve learned from our guide, and you should be good to go.

We hope this guide will help you find the right solution for your business needs. If you need further help, check out our free comparison report to compare top software leaders based on features, pricing and other custom criteria. Good luck!

Additional Resources

About The Contributors

The following expert team members are responsible for creating, reviewing, and fact checking the accuracy of this content.

Riddhiman
By Riddhiman Roy
Technical Content Writer
As a Senior Technical Content Writer at SelectHub, Riddhiman Roy delivers content about eCommerce, legal, employee scheduling, procurement, hotel management and property management software. He holds a Master's in multimedia journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. When he is not fighting huge-article-ogres and evil Grammarly suggestions, you can find him in his natural habitat grooving to music and banging his drumkit.
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Pooja
Edited By Pooja Verma
Content Editor
Pooja Verma is a Content Editor and Senior Market Analyst at SelectHub, who writes and edits content for endpoint security, legal, CRM, fundraising software, eCommerce, and mental health software. She earned a literature degree from Miranda House, DU and also holds Master’s in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication in India. In her free time, you can spot her reading a book or binge-watching the latest web series and movies.
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