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Author: Perry
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TimeNet Law 3.6 is Available Now!
TimeNet Law 4 Beta 1 is nearing completion, but while we wrap that up, we’ve got a great update to TimeNet Law 3 for you! There’s a lot of Good Stuff™ inside, so be sure to peruse the full release notes. But first, let’s take a look at a few highlights.
Introducing TimeNet Law Plan
Now you can get access to all of TimeNet Law’s modules, priority support, early access betas, and all future updates for one great low price! No more modules to purchase or renewals and updates to manage.
Legacy Pricing Still Available
If you prefer to use legacy pricing, you can still purchase TimeNet Law, add modules as needed, and pay for renewals manually. However, some TimeNet Law 4 features will require the new Plan pricing. More details will be announced as we get closer to releasing TimeNet Law 4.
Control Center Now Baked In
If you’ve purchased the Control Center module, or signed up for the new Plan pricing, you can now access the Control Center right inside TimeNet Law. No separate application to install or manage. Just select Window > Control Center from the menubar, or access it from the Control Center button in the Preferences window.
You’ll be able to configure user permissions and view the audit log of all changes, who made them, and when. Even control manual lockouts, scheduled lockouts, and much more.
New Matter Report
Now you can get a list of all matters, organized by client, in one window. The report will show your matter names, matter numbers, time spent, and current A/R for each individual matter. The report can be easily printed or exported into a spreadsheet.
Dozens of Bug Fixes and UI Refinements
We’ve been hard at work squashing bugs and polishing up the UI all over. More QuickHelp items have been added, improvements have been made to invoices, and windows have been cleaned up to make managing your law firm better than ever with TimeNet Law 3.6!
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TimeNet Law 4 Sneak Peek!
We are super excited to show you what we’ve been working: TimeNet Law 4! This huge update is coming soon, and it’s loaded with fantastic new features and a gorgeous new smart dashboard. Soon we’ll also be offering some really exciting new services that you’re going to love. Let’s dive in!
Schedules and Tasks
TimeNet Law 4 gives you an entire scheduling and task management system that fully integrates with your billing. It’s a killer way to keep yourself and your team on task. Track deadlines and always know what meetings and tasks are coming up. And of course, because it’s integrated into your billing system, every task, meeting, and deadline can be automatically billed with one click.
TimeNet Law 4 has all the features you expect from a great task management system:
- Prioritize tasks and give them deadlines
- Organize task into categories and use tags
- Link tasks to clients for automated billing
- See a timeline of the day, week, or month ahead
- See calendars specific to clients and matters
- Get practical alerts and reminders that always keep you informed of what needs to be done next
- Set how aggressive you want reminders to be, anywhere from “Just leave me alone” all the way up to “Pester me relentlessly”
- Search tasks quickly with powerful filters to find exactly what you’re looking for
Smart Dashboard
The new Smart Dashboard will quickly become an indispensable tool for your law firm. Be greeted every morning with critical insights about your law firm, an overview of your day or week, and a fantastic launchpad that keeps you focused and moving smoothly from one task to the next. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
- See an overview of your day or week, and quickly find gaps where you may have forgotten to enter your time
- Move quickly and stay focused with Launchpad – it surfaces important tasks, deadlines, meetings, recently worked on matters, and more.
- See relevant files, tasks and deadlines instantly as you move between clients and matters
- Know exactly what’s on the agenda for your day, and what tasks need to be done next
- Get helpful reminders and suggestions
- See details related to the entire firm and the big picture, or see a layout tailored for one specific timekeeper
- Jump to the right matter from the Dashboard, and see the new Launchpad icon next to clients that have tasks or events due today
Document Management
TimeNet Law 4 manages all of your documents for you. Store them in your database so they’re always available to everyone, anywhere. Documents can be linked to clients and timers, assigned to timekeepers, and organized with tags and categories. Now all of your important firm and client files are right at your fingertips.
- Link documents to timers so time spent is always tracked automatically
- Create multiple deadlines per document
- Save a document as a template and easily duplicate it
- Organize documents with tags and categories
- Assign documents to timekeepers
- See what documents need tending to right away
- Search documents quickly with powerful filters to find exactly what you’re looking for
This is just the beginning
TimeNet Law 4 is just the start of something new and special. The items listed above are planned for the 4.0 release, but we are already hard at work creating even more great features. Coming shortly after 4.0, we have two more big updates planned.
iOS and TimeNet Law Portal
An iOS app has been in development and promised for years now, and it’s still not here. There’s no excuse – this is our fault and we feel awful about it. While we have hit roadblock after roadblock creating an iOS app that lives up to our sky high standards of simplicity, power, and privacy, the simple fact is we haven’t delivered. And for that, we apologize.
We are committed to bringing TimeNet Law to your iPhone and iPad in early 2021, and have revamped our development timeline to do so, no matter what. It will roll out in incremental stages, but we know the #1 requested feature is simply to time tasks and log expenses while on the go, and that’s what we’re starting with.
We’re also creating a brand new system that will allow you to send and receive documents to and from your clients with paranoid encryption – because email is inherently insecure and inadequate. This system will let you message securely with your clients, share documents back and forth, and integrate directly with TimeNet Law’s new Document Management system.
This system will also give you customizable online client intake forms for your law firm, the ability to accept credit card payments from your clients, and a lot of other exciting new features. We’re calling it TimeNet Law Portal and it will be launching next year, after our iOS app is available.
We can’t wait for you to get your hands on TimeNet Law 4 and let us know what you think! We will be releasing more screenshots and details as we get closer to the final release, so be sure to check back here and follow us on Twitter!
Meanwhile…
We’d love to hear your feedback! If you have any comments or questions, or want to sign up for early access to the TimeNet Law 4 beta, please get in touch using the button below. You’ll be signed up to receive it as soon as it’s ready.
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TimeNet Law 3.5 is Available Now!
Hot on the heels of TimeNet Law 3.4, we’re dropping an update to provide some important Big Sur UI fixes, as well as some major performance improvements. If you have a larger database, you’ll love this stuff.
Don’t forget…
TimeNet Law 4 will be here before you know it! This HUGE update brings some truly incredible new features and improvements, and we can’t wait to show it to you.
Check back here on December 11th to see the details!
2020 has been extremely disruptive and stressful for many people, and that includes attorneys.
Offices and courthouses have had to close, court proceedings placed on hold, and even taking a meeting in person with your client can be a logistical nightmare.
Some law firms have struggled to evolve in this rapidly changing world. Others still have flourished, by either implementing or relying on a previously implemented virtual office strategy.
Now is the time to focus on ensuring your law firm remains relevant and successful during the pandemic era and beyond.
Why you need to consider transitioning to a virtual law office
The pandemic of 2020 has forced an evolutionary change on business. But even after the pandemic is over, the overall trend of business is shifting toward working from home and virtual offices. Already, many companies are saying that work from home options will remain in place long term, even after things get back to normal.
The truth is, you need to be able to deliver every service and interaction that you typically offer your clients in your office – remotely.
Whether you are a larger law firm or a solo practitioner, it doesn’t matter. You need to be able to conduct business and run your firm from the office, from home, and anywhere else you happen to be.
How to transition to a virtual law office
In this section, we’ll cover:
- How to make your documents and billing data remotely accessible
- How to make sure your data is secure and private
- Pros and cons of cloud-based software
- A better, safer option than storing your data solely in the cloud
How to make your documents and billing data remotely accessible
It’s actually much easier than you might imagine to begin transitioning right now. Chances are, you’re already sharing files at your office. Any simple shared folder setup can be adapted to allow remote access. This is typically handled through a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
You may also be using a cloud storage service, such as Dropbox or iCloud Drive, to sync files between your devices already.
If you’re doing one of these two things, you’ve already set yourself up to operate as a virtual law office. If not, its as simple as creating folder in your iCloud Drive folder, signing up for a free Dropbox account, or setting up a shared folder on your hard drive using Apple’s System Preferences > Sharing preference pane. Just turn on File Sharing, and drag a folder you want to share into the Shared Folders list.
How to make sure your data is secure and private
Accessing your documents is only part of the puzzle. You’ll also need a good system in place to manage your clients, track your time, create invoices, log and track payments and retainers, and effectively search your documents and link them to clients.
Cloud-based software offers some advantages – mainly that you can access your data and enter time using a website from anywhere. However, using web-based software comes with some significant disadvantage. It is often slow and clunky, and it is unwise to store all of your data in a system that is only accessible when you have internet access, and when that system itself isn’t down or otherwise unavailable.
There are also important privacy implications to consider. With cloud-based software, all of your data is stored using their own proprietary formats and encryption, and that data can be accessed by them anytime. The risk of having very private information about your law firm and your clients sold to advertisers and other third parties, or otherwise inadvertently leaked through a security breach, is very real. It has happened many times before.
A better, safer option than storing your data solely in the cloud
A much better option is to store all of your data on your own hard drive or device, in an independently encrypted format. This way, it is always accessible, with or without internet, and all of your critical documents, client billing and accounting aren’t at risk of becoming unavailable to you in the event of a service outage. You also don’t have to worry about your data willfully or unintentionally being put into the hands of third parties.
By using a system that keeps all of your data on your own hard drive and automatically syncs it to all of your devices, you have an extremely robust solution for data management. Your data is always backed up on a cloud server in case your computer has a hardware malfunction, or becomes lost or damaged. Your data is always available on your own hard drive. And it’s encrypted and only readable by you. You can also be assured that no cloud service that stores your data also has the ability to read or decrypt it. These things are absolutely critical.
A law firm management system like TimeNet Law that has a native app for your Mac and integrates with cloud or shared folder syncing can give you all of these great benefits. But whatever system you choose, be sure that it cannot access, sell, or lock you out of your data.
Running your law firm remotely
Now that you have a good handle on storing and accessing your data, and have a good law firm management system in place, you’ve got to put it all into action.
Adapting to a Home Office and Staying On Track With Your Team
If you are aren’t a solo practitioner, make sure to schedule regular virtual meetings with your team using a service like Zoom or Skype. Just because you’re not all going to the office every day doesn’t mean you can’t see each other and communicate effectively.
Working from home is an adjustment for a lot of us, so be sure to check in with each other often and identify pain points that anyone is running into so you can address them and keep things operating smoothly.
Be sure you have a dedicated workspace if at all possible. Comfort, posture, and an environment conducive to focus are all vital. There is a mental mode shift that happens when you enter the office. It’s the same thing that happens when you go to the gym – your mind and body are ready to workout. Sitting at the kitchen table signals your mind that its time to eat. Sitting on the couch often subconsciously switches us into a mode of relaxation. Having a dedicated workspace is an extremely important key for all successful home office operations.
Interacting With Your Existing Clients
Your clients can’t simply walk into your office, so make sure they have other options for contacting you. Offer appointments on Zoom or Skype, and make sure they have all relevant phone numbers and email addresses to contact you. Make yourself available for virtual meetings and let your clients know about these new options.
Be sure to reinforce that even though the world we live in is a very different place right now, they can still expect the same level of service from your law firm. That has not changed.
New Clients
For new clients, make sure you have a simple intake form on your website so they can establish themselves with you as a lead and quickly schedule an introductory virtual meeting with you. This also allows you to quickly determine whether this is a client that you wish to take on or not.
2020 has been a year like no other in our lifetime, this much is certain. But the most successful law firms are adapting quickly, and you can too. Working from home offers many benefits, and even as things slowly return to normal, the idea of “the workplace” has forever been changed. Implementing a virtual law office strategy for your law firm right now is a fantastic option.
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TimeNet Law 3.4 is Available Now!
TimeNet Law 3.4 has landed! This monster update is loaded with new features, UI refinements, and tons of other improvements, including important compatibility updates for macOS Big Sur and Apple Silicon (M1) Macs. Let’s dig in!
Dial up the productivity with QuickTimer – redesigned to be easier to use, more customizable, and faster to access. Start it right from the toolbar in the main window.
Rocket right to the report you’re looking for with the new Report Assistant. The most common reports are laid out in plain English, no accounting degree required. You can also jump to any report, or quickly get back into reports you’ve recently ran.
Tag your matters with a Practice Area and see which case types bring your firm the most money with the new Practice Area Report. Predict trends and fine-tune your firm’s client marketing strategies by knowing where your revenue is coming from.
TimeNet Law has a lot of features, and we’re adding more all the time. It can be confusing navigating all of the options, so we created QuickHelp Guide. Turn it on anytime for a handy heads-up-display showing you details about whatever item your mouse is hovering over. It’s a great way to get started, or brush up on features you’ve never used. Just look for the blue QuickHelp button!
We’ve also made some big improvements to the Payment Center. A streamlined interface makes it easier and faster to apply payments. And you can even change evergreen retainer balance requirements and rules on the fly.
Of course it wouldn’t be a TimeNet Law update without dozens of great new features and fixes. Be sure to check out the complete release notes by clicking the button below.
One more thing…
TimeNet Law 4 is screaming along, and we expect to have it ready early next year. This HUGE update brings some truly incredible new features and improvements, and we can’t wait to show it to you.
Check back here on December 11th for the inside scoop!
In the last two years, over half a dozen law software companies have been purchased by private equity firms.
The products are merging, or disappearing altogether. As a lawyer, your options for software are disappearing.
We get approached regularly with offers to buy out TimeNet Law. But we remain fiercely independent. Why?
When a private equity firm buys out multiple competing products and combines them together, choice in the marketplace evaporates. Even if the products remain separate at first, they may eventually merge. And meanwhile, a number of troubling things can happen.
- Customer support often gets worse
- Prices go up as choice goes down
- The quality of the software slips as corners are cut
- Combining multiple products results in a confusing mishmash of different software
- Everything becomes about the bottom line – even at the expense of the customer
We understand how busy and stressful things can be for attorneys. And the last thing you need to worry about is your law firm’s management software pulling the rug out from under you.
TimeNet Law is committed to staying independent. We’ve been in the market for 20 years, and we’ve watched dozens of products and companies come and go. But we remain. And with almost no marketing. I believe this is because we are absolutely obsessed with creating the highest quality products, and backing them up with the best support in the industry.
Our customers seem to agree. We are only here because of you. Your support and word of mouth advertising means the world to us.
Thank you!
Want to Help Us Stay Independent?
There’s a couple of things you can do that are a huge help!
If the answer is anything more than “a few minutes”, you’re doing it wrong.
You don’t get paid unless the invoices go out. It has to be done every month. And the last thing you should be doing is scrambling to remember your time and update your entries on billing day, printing or emailing invoices by hand one by one, or not sending them out on a predictable schedule.
Using a time tracking and billing system like TimeNet Law makes it easy. Your time is already entered. And your time is accurate, because you’ve used a timer to track how long your tasks took. Your invoices are scheduled, automatically created in bulk, and ready for you to review and send out with one click.
We’ve been told over and over again by attorneys that billing is stressful, time consuming, and monotonous. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you have a system in place that offers One Click Billing, it can be completely handled for you.
Don’t waste hours every month on your billing. Once you see how nice it is having it handled for you automatically, you’ll never go back.
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TimeNet Law 3.3 is Available Now!
This update brings over 50 new features, fixes and improvements, and provides 100% compatibility with macOS Big Sur and Apple Silicon Macs.
We are gearing up for a huge update – TimeNet Law 4! Stay tuned for more information coming soon. Meanwhile, make sure and grab this latest update. You can see the full release notes or download it now using the buttons below.
Many lawyers aren’t tracking their time like they should. It’s all too common to scribble your time out on a Post-It note, or enter it into a spreadsheet. Sometimes you guess how long a task took. Even worse, you do some work and don’t even account for it at all.
How much time are you forgetting, or miss-calculating? How much money are you leaving on the table? We were curious, and so we asked. And what we found was surprising.
Comparing similar matters before and after implementing a time tracking strategy, lawyers billed up to 35% more time when using a timer like the one built into TimeNet Law.
It turns out, humans aren’t very good at estimating time. And we’re not overestimating. We’re coming up short. Psychologists have coined terms and written books on the phenomena (for example, “the planning fallacy” and “optimism bias.”)
Contractors often miss project completion dates by weeks. A common rule for programmers and video editors is to estimate how long a project will take, and then double it.
That task you did that felt like 45 minutes could easily have been 2 hours. Maybe it took you “10 minutes” to read a document, but a timer would tell you 24 minutes. Those things all add up to significant increases.
By not logging and timing your tasks as you go, you could be losing thousands of dollars in potential revenue for your law firm every single month!
Time tracking isn’t particularly glamorous. It can be tedious or seem unnecessary. But it is absolutely critical that you start building good time tracking habits today. By using time tracking software and recording your time and tasks, as you do them, you will increase your billable hours. We guarantee it. And while time tracking itself may not be particularly exciting, it’s fun to see the money ticking up.