CARET Legal Reviews

“Love their quick customer support

Pros

I am really impressed with their customer support as they reply very quickly and seem extremely knowledgeable.

Cons

What bugs me is that I can't set up automated tasks which automatically fill in with due dates.

“well organized

Pros

I find it fairly well organized and easy to navigate.

Cons

From my experience, working in the cloud leads to noticeable delays in response time and the accounting features don't compare to QuickBooks.

“all documents in one system

Pros

With this system I can consolidate all of my documents into a single place that I can retrieve and review from any computer without hassle. I can save and access my files from anywhere, which makes remote work easy. Because I can create Matter files and nested subfiles, I'm able to organize and filter my documents more precisely within the system and then locate them much faster.

Cons

I find the billing module tricky until you've used it several times as it takes practice to feel comfortable. Also, I can't view invoices the same way my clients do unless I print them after finalizing, which is inconvenient. Apart from that, I think it's a solid system.

“Complete package and user-friendly

Pros

For my small firm, Caret provides a full set of tools we needtime tracking, invoicing, document organization and accountingall in one place. Plus I find the interface user friendly and simple to pick up and whenever I file a support ticket the team responds quickly and has been consistently helpful and knowledgeable.

Cons

There aren't many things I dislike about it. A number of useful capabilities are locked behind higher-tier plans, which I expected but still notice. At times the built-in help pages feel a bit thin and that can be frustrating when I'm trying to figure something out on my own. When that happens I submit a support ticket and they reply fast, but I would really like native Microsoft Teams integration.

“Nice when it works correctly

Pros

For me, APX is pleasant to use whenever it functions properly.

Cons

I don't understand why, when I'm making deposits, I have to repeatedly enter the same date and payment type for every single check in a deposit.

“Very simple yet logical tool

Pros

I find the navigation way too easy and I like that screens flow in a logical order.

Cons

What I really miss are built-in 'shortcuts'tiny acronyms or abbreviations that, when I type them, would automatically expand into full words, phrases, or sentences. Having those would make entering the same types of entries across many matters much quicker and less tedious. For instance: 'hrg' for 'Hearing,' 'ts' for 'Timesharing,' and 'MSA' for 'Marital Settlement Agreement,' etc.

“Easy to use with great support

Pros

I can easily work with the software as it is user friendly and I get quick responses from support.

Cons

I have trouble creating Contacts, especially when multiple people are tied to the same company as the system won't let me reuse company details to add a person's name, Email, or phone numbers, so I'm forced to set up an entirely new Contact each time.

“Everything about it is simple

Pros

Well I am really impressed with how easy it is to get around everything. Plus it feels well organized, adding details and downloading files is easy too. And overall it is extremely user-friendly as it serves as a complete, all-in-one solution with responsive, helpful support when I need it.

Cons

At the moment, I can't think of any drawbacks to mention there isn't anything that stands out as a problem for me right now.

“Failed to meet our needs

Pros

We opted for this product due to its promised ease of use and functionality, but unfortunately, it has not delivered on those promises.

Cons

Caret's acquisition of CARET has not gone smoothly. The email and calendar functions are glitchy to the point of being unusable. Customer service is either slow or unresponsive. We were promised a customer portal function, but it failed to meet our needs.

“Helpful timers but logs out

Pros

I find the timers incredibly helpful for tracking work. The time tab together with the calendar summary tool makes it easy to review schedules. The text messaging feature is handy once you get past the initial setup.

Cons

When my computer restarts it logs me out of every tab, so I have to reopen or sign back into each matter or tab individually which is a real hassle. Getting the text messaging feature set up was a struggle for our admins and the notification behavior around texts still feels messy and not logical. Also the tasks tab is not as user-friendly as it could be. it could definitely be simpler and faster to work with. On top of that the referral program has gone downhill. It used to be fantastic but now it's underwhelming. I don't get much visibility unless I'm willing to offer more than $100 per demo, which does not make sense as a lawyer's time is worth a lot more than $100 an hour and that's essentially what we give for a one-hour demo. In my view it's become not worth the effort and this change is doing more harm than good.

“Integrated nature is truly amazing

Pros

What I appreciate most about this product is how seamlessly everything is integrated. in short it's genuinely an online office. I can quickly scan documents and immediately pull up case notes whenever I need them, which saves me time.

Cons

I wish the accounting module offered more flexibility so it could be tailored precisely to my practice's specific workflows and billing requirements.

“Amazed by CARET Legal

Pros

I am absolutely thrilled with CARET Legal! This comprehensive software has transformed the way I operate my law firm. One of its standout features for me is its clear and accessible design, which makes navigation simple. My efficiency and productivity have significantly improved thanks to the extensive array of tools and features it provides. CARET Legal covers everything from case management and document organization to time tracking and billing. I no longer need to juggle multiple platforms or deal with manual processes. The smooth integration of all these functions into one cohesive system has streamlined my workflow and saved me valuable time.

Cons

So far, I have no complaints regarding CARET Legal.

“Central quick reference saves time

Pros

What I value most is having a single, easy-to-access reference where everything is at my fingertips. The way files are arranged alongside their related contacts, notes, details, summaries and documents cuts down on wasted time and helps me keep all tasks moving forward.

Cons

I've faced problems getting some systems to work together smoothly. It would make my workflow much better if there were tighter integrations for templates and forms, plus a built-in, standardized way to pull in repeat officialslike court clerks and judgesas automatic contact links so I don't have to recreate those entries every time.

“Easy interface with powerful capabilities

Pros

A user friendly interface packed with powerful features is what I like the most. Plus I find Zola approachable for everyone on our team, from our most technophobic attorney to our most tech-savvy paralegaleach benefits in distinct ways. It performs well for all users, accommodates their specific workflows and makes our firm operate more smoothly. I particularly appreciate being able to access the platform easily from my phone or laptop.

Cons

I'm still holding out hope they'll create a plugin so I can save documents straight from Word into Zola on my Mac. I realize that functionality exists for PCs, yet I'd really like it available on my Macs too. Also, I'd welcome OpenAI integration and a feature that lets me query my matter documents using natural language.

“Best integrated solution i've found

Pros

I've tried about half a dozen systems like this and Caret/Zola is by far the best I've come across so far. The way they bundle tasks, email, time tracking and accounting right into each matter feels spot on for how I work. It isn't the deepest or most feature-packed platform available, but because of that it's much simpler to get up and running compared with those heavier alternatives and the cost is considerably lower too. The big-name solutions tend to be pricier, come with a much steeper learning curve and in my experience you end up using only a small slice of what they offer since most features are unnecessary. Up to now I haven't encountered a workflow or task I need to do that Caret/Zola doesn't handle.

Cons

My main frustration is the incomplete mac integrationit's the one real downside I've noticed. Because the platform is mostly web-based that limitation only affects me a little, but the optional add-ons for Microsoft Office don't behave well on macOS, which is disappointing when I need tighter desktop integration.

“Beneficial for organization and linking

Pros

I've discovered several features in CARET that are genuinely useful for our work. I appreciate being able to create separate folders inside a case to keep all of our firm's documents organized. Linking Outlook email and calendar with CARET is a big plus for me. I also enjoy simply dragging documents straight into a folder.

Cons

I'm frustrated that once an email is saved, we can't rename it, which makes locating messages harder. It would be extremely helpful if we could edit the subject line for example: Email to Adjuster re: Settlement rather than opening each message or searching by keywords. Additionally, I'd like the option to set a specific time for all-day reminders instead of having them automatically come through at midnight.

“Very user friendly and appealing interface

Pros

I find Caret's interface extremely user friendly and I was able to pick it up quickly and efficiently. Overall the whole layout feels attractive and very easy to navigate and use.

Cons

When I work with document templates, I often have to trick the system to get certain things to behave the way I want. I wish Caret let me set specific template field formattingfor example forcing a name or address to be uppercase or boldbecause those kinds of options are missing.

“offers efficiency for all team members

Pros

Personally, the thing I find most useful about Caret is how efficiently everyone at the firm can collaboratefrom the attorneys through to the accounting team and paralegals, their workflows run smoothly and without friction.

Cons

I wish their online customer support reacted faster to problems that need fixing, because attorneys' time is hugely valuable and it's frustrating when they sometimes have to wait for an answer or response.

“Awesome document and email management

Pros

Document management is easy to use. I also really like the powerful search features, both inside documents and by title. The email management is easy too and makes saving attachments simple. File management is flexible and customizable and since it's cloud-based that's a big plus!

Cons

I can't categorize or code emails and I can't save emails or attachments to more than one matter. Also, the contact address field won't auto-fill when multiple contacts share the same firm address. It would be helpful to generate address labels or envelopes directly from a contact.

“Easy to use yet slow and not at all reliable

Pros

CARET Legal is easy to use and quite flexible. It offers numerous features and functions, including bi-directional email integration, trust accounting, CRM, billing, time tracking, and more.

Cons

Overall, the program operates very slowly and takes a long time to execute most tasks. It limits the number of credit cards I can sync with my bank and restricts billing and bulk options under specific plans. The accounting dashboard feels very basic and is significantly behind QuickBooks, while the CRM lacks the depth and functionality found in other CRMs.