Best Law Firm Accounting Software & Bookkeeping Service Reviews

Accounting software for lawyers can easily separate income and revenue by keeping a client’s legal matter and their invoice payment connected, meaning that actual revenue will always be listed separately. Costs incurred from a legal matter must be handled by the money that a client pays via an invoice, full stop.

• And, believe it or not, most lawyers didn’t go to school to learn about bookkeeping and accounting, they went to learn about the law.
• Tabs3 has been around a long time, and has a reputation for being a robust accounting platform, backed by excellent user support.
• You can use its mobile application to track a matter or project on the go.
• Some accounting software includes some bookkeeping functionality, but not everything that you need, and some offer complete bookkeeping and accounting features.

QuickBooks isnotlaw-firm-specific, so while a great application, it may lack some of the legal-specific functions your firm requires. Like Clio, PCLaw is a complete practice management solution as well. Because it is part of the LexisNexus suite of products, there are numerous ways to integrate PCLaw with other vital practice management applications. This allows you to customize the solution that works best for your firm.

Worldox GX4 Review for Law Firms

Law firms can create professional-looking invoices and email them to clients in one click, helping clients get their bills paid by their due date. They can even use the accounting software to send automatic late payment reminders to past-due clients to help clients stay on track with payments throughout their matter. Legal accounting software helps law firms track time, bill clients, manage schedules and monitor business performance with financial reports. Accounting software options that are specific to law offices will ensure confidential client information is stored properly and complies with data security laws. Tabs3 is part of the Tabs3 / PracticeMaster suite of law firm software. Tabs3 provides essential “back-office” functionality including time, billing and accounting; PracticeMaster provides powerful “front-office” capabilities including client and matter management. Consider what you need, and seek out accounting software that fits those needs.

For example, CosmoLex’s credit card processor, CosmoLexPay, automatically pulls fees for online payments from a designated legal account instead of from the client account. That’s why we don’t lock you into a long-term contract where you’re billed annually, so you can cancel your accounting software subscription at any time, for any reason, hassle-free. We don’t force our customers to sign a binding contract—instead, most law firms simply choose to use the best legal accounting software based on our innovative practice management features. Manage all of your law office’s bookkeeping and accounting work in a single legal accounting software program with built-in compliance checks every step of the way. CosmoLex’s cloud-based solution is the best accounting software for law firms and law firm clients. QuickBooks is one of the most widely used legal accounting software options across all industries.

Practice Management Software

Zoho Books comes with all the features small law firms need from an accounting software, like creating recurring invoices, expense tracking, online payments, advanced reporting, timesheet, and more. Start accepting credit cards hassle-free by signing up for a CosmoLexPay account. Our flat-fee credit card processor integrates with your legal accounting software. As a cloud-based system, XLedger allows for access from all devices, whether working in or out of the physical office.

If you’re interested in our payroll software, you can start a free 30-day trial when you sign up for Wave. 4.4 out of 5 stars based on user reviews collected by G2Crowd as of Spring 2022.

Unlimited accounting, 100% free.

Evernote is a pioneer in cloud-based note-taking, and a favorite among law firms. Evernote allows you to take, organize and manage notes in a web browser or in a mobile app. Evernote has a beautifully clean interface and is easy to learn and to use. QuickBooks is not law-firm-specific, so while a great application, it may lack some of the legal-specific functions your firm requires. For that reason, we maintain this comprehensive list oflaw firm software, the definitive lineup of small law firm legal software. Powerful and 100% free accounting software that has everything you need to confidently manage your law practice.

For example, you will have to use tags to keep payments or records for each client straight. With legal accounting software, records and transactions can be automatically applied to specific client accounts, making it easier to find the information you need quickly. CosmoLex has most of the standard features that are typically included in practice management software packages. In addition, the way that the software handles matter management, time tracking, trust accounting, and billing needs to work law firm bookkeeping with your law firm’s current processes and workflows. Clio is a cloud-based legal account software solution geared towards small to large law firms. The software makes lawyers more productive with features like time and expense tracking, online payments, billing, accounting, integrations, and calendaring. If you’re looking at law firm accounting and financial management software, it’s important to consider that the standard options out there, such as Quickbooks, may not be enough on their own.

Among all the law firm accounting software on our list, Zola Suite is the only program that has CRM features. It provides law firms with client intake forms that help them manage and track leads as well as a built-in email management system for communicating with prospects. A good legal-specific accounting system must also perform a three-way reconciliation of client ledgers, trust accounts, and bank statements. Wave legalaccounting software has been advertised as a great option for solo small practices, particularly due to its affordability. It offers various service options, including a free plan that still includes numerous features necessary for a firm’s general accounting needs. With Wave, firms can link their bank’s accounts to see income and expenses quickly on their easy-to-use dashboard. The program also allows you to import bank statements, so they can be organized and categorized.

• Eliminate data entry and keep your books up to date when you securely connect QuickBooks with your bank.
• Accounting software streamlines and automates the many facets of running a law practice which will save you time, simplify the process, and make more time to focus on clients.
• FreshBooks accounting software is built around ensuring you get paid every penny for your hard work.
• Plus, LeanLaw’s network of Accounting Pros is always there to advise when you need help.
• Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us.

Not only is accounting complex, but it’s also time-consuming, and you have other responsibilities. One of the most significant changes you face when transitioning from full-time employment to business ownership is the loss of tax withholding benefits. Meanwhile, a legal business can use the cash basis no matter their revenues, and it often represents their activities more accurately. As a result, many lawyers can avoid a lot of trouble by electing the cash basis. Meanwhile, the accrual basis of accounting involves recognizing revenues when you earn them and expenses when you incur them. That requires significantly more expertise and forces you to keep track of accounts receivable and payable. The two functions are closely related, and there’s often some significant overlap between them.