News Item: : Matrix Legal goes for flexibility of Virtual Practices’ hosted case and practice management software.
(Category: Misc)
Posted by darren
Tuesday 25 May 2010 - 10:57:37
London-based, new start-up Matrix Legal has turned to Virtual Practices for hosted legal case management software and accounting services accessed over the Internet, as the cost-effective solution for its IT and legal book-keeping needs.
Matrix Legal aims to be modern, dynamic and unconventional in its thinking to deliver high quality advice particularly in its speciality areas of commercial property and corporate work as well as residential property. The firm handles most of the caseload via email, telephone and letter, and makes use of serviced offices, instead of operating from fixed premises, to maintain competitive and fixed prices wherever possible. Part of the impetus for breaking out on his own was the Legal Services Act, as founder Tariq Mubarak said: ” The Act creates greater transparency, openness and competition in the marketplace. I felt that the time was right to set up a new kind of firm where we maximise IT services to reduce our overheads, and provide top quality client service.”
Already familiar with SOS Connect from his previous employer, Tariq Mubarak quickly understood that using the software as a service through Virtual Practices would avoid a heavy, upfront investment in IT. However although he started his IT evaluation with a demonstration of Virtual Practices, he also thoroughly surveyed other case management options in the market, including IRIS hosted services. The selection period lasted several months before returning to Virtual Practices for a reminder demonstration. “Virtual Practices was very appealing,” he explained, “as the flexibility it delivers fits in with my ‘almost’ virtual business model. We also don’t need to worry about business continuity or disaster recovery as in the event of a problem we would be back in business within hours, rather than days or weeks.”
Another criterion for choosing Virtual Practices was that it is a division of Solicitors Own Software, which has remained fiercely independent despite the massive consolidation of legal industry software suppliers. “This independence is important to me,” commented Tariq Mubarak, “as I have seen many instances where users were left with a defunct system, after support has been withdrawn. I have plans to grow the business either organically or by acquisition and I want to keep the virtual IT model, so the scalability of Virtual Practices was also a decisive factor.”
Matrix Legal began using the software service for case management in January 2010 and three months later at the beginning of the financial year also opted for Virtual Practices’ legal cashiering on-line service which takes care of the accounts and complies with all statutory regulations. “Virtual Practices showed great professionalism and I took comfort from their obvious in-depth experience during the set up period. I went live with case management within two weeks,” said Tariq Mubarak. “The support, overall service and response to queries has been very prompt. It is nice to have a first line of protection especially in terms of keeping the accounts correct and keeping abreast of changes to the rules. Having that knowledge to fall back on is like having your own accounts department.”
Virtual Practices offers a 24 x 7, available anywhere service, on a pay per user subscription basis. It is powered by SOS Connect, a complete suite of applications including document, case, matter and email management, time recording, billing and legal accounts, marketing and business reporting. The legal book-keeping service is also provided on-line and ensures that the accounts are kept up-to-date by qualified cashiers and comply with Solicitors Accounting Rules (SARs). This frees up precious fee earner time for building the business.
Matrix Legal is allowing a three month period to get used to the system and then plans to start customising the software and automate as many processes as possible for greater efficiency.
Stephen Parry, business development director of Virtual Practices said: “We are experiencing a great increase in demand for Virtual Practices. I believe that our successful record and the combination of fully featured case and practice management software together with the legal accounts service sets us apart. We are absolutely in tune with the ‘virtual trend’ in the market and its needs.”
About Virtual Practices www.virtualpractices.co.uk and SOS www.soslegal.co.uk
Virtual Practices is the on-line legal software service from Solicitors Own Software (SOS). SOS is one of the most progressive providers of software and services to the legal profession and one of the largest with 400 clients and a 20 year pedigree. SOS Connect, the flagship application, is breaking new ground in practice and case management combining efficiency through high levels of process automation with flexibility for lawyers to create and control their own work flows. The Virtual Practices division for smaller firms delivers all the benefits of SOS Connect as a fully-hosted solution together with an outsourced legal cashiering service.
This news item is from VoloLegal
( http://www.vololegal.com/news.php?extend.140 )
(Category: Misc)
Posted by darren
Tuesday 25 May 2010 - 10:57:37
London-based, new start-up Matrix Legal has turned to Virtual Practices for hosted legal case management software and accounting services accessed over the Internet, as the cost-effective solution for its IT and legal book-keeping needs.
Matrix Legal aims to be modern, dynamic and unconventional in its thinking to deliver high quality advice particularly in its speciality areas of commercial property and corporate work as well as residential property. The firm handles most of the caseload via email, telephone and letter, and makes use of serviced offices, instead of operating from fixed premises, to maintain competitive and fixed prices wherever possible. Part of the impetus for breaking out on his own was the Legal Services Act, as founder Tariq Mubarak said: ” The Act creates greater transparency, openness and competition in the marketplace. I felt that the time was right to set up a new kind of firm where we maximise IT services to reduce our overheads, and provide top quality client service.”
Already familiar with SOS Connect from his previous employer, Tariq Mubarak quickly understood that using the software as a service through Virtual Practices would avoid a heavy, upfront investment in IT. However although he started his IT evaluation with a demonstration of Virtual Practices, he also thoroughly surveyed other case management options in the market, including IRIS hosted services. The selection period lasted several months before returning to Virtual Practices for a reminder demonstration. “Virtual Practices was very appealing,” he explained, “as the flexibility it delivers fits in with my ‘almost’ virtual business model. We also don’t need to worry about business continuity or disaster recovery as in the event of a problem we would be back in business within hours, rather than days or weeks.”
Another criterion for choosing Virtual Practices was that it is a division of Solicitors Own Software, which has remained fiercely independent despite the massive consolidation of legal industry software suppliers. “This independence is important to me,” commented Tariq Mubarak, “as I have seen many instances where users were left with a defunct system, after support has been withdrawn. I have plans to grow the business either organically or by acquisition and I want to keep the virtual IT model, so the scalability of Virtual Practices was also a decisive factor.”
Matrix Legal began using the software service for case management in January 2010 and three months later at the beginning of the financial year also opted for Virtual Practices’ legal cashiering on-line service which takes care of the accounts and complies with all statutory regulations. “Virtual Practices showed great professionalism and I took comfort from their obvious in-depth experience during the set up period. I went live with case management within two weeks,” said Tariq Mubarak. “The support, overall service and response to queries has been very prompt. It is nice to have a first line of protection especially in terms of keeping the accounts correct and keeping abreast of changes to the rules. Having that knowledge to fall back on is like having your own accounts department.”
Virtual Practices offers a 24 x 7, available anywhere service, on a pay per user subscription basis. It is powered by SOS Connect, a complete suite of applications including document, case, matter and email management, time recording, billing and legal accounts, marketing and business reporting. The legal book-keeping service is also provided on-line and ensures that the accounts are kept up-to-date by qualified cashiers and comply with Solicitors Accounting Rules (SARs). This frees up precious fee earner time for building the business.
Matrix Legal is allowing a three month period to get used to the system and then plans to start customising the software and automate as many processes as possible for greater efficiency.
Stephen Parry, business development director of Virtual Practices said: “We are experiencing a great increase in demand for Virtual Practices. I believe that our successful record and the combination of fully featured case and practice management software together with the legal accounts service sets us apart. We are absolutely in tune with the ‘virtual trend’ in the market and its needs.”
About Virtual Practices www.virtualpractices.co.uk and SOS www.soslegal.co.uk
Virtual Practices is the on-line legal software service from Solicitors Own Software (SOS). SOS is one of the most progressive providers of software and services to the legal profession and one of the largest with 400 clients and a 20 year pedigree. SOS Connect, the flagship application, is breaking new ground in practice and case management combining efficiency through high levels of process automation with flexibility for lawyers to create and control their own work flows. The Virtual Practices division for smaller firms delivers all the benefits of SOS Connect as a fully-hosted solution together with an outsourced legal cashiering service.
This news item is from VoloLegal
( http://www.vololegal.com/news.php?extend.140 )