What Is LEDES Billing for Law Firms?

Though LEDES billing has been a common legal billing format for law firms for over two decades, it’s not uncommon for lawyers with years of experience to have trouble navigating its intricate formulas.

If a lawyer’s only interaction with the billing process is time tracking, they may not have an understanding of what LEDES billing is or the various LEDES formats. However, for partners, administrators, and lawyers looking to enhance their skill set, a basic understanding of LEDES is essential.

Definition of LEDES Billing Format

Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard (LEDES) is a billing format created by the Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard Oversight Committee in 1995. Its purpose is to create and maintain open standard formats for the electronic exchange of billing and other information between corporations and law firms.

Why Do Law Firms Use LEDES Billing Format?

The Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard Oversight Committee created LEDES as a standard for billing practices for law firms, legal industry software vendors, and corporations. The goal was to have a uniform standard to keep bills simple and straightforward for clients while also preventing lawyers from providing excess information on the invoices.

The LEDES codes, otherwise known as the Uniform Task-Based Management System (UTBMS), were created with these principles:

• Keep the billing process simple
• Make bills unambiguous to reduce questions and confusion
• Allow minimal deviation from existing legal billing formats
• Only require data that law firms can provide from their existing financial systems
• Meet the billing needs of the law firm and the larger legal industry

UTBMS codes classify legal services that the law firm performs and submits as an invoice. 

There are three types of codes:

• Task codes: These are a granular description of the service provided by an area of law.
• Activity codes: These are codes that identify the specific service performed.
• Expense codes: These categorize expenses for the law firm.

Instead of grouping costs into general areas that can prompt uncertainty, distrust, and disputes, the LEDES billing process relies on specifics. A LEDES file with task and activity codes categorizes costs even further.

For example, a LEDES invoice may have the following UTBMS codes:

• L310 Written Discovery
• L329 Document Production
• L330 Depositions
• A102 Research
• A106 Communicate
• E112 Court Fees
• E115 Deposition Transcripts

This format shows exactly how and where money is spent, relieving the concern of the client and offering opportunities to optimize expenses. For example, you can determine if too much time was spent on a task that could be outsourced or crack down on lawyers taking exorbitant amounts of time on specific tasks.

Benefits of LEDES Billing Format

There are numerous benefits to the LEDES billing for law firms, including:

• Standardized legal billing globally and consistent invoice formats
• Better overview of legal spending, including hourly billing and expenses
• Easier tracking for the legal department
• Lower the risk of receiving invoices in non-standardized ways, such as paper or PDF
• Decreases invoice processing time and payment — law firms get paid faster
• Enables quick access and data reporting on individual line items and details
• Simplifies audits for billing compliance
• Minimize client billing disputes
• Compile invoices accurately
• Capture and present important data to firm stakeholders and clients

The goal with LEDES may have been clarity, but having a standardized process for billing makes the entire system more efficient.

Types of LEDES Billing Formats

The LEDES Oversight Committee created several different LEDES billing format types to standardize e-billing across the legal industry.

• LEDES 1998: This format was created in 1998 to bring a standard billing structure to legal e-billing, but it was later replaced by LEDES 1998B.
• LEDES XML 2000: This format was introduced in 2000 and contains much more information than the 1998 format. It was retired on March 1, 2022, and included 125 data fields with 7 segments.
• LEDES XML 2.0: In 2006, the fields for the XML were increased to 153 and 8 additional segment types were included, bringing the total segments to 15.
• LEDES XML 2.1: In 2008, XML 2.1 was released to accommodate alternative fee arrangements and the varying math that’s used with timekeeping software and third-party e-billing systems. The math logic was standardized across systems with legal e-billing. This version also has more comprehensive tax support and data elements.
• LEDES XML 2.2: In 2020, XML 2.2 was released to support tiered taxes, which increased the segments to 18 and the data elements to 205.

It’s important to note that not all software vendors may offer all format types. When you’re considering e-billing software, look for a solution that accepts the most commonly used LEDES file formats.

How Legal Billing Software Automates LEDES Billing for Law Firms

The legal billing software that works with LEDES format allows you to incorporate automation in the invoice review process and take control of your expenses and spending. Bill4Time legal billing software allows lawyers to track time and manage billing, and automatically generate invoices that incorporate the LEDES format according to the exact specifications of the LEDES billing system.

The process is streamlined — all you have to do is input the specific data for the LEDES format, including:

• Tax ID information
• LEDES Timekeeper ID and LEDES Classification
• Task and activity codes
• Timekeeping hourly rate
• Bill delivery method
• Client LEDES IDs
• Delivery email addresses
• Client matter IDs

With intuitive legal billing software like Bill4Time, you’re guided through the processes to ensure compliance with LEDES formatting. 

LEDES can be complicated to work with, especially if you’re doing it manually. E-billing and law practice management software offers the support you need to track and export invoices in the correct formats.

For staff compliance, you can enable LEDES in the system settings and turn it on or off for each client. There are LEDES-specific fields that help with exporting the data into the LEDES billing format that’s appropriate.

How to Export LEDES in Bill4Time

Exporting LEDES is easy in Bill4Time. For our Legal Pro users, LEDES exporting will not be enabled by default. To unlock LEDES exporting on the Legal Pro plan, please follow the instructions below:

1. Click your name in the upper right-hand corner of the screen in Bill4Time
2. Click on “Settings” > “System” tab > blue “Edit Settings” button
3. Check the box next to “Enable LEDES File Export”
4. Enter your “Firm Federal Taxpayer ID”
5. Click “Save”

Once LEDES exporting is enabled, you can easily make an invoice in LEDES format.

Standardize Your LEDES Billing

Billing in LEDES ensures that your law firm is compliant and following the standardized conventions for timekeepers, tasks, and processes. When you have the data you need, you can boost productivity, increase utilization rate, and eliminate revenue leakage.

This blog was published in February 2023. Recent update: July 2023.

Though you may have opened your own firm to practice law, at its core, a law firm is a business. Whether you’re tracking overhead expenses, billing, or taxes, you have to pay attention to key law firm profitability metrics and what they mean for your firm and legal practice management.

How do you know if you’re in the red or black? If you’re hitting revenue goals for the quarter? After all, lawyers can lose up to half their revenue from billing mistakes, but key performance indicators (KPIs) offer insights into your business performance to grow and profit.

What Are Key Performance Indicators?

A key performance indicator is a data point that demonstrates whether you are reaching your business goals – a set of quantifiable measurements used to gauge a company’s long-term performance. Taken as parts of your whole financial picture, you can determine if your law firm is moving in the right direction for your goals.

Like most data, KPIs start with a goal, such as “how many hours did my associates bill last quarter?” or “how many clients did we bring in this year compared to last year?”

Some examples of KPIs that law firms use include:

• Hours billed
• Revenue for the quarter or year
• Number of invoices submitted and paid
• Number of new clients acquired

What Is a Metrics Dashboard?

A metrics dashboard is where you find all your relevant KPIs in one centralized location. At a glance, you can see where your law firm stands from a business perspective, including whether you’re making money or how much value you’re deriving from talent.

Your metrics dashboard also enables deeper analysis using analytics, which track your KPIs over time. With analytics, you can evaluate the trends and patterns of your business over a specific timeframe and create new goals based on the information.

In short, a dashboard gives you a view of your business in the short and long term.

Common Methods Law Firms Use to Track Metrics

Law firms vary in how they track metrics and KPIs, but most use the following methods:

Manual Tracking and Data Entry

Though common in the legal industry, manual tracking and data entry is the least efficient and most error-prone of all the methods. It’s easy for associates to forget how many hours they’ve billed or how many clients they’ve spoken to in a given timeframe. Manual tracking and entry also takes time in itself, pulling you or your staff away from revenue-generating activities.

Practice Management Software

Practice management software offers a myriad of benefits for your law firm, including robust, customizable, and easily shareable reports to evaluate your firm’s financial health. Software with a centralized dashboard keeps all the information in one place, including key financial reports like a balance sheet or income statement.

Specialized Legal Analytics Tools

Specialized legal analytics tools can be helpful for visualizing data trends and predicting outcomes, but it doesn’t necessarily give you the KPIs you need to get the feedback necessary for rapid business decisions.

Outsourced Metric Tracking and Reporting to Third-Party Providers

Outsourcing the work for metric tracking and reporting to third-party providers is a great way to save time, but it adds some complexity. There can be security concerns or communication issues, not to mention the added costs.

How to Organize Your Dashboard

Dashboards can be a huge help to your firm, but they’re ultimately just a tool. You have to set up your dashboard properly to get the most out of it.

Identifying Relevant Law Firm Profitability Metrics

There are virtually endless metrics you can track in your firm, but that’s not a good use of your time. Choosing your metrics should be based on the goals you have and the questions you want answered. If you’re not sure, start with the common law firm KPIs and go from there.

Grouping Metrics Based on Categories or Areas of Focus

Once you have a list of metrics, categorize them based on different areas of focus like client management, financial performance, case management, staff performance, or marketing efforts. This will help you organize your dashboard to get the information you want.

Designing a Visually Appealing and User-Friendly Dashboard Layout

A visually appealing and user-friendly dashboard is key for the effectiveness of your metrics tracking. Use tools and features like labels and data visualizations like bar charts and line graphs to make data trends easier to understand – and explain to other stakeholders.

Customizing a Dashboard to Suit Your Specific Needs and Preferences

A robust legal practice management software platform will have a customizable dashboard that reflects the specific needs of your firm, such as custom tags, real-time data updates, and benchmarks or targets based on industry data. These features exist to make your experience easier, so use them to your advantage.

5 Financial Metrics Law Firms Should Track

• Revenue and profitability metrics. This is your bottom line. This is the simplest, most critical metric that needs to be top of mind at all times.
• Billing and collection metrics. It sounds obvious, but keeping track of your bills is a critical operational need that needs to constantly be monitored.
• Expense tracking and management metrics. Expenses may change depending on what is happening with the business. For example, your marketing budget may need to be expanded, or heating and cooling during the summer and winter months. All of the items that need to be paid for to keep the business running need to be tracked under expense metrics.
• Utilization and realization rates. How much are you actually able to bill, and how much of that billing are you able to translate into revenue? These ratios can tell you a lot about how much of your efforts and tasks are profitable.
• Client acquisition and retention metrics. This is perhaps the second most important metric besides profitability. Clients drive revenue, and long-term clients equal money in the bank. Knowing how many clients you have and how many clients you are keeping is a key component of maintaining the viability of your business.

Using Bill4Time’s Reporting Dashboard to Simplify Metric Tracking

Bill4Time’s legal practice management reporting dashboard features customizable options to prioritize the data that matters most. It’s also user-friendly – all you have to do to set up your dashboard is type, click, and drag. Consider what you want to prioritize, whether it’s time and expenses, client management, or other information.

When you need to evaluate your data, you can use the reporting function to look at the performance of your chosen metrics over time. If you need to share that information, you can export the raw data as a .xlsx or .csv file.

Gain Insights into Your Firm

Running a law firm isn’t as simple as just practicing law. You have to pay attention to the business side of things, which includes metrics and KPIs that indicate your firm’s overall health. Law practice management software is a crucial component to organize your data in an easy-to-use dashboard that keeps it at your fingertips.

With the growing competition in the legal industry, client acquisition is often the most challenging and expensive aspect of your law firm. It takes time and money to find clients that align with your expertise and fit into your schedule, but with attorney referrals, you can gain new cases for a small fee.

Attorney referrals are beneficial for both the referring attorney and the attorney receiving the referral, but they’re not without potential ethical rules and concerns. Here’s everything you need to know about attorney referral fees.

What Is an Attorney Referral Fee?

Service-based businesses like law firms and solo lawyers often refer clients to other businesses — including other lawyers. This may be informal or as part of a referral program that involves attorney referral fees.

The guidelines for attorney referral fees can be complex, but they are bound to the ethical rules for lawyers.

For example, an experienced attorney may pass on a case that doesn’t require advanced skills to a new lawyer. If there’s a referral fee agreement, the attorney receiving the referral will need to pay a referral fee to the referring lawyer.

This may happen if an attorney receives a case that’s outside their skill set or experience. The case can be referred to a law firm with more experienced attorneys with an exchange of a referral fee to the referring attorney.

Referrals and referral fees are beneficial for both parties. The attorney receiving the referral is acquiring new clients and paying a small fee in exchange, while the referring attorney is gaining compensation, relieving their workload, and entrusting their client’s case to a valued colleague.

There are many reasons lawyers may refer cases to one another, but all attorney referrals are bound to the ethics rules for attorneys and law firms.

What Is the Typical Attorney Referral Fee Percentage?

Depending on where your practice is located, an attorney referral fee percentage may be 30% or higher. In some jurisdictions, it must be less than 30%. It’s important to determine what’s appropriate and common in your area.

Ethical Considerations for Attorney Referral Fees

Attorney referral fees are not as simple as paying for a colleague’s referral. The American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct has clear rules for attorney referral fees, and individual states may have additional rules.

Model Rule 5.4(a) states that attorneys aren’t allowed to share legal fees with non-attorneys. Rule 7.2(b) states that a lawyer isn’t allowed to give anything of value to someone for recommending a lawyer’s services.

There are exceptions to these rules under Model 1.5(e), however. Attorney referral fees are allowed under these circumstances:

• The division is in proportion to the services performed by each attorney or each attorney assumes joint responsibility for the representation
• The client agrees to the arrangement, including the share each lawyer will receive, and the agreement is confirmed in writing
• The total fee is reasonable

The rules also state that an attorney can only refer a client to another competent attorney, not an attorney who can’t handle the case or lacks the sufficient skill set.

The purpose of these ethical rules is to ensure that lawyers aren’t incentivized to refer clients as a source of income without doing any work. Referral fees are helpful to attorneys, but the goal is still to help the client — first and foremost — rather than being greedy at the expense of people seeking legal assistance.

Lawyers in referral agreements have joint responsibility, which means that they’re responsible for each other’s professional actions and duties to clients. This is similar to the agreement lawyers have as part of a law firm and an important consideration when choosing referral attorneys.

Joint responsibility includes conflicts of interest in the representation of a client, negligence or misconduct of the working attorney, client confidentiality, and fiduciary responsibility.

In addition, some states follow the ABA Model Rules closely, while others have their own rules for referral fees. Be sure to check the rules in your jurisdiction before drafting an agreement to ensure you’re in ethical compliance.  

What to Include in an Attorney Referral Agreement

Writing a formal agreement for attorney referrals is essential to following the rules, maintaining transparency in case of disputes, and establishing relationships with professional colleagues.

Based on Model Rule 1.5(e), your referral agreement must have the following components:

• A shared fee must be proportional to the work performed (otherwise, lawyers assume joint responsibility)
• The client must provide written consent to share fees, including the proportion of disbursement that the referring attorney receives
• The fee shared must be reasonable

Here are the steps to drafting a referral agreement:

1.     Ensure that you have a written agreement with the partner law firm.

2.     Decide and state how the fees are split — either proportional earnings or joint representation.

3.     Acquire the express written consent of the client agreeing to shared fees and how they are divided.

4.     Verify that the agreement states who is the primary billing law firm for the client.

5.     Determine how billed labor will be reported to each law firm, which may be through fee allocation report, submitted timesheets, joint timekeeping records, or at the time of the referral.

6.     Check if the law firm trust account can record client trust deposits and disbursements of shared fees.

Here are some best practices for referral agreements:

• Make the expectations clear to outline expectations for both parties. If one attorney is handling the case, that should be clear. If both are responsible, the duties of each should be stated.
• Be clear about referral fee percentages. Based on the standards for your jurisdiction, outline the percentages each party will receive to avoid any disputes.
• Only refer to trusted attorneys. As a referring attorney, you are responsible for the behavior of the attorney you refer a client to, so you’re on the hook for malpractice or other issues.
• If you are receiving referrals, pay the fee. If you fail to live up to your end of the agreement, you’re risking not only missing out on referrals in the future but ruining your professional reputation.

Law practice management software can be a big help in keeping your referral agreements, fees, and accounting in order. With features like billing and invoicing, time tracking, online payments, document templates, and reporting, Bill4Time offers everything you need to stay organized and hold up your end of the agreement.

Can Lawyers Pay Referral Fees to Anyone?

Lawyers can share referral fees with other lawyers, as long as they comply with the ethics rules. Under Rule 1.1 of the Model Rules, “lawyers” only refers to competent lawyers.

Generally, it’s not permissible for lawyers to pay referral fees to non-lawyers. There are two exceptions for non-lawyers under Rule 5.4(a) and Rule 7.2(b), however. The former states that lawyers cannot share legal fees with a non-lawyer, while the latter states that lawyers can’t give anything of value to anyone for recommending services.

Are Attorney Referral Agreements Right for You?

Attorney referral agreements offer a lot of advantages, but they’re not right for every attorney and law firm. Referral agreements can be complex, so you have to enter them with transparency and ethical considerations.

In a slowing economy, cash has been tight. Many consumers are focused on building their savings and lowering their monthly spend, taking advantage of payment plans whenever possible. Think of any large payments you couldn’t pay outright — a car, a house, student loans, credit card debt, and more.

For many people, the price of legal services can be overwhelming to pay fully right away. This is where payment plans can make those costs less of a hurdle, allowing people to have access to the legal services they need while limiting financial strain.

Why should law firms offer payment plans?

In a 2021 study, the U.S. saw the largest growth in non-cash payments since 2000. This shows the value of alternative payment methods, consumers are moving away from cash. ACH transfers accounted for more than 90% of the rise in non-cash payments from the study mentioned above. Because of this, law firms and their clients can avoid third-party lenders.

Offering clients payment plans not only increases a firm’s chances of being paid fully, but also gives their clients the flexibility to pay however best suits their situation. For a large portion of clients, accessing legal services can be difficult if payment on legal fees is due upfront.

There are many benefits payment plans offer clients and law firms. Online payment plans can help firms get paid faster, consistently, and in-full while providing flexibility to their clients. Payment plans expand your client base while improving cash flow. Law firms offering payment options to clients not only matches consumer demand, but makes financial sense for the firm itself.

Payment Plans Benefit Both Clients and Law Firms

The first thing that may come to mind when brainstorming ways to increase cash flow may be to increase the number of clients. However, with an online payment processor, law firms can monitor the money that comes into the practice and from what services more efficiently.

Easily Optimize Firm Performance and Increase Cash Flow

Once online payments are set up, law firms can use reporting and analytics to stage the data into reports and pull numbers to properly tell the story of a law firm’s revenue.

These insights can help firms find actionable steps to improve their services and increase revenue. These trend reports can also provide data on clients’ billing, opening the opportunity for law firms to cross-sell services based on the clients’ needs.

Ensure Compliance Standards with Online Payments

From cloud-based software to AI-powered solutions, the legal industry has witnessed a digital transformation throughout the years. When it comes to lawyer payment plans, it’s crucial to choose a solution that not only meets your firm’s needs, but also aligns with industry standards and regulations. Law firms that keep up with new and emerging technologies will be able to adjust any procedures to improve efficiency and productivity.

In addition to constantly making improvements and additions to the software, Bill4Time is compliant with all state and federal regulations, while also keeping in mind best practices to keep data secure. The American Bar Association has a great guide to legal payments that can help law firms get a general overview to start learning more about legal payments.

Work With One Application to Do It All

Managing payment plans for law firms can become a time-consuming and complex process. This is especially true when firms have a large number of clients or a lower number of clients with a large amount of payments to be collected. Having multiple software or methods to keep track of payments can lead to erroneous charges, late payments, and lost revenue. Bill4Time saves lawyers time by combining the best features into one platform. This streamlines the payment process, opening up time for your law firm to focus more on legal tasks than administrative.

Tailor Payment Options to Fit Clients’ Needs with Custom Payment Plans

Lawyers need the flexibility to customize payment plans based on their needs and their client’s needs. A one-size-fits-all approach to payment plans won’t work. With Bill4Time Payments customizable payment plan feature, law firms can tailor the payment schedules to what works best for their firm. This eliminates any middle man lender and creates an even stronger client-firm relationship. Plus, the added bonus of known revenue coming in and getting paid faster and in full.

Enhance Client Experience to Build Trust and Provide a Hassle-Free Payment Process

Offering Bill4Time Payments’s online payment features, law firms can accommodate a wide variety of payment preferences while ensuring security and convenience. This approach not only fosters positive client experiences, but also improves client satisfaction and promotes stronger firm-client relationships. Making the potential stress of large legal fees flexible, customizable, and manageable with online payments allows clients to have access to the legal services they need without being limited because of their finances.

Provide Convenient Online Payments with Bill4Time Payments

With the combination of payment plans and a law firm’s billing process, Bill4Time Payments eliminates the need for manual and time-consuming payment tracking. Instead, law firms can leverage automated invoicing and online payment options, providing clients with a convenient and secure way to settle their bills. This saves valuable time and resources for the law firm and enhances the overall client experience.

Benefits of Offering Multiple Ways to Pay

Just like customized payment plans, offering clients multiple ways to pay enhances convenience and accommodates client preferences. By providing various payment options, law firms can ensure a seamless and hassle-free payment experience for their clients, while still prioritizing firm revenue without sacrificing the quality of work.

With credit cards, debit cards, ACH payments, and bank transfers, clients have the flexibility to choose which online payment method works best for them. Not to mention the added firm benefit of eliminating the need for physical checks and reducing potential delays in payment processing.

Implementing payment plans for lawyers is quick and easy with Bill4Time. Law firms can set up payment plans to easily organize and schedule recurring, automated payments for any client. Bill4Time Payments allows firms to speed up the payment process and ease client hesitation when it comes to invoicing.

With the Bill4Time Client Portal, clients can easily access their billing information, view payment history, and make payments whenever it works best for them. Client self-service options empower clients to take control of their payment plans, providing them with flexibility and autonomy in managing their financial obligations to the law firm.

Gain Insights on Cash Flow and Finances with Bill4Time Payments Reports

With Bill4Time Payments, law firms have access to financial reports like the Payments Applied Report or Payments Received Report, Invoice Report with Expenses, and the Account Activity Report or Account Balance Report. Law firms can use the data from these reports to find areas of practice that are bringing in revenue or ones that need to be cut or revised from their service offerings.

Explore the Simplicity of Bill4Time: Get a Demo

Bill4Time is a solution that streamlines the payment process for law firms seeking efficiency, accuracy, and positive client experiences. Access features like an impressive online payment portal for clients and an all-in-one payment and billing solution. Schedule a demo today with a Bill4Time expert and see firsthand how digital payment solutions with law practice management software can revolutionize law firm operations.

Law firms amass sensitive client data and confidential information, an appealing reward for a sophisticated cyber attacker. According to the 2022 ABA Cybersecurity Tech Report, 27% of law firms experienced a security breach.

Law firms need to be proactive about data security so they don’t become a statistic. Learn about your ethical responsibilities to cybersecurity and how you can mitigate your firm’s risk of a cyberattack.

American Bar Association (ABA) Data Compliance Rules and Regulations

Lawyers have a professional and ethical responsibility to protect client data and disclose a breach if it occurs. According to the ABA Rule 1.6: Confidentiality of Information, lawyers must “make reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, information relating to the representation of a client.”

The ABA also has several Ethics Opinions that guide lawyers on how to address cybersecurity:

• Securing Communication of Protected Client Information
• Lawyers Obligations After an Electronic Data Breach or Cyberattack

Data Compliance Regulations Your Law Firm Should Know

Data security laws are complex and can vary by location, especially for law firms that may handle clients in different locations or with different types of sensitive information. Here are some data compliance regulations your law firm needs to know.

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

In 2018, Europe introduced a unified data protection law, GDPR, for businesses handling personal data. This law requires enhanced protection of personal data for EU individuals. While this only applies to companies in Europe, the regulations could impact a US law firm. It’s best to learn about GDPR and stay compliant.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

HIPAA is a federal law requiring healthcare providers and business associates to safeguard protected health information (PHI) from accidental disclosure. Law firms are considered business associates and may have access to medical records for cases, so it’s essential to comply with HIPAA when handling PHI for clients.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

In 2020, California introduced CCPA to mirror GDPR and require enhanced protection of personal data for California residents. Law firms that operate in California or have California-based clients must be compliant with CCPA.

Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (SHIELD)

Like California, New York introduced SHIELD to safeguard personal data. This act includes a requirement to implement reasonable security safeguards for any business in possession of the personal data of New York residents. This is in addition to the state’s existing data breach notification requirement, which is one of the strictest in the country.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act

The FTC Act allows the FTC to prosecute businesses for unfair or deceptive acts or practices, including apps or websites that contain misleading information about privacy and security. This rule applies to all US companies regardless of industry and extends far beyond data privacy. One of the toughest aspects of the FTC Act is that the organization issues fines to companies that aren’t compliant and continues to levy them until it’s resolved.

Best Practices for Data Compliance in Your Firm

Be Proactive, Not Reactive

A reactive approach to mitigate cybersecurity incidents means you’re always one step behind. Law firms are a valuable target for hackers, so it’s important to take a proactive approach and implement security measures before a cyberattack happens. This not only reduces the risk of attacks in the first place but limits the damage if one occurs.

Create a Security Policy

An unfortunate number of security issues start with user error, not flaws in the tech. Your firm needs a clear, easy-to-follow plan for data security that everyone at the firm is privy to. Educate your employees and enforce best practices like multi-factor authentication (MFA) for logins and only using approved apps.

Train Staff

Despite the best intentions, staff can be a weak link in your firm’s data and cybersecurity. Compromised credentials, accidental link clicks, or weak passwords can be an access point for a hacker. Don’t assume your employees know how to recognize and report suspicious behavior – train them. Create a culture of cybersecurity and conduct regular training with current staff and new hires to keep everyone on the same page.

Use Tech with Legal-Specific Security Controls

Data security is ultimately the ethical responsibility of your firm, but the law practice management software you use can make this more challenging. Make sure you vet your vendors thoroughly to ensure that they’re as committed to cybersecurity as your firm.

The ideal option is working with a law practice management solution that uses legal-specific security controls, including MFA, activity tracking, user permission controls, and secure client communication portals.

Updates in Data Compliance

As high-profile breaches rise, more and more states and jurisdictions are implementing their own data compliance and information security rules. It’s possible that there will even be a federal data compliance regulation like GDPR.

There are 15 states that have bills in progress, as well as three that have laws on the books that went into effect this year:

• Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA): As of January 1, 2023, Virginia CDPA will protect the privacy rights of state residents.
• Colorado Privacy Act (CPA): CPA will go into effect on July 1, 2023, and grants Colorado residents rights over their data. This act is similar to CCPA.
• Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA): The UCPA goes into effect on December 31, 2023, and offers businesses a little more leeway than other states. It only applies to businesses that target Utah residents, have revenue of $25 million or more, and meet thresholds for data collection.

International regulations are also changing and affecting international markets. South Africa, China, and the United Arab Emirates all passed privacy legislation in 2021, and it’s likely that other countries will follow. The US and EU also have a preliminary deal to outline how US-based companies can store the personal data of European residents.

Stay Compliant with Legal-Specific Software

Robust data security isn’t a step above any longer. It’s an essential part of running a business, including a law firm. With the sensitive information your firm has, it’s essential to be proactive in safeguarding data security and mitigating the risk of a breach with security controls, training, and security-focused law practice management software. 

Legal data analytics opens a new world of possibilities for law firms to achieve operational efficiency and improve outcomes for clients – all with existing data sources.

It’s likely that you already use legal analytics without realizing it but devising a strategy can help maximize your firm’s success. Here’s everything you need to know about legal data analytics.

What Are Legal Data Analytics?

Legal analytics is the process of including data-driven insights into the decision-making process for law firms, such as legal strategy, resource management, and matter forecasting. This offers a competitive advantage by providing full visibility and transparency into law firm operations.

Types of Legal Data Analytics

There are two types of legal data analytics: business and practice. The former focuses on data that are relevant to all businesses, while the latter is specific to legal practices. Each is broken down into specific topics.

Business Data Analysis

• Financial Analysis: At the end of the day, a law firm is still a business. Financial analysis is important to identify cost-saving opportunities, optimize billing processes, and assess profitability. This includes important financial statements like the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
• Client Relationship Management (CRM): CRM improves the client experience by enhancing client interactions, identifying cross-selling opportunities, and improving client retention rates. The CRM holds all your relevant client data, including case history, communication history, and demographics, segments the client base according to industry, revenue, or location, and provides granular details to personalize interactions.
• Marketing and Business Development: Marketing analytics can help you understand your ideal client, where your practice stands compared to competitors, and how your marketing initiatives are performing. You can also learn where your prospective clients are coming from to determine the best marketing channels for your budget.

Practice Data Analytics

• Case Outcome Prediction: Predictive legal analytics provides forecasting for case timelines to the most probable outcome to build a case, devise litigation and negotiation strategies, and evaluate options.
• Legal Research and Document Analysis: Legal research can be a time-consuming process, but it’s key in identifying the important precedents or statutes that provide a competitive edge. Legal research analytics helps you identify the relevant cases in your practice area more efficiently to spend more time developing your case strategy.
• Workflow Optimization: Lawyers often struggle with time management, but you can improve your firm’s workflows by analyzing data on workloads, case duration, and resource allocation. You’ll save time with streamlined processes and enhance your firm’s productivity and ensure that you’re allocating resources and delegating tasks effectively.

Why Should My Law Firm Track Legal Data

Legal data is important for all firms, big and small. Here’s why:

Strategic Decision-Making

With legal data, you can make informed decisions that are backed by evidence and trends instead of assumptions and biases. Whether you’re planning to branch into a new practice area or looking to expand your law firm into new markets or locations, you can rely on data insights for more favorable outcomes.

Client Service Improvement

The client experience is one of the most important aspects of staying competitive in the modern legal market. By tracking legal data, law firms can better understand client needs, preferences, and patterns to improve client satisfaction and loyalty.

Competitive Advantage

With increased competition and savvier clients, law firms often struggle to stay ahead and acquire new clients. Legal data gives you a competitive edge by identifying emerging trends, market opportunities, and potential risks, so you can stand out in a crowded market.

Performance Evaluation

Tracking legal data gives you insights to continuously improve your firm’s performance and identify areas for improvement. Data trends reveal strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots for an objective view of your performance and success.

How to Track Legal Data Analytics

Ready to include legal data analytics in your firm’s processes? Here’s how:

Define Key Metrics

It’s important to have a goal in mind and metrics to define success with legal analytics. Your metrics will vary depending on the type of analytics. For example, client acquisition, the cost to acquire a new client, and the average value of a client or case aid your marketing strategy, while realization rate, utilization rate, and billable hours inform your productivity. Clearly define these metrics to zero in on the relevant data.

Data Collection and Storage

You likely already have data for your firm in the form of financial records, client information, and marketing metrics, but you should have systems in place to collect and store it all. Implement processes to gather and organize it effectively, then store it in a secure and reliable data storage system.

Data Analysis Tools

Data analysis tools are key to successful legal analytics. You can rely on external tools like Excel or Power BI, but a comprehensive law practice management solution with reporting helps you home in on targeted, relevant data for your goals. With Bill4Time, you can get a robust view of your data from time tracking and billable hours to clients and matters. 

Team Collaboration and Training

Legal data analytics is a firmwide initiative that involves lawyers and support staff. All team members should be trained in the importance of legal data analytics and how to use your data analysis tools for insights. 

Cloud-based law practice management software offers a secure, centralized source for all your firm data that staff can access at any time, from anywhere. If you want some users to have limited access, you can customize permissions and track activity for full control and visibility.

Continuous Improvement

Legal analytics is an ongoing process. You should conduct regular sessions with staff and stay updated on the latest trends and developments in legal data analytics to enhance your processes and continue to derive meaningful insights.

Final Thoughts

Legal data analytics changes the way law firms and legal professionals use their time, strategize cases, enhance the client experience, and make informed business decisions. As the legal market becomes more competitive, legal data is the key to attracting clients, staying profitable, and encouraging future growth.