To grow and thrive, law firms must consistently provide stellar service, both in and out of the courtroom. Just as clients expect skill and expertise in the handling of their legal matters, they also want the positive experience of an effective administrative process. 

To meet that expectation, firms need systems in place for the efficient management of new, existing, and potential clients. Legal CRM (Client Relationship Management) for law firms is the solution for successfully navigating the management of leads and clients so your practice can better meet the needs of those you serve.  

Read on to discover what Legal CRM means for your law firm, and specifically how CRM provides a systematic approach to securing and maintaining business relationships through effective client relations administration. 

CRM for law firms 

What is the main goal of CRM? For law firms, it’s all about building better lead and client relationships. These systems give your firm the tools to dive deeper into your existing and potential client relationships in a way that best leverages these valuable connections.  

Simply put, law firm CRM systems streamline the time-consuming tasks of client management to make communications more efficient for the firm and more meaningful for the client.  

Tasks like client database entries, client data updates, and communication tracking have traditionally been done manually using spreadsheets. Not only are these methods time-consuming, but they are also highly susceptible to human error. Manual methods reduce productivity rates and divert valuable time from more profitable tasks. Though following up with leads and responding to clients are important tasks, you can perform them better and faster by using CRM for attorneys.  

Maintaining positive relationships with clients can be time-consuming without the right systems in place. This can become an even bigger concern if you have plans to grow your practice and bring in new clients. You may have a legal marketing plan that includes strategies like a greater social media presence or an improved website to attract more potential clients. But do you have the systems in place to properly connect with them once they initiate communication?  

Law firms need to be able to reach prospects quickly before they look elsewhere for legal representation. Cue the CRM software. For law firms, these systems maintain consistent communications and prevent leads from falling through the cracks. With a legal client relationship management software system, your law firm can cultivate relationships while solving the problem of wasted time and inefficiencies.  

The benefits of legal CRM  

The best legal CRM software for law firms of all sizes provides various levels of benefits to enhance client relationship building. Here are some ways it can benefit your firm:  

• Maximizing Leads: Some CRM platforms use in-depth analysis to determine whether leads are a good fit for the firm. This data better prepares your firm to send the types of personalized automated texts and emails that nurture prospects with the right number of touches toward positive experiences and higher conversion rates. 

• Centralized Contact Lists: CRM solution means powerful organizational capacities that sync your email contacts and categorize existing clients separately from leads and potential clients.  

• Automatic Entry of Client Data: Upon first communication with your firm, lead contact information can be automatically synced within the database, avoiding the need for manual data entry.  

• Streamlined Legal Client Intake: With Legal CRM, your firm can provide a top-notch client intake process experience using customizable form builders and templates for easy document assembly and collection of eSignatures.  

• Enhanced Client Satisfaction: A better understanding of your clients translates into better service and a positive experience. Using CRM for lawyers, your firm can better stay on track with engagement and communication efforts so that leads and clients feel valued.  

• Law Firm Automation: Legal CRM allows your firm to create an automated marketing strategy. These AI technologies intuitively work to ensure that communications and follow-ups happen automatically with minimal effort on the part of firm members.   

• Law Firm Marketing Analytics: The reporting features of Legal CRM can also provide insight into your law firm’s marketing methods. When you know what is and is not working for your firm, you can make informed decisions about future marketing investments and growth strategies. In addition, with valuable analytics regarding such client behaviors as topics of interest, possible services of interest, and which firm emails they open, your firm can better meet the needs and expectations of leads.  

• Web-Based Technology: Legal CRM software systems like Law Ruler utilize cloud technology to provide a web-based experience. There is no lengthy installation process or pesky updates keeping you from accessing the system. All information is securely stored for greater accessibility, no matter where you’re physically located.

The latest legal CRM features 

The legal market is crowded, but your competitors don’t have to get in the way of growing your firm. Law Ruler’s latest legal CRM features help you stand out rather than fade into the background.  

Secure generative AI

When deployed correctly, incorporating generative AI into your marketing and communications tasks can increase client touches while saving on administrative costs.  

Law Ruler offers two innovative AI solutions for law firms: a secure ChatGPT integration and AI Email Assistant.  

Law Ruler’s ChatGPT integration 

ChatGPT is a serious time saver for busy attorneys. With Law Ruler’s secure ChatGPT integration, attorneys can:  

• Brainstorm marketing content (blogs, social media posts, etc.) 
• Draft client communications 
• Summarize documents

Many law firms have concerns about security and privacy when using AI tools. Thanks to Law Ruler, law firms receive the benefits of ChatGPT’s extensive functionality and enhanced security. Law Ruler acts as a gatekeeper, meaning that ChatGPT cannot access and “learn from” the data you enter into the software.  

The key takeaway: with Law Ruler’s integration, you get more work done without jeopardizing your sensitive client information or compliance obligations.    

Email Assist AI 

What if you could reduce the time you spend with your email inbox? Law Ruler’s new Email Assist AI helps lawyers take advantage of AI to draft communications and eliminate writer’s block for good by drafting: 

• Client intake questionnaires 
• Onboarding documentation 
• Preparatory questions 
• Deadline and court date reminders 

Visual pipeline project management 

Are leads getting stuck in your sales funnel? Are you engaging the right team members at the right time? Is your intake process transparent and efficient, or are you running into (avoidable) obstacles? 

Increase transparency and scale your law firm faster with Pipeline, Law Ruler’s visual project management tool. With Pipeline, teams can monitor task progress and maintain a bird’s eye view of client intake.  

Pipeline works like a virtual whiteboard. Team members can drag and drop tasks across columns to update where prospects are in the intake process, increasing visibility and improving team collaboration.  

Teams can also move leads across columns to show one of five statuses: 

• New lead 
• Consult scheduled 
• Consult follow up 
• Follow up appointment 
• Sent retainer contract 

At a glance, teams can see exactly where everyone is in the conversion pipeline, making it easier than ever to turn leads into clients.  

Your firm is ready for legal CRM  

Reflect on the current state of your law firm’s client management system, and then consider the following questions:  

• Are you interested in growing your law firm?  
• Are you finding holes or inadequacies in your marketing funnels?  
• Have you added substantially more clients recently?  
• Do you spend too much time managing your law firm client and lead communications?  
• Do you want to know what is working in your current marketing plan and what needs improvement?  

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, your practice needs Legal CRM software for law firms. To learn more about the many features of Law Ruler, click this link for a free demo.