PracticePanther vs ProLaw

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Our analysts compared PracticePanther vs ProLaw based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Legal Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

ProLaw Software Tool

Product Basics

PracticePanther is a cloud-based platform that helps manage cases, documents, client communications, time tracking and billing for law firms. It acts as a centralized hub for handling client information, cases and documents. Its reporting tools let you track your firm’s financial health and performance.

The platform allows you to create detailed case files, including evergreen retainers, deadlines, billable hours and specific tasks associated with each case. It offers document management tools, enabling attorneys to edit, track changes, eSign and share files with concerned clients and internal departments.

Additionally, you can track time spent on each case, generate detailed invoices and automate trust account management. Practices of all sizes can automate invoicing, time-tracking and payments while remaining compliant with IOLTA, ABA and state bar guidelines.

The software also allows firms to store client contact information, communication history and matter details in one place. It provides tools for client intake and onboarding, including custom intake forms, checklists and client portals. Its intuitive mobile app helps you stay connected with your firm and communicate with staff and clients remotely.

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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.
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$49/User, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$30,000 One-Time
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Never Miss Billable Hours: PracticePanther excels in time and expense management, with our data showing that it offers 96% of all key requirements out of the box. You can manage retainers and set custom hourly rates, item prices and contingency rates. It supports multiple time clocks and helps you log billable and non-billable hours accurately. You can also add uniform task-based management (UTBM) codes while creating time and expense entries to set benchmarks.
  • Improve Client Experiences: Another strong suite is the platform’s client and contact management module, which has received an 89 rating from our analysts. You can design unique client intake funnels to capture all required information. Clients get individual portals to submit documents, track cases and pay invoices. You can use the built-in two-way messaging system or send emails and text messages from the software interface. The platform maintains a communication log and enhances client outreach with email campaigns and lead-tracking tools.
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  • Improved Profitability: Find the best use of company time and waste fewer resources on repetitive day-to-day tasks using automation. 
  • Built-in Integration: Use Westlaw services for client tasks and directly add cost transactions to bills. 
  • Streamlined Client Service: Stay on top of client obligations and provide prompt service with an up-to-date database of clients, leads and case information. 
  • Rules-Based Calendaring: Efficiently juggle cases across multiple jurisdictions with a legal calendar that automatically calculates deadlines based on Federal and State court rules. 
  • Intuitive File Identification: Locate specific files quickly with the intuitive matter-based search function. 
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  • Case Management: Store detailed user information with ease, along with tags and follow-up updates, making it easy and organized.
    • Remote Access: Get quick overviews of all case-related information, including contacts, tasks, calendar entries, documentation and more. Automatically sync firm databases for unobstructed remote access from any device with an internet connection.
    • Contacts and Matter Management: Keep legal matters organized and up-to-date by adding relevant contacts, notes and bills. Limit access to sensitive matter information with controlled permissions. Securely collaborate with team members and share and recall data.
    • Conflict Search: Link contacts to matters for checking on conflicts of interest and parties represented by the lawyer.
  • Document Management: Manage all your documents in one place and set up automation to reduce repetitive tasks.
    • Centralized Repository: Store and manage all legal documents and files securely in a single location. Enhance efficiency by electronically sending documents for signatures, auto-populating client information, and creating custom templates to streamline document creation workflows.
    • Organized Access: Avoid wasting time searching for documents. Organize files by client and matter for easy retrieval. Use custom tags to categorize and filter your firm's legal documents.
    • E-Signatures: Expedite the document approval process by offering electronic signatures via email, text message or the client portal. Create and send multiple documents for eSignature in batches simultaneously.
    • Cloud Integration: Connect with leading cloud storage platforms like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and Box.com. This eliminates the need to switch between platforms and helps you sync all document changes automatically.
    • Customizable Templates: Boost document creation speed by uploading and using pre-defined templates. Automatically populate templates with your firm's information and client data. Track document progress through a dashboard with status indicators (incomplete, completed, in progress, overdue) and assign conditional tasks as needed.
  • Legal Billing: Never miss a billable hour with automated time and expense tracking tools.
    • Customizable Invoicing: Create professional invoices tailored to your firm's branding. Include client information, activity logs, notes and more. Assign specific billable rates based on user, activity, matter or contact for accurate fee calculations.
    • Integrated Payment Processing: Accept payments through various methods, including custom payment links, the client portal, phone or in-person transactions using Panther Payments, the native payment processor.
    • Billing Reports: Gain insights into your firm’s performance by generating detailed reports. Analyze billing trends and collections data, identify top-billed practice areas, and filter reports by custom tags, bank accounts, payment methods, contacts or matters.
  • Trust Accounting: Manage trust and operating accounts while automating compliance with IOLTA, ABA and all 50 state bar regulations. Stay informed about retainer balances by setting up automatic alerts. Receive notifications when trust account balances fall below pre-defined thresholds and perform daily three-way reconciliations for oversight of your trust account activity.
  • Legal CRM: Organize client data, gain a holistic view of cases, automate client onboarding and sync new client data from automated intake forms.
    • Custom Tags: Categorize contacts by client type (existing, potential etc.), professional contact or any other relevant category using custom tags. Use these tags to filter data and gain insights into your client base.
    • Client Portals: Provide clients with a secure online portal. They can access uploaded documents, communicate with your firm, review invoice balances and make online payments. The platform automatically populates client information from their intake forms to create accurate profiles.
    • Workflow Automation: Streamline client follow-up with automated workflows that trigger tasks and events based on pre-defined conditions. Automate appointment scheduling and send automatic reminders to clients, ensuring timely communication.
  • Calendaring: Create time entries, confirm client meetings, manage tasks and stay on top of court rule deadlines using a centralized calendar system.
    • Visualized Deadlines: Use color-coded tags to visually identify deadlines and events associated with specific contacts, matters and tasks.
    • Automated Time Capture: Convert appointments and events into time entries with a single click, ensuring all billable hours are captured and accurately allocated to the appropriate client.
    • Court Rule Integration: Connect with LawToolBox to sync pre-set and custom court rule deadlines with your PracticePanther calendar and workflows, keeping you ahead of important legal dates.
  • Integrations: Connect to a host of essential applications to improve the firm’s productivity and automation standards. Some popular applications it supports integrations with include Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Exchange, Box, Dropbox, Outlook, Google Calendar, Apptoto and many more.
  • Security: Protect firm data against vulnerabilities with 256-bit military-grade encryption. Limit platform access to authorized IP addresses and enable two-step authentication. Maintain client confidentiality and HIPAA compliance with Box.com’s secure storage capabilities.
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  • 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. 
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Product Ranking

#14

among all
Legal Software

#43

among all
Legal Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Billing And Payments Calendaring And Legal Docketing Client And Contact Management Dashboard And Reporting Document Management Matter/Case Management Mobile Capabilities Task Management Time And Expense Management 84 90 55 18 75 76 82 97 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 613 reviews
Good User Sentiment 141 reviews
92%
of users recommend this product

PracticePanther has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 92% when considering 613 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

72%
of users recommend this product

ProLaw has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 72% when considering 141 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.2 (100)
3.3 (38)
n/a
3.69 (44)
4.7 (508)
3.7 (43)
4.6 (5)
4.0 (16)

Awards

PracticePanther stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Ease of Use: Many users find PracticePanther easy to use, with an intuitive interface that makes it accessible for beginners without extensive coding experience.
Comprehensive Features: The software addresses critical legal practice management needs, offering tools for billing, invoicing, time tracking, case management, document handling and client portals.
Efficient Automation: PracticePanther offers automation for client onboarding, billing and document handling, streamlining workflows and saving time on repetitive tasks.
Easy Accessibility: The cloud-based platform, along with its mobile app, helps users access tasks and stay in touch with their operations from anywhere.
Streamlined Client Experiences: The platform offers client onboarding automation, unique portals and internal messaging tools that help simplify and streamline client-attorney interactions.
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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.
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Performance Issues: Some users report the software being slow and unresponsive, particularly during peak usage times.
Bugs and Errors: A few users reported calculation errors in trust accounting and time tracking due to bugs and cookie issues.
Documentation Quality: The software’s documentation could be clearer and more user-friendly, particularly for new users.
Limited Reporting: The solution offers limited pre-built reporting templates and dashboard visualizations. However, the vendor offers assistance in designing custom ones.
Integration Challenges: Users have reported faulty integrations with third-party tools, especially with Zapier, Jubilee and Record Grabber.
Billing Limitations: The platform offers limited billing customizations and requires users to manually open each bill to see its content, making the review process slow and cumbersome.
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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.
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During testing, I found PracticePanther relatively straightforward to set up. Customizing the platform with my firm’s logo and name was a breeze. Creating matters, assigning tasks and syncing calendars felt intuitive. Even integrating Panther Payments for online payments was smooth sailing. While the interface could use a design refresh, it’s functional and easy to navigate.One standout feature is the matter creation process. The ability to categorize matters with tags and custom fields is beneficial. PracticePanther’s flexibility in handling different billing structures, including flat rates, hourly rates and retainers, is a major plus. The platform's automatic alerts for depleted retainer funds are a time-saver.I'm also impressed with its document management capabilities. The integration with cloud storage and the version history feature is invaluable for maintaining document control. Creating custom templates for different document types is a convenient touch.While PracticePanther offers a solid foundation for legal practice management, it presents some notable limitations. The billing process is particularly cumbersome. The absence of a streamlined review function, forcing users to open each invoice individually, significantly hampers efficiency. This contrasts sharply with other platforms that offer more intuitive billing and reviewing navigation.Additionally, the lack of advanced features, such as integrated legal research tools, is a drawback for firms that rely heavily on online research. Although the software can track time, the absence of connections with research websites and tools means manual timekeeping, which can be error-prone and time-consuming.Despite these shortcomings, PracticePanther is well-suited for solo practitioners and small law firms with relatively straightforward caseloads. Its ease of use and core features, such as matter management and document handling, make it a viable option for firms that prioritize these functions. However, for larger firms with complex caseloads or those that require advanced features like robust reporting and analytics, PracticePanther may fall short.

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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.

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