You may have read our post – 5 Myths Why QuickBooks Can’t Work For Attorneys – or maybe you haven’t. In any case, we would like to follow up – and double down on this idea.
LeanLaw believes that cloud-based accounting software is simply better than desktop software. We believe this as a general rule. There might be exceptions, but we haven’t found them. (If you would like to suggest one – leave it in the comments. We’ll look into it.)
If you use QuickBooks Desktop, here are 5 specific reasons why we suggest you make the switch:
- QuickBooks Desktop is OLD billing software. Yes, people love using it. The main (huge) issue is that you will always work around the problem of not getting your data in real-time. Sure, they update it each year and yet, the greatest number of Intuit’s new customers join QBO. If Desktop is a less vibrant part of their business, they are going to put their resources where the new energy and customers are. Intuit wants to support you on QBO.
- Because Intuit’s priority is QuickBooks Online (and not Desktop), that’s where the accountants are learning how to take care of their clients in the most modern, automated (re: fewer mistakes) way. If the majority of Intuit’s clients are on QuickBooks Online, the majority of expertise will be there as well. The QuickBooks Online community is energized. Online (vs. Desktop) solves a lot of problems for accountants as well — access, apps, management of multiple clients books and more.
- Since QuickBooks Online is online, that army of accountants mentioned above can service you from anywhere in the world. You have more choice in providers, important if you live in a small community that might not support the kind of bookkeeping and accounting you need.
- Because Intuit has created a platform for QuickBooks Online, similar to the iPhone, there are apps created by 3rd parties (like LeanLaw) that increase QuickBooks Online’s functionality. Essentially, you have hundreds of companies trying to make QuickBooks Online even better for your business. By the way, LeanLaw is the highest-rated legal app in the QBO app store and is the only premier legal app.
- Lastly, cloud-based software never needs to be updated or backed up. That happens automatically, in the cloud. The cloud is inherently built for multi-users and therefore, no tech hassle to facilitate more than one user on the system.
Why Do I Need LeanLaw with QuickBooks Online?
LeanLaw software customizes QuickBooks Online for law firms. As robust as QBO is, it’s is a general accounting tool and does not have the legal specific workflow features built-in to LeanLaw.
LeanLaw sits on top of the QuickBooks Online (and QuickBooks Online Advanced) software and creates a financial operating system for law firm accounting. From time-tracking to legal billing — even LEDES — to trust accounting, law office insights, attorney compensation tracking and payment processing, LeanLaw has you covered.
Do I Still Need Legal Practice Management Software?
LeanLaw believes that instead of an all-in-one legal accounting solution, you can create a tech stack with best-in-breed, integrated legal software. The simplest tech stack:
QuickBooks & LeanLaw
- Track time, track expenses, send personalized invoices with an AI generated invoice narrative summary, understand business insights from financial reports and data automation that the timekeepers have created. For midsize and small law firms.
Microsoft Office 365
- If you already use Office 365 in your law practice, this is a no-brainer. Over the past ten years, Office 365 has generated functionality that give law offices case management, document management, task management — all the apps that are in Office 365 give you most of the functionality that you need as a lawyer.
Case Study: $60K Savings for Law Firm by implementing LeanLaw tech stack
A LeanLaw client inputs new client data into LeanLaw, and since it’s connected to Microsoft Office 365, it instantly creates a digital case management / document management architecture in 365. Onboarding takes “8 minutes,” he says.
We can show you how to build a tech stack.
