AbacusLaw

Pros

This software allows us to keep our client's files organized. We can tailor this program to what we need in our client's files based on what out firm does, and/or what type of case it is. We can keep up with our calendars and everyone can log in from wherever they are and see the daily organizer for all or individuals. It allows us to keep notes in files, monitors for conflicts, and is very useful for setting ticklers to use as reminders. I find it very useful that it keeps up with all the players and their info under "linked names". Also keeps up w/ events, docs, & emails in one place.

Cons

If things are moved on the main drive, it breaks the links in abacus and they are no longer able to be found or traced if whomever moves the doc or breaks the link doesn't make a new one at that time.

Pros

As a small law firm you would think that software and a private cloud are luxuries reserved only for "big" firms but you are wrong. To be efficient, organized, avoid malpractice, and spend more time billing and less time on admin, a small firm needs legal software like AbacusLaw. When I wanted to add staff, the Abacus Private Cloud let all of my team utilize the AbacusLaw software with ease, from home and from other states where I am also licensed. And when COVID-19 hit, it was the AbacusLaw software and the Abacus Private Cloud that let us continue work uninterrupted, serving clients and not having to lay off a single person.

Cons

I wish there was a way to keep two separate books of business in AbacusLaw's accounting software since many small law firms are not "traditional" firms but several separate solo practitioners working together but with different accounting. The only "bad" part about having such a versatile and essential piece of software is on the occasion where it isn't working life seems to end. It has become indispensable. If that is a "con" that would be the biggest one!

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing AbacusLaw

Reasons for Switching to AbacusLaw

Pros

It is an extremely basic program - so the software does ok for very basic needs. Their are far superior options at better prices.

Cons

The customer service, lack of transparency. I have never been so disgusted by the treatment I received when I tried to cancel my service after over a decade (to move to another software IN THEIR COMPANY.) I was dismissed, billed without consent and I would strongly suggest law offices use anything other than this software and service.

Pros

I loved that we can customize templates and that we could set up the files as we liked.

Cons

I didn’t like that we had a difficult time getting into our system if their system was down. It was also difficult to get in touch with support.

Pros

Part of what attracted us to this software was that it advertised that it allowed us to integrate WordPerfect forms that we already had into the document preparation feature. We also like the group calendar that allows us to color-code each attorney making it easy to determine who is where. They also did a fairly decent job of integrating old data from a previous practice management software to allow more thorough conflict checking. The interface for most things is reasonably intuitive. It has features that can make it a good all-around practice management program if you use all of them.

Cons

Technical support is sad. So many of the people we get have no idea what the problems are or why the program is doing something it should not be. Correcting an error often becomes a lengthy boondoggle that takes ridiculous amounts of time. Features that they promise are part of the software are often not fully or properly functional, or the support staff seems to have no idea how they actually work. When trying to work with WordPerfect integration, for example, they did not seem to have any tech support personnel who actually knew how to use the program or how it was supposed to integrate and could not answer questions about it, so we were on our own. It does integrate, for the most part, but some things we try to ask about they just don't know an answer for . They promised us integration with LawPay and then backed out instead pushing a program they had developed to take payments. After seeing how they have been with other features, I don't want them to experiment on me and my clients with some "new" software they have halfway developed. We sometimes found that we knew more about the program than some of the tech support folks we were on calls with, and quite frequently we never receive explanations for why something was not working right, even though we WANT to know so we can avoid the issue in the future. I suspect sometimes it's a bug on their end that they do not want to confess to. It also does not double-check deletions and changes-leading to lost data.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing AbacusLaw

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to AbacusLaw

Pros

I needed a solution so I could link emails to certain case files. Also, the fact that all attorneys could access any other person's notes on a case was attractive.

Cons

The software looks and feels like it is straight out of 2002, if not right after Microsoft went WYSIWYG. It's about as clunky as software was in the early 00's as well although it probably isn't as efficient as software was back then.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to AbacusLaw

Pros

Abacus worked fairly well initially as a server based small number of user platform. At the time, few system integrated accounting with the LPM main product. New features were overpromised and half-baked.

Cons

Tech support and customer support evaporated over time. Systems crashed routinely and Abacus had no reliable answers for tech updates from Microsoft.

Pros

The program strives to assist with case management, billing and accounting - all within one program, but falls VERY short of achieving its intended goals.

Cons

It is the worst time-consuming inefficient and ineffective program I have had to work with. I've dealt with them for over 12 years and it is getting worst rather than better. It has cost me more money in lost time than I have paid for the program itself. Customer service is also horrible, with no responses being received as to emails, calls, scheduled appointments being missed, etc. The program glitches are a daily issue that slows down work productivity. Unfortunately having all of our records in the program makes the jump to another program complicated so best advice: do not use ABACUS!

Pros

Searchability of contacts and communications

Cons

Clunky web functionality and user experience.

Pros

It asks all the right questions and requested a wealth of information on behalf of the client.

Cons

The layout is not user friendly and the fact that the system is not accessible online.

Pros

For me, the software runs without a hitch. There are many functions, some of which I haven't yet fully utilized.The scheduling tool is fantastic and very flexible to my needs. Most functionalities are simple to learn how to use. You can carry your job everywhere you go thanks to it.Additionally, the application has a fantastic client database with notes .

Cons

This software usage is effective. apart from The only drawback I can mention is that updating can occasionally be a horrific experience.

Pros

1. Affordable: Having purchased similar software years ago and having paid an amount for it, I knew that the cost of a new firm management software that handled both front office and back office matters was going to be a major obstacle for me. Particularly if I wanted the software to be resident on my computer as opposed to web-based. But, with the monthly payment plan that Abacuslaw offers, it was very easy to sign up.
2. Complete management solution. There are very few programs around that offer both a full management software and a full accounting software to attorneys. Most of the software out there offers a billing component, but not a full accounting solution. With Abacuslaw, I can have both for the same price. I don't have to have another accounting software like QuickBooks pro to handle the accounting of my office.
3. The software is very easy to use. Most of the time, I can figure things out by myself without much training. But, to the extent I need training, I can find videos on YouTube or worst case scenario, I can sign up for their affordable one on one instructions.
4. Really good support staff: My questions or problems are usually answered and resolved on the same call into the office. Very responsive and knowledgeable support staff and extremely cooperative and helpful.
5. I've done lots of research. Not too many companies with the same level of service and features for the same price. Highly recommend it.

Cons

1. Glitches. While support staff is very responsive, the number of glitches is at times distracting. I would say that I average about maybe one glitch every three months or so. But it is dealt with very soon.
2. Data migration: The only major problem I had with Abacus law was their data migration. I was migrating from Amicus online and they could not transfer my data. Finally, the only thing they were able to migrate was my case information. I had to reenter my financial data myself. My suggestion is to make sure that they understand what format you are migrating from and get a firm commitment from them that they can handle the migration without problems.
In the end, though, the drawbacks are so small, compared to the benefits that the minor complaints I have don't even register.

Pros

I really have not found anything I like about this software. If I had to pick something, I would say the timer function works fairly well.

Cons

This software is the worst case management software I have used. The software repeatedly freezes and it is not intuitive or user friendly. Billing, which ties into AbacusAccounting, is extremely difficult to use. Unlike in other software, you cannot just edit a pre-bill with ease. It also lacks the integration that other software has. When you take into account the long term contract of five years, the inability to terminate that contract without buying it out, and the terrible customer service, the product actually costs you more than any time you would theoretically save using it. Furthermore, you are permitted to add users but never to cancel a user, effectively meaning if your Firm face a downturn, you would still be locked in to pay for users no longer with the Firm.

Pros

Deadlines are a big and important part of our every day function. Abacus calendaring makes it easy to keep track of the deadlines and also important hearings and meetings.

Customer service is always very helpful.

Cons

Abacus Knowledge Base does not always have helpful information when I need to figure out something new.

When adding a new attorney the last name box is highlighted, when you tab to the next box it is the ID box instead of the first name box or another box that you actually need to add information. This is frustrating because an ID number is not something you change or add each time you add a new name.

When adding a "bill to" person, an accounting screen for the billing is opened. When you click the box next to Open Advanced Billing Options on save, then done, extra steps have to be taken to actually get to the billing screen to enter additional information.

We don't us Abacus forms because they are not easy to set up. With the forms we do have set up, many times we have to make adjustments each time we use them so it is not worth the time or hassle to do so and we end up creating the document with out using Abacus forms. It costs extra for any help to create these forms.

Pros

I like the ease of making documents and templates with Abacus. It is very customizable and easy to use. I like having the matters and names databases and being able to cross reference cases with people. The reporting is good, but could use some work so that you can pull reports from 2 different databases at once (i.e. the addresses of all of the clients or providers for all active matters).

Cons

The draw back with Abacus is that it doesn't give you check lists or ways to case manage very well. It's easy to use and customize, which is good, because their customer services is slow and not great.

Pros

Probably the most is the support. I put off my first support call for a long time--waited until I had a good chunk of time because I assumed I would be on hold forever. Not the case. The person that answered the phone (no hold time) was the person that solved my problem with ease. They explained what they were doing so that I could handle the next time if there was a next time and they haven't treated anyone in our office like they were dumb--even when they had no idea what they were doing. This has been the case each time we have called support. The transition, once all of our data was converted went smoothly and even our limited computer users had little problems from day one.

Cons

The least are probably things that I just don't understand how to do yet. We have only been using the software since January, so I try to spend a little time weekly learning a new aspect of the program. The one thing I wish it would do that amicus did, was in events, I could schedule events that would be added in once another even was completed. In abacus I can set dates out in advance, but they are not contingent on when something was completed. Hope that is something they are looking at for future upgrades. That is probably the only thing I miss from amicus.

Pros

I have been using Abacus since 2004. I just transitioned from using on my local server to having it and my IT hosted on the Cloud. Abacus is logically organized in a flexible way that allows me to categorize my notes in a way which really suits my practice. It is pretty easy for my staff to learn. It has an abundance of features, including some that I have not yet explored. As an Attorney, I really like the calendar and reports function. As an employer, I really like its document production feature.

Cons

Occasionally I have problems printing envelopes from a separate envelope printer, especially when adding a new computer to the network.

Pros

At this point, nothing.

Cons

APC is a problematical environment to have to work in all day. Abacus Law and especially Abacus Accounting are primitive, highly inefficient.

Pros

I like the ability to track action and save emails and contact for each client. Also, to track deadlines and tickles on the calendar.

Cons

Use of the reports (figuring out correct useful report or creating report), integration with merging letters and documents, and customizing the screens is extremely cumbersome, difficult, time consuming and is not intuitive. I spent several hours as well as time on the phone and on the learning video figuring out merging form letters and documents. However, when I did figure it out, I found out that some of the Word Documents will not work with abacus. I am still not able to determine why some work and some don't. I don't have time to spend on additional document creation.

I also had a deadline not show up on the DEADSOL report because it was coded slightly differently. This is major problem if minor coding error makes the deadline invisible.

Pros

Claims to let you run lawyer practice management software. Usually has a technical or sales problem. See "dislike" below as comments hard to separate.

Cons

Support not knowledgeable and very slow. Sales are greedy and will not adjust contracts based on your needs. In concept this is a good software, but the execution is miserable and the company always makes excuses for their poor product but takes forever to fix them, if they even do.

Pros

I have been using this software since 2000, I think. I don't know all the tricks, but to manage time and client information it is wonderful.

Cons

When not updated regularly it doesn't function as well. Sometimes updating can be a nightmare.

Pros

The close coordination of the client management software with the accounting software is very nice... I've used Abacus for close to eleven years and like it very much.

Cons

There are a few little quirks here and there, but not serious, and if I did a little more research or asked for help I could probably figure them out, like how to automatically put my letterhead on invoices printed from Abacus.

Pros

The ease of use for this software makes it a wonderful program to use with our company.

Cons

Too many steps to edit some entries, and also if someone adds a change to the schedule, you may not see the update quick. You have to refresh the program and maybe if there was a flashing icon that lets you know there was a change in the schedule it may be easier to see it.

Pros

I like the fact that Abacus Law and Abacus Accounting work so well together. Everything integrates nicely which saves me a lot of time. I also like the fact that tech support is local (in San Diego), speaks English, and is (almost) always available.

Cons

Our software developed a "glitch" quite some time ago and neither tech support, nor the engineering staff, were able to resolve it. It's still there, and it keeps throwing me error messages, but the program works in spite of it. Our main complaint is that we would like to upgrade to the new version of Abacus, but it does not work offline, so we've had to stay with the older version. (Internet in our area of town goes down frequently, and our practice is very Abacus-dependent.)

Pros

The Abacus software, now on Abacus Private Cloud, almost always is functioning properly, and is accessible from anywhere, anytime. After our experience, we would now not use anything that is not cloud-based, particularly being in a city highly prone to power-outages, floods, and hurricanes.
We have found the software to steadily improve in features and speed. The customer service is the best I have experienced very particularly in the software industry. The techs are all very knowledgeable and carefully resolve every inquiry. They are also available very quickly, an absolute anomaly in the software business.
The calendering component, as others have observed, is a key strong-point. The linking in of all events, documents, e-mails, and notes into one accessible electronic folder provides the convenient efficiency that you will frequently use.
It is possible to scan documents directly to the cloud case file from your local computer - an important step-saver.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, when installed, functions on the APC desktop.
You will need reasonably strong, consistent Internet connections. Airport terminals are mostly unusable work locations even with a "jet-pack" or cell-phone "hot-spot."

Cons

This is a powerful software tool. As such, except for the calendar, it is not a "plug & play" system, except for the most computer-fluent users. To fully utilize its comprehensive features will take a commitment to initial as well as ongoing learning while taking the daily, time-consuming steps to precisely link all activities back to the case file. However, the added work will and must obviate the paper file.
The queries, forms, and reports functions are all very valuable but are far too complex to user-initiate, and each requires ongoing custom installation by the provider.
Cost-effective file collaboration with outsiders is not possible, therefore an added cloud account and the expense is required along with the time of copying and moving sizeable files.
Changing accounting from existing into the integrated system is a major transition to be carefully evaluated in advance. Maintaining the current accounting system, at least temporarily, will be required.
This software must be your primary organizational tool as it will grow into a weighted expense that is justifiable only if it is the key resource.
The software does crash daily when trying to interact with Outlook for file linking of e-mails. It can usually be resolved with a quick re-start.
Initiating printing is quite slow and getting slower but understandable with a remote server.
Microsoft Office, Adobe Pro, and Reallegal depo transcription all work very well here. Some other applications do not at all.

Cons

The company seems to have abandoned us. We purchased AbacusLaw five years ago and now the program keeps crashing and the rude support personnel blame us for using an outdated version which Abacus says it is trying to faze out an no longer support. We bought the program because it offered case management and document management capabilities, and automatically updated contacts and calendar on the phone. Over the years, we constantly needed to contact support because the calendar and contact update functionality constantly broke down. Now the software crashes all of the time. I could not enter new clients nor could I make calendar entries for the past five (5) days. I called support and they complained that Abacus no longer wants to support this version and claimed my staff must have "deleted something" -- which is an impossibility! and the support blames Microsoft updates. We are beyond frustrated with Abacus. The program is so poorly designed there is no way to utilize many of the features it claims to have. Frankly we gave up on linking documents, producing case management reports, etc. because the software is too complicated to understand. Abacus now wants to up-sell us on its new software products and the pricing could not be more noncompetitive. I sincerely discourage anyone from using Abacus Law and this is the advice from a long term user who gave Abacus an honest and fair chance.

Pros

Nothing. It is complete garbage. It is outdated and shouldn't be on the market.

Cons

Poor design, simple tasks are overly complicated, they force an over-priced subscription model, doesn't integrate with other programs, does not integrate directly with phone calendars, created duplicate entries for contacts, cannot migrate data.

Pros

I have worked for two separate law offices since 1998. My first time using Abacus in 1998 (we call her "ABBY") I felt a little overwhelmed- but as I learned HOW the system worked- I LOVED it! I rely on ABBY for everything! I like knowing WHERE the client's file is, whether it is on someone's desk or in the attorney's briefcase, or tucked away in the filing cabinet- it saves time when searching a large or even small office for a file- just click on the client's Matter and look for "LOCATION" and BAM! it tells me the last entered location! ABBY keeps track of notes, events, tasks/to-do's, court hearings, appointments- anything that is important to your office. When a client comes in to the office or calls, I can easily pull up ABBY and see what notes or tasks that others have placed in the system for that client, then I can easily help the client do what they need to do, like print out documents for them to sign - or maybe collect a payment for something- I can help the client without having to pull others away from what they are doing. I have found ABBY to be an AWESOME TOOL for the law office- ABBY is right up there with the scanner, copier and telephone! Cannot run a business without any of those!!

Cons

the ONLY 'bad' thing, is if the HUMAN does not enter their tasks or to-do's, or utilize ABBY as intended. ABBY is like a car, she is not going to go anywhere unless you put the tasks, to-do's, hearings, location of a file, etc. in her. Train the employees to utilize ABBY for your office's needs, and there will be no 'negative' anything regarding ABACUS.

Pros

Any pros of this software are so far outweighed by the cons that they are not worthy of even mention.

Cons

This software is absolutely horrible. I had high hopes for this software after having been given rave reviews about Amicus Attorney and calling to get more information. The salesperson convinced me that after describing my firm's needs, we were better suited for Abacus, which was owned by the same company. After purchasing the software, it took more than 8 months for them to figure out how to migrate our data from our existing billing software, a process that they represented they were very familiar with during the sales calls. When we finally made the transition to this software we quickly learned that it is not at all user-friendly, they provide no guidance on how to use the software or how to set it up, large portions of data mysteriously changes by itself (today the originating attorneys on hundreds of our chases mysteriously changed to reflect the names of our support staff members). The calendaring system is supposed to be able to sync seamlessly with Outlook. This is a joke. Items randomly disappear from attorneys' calendars or appear on the wrong attorneys calendars, when entered. Some items sync from Abacus to Outlook and others don't with no rhyme or reason. Their call center is horrible. You cannot get the same person on the phone twice, and you cannot request to speak with a particular person so there is no consistency of service. Each time you call to describe a problem you are having, you have to start from the beginning because they do not keep any records of your past calls. The people who answer the phone have no idea how the software works and always tell you that they have to research your question and get back to you. Oftentimes you never receive a call back and when you do they still don't know how to assist you. I could go on and on...

Pros

The bottom line is that Abuscu does everything that I need and has added bells and whistles that would be valuable in my practice. Once I figure out how to use a function it works well for me. Learning how to use most functions easy. Beyond basic time tracking, adjusting my working style to Abacus Law has been an obstacle. The problem is mine than the software. I've learned to use certain functions that would be valuable to me, but I have not been able to adopt them. I don't think another application would be better. The bottom line is that Abuscu does everything that I need and has added bells and whistles that would be valuable in my practice.

Cons

The software feels like it was written 20 years ago and not updated to a better user-interface. I wish that there were a simple to use app for my smartphone. Abacus may have that for its cloud product, but the cost difference made me lose interets. The online help is daunting, but the telephone support is terrific. It's an adequate balance. I wish there was a way to export billing data to Quickbooks. My accountant knows QB. I can't impose on him to learn Abacus accounting. I'm using a program that tracks my computer use by app and even collects screenshots. Something like that would be a wonderful addition.

Pros

Because I am a power user, I am able to make it do everything I want . There is not any other PM software out there that is as customizable. However, that comes with a cost in usability (more on that below).

However, I have had excellent technical support. I had an issue that I could not solve on my own. I called CS and, although they were not able to resolve it in that session, I was impressed with the thoroughness of the work and the help offered. They went above and beyond to to try to ID the issue. After tinkering around more, I called back with more info and was connected to another tech who was able to resolve the issue. Both had excellent professionalism and telephone demeanor.

I was very impressed by these two experiences and with the quality of the technicians. This was much better service than I expected and there are only a few companies who have provided this quality of support.

Cons

There is a cost to customizability. That is that it can be quite difficult for a non-computer-guy to set up beyond basic calendaring and contact tracking. The workflow and database relationships are not particularly intuitive. Even simple things like creating a search query take more computer knowledge than most attorney will have. Setting up reports or calendar rules is extremely user-unfriendly. Without my computer background I could never have done it.

Because I'm a power user, I can adapt it to meet all of our needs. But out-of-the-box, it's a little too generic to be really useful for most attorneys, even with the "Special Editions." The attorney who referred me to Abacus uses it as nothing more than a calendar and client contacts and it's too expensive to use it that way.

Pros

Ease of use. Accessibility for all paralegals and attorneys for file information.

Cons

After we upgraded, AbacusLaw has been terrible! It changed the decade from "19" to "20" in all client birth years, which will have to be corrected manually. It now locks people out on a frequent basis, occasionally limits their access (will not let them edit notes they have already entered). I was told by an Abacus Support Tech and our company's IT person that Abacus is not meant to be opened and left open. We have been told we need to only open it to do what needs to be done, then close it back out. To leave it open (and we are not even talking about overnight), will cause it to lock up and refuse to allow anyone but the administrator (me to get into it.) I then have to contact our IT guy and spend time that I don't have to get it closed down and re-opened. It is so frustrating on the part of every one of us who uses it!! It is a pain to have to log into Abacus just to check an address, get a telephone number, etc., then log out, only to have to log back in a little later, and on and on.

Pros

I liked that it could integrate with our business systems as they are.

Cons

The add-ins do not work consistently and have more cons than pros. The reporting is not very good and making deposits that are not client checks makes no sense. The system is good for basic legal clients, but anything more complex and there's issues. You can't just double click on a number in a report to get more information on it like many other software programs. If you print a check, you can't change anything about it with an edit; you have to delete the entire thing to make small changes. There is also no way to track time reductions truly. Entering time takes forever because you have to go into each matter separately and enter your time instead of a large platform to enter time for each matter on one sheet. Editing bills takes so much longer than it should because of how it has to be done.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing AbacusLaw

Reasons for Switching to AbacusLaw

Pros

Their support is absolutely the best. In the very unusual event that I need support, they always remember me, are friendly and super knowledgeable. Usually I am asking for a workaround to make their program do something it isn't designed to do. They could just impress me off, but they really try to make it work the way I need it, and they usually find a way. Having client info at my fingertips makes me look very efficient and very competent.

Pros

We have used Abacus since 2010, so 10 years. Abacus helped us to automate law billing. The program also features an excellent data base for notes as well as emails per client. It is fast in terms of locating electronic documents. Its technical support is also helpful.

Cons

The biggest feature to improve would be Abacus message slips. I have been trying for over a year to fix the app's propensity to suddenly disappear and then, days later, inform me of the number of messages I have received. BIlling software can be improved dramatically to make it more user friendly.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing AbacusLaw

Reasons for Switching to AbacusLaw

Pros

The ease of use, the triple reconciliation feature, and the linking items to client matters.

Cons

I wish the calendar syncing feature with Google calendar/Outlook was easier and not manually required. I also wish the price point was lower for small firms. It's just me and a paralegal.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing AbacusLaw

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to AbacusLaw

Pros

We have had the worst customer service. The program has constant problems (not synching, billing is a nightmare, lost entries) and it has cost my firm $100k in lost billing and administrative time on hold trying to reach the support team.

Cons

Billing, mobile app, customer service,. In fact, I can’t think of a single aspect of this program that has worked well without issue or that I would say I liked.

Pros

The legal billing and trust accounting functions are great. However, the rest of the accounting functionality really stinks.

I like how for billing, you can schedule a bill to e-mail or print and it automatically does it (e/m or print) when you finalize the bills.

Cons

I'm used to QuickBooks. I hate that I can't drill down to detail from reports. I hate that I can't type a vendor's name when I tab to the field when entering A/P (you have to open the search window and search for the vendor...there's no way to fully navigate through data entry without taking your hands off the keyboard).

Data between the "Law" program and the "Accounting" program becomes "out of sync" frequently. There's a script to run to attempt to fix it, but it takes hours to run.

Pros

Potential flexibility because of many functionalities. We use it every day to track matter activity, coordinate schedules, meet deadlines, retrieve critical information, and bill clients.

Cons

Cannot use many features without hiring expensive Abacus professional because program is not intuitive. Numerous online resources, including knowledge base and trainings, but difficult to find what I need when I need it.
Reports and queries: Odd that in our present "plug and play" world, reports are poorly formatted and queries difficult to use.
Email integration: Does not integrate with our google suite, only Outlook.
Customer Support: Expertise and availability has declined, although still reasonable, if more time consuming.

Pros

It captures all of the data we need. The queries work well. Your support team is fairly fast to respond and when they do respond most of the people we have dealt with speak English quite well. As a person with hearing issues, this is extremely important to me.

Cons

The emailing feature needs to be improved. Constant issues with trying to add links, photos, logos or graphics, can't add attachments. We do a mass newsletter monthly and almost always have issues. We want our newsletters to look better more eye catching but with this program we can only send boring basic emails with little chance of catching the readers attention.
If we want to do something with graphics, logos, links, or add attachments we have to do a query and export the email addressing into an excel spreadsheet then do batches of emails in Outlook.
This is our biggest complaint with Abacus.

Pros

I was first introduced to Abacus at my prior law firm. I was familiar with a different case management software from another law firm. I was happy to be able to convince my current employer to obtain this very useful tool for our firm. I use it daily and am nearly lost without it. The main function for our office is the calendaring system which is amazing and is easily customizable for our needs. I am aware that the software does 80% more; however, it is an excellent value just the way we utilize it.

Cons

The only negative thing I have to report is, years ago for some odd reason, the customizing I had done to the trial calendar disappeared. Customer service individual who was extremely patient and knowledgeable, was able to correct it and return it to my customized settings.

Pros

The time ticket and notes functions have increased our accuracy and efficiency in billing, and provide attorneys and partners with the ability to provide clients with accurate status reports on their matters. The document management function mean that teams can access all information quickly. The software allows partners to track their teams productivity and evaluate work in progress.

Cons

The software does not provide for multiple currency databases - although Abacus built several for us. The outlook function is not so stable and with us use several currency databases, you have to keep switching the outlook function in each database. The reports format takes some getting used to - they would be easier to use if they could be downloaded as excel spreadsheets.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing AbacusLaw

Reasons for Switching to AbacusLaw

Pros

Creating a docket is simple. We are able to quickly review the attorney notes and provide updates to the clients without having to get the attorney involved.

Cons

I wasn't involved in any training so I'm sure there are lots of features that our office is not taking advantage of.

Pros

It is a comprehensive software product for a law office, with case management, document management and billing. Our firm has been using it for 12 years.

Cons

The original founder of Abacus had very high standards. Tech support was very good. You could always connect quickly with a knowledgeable tech support specialist. In addition, for the first 7 or 8 years we used it, it was virtually bullet proof. It rarely, if ever, had a crash or issue of any kind. In more recent versions, you started to see more crashes or technical problems. But, at least the support was good when needed. The founder sold the company a couple of years ago. They acquired Amicus, several other products and most recently HotDocs. The quality of their tech support has significantly deteriorated. For example, we had a crash using the billing component, with a window that popped up with an error code this morning at roughly 9:00 a.m. Called tech support, was on hold for ten minutes, then prompted to leave a message. Left message at 9:10 a.m. this morning. In fact, both I and the user of the workstation left messages. It is 3:15 p.m. and Abacus has not called back.

Pros

It is nice to be able to access the case management software through the cloud. It allows you to take you work with you where ever you go - which can be a good thing or a bad one.

Cons

Abacus Private Cloud does not play well with anything but MS Office 365. I had to buy a more expensive version of Dragon Naturally Speaking Legal and there is such a lag between dictation and text, that the Dragon software never gets used. We also use Essential Forms for our Judicial Council Forms in CA. APC tech support has left me hanging for over 2 weeks, and countless hours trying to figure out software that they had previously installed on their server for our use. It also seems like every time I call support to change something, there is a horrendous charge.

Pros

Strong database with a lot of features and the unique Outlook add-in to bill emails straight into the integrated accounting software. The add-in will make you very dependent really quickly if you bill for time reading and responding to emails.

Cons

Horrible support and inaccurate sales information. Each time there is an update, we had to end up calling in to fix the problem. If we were lucky, we got an experienced tech. Otherwise we ended up going through several until the problem was fixed. We would spend hours on the phone each time for days in a row and the problems would completely prevent us from working for a day or more. The down time was costing us too much money and client retention issues. Finally after 5 years we had enough and cancelled the program based upon the original salesman's representations that we paid for the program for 2 years, then after that we could pay for maintenance but we would have a usable stand alone program. We found out that is untrue when we cancelled. We were not given the opportunity to retrieve our information, billing or financials unless we paid for a month-to-month account and tech fee. In response, the company would not return our phone calls.

Pros

On the law side of Abacus it is substantially a good system to use. The organization, ease of use, and the multiple tools allow the law side to run smooth and easy with little to no problems. Things such as client entry, event posting, and much more have become much easier over time with the multiple updates and fixes. Overall the law side software is a well created system.

Cons

The Accounting side of Abacus has many little problems within it that overall cause the functionality of abacus to become less effective. Things such as tables not communicating with each other and the software crashing due to simple tasks such as voiding checks are some of the many problems that occurs. Without fixing these issues, the overall effectiveness and efficiency of abacus accounting will only continue to diminish.

Pros

The product has a number of useful features which make it good for use in legal work. The ability to store all documents and correspondences within a file and send them by email or move them to different files are excellent, as is the ability to generate template documents and amend as necessary

Cons

The product is often slow and cumbersome to use, with numerous glitches which never seem to get resolved. we are based in the UK and were told that we would have 24 hour support, but this simply hasn't happened. I have had some issues with Outlook, copying and pasting and documents not attaching to emails for three months now and, whilst Customer support has made every attempt to try and sort these out, he is only able to do so during US working hours (which means from around 3pm UK time) and, despite his commitment and many efforts, the problems are still not resolved which, I understand, is because there is a bug for which there is so far no fix.