HoudiniESQ Reviews

“HoudiniESQ has a lot of features, though the documentation falls short

Pros

HoudiniESQ is free for solo practitioners, which makes it an incredible option for those starting out or running smaller firms. Even for firms with a few users, the price is still lower than many other products I've considered, making it an excellent value for the wide range of features it offers. The software itself is very reliable, it always works, which is such a relief in a business where time is money. When issues do arise, I've found that support is often immediate and always knowledgeable. The team's response time is impressive and they really know their stuff. Advanced features include calendaring triggers with conditional branching, which allows for tailored scheduling and event management. The software also offers user-programmable multi-practice group setups, making it customizable for firms with different practice areas or needs. It's incredibly efficient when it comes to searching for specific items, saving valuable time. Contract management support helps streamline document handling, while mass emailing capabilities are useful for client communication. HoudiniESQ also supports atypical billing arrangements, offering flexibility for firms with unique billing requirements. The inclusion of a client portal is another great feature, making it easier to share information securely with clients. And with its ability to integrate seamlessly with a wide variety of other software, HoudiniESQ ensures that your firm's operations can be more connected and efficient.

Cons

The areas needing improvement are too broad to cover in detail here. The product lost some functionality I relied on when it transitioned from version 1.99x to 2.0x and beyond. I continue to be surprised by what I perceive as poor programming and feature choices during the switch to a different coding platform. I feel like I'm barely getting by with version 2.0x after using 1.99x, even though there were a couple of great improvements, like better search capabilities and user coding control over invoices. I found the business tracking portal in 2.0x practically unusable, while the 1.99x version, though basic, was useful. Some long-standing cons for all versions include: no useful trust accounting report, very limited integration of trust transactions in invoicing, a meager scripting language for document creation from templates and outdated documentation that often doesn't match the current version of the software.

“I believe this product was created by someone from a larger but slower competitor

Pros

This software is really versatile and is perfect for small, efficient firms. You don't need to be a computer genius to use it but being a bit tech-savvy helps. There are features like QuickBooks and Excel integration that I haven't even had time to master yet. It also helps reduce IT costs since they know what they're doing. plus their 99.9% uptime is no joke. HoudiniESQ has a powerful time-keeping system with excellent document integration. Customer support is always there when I need them and they can walk me through any issues.

Cons

As with any newer product, there are inevitable growing pains. My favorite application integration was with the Outlook Add-in for email but that's giving me trouble right now. Since you're partnered with the vendor, when the rep can't solve the issue, you have to work around the product limitations by saving emails manually to the file. I'm also a creature of habit and major platform updates make me struggle. The company has been kind enough to leave the old platform running and hasn't forced us to evolve overnight, but now I'm learning to navigate two different platforms.

“This software makes our firm run efficiently, even with our remote work situation

Pros

The best part of HoudiniESQ is being able to communicate with my team, no matter where we are. We are working toward going paperless and this software has been a huge help in making that happen.

Cons

The software needs to be able to upload larger files to the document sections. As a personal injury law firm, being able to upload large medical records easily would make things much more convenient.

“A fantastic time tracking tool for the price

Pros

The price is great and I love the customer support. Adding new matters and events is simple and I appreciate how compatible it is with QuickBooks.

Cons

The stopwatch feature is a bit lacking. You have to manually add time to an event and then uncheck and check "bill" to update fees. It would be much better if the stopwatch time could automatically add to the open event and update the fees accordingly, like it did in the older version.

“Smooth, powerful, secure and flexible , Houdini Esq covers all the bases

Pros

I've been practicing law for almost 25 years now and I've seen a lot of legal software come and go. I started with Houdini many years ago when it was still in its early stages (I switched over from Abacus). Even back then, I can confidently say that Houdini, with its combination of logic, power and flexibility, was head and shoulders above any other software on the market even those that were three times more expensive. Since then, the management and development teams behind Houdini have nurtured and evolved the software into an absolute powerhouse. It's now packed with intuitive, userfriendly features and capabilities that are absolutely unique , things that other software packages just can't offer. Houdini has universal appeal. It's just as well suited for solo practitioners, who appreciate its intuitive simplicity, as it is for multinational law firms, who can take full advantage of its limitless customization options and industrial strength features. I can wholeheartedly recommend Houdini to any law firm, regardless of its size or practice areas. It's been a game-changer for my practice and I'm confident it will be for others as well.

Cons

Honestly, I had to really think to identify any weaknesses in Houdini. Still thinking...

“Great value with customizable and versatile client management software

Pros

The client support is amazing! The agent I worked with was the best support person I've encountered across all the tech systems and software I've used. He always goes above and beyond to help with customizations.

Cons

A shallow �con� but I don't like the aesthetic of the site. It looks outdated and the navigation could use some improvement.

“Easy to navigate and ideal for managing my cases and workflows

Pros

The integration with other software is fantastic. I can work seamlessly across Outlook, Adobe and Word, making document generation and calendaring a breeze. My favorite feature is the template creation and document generation, which has been a game changer.

Cons

Making changes to fields from the original Houdini version is difficult. The customization mode is a little clunky and tough to use. Also, I can't print ad hoc reports or my calendar anymore.

“Way ahead of the competition when it comes to management software

Pros

I love how functional HoudiniESQ is. Some of the features are a bit tricky to use at first, but the customer support is top notch and they help me through any issues right away. The program itself is fantastic and their support is hands down the best I've experienced.

Cons

Some of the features can be a bit confusing at first but the support staff always demonstrates how to use them immediately. I haven't done the free training program but based on my experience with the staff, I'm sure it's excellent. A lot of my lack of knowledge for certain features is my own fault but even without training, the software is very easy to use and has amazing capabilities.

“I had a really good experience overall

Pros

The software is very reliable and fairly easy to learn. The video tutorials are helpful and customer service is great! They answer calls quickly or get back to you promptly.

Cons

Our firm has had issues with searching. I'd like to see cases in a "list" format, with more than just 50 cases shown at once. We also have an issue with printing invoices from inside the "Matter." If the "print" command isn't selected quickly enough, it prints an invoice from another matter. These issues may just be settings on our end but they're a bit frustrating.

“It works great most of the time

Pros

I really like the ability to customize fields within the software especially for specific file types. Not every personal injury case needs the same customization, so this flexibility is awesome.

Cons

Tracking documents and due dates, like discovery deadlines, seems to be missing. Previous users mentioned this as a feature so it's disappointing that it's no longer available.

“Houdini 2.0 is significantly better than earlier versions

Pros

So far, the speed of version 2.0 has been a big improvement. We don't have the delays we used to have with version 1.9 when accessing contacts, events and matters.

Cons

It's difficult to multitask. If I'm scheduling an event on the calendar and an incoming phone call comes in, I can't open anything else in Houdini without finishing the event I was working on. In the previous versions, I could leave the window open, take care of the call and come back to finish scheduling. We also miss being able to access the contact record directly from the calendar to find the client's phone number. This was especially important for confirming next-day appointments.

“Mediocre software often broken by developers, who then blame the user

Pros

HoudiniESQ offers everything you need for practice management, from trust accounting and billing to calendaring and email. switching.

Cons

Every single feature feels clunky and slow. The database breaks constantly and you lose information if you clear your cache or refresh the page. Sometimes the database will delete or lose entries on its own and when you call tech support, they blame you. During updates, the developers randomly change how certain things should be done (billing, trust accounting, etc.) and force you to adopt their new method. Often, these changes break your past data. For example, if a client had a small overpayment carry-over, HoudiniESQ now doesn't factor that into the current balance calculation. Many of the search features, especially for invoices, don't work correctly. You used to be able to print invoices as soon as they were generated. Now, you have to search for the invoices after they are created, using a search platform that doesn't operate well and print them from there, which just adds unnecessary steps to the billing process. This software is a complete headache. The developers don't acknowledge these issues or provide any solutions. Tech support is difficult to reach and their hours are limited. The price is low, but there are now better companies offering competitive pricing. The only reason I still use this software is that I don't have the time to transfer all my data to a new system.

“Still working on improving functionality

Pros

The main features work well, but there are some important issues that still need to be fixed.

Cons

In "Matters," we can't get a list of cases ordered by arrival date (we only get a list of cases by the last modified date, which isn't as useful). What's needed is the ability to list cases by their actual arrival date. You can add the arrival date column in "Key Dates" but you can't use it to sort cases, which is frustrating. Also, there's no way to get a list of other "Key Dates" in Matters. If this feature is available, please make it an option. It would be very helpful. Also, sometimes the software loses cases especially if someone else created the case and then assigned it to me. The search function is hit or miss sometimes it finds what I'm looking for but most of the time, it just runs and returns no results. We should be able to customize the names of certain headings like "district" and "county" since we use them for different purposes. Some sections, like "Project," just don't work. That said, the activity list feature works great and that's one of the things I do appreciate about the software.