PracticePanther Legal Software Reviews

Pros

Hi there! A while back, on April 28, 2020, I sent a DM through this tool asking why the Outlook plugin and integration weren't functioning. customer support answered quickly and explained it was a known global problem that their team was addressing. and their communication was clear, thorough and very reassuring. To be honest, I'd completely forgotten I had even reached out but two months later I received an unexpected follow-up from them today saying the issue was resolved! Their follow-up, combined with such thoughtful and timely replies, has left me genuinely thankful for PP's customer support and commitment to our firm. That kind of attention will definitely simplify my workload. I can't express enough gratitude and truly value their dedication. Over time I've relied on how PP aligns my tasks, yet this extra check-in really makes me feel like PP is more than just software and that I can always turn to them with questions. Many thanks again, customer support

Cons

Nope but I appreciate you asking! Please take care of yourselves in this time.

Pros

As a small business owner I appreciate that it combines the integrations and user-friendly design I need, packing in the core features that help keep tasks aligned and prevent duplicated work. On top of that I've found the team to be responsive, adopting user feedback and suggestions promptly and effectively.

Cons

I wish it supported integration with Business accounts, a stronger partnership with QuickBooks would likely help close that gap and make the workflow much smoother for my bookkeeping needs.

Pros

I wasted hours trying to get it to integrate with QuickBooks and it ended up blaming QuickBooks for their own inability to connect.

Cons

After wasting hours trying to get it to sync with QuickBooks, it kept blaming QuickBooks rather than owning their failure to integrate. I personally spent at least 12 hours on attempts before I finally gave up on the whole integration. Don't trust their claim that it works with QuickBooks Online, it cost me a lot of time and frustration so don't waste yours.

Pros

New features are rolled out pretty consistently and there's a ton of training available. Support has been incredibly helpful and when they don't immediately have the solution they'll go look for one. I get that no system is perfect and each comes with its own advantages and drawbacks. Once we actually make use of every single capability this software offers, I'm convinced our firm will become significantly stronger and more efficient.

Cons

email integrations tend to work intermittently for me, dropping in and out while functioning. It might just be the Gmail plugin I'm using but dealing with that instability can be frustrating and tough.

Pros

What I like most is how simple it is to use, we can schedule appointments, manage our cases and take care of billing inside the same app and we're able to access everything from anywhere.

Cons

I'd love a way for it to integrate with our Ooma phone system so that calls from numbers stored in the app would be logged automatically, if it could match incoming calls to saved contacts and record them, that would be fantastic.

Pros

I'm impressed by how simple it is to work with, the interface feels clean and uncluttered so moving around the app doesn't slow me down. The billing system is clear and easy to follow and I really like how well it links up with other tools and services I use every day.

Cons

It does take some time to learn everything and I think convincing many of the older attorneys to switch could be a slow process, even though the platform has an attractive appeal.

Pros

Communication and time tracking are effortless and it hooks straight into one of the easiest billing and invoicing systems I've seen in my twenty years of practicing law. My clients always know what's happening with their cases and updating them is super simple. It's honestly a game changer.

Cons

The calendar and its search functions really need a redesign and simplification. It's the least simple part of the app, I keep it synchronized with iCal and end up running every search inside iCal instead.

Pros

This software has made managing everything from client info, invoicing, document storage and timekeeping to running reports so much easier. I use those reports often and they're easy to understand. It keeps the whole office running smoothly and genuinely lightens my workload. Plus, I can check in from my phone, tablet, or computer no matter where I am.

Cons

We do have a little trouble managing e-mail conversations since replying isn't feasible, you need to compose a fresh message each time although that might just be our setup, it's possibly configurable. Still, the issue isn't a deal-breaker and once messages are imported into the system they sit neatly within the program and are just as tidy and simple to work with as everything else.

Pros

The technical support has been outstanding, they're always helpful and quick to respond whenever I've needed assistance.

Cons

When I try to enter a current client's call time, I face a problem and can't complete the action.

Pros

I really like that the calendar, client contacts and billing are all in one place and I can access everything from anywhere. Being able to create reusable templates for each client is a huge time-saver too.

Cons

There are a few additional options I wish the app had, like more ways to personalize it for my own workflow, for example, letting a legal assistant or secretary automatically add events to an attorney's calendar and being able to define a default appointment duration. That said considering the price, the features that are already included are fantastic and I just needed a bit of time to get comfortable using them though.

Pros

I do like the client portal because it makes sending messages and sharing documents easy but I find the software a little tricky to get around sometimes. The reports don't always match what I need so navigating the system can get frustrating.

Cons

Because the platform doesn't give me any way to print envelopes, I've had to maintain a separate client database outside the system. Our subscription renewed automatically for the year and shortly after that a staff member left the firm, we chose not to hire a replacement. I reached out to support right away to request a refund for that unused user account and after about a month of waiting they finally replied, only to refuse to return the annual fee. That means if you're stuck on an annual plan, you can't reduce the number of user accounts and get your money back. Another major issue is the three-way trust account reconciliation: it isn't a genuine reconciliation that aligns with the Rules of Professional Responsibility so we still have to perform our reconciliations with separate software. email syncing is also limited, it only works with certain versions of Outlook which creates more headaches for our team. When we signed up they promised exceptional customer service but the reality has been the opposite: response times have stretched out the longer we've used the product and on many occasions my support tickets were closed without actually answering my questions. Oddly, if I post a negative review they'll call and address that review right away, yet they won't resolve the underlying problems that caused my complaint. Despite repeatedly raising these concerns, I haven't seen any meaningful changes to the software.

Pros

Conflicts checking is surprisingly simple and the secure client portal is great since I send sensitive documents all the time. I also make good use of client notes and the built-in calendar, it keeps things organized.

Cons

I've had a number of clients who couldn't get the secure portal to function properly, it might have been their mistake but it happened enough times that I ended up creating an alternative workflow. It would really help to have a clearer, congreatated overview of the platform's features so I can evaluate which ones fit my practice. Because I don't use the majority of the billing tools, I want an option to turn those off or hide them, otherwise the dashboard makes it look like I'm operating at a massive loss. I'm also eager to understand how it integrates with Wealth Counsel software, better documentation or support there would be appreciated. Being able to cross-populate client records between systems would be incredibly useful for me.

Pros

The automation tools really impress me, especially document templates and workflow options, they save a lot of repetitive work.

Cons

When using workflows, I can't seem to get it to create an event that includes a specific date and time, it always defaults to an all-day event and I'm still trying to figure out how to change that.

Pros

it was easy for me, the other attorneys and our support staff to pick up. everyone got comfortable quickly and it didn't take long to feel confident using all the features.

Cons

After using it I don't have any complaints about this software.

Pros

What I really appreciate is how the program brings all tasks together across the practice. Managing large operations is much smoother and it keeps chaos at bay.

Cons

What I like least is feeling like I can't really modify the invoice's appearance the way I want, there are those full-width block fields that take up the entire form and I can't alter them which limits how the final invoice looks.

Pros

everything is in one place which has made my work so much easier. Recording and keeping track of details is effortless and I honestly can't imagine managing my practice before this. It saves so much time and everything stays exactly where I put it.

Cons

I find the billing and accounting features that track what's due and what is billable are consistently inaccurate. No matter how much time I spend trying to reconcile payments versus outstanding charges, the totals never line up correctly. I've also noticed it will sometimes display bills with a negative sign before the balance owed.

Pros

Using this app on the go is simple and I love that I can hide client details when I need to add billing or check someone in while moving around.

Cons

There was a time when the built-in timer stopped responding although I don't tend to rely on it much anyway. It might have been a network hiccup rather than a fault with the app itself.

Pros

Being able to create bills, accept card payments and quickly tell clients what they owe while I'm in court has been fantastic. The dashboard and reports give a clear picture of what's due, what's outstanding and what's in my trust account. it has really cut down the time I spend on billing and made the office run much more efficiently.

Cons

Printing checks directly from it requires several steps, yet it lets me easily attach the expense to a client's bill. I'd like to see the ability to run vendor or payee payment reports across different date ranges, similar to how tags and categories can be filtered because that would help me track payments more effectively.

Pros

For me billing is very easy here and that's really all I need.

Cons

Customer support feels ridiculous. I can't ring anyone, they force you into their chat system. For months they haven't fixed problems with advertised capabilities that simply don't function and after three months I still don't know who is assigned to resolve them. No one accepts responsibility. These include things like syncing contacts and preserving email threads that other vendors handle flawlessly. Also, like several rivals, they focus too much on mobile gimmicks while the desktop app needs real attention. I'm frustrated by the many workflow wastes that remain unaddressed. Communication has been vague, updates are rare and follow-up is almost non-existent which frustrates me.

Pros

The app is very easy to work with. It helps me keep track of assignments and is convenient because I don't always have to be at my computer to log a task.

Cons

My main problem with this program is that occasionally the app's data didn't sync smoothly to the computer or vice versa. There were times I stored a name in one place but still couldn't find it on the other device at all.