This blog is for the principals of small law firms and for those planning on starting their own small law firms.

The blog will concern itself primarily with legal software or legal practice management software, and with what is called “content” – the legal forms, legal precedents and research tools and guides needed for a small law firm to be successful.

Legal technology is not really about hardware anymore. It is far more about the business systems that good legal software imposes, the knowledge contained in the system.

At LEAP Legal Software (www.leap.com.au) , we think about and talk about these issues every day. It is true to say that we are obsessed with creating the very best software that we can. This Blog will enable us to share some of our thoughts with the small firm community at large. It will hopefully also provide us with a source of good ideas that we can consider for development in the future.

 Small law firms have unique technology requirements. Without the time and resources of large firms established small firms as well as start up firms want solutions that can help them get up and going as quickly as possible.

What is a legal practice management system? In the past, in Australia, the term really only described a legal accounting system like Locus or Open Practice. If you are reading an American article, a legal practice management system contains only front office tools, and no accounting at all!

At LEAP we think that it means a lot  more than either of these narrow definitions. LEAP Office, our flagship legal practice management system includes forms, precedents, document management , critical date management, workflow control, time recording, billing, legal accounting and trust accounting as well! A much more extensive range of functions. So if you currently use one of the older systems like Locus or Open Practice, don’t let your thinking be limited by what you have – take a look instead at how extensive a modern PMS can be – it will streamlline your practice in all areas and allow you to do more work with fewer people.

 We hope to provide useful insight into how great legal software can be used to:-

Improve the bottom line;

Make the practice of law more satisfying;

Help you to meet your clients needs quickly and accurately.

The views expressed here will be based on our experiences with providing software to thousands of small law firms. We look forward to our assumptions being challenged and to lively debate over some of our views.

So please feel at liberty to comment on any of the Blog topics.

After the GFC, the word growth is on everyones lips. After a short period of despondency, there is a lot of confidence in the future. Small firms are growing and more lawyers are decising to set up their own small firms.

So our main Blog topic is timely – Growth.