CARET Legal Reviews

“Great calendar sync and tags

Pros

I'm really impressed with the calendar syncit makes life way easier. The custom fields area is super helpful for tailoring which details matter most for each type of case. I also appreciate that the calendar lets me color-code events, filter the calendar to show specific types of events and even set up calendar rules to automate deadlines and follow-ups. The reminders for calendar events are another feature I find incredibly flexible and customizable. When I'm looking at a matter, the activity log button is invaluable for quickly seeing who did what and when within that matter. On top of that, the tagging function in documents and communications is excellent as anyone on the team can jump into a matter and search for a tag like "Deps" or "Trial" to immediately see every place that tag appears, which gives a fast, at-a-glance summary of relevant items.

Cons

About the calendar sync, one minor annoyance I run into is that events canceled in Outlook still appear on Zola's calendar with a line through them. If I only want to tweak the time or title, the current workaround is to delete the crossed-out event in Zola and recreate it, which is clunky. To me that strikethrough feels unnecessaryit would be nicer if there was a different indicator showing that a specific event isn't synced to Outlook and perhaps a one-click re-sync option, rather than leaving it crossed out and forcing a full delete-and-recreate workflow.

“Love saving emails to matters

Pros

I like that I can save all emails to specific matters. Being able to set up a task list that alerts me when things are overdue or marked complete is incredibly useful when I'm juggling many deadlines.

Cons

What frustrates me is not being able to move an email to a different viewing screen and I find it annoying that tasks suddenly pop up and block my view while I'm trying to work on something else.

“Limited features... Plus poor customer support

Pros

Initially, I perceived the pricing as quite reasonable and manageable, which made me feel comfortable with my investment in the software. However, as time went on, I began to notice several shortcomings and limitations within the software that negatively impacted my experience.

Cons

The features were restricted. The interface was sluggish, and many processes were neither easy nor simple.

“A lot of features are missing

Pros

I find the ability to assign tasks to employees and add opposing counsel or other relevant parties to the client profile to be very beneficial.

Cons

The accounting feature is largely non-functional. This is not an issue of user training as the company has suggested for others with similar problems. After speaking with customer service, I was informed that nothing could be done since the feature simply doesn't exist. When I bulk bill, it generates a printout of who was billed and the total amount, but it doesn't print a check. Instead, I have to HANDWRITE (from the trust account) an actual check to transfer the funds. Then, while reconciling the account, there's no bulk check even though it calculates the total in the PDF. I must find EVERY SINGLE transfer that was part of the bulk billing to reconcile it. Because the system didn't issue a check and it was handwritten, the check doesn't show up in Zola, so I have to hope I noted on the check stub what each check was for to find the entries for reconciliation. The same applies to payments made through APX. The system indicates that the client paid, but to actually deposit the money into my operating account, I again need to HANDWRITE (from the trust account) a check to transfer the fees paid. There are also instances where a client paid through APX, the system acknowledged the payment, but the payment does not appear on the bank statement (indicating that Zola received the funds and the client was credited, but the firm never actually got paid). I could elaborate further...

“way too many technical issues

Pros

Appreciate that Zola comes with built-in task management features.

Cons

In my experience, Zola still suffers from a number of technical problems that often take weeks or even months before they're fixed.

“Simplicity and all-encompassing tools

Pros

Its impressive how simple the interface is and how it includes a comprehensive set of tools.

Cons

Personally, I've run into problems with the accounting features and email integration feels clunkyit's slow and often doesn't reliably save what I write. On top of that, I find it tricky to proofread invoices in the backend.

“Allows an individual to work remotely

Pros

This product has enabled my firm to work remotely, helping me keep track of what everyone is doing without being in the same office.

Cons

Creating and saving new documents can be a bit tricky at first, but I eventually get the hang of it.

“Favorite is document automation feature

Pros

I have been impressed by several of Zola's capabilities but hands down the Document Automation tool is my top pick! Whether I am producing a single document or putting together a full 50-page packet of forms, this tool cuts down our time dramatically! Right behind that I really like the CRMit's great for tracking referrals, checking retention rates and so on. I also value that calendars can be shared across users, emails can be associated with matters, billing is easy to review inside the platform and that matter-specific fields can be customized depending on the practice area.

Cons

My main complaint is the absence of rules-based task automationfor example, task triggers that fire when a prior task is finished. From what I understand, they've been promising this for quite some time now. We're a very specialized firm and I want to use tasks as a proper checklist: when I mark one task done, the following task should automatically be scheduled X days later based on that dependency. I'd also love to have email subject lines auto-populate according to firm preferences for instance, Matter No., Matter Name and so on. That would help.

“Very user friendly and easy to use

Pros

I find ZolaSuite extremely user-friendly. Overall it is simple and pretty easy to navigate!

Cons

I can't create monthly recurring invoices or recurring AP entries, which is a feature I need.

“Cloud-based and pretty easy to use

Pros

Being cloud-based means I do not have to deal with server problems. As I have found the system to be very powerful so far and surprisingly easy to use. I am still getting familiar with some of its features but up to this point it's been refreshingly easy to use and I would definitely recommend it.

Cons

The only issue I have not been able to figure out yet is how to generate year-to-date reports for my time. I am sure it's simple once I learn the steps. I would also appreciate an option to view time entries scheduled for future dates since I often plan my week in advance, though I understand that might not be compatible with how Zola works. When I move entries forward a day or two they consistently show up once that date arrives, so it is not a major problem, just a small limitation for my planning workflow.

“Has many features but lacking search feature

Pros

I really appreciate that this system bundles so many of the tools our firm needs into a single platformcalendar, contacts, matters, documents, tasks, time and expense billing, email, CRM and an at a glance dashboard all in one place. The document assembly is easy and user-friendly and I can tweak the fields to match how our business operates. There are several search methods that make it easier for me to find files, documents or to follow up on items. It also includes features that nudge me to bill for completed work and track how much time I spent on each task. I find the short YouTube walk throughs helpful for learning various functions or accomplishing specific tasks. Another feature I value is the ability to save emails directly to the file so nothing gets lost.

Cons

Some of the search tools are less useful than I'd like, because they either don't let me zero in on exactly what I'm after or they return results in a layout I can view on screen but can't easily print. The document assembly feels very basic to me and I wish it offered more advanced conditional choiceslike richer if/then logicto handle more complex document workflows. I'd also like calendar entries to be included in the pool of data that can feed merge fields, since that would save me time when generating documents. A number of screens are fairly small and in places use light text on a light background, which makes reading difficult and I'd appreciate a method to enlarge particular views or change the font and background for better legibility without causing the content to overflow my display. It bothers me that whenever I switch to a matter I have to wait for the contacts to finish loading before I can jump to documents, communications, or whichever other tab I need as I'd prefer a leaner, faster initial view or the option to pick the tab I want before everything loads. I also miss having a built-in Help section or a searchable written owner's manual I can skimsometimes I don't have time to find and watch a video and being able to read the relevant paragraph would be quicker. Finally, it appears that scrolling past an email can mark it as read and that causes confusion because it's harder to tell what I've actually reviewed and what still needs attention.

“Integrates absolutely everything you need

Pros

I love that it brings absolutely everything I need into one placeaccounting/trust, timekeeping, billing and email integration. I can even convert an email into an event or task and bill for it, which I find amazing.

Cons

I wish onboarding and integration could be completed within days of purchase instead of taking much longer. Also, I can't print CRM records properly and I need the system to accept phone message taking functionality.

“Great platform

Pros

For our two-partner law firm, Zola Suite is an excellent platform. It provides everything our practice requires to manage accounting and client records effectively. What really impresses me is how their human support beats expectationsyou can reach out to real people for any assistance with the software. Whether it's help with accounting entries or with email setup, their staff are responsive. Plus, it's possible to sync all email into a business folder so every attorney can access client emails without having to have messages forwarded to them.

Cons

The email viewer itself feels awkward. I synced the system with Outlook and usually access messages that way. Unfortunately, I've noticed that my Outlook folders, which matched the folders in Zola, seem to vanish and don't stick around after a day or so. At least the inbox retains all messages, so nothing important is lost.

“Focuses on efficiency and being comprehensive

Pros

The powerful back-end accounting, several time-tracking options and document automation show this program is built around efficiency and being all-inclusive. When I was launching my law practice, I didn't want to juggle and learn several different tools or try to stitch them together. A colleague attorney who recently opened her own firm suggested Zola Suite and after I looked into the other options it stood out as the top choice.

Cons

There is a steep learning curve and the main downside so far is that there's a lot to absorb and it doesn't yet support LawPay e-checks. They have told me that e-check integration is planned, so I'm hopeful that feature will arrive soon.

“Best option with a modern interface

Pros

When we were testing firm management systems, Zola came out on top. I tried the competitors and kept running into outdated interfaces. But this one has a modern, current interface. Our firm prides itself on staying up to date, so being able to move around without digging through old menus was a must. I like the layout and feature set. It offers the same core capabilities as many others but in a simpler, more user friendly way. Tracking accounting and case matters is easy too and the invoice generator that breaks down work minute by minute is invaluable. I have uploaded multi-gigabyte files without any issues, which has been a huge relief. And whenever we have run into problems, the team has been quick to respond and fix things, even adding features based on feedback. They are large enough to secure integrations with other platforms but still small enough to be approachable and responsive. Pricing was comparable to and sometimes better than, competitors, giving more functionality for the dollar. To really use the full range of their tools, though, I think you'd need to be in a firm with multiple attorneys.

Cons

The iOS app is the area where I see room for improvement. By a long shot, it's still the best firm management tool for working on the go, but that doesn't mean it's flawless. The app can occasionally crash at inconvenient moments, like when I'm entering time against a matter, forcing me to re-enter the data. Some parts of the app's UI aren't especially user-friendly eitherit often feels like a web page shoehorned into an app experience. That said, these problems don't exist on the web version of the software as it appears the challenge is making the platform play nicely within Apple's ecosystem, which isn't their main focus. Since I handle most tasks on my laptop, I don't encounter these issues frequently, but when I do submit time while away from the office they can be frustrating. I don't use Zola as my main email client, although my paralegal does rely on it to tag emails and link communications to case files. I prefer a simpler email app on iOS because it feels faster. I can't fault Zola too much for that, thoughthey're building firm management software first, not a dedicated email client.

“Love the three-way accounting

Pros

I rely on the 3-way accounting feature and the Gmail integration and I find both very useful. The technical support team all speak clear English and are US-based, which feels a lot better than support I've encountered from other companies.

Cons

Personally, the color scheme used in the Gmail integration is a bit hard on my eyes. I'd really like to see formatting tweaks and a selection of different color options for the Gmail integration to choose from.

“Easy to install and use

Pros

The installation process is relatively smooth and simple, which makes it easy for me to get started with the software.

Cons

The document automation feature offered here is somewhat elementary in nature, however, it effectively fulfills its given purpose.

“Billing feature is my favorite

Pros

The integration of accounting, document preparation and merging, matter tracking, and billing features is impressive.

Cons

Integration with the Best Case bankruptcy program would be tremendously beneficial and would help me significantly.

“CARET Legal is cloud-based

Pros

I really appreciate that it is cloud-based. It allows me to manage my firm from anywhere globally. The integration between CARET Legal and Outlook for calendar management, Zoom for coordinating meetings with clients, courts, and opposing counsel, as well as LawPay for simplifying the collection process, is fantastic. I'm just starting to explore the new CRM features.

Cons

CARET Legal is an innovative software platform that is evolving and improving every day. There are certain features we appreciated from our previous practice management program that CARET hasn't implemented yet. However, we've made suggestions for these improvements and remain hopeful that they will be addressed soon.

“Customization is simple

Pros

One of the most impressive aspects for me is how easy it is to customize the Chart of Accounts and create journal entries. Unlike many "forms-based" software packages that force users into vendor-by-vendor expense entries, CARET allows for converting bank and credit card statements into journal entries, greatly streamlining the process and ensuring accurate reconciliation. It supports both the forms-based approach and journal entry method.

Cons

I am in dire need of a journal entry identifier. What I am trying to accomplish is to be able to look up a transaction, rather than the journal entry identifier, and then look up the journal entry to see both sides of the entry.