Choosing the Right Practice Management Software for Your Canadian Real Estate Law Firm

If your real estate law firm is looking for new practice management software, the sheer number of options can be overwhelming, particularly if you need clarification on what you want from your management system.

With that in mind, starting in-house and getting to grips with what you want from practice management software is essential. Many real estate law practices have at least one main area for improvement, whether it’s improving their workflow processes or moving to a digital platform where clients can sign and send documents at the touch of a button.

A good exercise that involves your team is to set aside some time and ask each department what they love and hate about your existing system. This will provide you with a wish list to help you begin comparing providers. Another benefit to involving your team is that when the time comes to switch providers, your team’s adoption of the new system will be significantly more accessible, ultimately motivating your team. We’ll explore this more later.

However, if you’re going solo or want to explore the current market, we’ve highlighted some key points to consider during your search.

First Things First: What Kind of System Are You Looking For?

There is an ever-growing market for practice management software products. There are many long-running premise-based applications and plenty of new, cloud-based management platforms.

The past three years have taught us the importance of a flexible workforce. Members of your firm who travel or work from home need an equally flexible platform. If your team still does this or is considering adopting it, we suggest narrowing your search to cloud-based practice management software.

If you are strictly office-based, having a cloud-based system will offer additional benefits, such as eliminating the need for a server, which in turn eliminates server upgrades, downtime, and unnecessary IT consultants.

Regardless of the type of platform you choose, the next step will be to establish the technical basics.

Essential Features Your Practice Management Software Should Offer

It seems obvious, but getting swept up in all the shiny features and technical jargon is easy. We recommend starting with the essentials. Does the practice management software you’re looking for offer:

• Time and expense tracking
• Task and team management
• Billing and invoicing
• Calendar management
• Client and content management

Client and content management is an industry standard, and almost all practice management software providers will offer this in one form. Some systems may overcomplicate the process by adding numerous features that have no real value to your real estate law firm, while others may need to offer more.

This leads us nicely to finding an intuitive, user-friendly interface.

The Importance of User-Friendly Interface

Have you ever tried, and failed, to get your firm to use a new piece of software reliably? Only to have users fall back into their old system of spreadsheets, documents and notes?

If so, some of this can likely be blamed on the software itself. Too many old and new practice management software platforms are over-saturated, cluttered, busy and unapproachable.

Things need to be where you’d expect them to be. Individual screens should present the information relevant to that screen. The user isn’t overwhelmed with irrelevant information. Providing users with a sleek, clean interface significantly enhances adoption.

Another key interface feature to look out for is whether you can create, store, and respond to emails, as well as edit and submit documents directly from within the system. Some practice management software systems claim to be all-in-one solutions, and when implemented correctly, they can become a core feature of your business. It keeps everything secure in one place and eliminates the need for multiple programs to be open and used, thereby speeding up your team’s productivity and workflows.

Workflows and Integrations

Now that you’ve considered the user interface, the next step should be to look at the software’s workflows and integrations. These go hand in hand with an easy-to-use interface and, if configured correctly, can speed up your team’s workflow process without compromising the quality of case handling and customer service.

Automated Workflows

Some practice management software systems offer fully automated workflows, allowing teams to submit welcome packs, retainer agreements, and invoices automatically, as well as set tasks and reminders with the push of a button. Whilst this sounds complicated, many software providers don’t require a developer to set up, and providing the overall software is user-friendly, it’ll be easy to do yourself.

Key Integrations for Canadian Real Estate Law

Any practice management software company will be worth its salt if it puts in the legwork to integrate with industry tools relevant to Canadian real estate law. We recommend looking specifically at whether they’re integrated with provincial land registry systems or offer connections to relevant government databases.

Some platforms offer billing and accounting integrations with popular Canadian accounting software, such as Xero or Sage. Some will provide full legal account capabilities, meaning your team doesn’t have to switch between systems; others may offer basic client invoicing. It’s worth meeting with your accountant to see what level of integration your team need to work efficiently and what kind of compromise might be available should your desired platform not offer exactly what you’re looking for.

Examining these integrations may raise questions for your team or inspire you to review alternative providers in other areas of your firm. If it’s the latter, don’t feel as though you have a mountain to climb; most good practice management software solutions will work with you to further integrate or refine workflow processes later. We recommend asking during your introductory demo if there’s scope for this.

Data Migration: A Critical Consideration

You may have narrowed down to a handful of options, and perhaps you’re now considering one or two. The next step you should consider, possibly the most nerve-wracking, is data migration.

Does the new provider offer data migration? Or will you have to do it yourself?

What does the process look like? And what kind of support is offered?

How much will it cost?

There are many things to consider at this stage, and it’s essential to be realistic. Set a budget and have an idea of what you want to migrate and how you will store your historical data.

Then, we recommend seeing what type of migration they offer.

Some practice management software systems offer partial or full migrations, depending on the information you want to carry over. Some will offer a ‘blank slate’ where nothing is migrated, and you start with a blank system. Those that do offer migrations might charge a hefty price tag, depending on the data being carried across. If this is the case, consider a compromise if it’s out of your budget.

Next, ask about the migration process, including what it will entail and how long it is expected to take. Some companies will offer a direct migration, while others will run a test to ensure your data can be safely copied across. It’s worth noting that a direct migration may reveal some issues that require time to resolve, especially if you’re using a live system. Opting for a test migration will give you and your supplier ample time to resolve issues before going live.

Client Communication Features

Lastly, and by no means least, does your practice management software support client communication?

Being a competent real estate lawyer is obviously important. However, if you poll a random client, a key factor for their resounding positive or negative feedback is often rooted in communication.

Doing a great job is only as important as your clients’ awareness of it. Any good practice management software provider understands this and will have built several capabilities into their dashboard that focus on and support communication between you and your clients.

Some providers offer a client portal that enables clients to work and communicate with their real estate lawyers from anywhere. Clients can electronically sign documents and upload and submit documents back to their representatives.

Long-Term Support and Updates

Let’s say you’ve chosen a practice management software solution; you’re impressed with the interface and integrations, and you’re confident that the data migration will proceed smoothly and that your team and clients will appreciate the new system. What else could there be to think about?

What is their long-term customer and system support? Arguably, this is probably why you’re looking for new practice management software. Perhaps you’re tired of being treated like a number and feel that your issues aren’t being taken seriously or supported, or that the system is becoming slow and outdated. They may have brought in a price increase but have yet to offer new features or updates.

We recommend asking your potential supplier about the support they offer post-completion, including how to submit a support ticket and whether they have a direct support number or email for more urgent assistance. Do they offer regular software updates, and will they incur any additional costs?

A good practice management software supplier will walk you through the support process and be upfront about how tickets are received and processed. Some suppliers may not be as forthcoming if you’re looking for direct human support, but this will be apparent when you ask and review their feedback.

Some practice management software providers update their systems once or twice a year, and some of the introduced features may be used at an additional charge. It’s always worth asking a supplier how often they update their software, and we suggest taking the time to consider what that might mean for your business if they don’t. Perhaps you don’t need the software to be updated regularly because of the type of service you provide, or maybe it is essential to you, as it might not scale with your business as you grow.

Making the Right Choice

Choosing the right practice management software for your Canadian real estate law firm is a significant decision that will impact your daily operations, client satisfaction, and business growth. By focusing on essential features, user-friendly interfaces, relevant integrations, smooth data migration, strong client communication tools, and reliable long-term support, you’ll be well-positioned to select a solution that serves your firm’s needs both now and in the future.

Take the time to involve your team in the decision-making process, thoroughly evaluate your options, and don’t hesitate to ask potential providers detailed questions about their capabilities and support. The right practice management software will become the functional core of your practice, streamlining your workflows and enhancing your ability to serve your real estate clients effectively.