That’s why you need a legal case management system that is truly customizable
As technology has evolved in recent years, the concept of “being customizable” is no longer a special feature, but more of an expectation. We are accustomed to the option of customizing the appearance of our smartphone, right down to the widget, and being shown personalized recommendations when we open our favorite streaming platform.
With this higher expectation for all facets of our technology to be “customizable” from what we like, to how we like it, and what we need, a new standard has been established.
When it comes to your legal case management software, it has also become common practice for systems to have customizable capabilities. But how customizable are they really?
Can you:
- Fully define as many case statuses as your firm needs for each specific workflow?
- Direct each case through a specific automated workflow designed to match your firm’s particular operation?
- Generate templates from text, to email, appointment, and documents – with thousands of standard and custom merge codes?
- Subscribe to receive reports about your firm’s operational details – exactly how and when you want to see it?
These questions touch on a few areas where legal professionals should be able to have complete control within their legal case management software, to truly customize and meet the needs of their unique operation. As Norma Fuentes, Director of Client Services of Gacovino & Lake states, “Every firm is different and therefore their needs are different.”
With SmartAdvocate’s legal case management system, not only can you achieve all of the above, you will be able to maximize your firm’s overall efficiency with the help of the customization capabilities that are simply not offered in any other legal case management application.
Set Your Cases Up For Success
Case stages are the collections of statuses that your cases will pass through within SmartAdvocate’s system. These larger category terms allow you to more broadly sort and track case progress. Within the case stages your firm sets up, for example “Pre-Sign, Pre-Litigation, Litigation, etc.” you can completely customize case statuses. On a more granular level, your firm can create the names of the stages and statuses, how many you have, and the length of each. These parameters you define are also the building blocks for the customizable dashboards and reports your firm will use to navigate each case.
Optimize Document Generation
You can build up your merge code library within SmartAdvocate beyond our standard codes by using User Defined Fields (UDFs), which allow you to create selectable alternative text to go into a document depending on the specifics of a case. With your Custom Merge Codes, your firm will be able to build out your document library however you wish – either completely designed by you from scratch with the help of our Microsoft Word plug in, or from our built-in templates. You can even add PDF forms and Excel documents into the system as templates. SmartAdvocate templates offer further customization possibilities by allowing you to group them together and naming them what makes most sense for your cases.
Design Workflows With Automation
As automation has become increasingly popular within the legal industry, the question is not whether or not your legal case management software has the ability to automate, but rather the extent to which you can automate the operations of your firm. Automation provides the ability to truly customize your firm’s workflows.
With SmartAdvocate’s automation tools – WorkPlans and Automated Procedures – staff can fully direct the progression of a case for each case type they have. Actions can trigger the next task, communication, generated document, and more, in a case. Your firm will be able to increase their case load by being able to handle more tasks, without expending more staff time. Not to mention, when you automate these routine processes, you are ensuring they are done in a timely and effective manner by reducing the risk of things like human error and misfiling, while increasing efficiency, accuracy, and overall client satisfaction.
Integrate With The Partners You Need
With over 100 integration partners already, your firm is able to integrate various companies and tools you are already familiar with into your SmartAdvocate system. With e-signature capabilities, medical record services, texting functionality, legal staffing assistance, and much more, you can tailor these additional services to be functional within SmartAdvocate with a couple of clicks. Wish to integrate with a company we don’t work with already? Let us know, and our team will work to create a custom integration for your firm.
Customize the Way You Manage Your Data With Dashboards And Reports
Beyond SmartAdvocate’s ability to design unique automated workflows, SmartAdvocate not only features all the standard dashboards and reports you would expect in any legal case management software, but also additional ones you can customize to help optimize the operation of your firm. From reports like the Staff Activity Report or the Overdue Task Report, users have exclusive tools at their fingertips.
Don’t see a report you wish to have? Create your own using our Case Browse feature, or our team will work with you to create it specifically for your firm. From minute details within each case, to broad operational and financial information of your firm, SmartAdvocate’s customizable dashboards and reports allow you to best track, manage, and consume the data your firm relies on.
Legal Professionals Like You Enjoy SmartAdvocate
Don’t just take our word for how strong of a tool SmartAdvocate can be for your firm. Legal professionals like you understand the power of customization, and how our legal case management software delivers on that.
Norma Fuentes – Director of Client Services, Gacovino & Lake – Sayville, NY
“With all the CRM programs out there, what makes SmartAdvocate so special? Well, I would say that it is because of all their customizable capabilities and features. They provide you with a program that has all the tools that you need to customize it to your needs…
Our goal was to automate our system as much as we could to create uniformity and control… SmartAdvocate’s plugin and integration capabilities were huge. It allowed us to integrate with our program, Persist and therefore automating our intake department almost completely.
I have been able to customize so much in the three years that we have been using SmartAdvocate. I have been able to do so because they are a phone call away. I am able to make a call, tell them what I need to accomplish and they make it happen.”
Eric Paris – The Paris Firm – Chino Hills, CA
“It has been a first-class experience working with Smart Advocate. I am a very satisfied customer! I love the ease of use of the program. I love the Intake Wizard which allows my staff to quickly set up a new matter in the program. I love the customization of the program to make it work for my particular practice and my jurisdiction.
I love the document management capability of the program and the extension merge codes that make template generation and the preparation of form documents smooth and seamless. The report capabilities are tremendous to bring up the information to review all stages of a matter. The custom user defined fields allow the firm to be able to capture any particular piece of information that we feel is vital to the management of our cases for our clients. I have tried numerous case management programs for my firm over the last 25 years. There is none in my opinion that comes close to SmartAdvocate.”
