The Oklahoma Bar Journal December 2022

documents instead of the all-in-one PMS solution, you still might miss one positive aspect of PMS solu tions: great tech support included at no extra charge. Their business goal is to keep you as a customer forever. That means they will con tinue to assist you until your tech support inquiry is answered. And their cloud storage was built from the beginning to provide lawyers with a secure place to store client matters. Protecting lawyers’ con fidential information is one of the provider’s most important goals. Client portals are simple to use when the documents are already in your digital client file. If all documents are scanned or saved to a client file, sharing them with clients via the portal is typically quick and easy. PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE ALSO PROVIDES BUSINESS CONTINUITY PROTECTION These days, with so many online threats to our data, it is not only important that we protect our clients’ data, but also that we should protect our business continuity – our ability to continue with operations in the face of a disaster or adverse circumstances. How would you proceed if you learned your office

Over the years of serving in this role, I have developed a strong opinion on the next subject. A solo and small firm lawyer should next subscribe to a prac tice management software (PMS) solution. Products such as Clio, MyCase, CosmoLex, Rocket Matter and PracticePanther combine most tools needed by law firms into one interface, including time capture, billing and invoicing, digital client files containing all documents, attorney notes, a secure client por tal for sharing sensitive material and much more. I often tell lawyers seeking a billing program to consider just subscribing to a PMS because they contain – among their many features – time and billing (and frankly, the cost is not much greater for the entire PMS package as compared to a good, dedicated billing software). Even if they are not ready to embrace digital client files powered by PMS solutions, it is still better to learn the time- capture and billing tools within the PMS solution so you will not have to change billing programs when you ultimately adopt digital client files, as you likely will. Even if you put together a com bination of time capture, billing, client portals and cloud storage for

had been flooded or destroyed by fire? Obviously, it would be a dif ficult situation with time devoted to dealing with insurance adjusters and coming up with a new place for operations. But what about your court appearances scheduled that week, and the next? Today, most lawyers would at least have their calendars available on their smartphones and hopefully client contact information as well. But what about the client files, needed exhibits and your notes on ques tions to ask witnesses? Larger law firms with dedicated IT staff may utilize other options. But for a small firm lawyer, the best way to protect your client’s confidential information, along with your work product and your business continuity requirements, is a subscription to a cloud-based practice management solution. Then, if the physical office is destroyed or inaccessible, your staff can either go home or to another location with internet access and log in to the exact same interface they use every day with access to the digital client files. With practice management software, all you need is an internet connection, a computer with a web browser and your username and password to log in and do your work.

Practice-specific tools are also important. I simply cannot imagine preparing a bankruptcy petition and schedules without using software to keep everything organized.

52 | DECEMBER 2022

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL