Best Free Legal Case Management Software

Legal case management software can streamline your legal department and help you do more with less. It’s time-saving, efficient, and organized. Fortunately, there are a number of free legal case management software solutions out there. Using these systems will save you money up front and in the long run by streamlining processes, automating manual tasks, and providing real-time visibility into your workflow. If you’re ready to dive in and using free legal case management software that fits your department’s needs, keep reading! We have all the details you need to get started.

What is Legal Case Management Software?

Legal case management software is a software system that tracks and manages cases. It’s often integrated with other business software, such as practice management software, to provide a complete solution for legal departments.

When selecting legal case management software, consider how it will integrate with your current technology stack. Will it connect with your practice management software? How about your timekeeping system? What about your client relationship management (CRM)? All of these systems are critical for streamlining your workflow, so make sure your legal case management software can connect with them. Legal case management software helps departments track cases from start to finish. For example, a case might begin with a client inquiry. The assistant receiving the email might create an alert to follow up on it in two days. The client then receives an auto-reply with a follow-up date. If they don’t respond to the email, the case manager might trigger an alert, prompting the team member to follow up. All of this data is then available for view inside the software.

Best Free Legal Case Management Software Options

There are a number of free legal case management software options out there, including paid software that offers free trials:

ClinicCases

ClinicCases is an open-source, web-based free legal case management software. It is mobile-friendly and semi-customizable. While it is not as integrated or reporting-oriented, trying out a free program as you begin is certainly advantageous.

ArkCase

Another free case management software is ArkCase. If you're looking for a case management tool with CRM functionality and some integrations, you might want to give this one a shot. There is no mobile functionality, so it may not be a long-term solution if your work style requires it.

MyCase

MyCase delivers client intake and lead management, case management, invoicing and payments, document automation, and client communication tools. MyCase offers a free trial and different pricing plans.

Clio

Clio is a legal case management software with many features. It's 100% cloud-based, has 200+ integrations, and is easily customisable. Its features help organizations of all sizes work more efficiently and successfully. This features safe cloud-based storage, Clio Payments (a secure client payments interface), and seamless client intake/scheduling. Clio's prices vary based on your firm's needs, but they provide a free trial. 

PracticePanther

Cloud-based PracticePanther delivers case management, billing, time tracking, and automation. This program offers a 30-day free trial and three paid options (solo, essential, business).

Smokeball

Smokeball is PC-based "hybrid cloud" legal case management software. Its productivity, organization, and profitability capabilities help small law firms run like larger ones. Smokeball has premium plans and a free basic plan trial.

AbacusNext

AbacusNext is a 30-year-old case management software pioneer. AbacusNext has AbacusLaw, Amicus Attorney, and ZolaSuite as case management software. AbacusLaw's accounting tools are better for larger organizations, whereas Amicus Attorney's integrations are better for smaller firms. AbacusNext's software offers paid plans and free trials.

How to Select the Right Legal Case Management Software

When selecting legal case management software, there are a few key things to consider.

First, take stock of your current workflow. How do your team members currently manage cases? What’s working well, and what do they need help with? Where is there room for improvement? This will help you figure out where the software will be most beneficial.

The next step is to determine what functionality you need. What are the most important product requirements? Do you need integrations with other software? What about a mobile app? What about collaboration tools for shared documentation?

Once you know what you need, you can start looking at a list of software to see if any of them meet your criteria. You can find free legal case management software options through a quick search or by reaching out to your software vendor or reseller.

3 Tips to Using Free Legal Case Management Software

Now that you know what legal case management software is and have a few options to explore, let’s discuss how to use free legal case management software into your department. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Select the right solution for your organization

It’s important to find the right solution for your department to ensure a smooth implementation. Make sure the software meets your team’s needs, and that it’s easy to use. If you can, try to demo the product with your team members to see how they like it.

Start with a pilot project

Once you select the legal case management software that best fits your team’s needs, you can start the implementation process. The best way to implement software is to start small. Pick a pilot project and use the software for that. This will give you a chance to test it out with your team members and make sure it’s the right fit before rolling it out to the rest of the department.

Keep an open mind

Don’t be rigid. If you try a piece of software and it doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to make a change. Legal case management software is supposed to help you save time and streamline processes. It should make your life easier, not harder. If it doesn’t, it’s not the right solution for your organization.

Final Words

Once you’ve chosen the right free legal case management software for your team and implemented it, you’ll start to see the benefits. Case management software helps teams track cases from start to finish, and it helps you keep clients organized and on track. This can reduce stress and improve communication across the team, allowing each member to focus on their specific responsibilities.