Author: chimp

My Toyota Saga

Posted on by chimp

I used to own 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid, which I loved. Ok, to be honest the love, like the original paint, may have faded over time. But, it had been such a great car that I had driven it about 2 years longer than I had originally planned. As I watched the odometer roll towards 100,000 (and the end of my warranty) I thought to myself that it was probably time to start looking for a new car.  With my busy schedule and dread of the car buying process, I decided to wait until the spring.

Suddenly, the mileage was 100,882 miles… and you know what happened next

Without warning, all kinds of bells and whistles went off.  I got an error message; “Danger, Hybrid Engine System Check”!?

A quick look at the owner’s manual told me it was not good news, so did the look on the service manager’s face when I brought the car to the dealership.

I got an estimate for over $4000 in repairs to replace the hybrid battery system. Now what ?! Do I repair the vehicle, or buy a new while I’m in a bind? This “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” mentality came back to haunt me.

At Borek Consulting Group, we have always told our clients that we will continue to support their software programs – supported or not – for as long as we are able. We continue this commitment to our clients.

Based on my experience with my car, however, we realize that it is imperative to our clients’ success that we are clear about the risk of using an unsupported version of software. It may mean

  • Extra costs for time spent researching issues and consulting with colleagues to find a solution (since technical support will not be available).
  • Increased costs for upgrading to a supported version
  • Unplanned downtime due to your program not working.
  • Living with software bugs or workarounds

In the worst case scenario, there may be a domino effect of needing to upgrade multiple systems – hardware, operating systems, practice management software, billing software, etc., at a most inconvenient time.

If you would like Borek Consulting Group to review your options, please reach out to us. We will be happy to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of your current system and help you to create a timeline that suits your budget – and your tolerance for risk

Is There a Better Way? Tell Us Where it Hurts

Posted on by chimp

The doctor is in: Tell us where it hurts, and we might be able to help you!

If, when you are doing your routine tasks, there are certain processes that are down right painful and drive you crazy – let us know what those “pain points” are! There may very well be a setting or a preference or workflow that can make your life easier.

For instance:  In one of our firms, an administrative fee of 3% is charged as a percentage of fees. Each month, the billing administrator would manually calculate this charge with a calculator. We were able to configure a feature that calculated the percentage automatically to the invoice, saving time and headaches and potential calculation mistakes. The time it took to configure this solution was far less than the time it took to the billing administrator to do the calculations.

At another office, the book keeper would print out a list of the month’s receivables, then handwrite the name of the client, their phone number, and the date of the last bill, before giving it to the attorney for his review and action. The bookkeeper saved hours of time when we added a preference to include this information automatically in the report.

In another firm, the team wanted to get automated reminders of tasks. We were able to configure this with the timing that they wanted and needed to get their work completed.

So, the next time you are doing a process that feels very manual, take a moment to evaluate the steps you are taking. If there’s a point that you usually say “if only this part was easier!”, maybe there is! Give us a call, let us know, and let us help make process – pain free!

Reasons to Bill Your WIP Routinely

Posted on by chimp

WIP (also known as Work in Progress) represents time or costs that have not yet been billed through your billing system. There are many reasons to make sure you are billing routinely, and we’ve included some of the top reasons below:

1) More clarity about your KPIs: Without billing, you may have no idea what your actual WIP and A/R is – and therefore not realizing your income correctly. Both your A/R (or general retainer) may now be over or understated;

2) Client communications – if clients are not kept up to speed and the first bill they get is when they owe more money, that can be an unhappy surprise. Billing on a routine basis allows for more frequent communication. It’s human nature (and optimistic) to assume that things will take less time and cost less not more. By billing more frequently, the client is up to date on the balance that remains of the retainer and will not be shocked when asked for additional funds

3) Less effort during billing process – constantly ignoring your client work in progress until they may have several months worth of billing is far more time consuming to edit.

4) More profitable: When time is “stale” there is often an inclination to reduce or credit the billing, anticipating client objections or dissatisfaction with the delay. By billing more routinely, there is less likelihood that these types of credits will be needed.

5) Cash flow: Often when time is “fresh”, clients are more willing to pay an invoice, especially if work completed produced a favorable outcome. Time from more than 45 days in the past will prompt client questions and oftentimes concern.

Breaking Up is Hard, but Not Impossible, To Do

Posted on by chimp

We occasionally get a call from a client that it’s time for a member (or members) of a law firm to move on, however, someone has to get custody of the database – or “who gets my clients”?”

This is not an impossible task. It does, however, involve some planning. Depending on what software you are using and what information you will ultimately need we can assist with reports and exporting of data.

Some considerations to keep in mind:

1) Core data is generally easier to extract and most products have a method to do so. Examples include client/matter addresses, names, communication information, practice areas, even custom information.
2) Historical data can be limited, and in some cases unneeded or unwanted. Oftentimes a starting balance is all you need to move forward.
3) Separating data can be difficult unless you have some selection criteria – is it a particular date range, responsible attorney, custom field? Identification of this is key

How and Why Firms are Switching from Timeslips to Clio

Posted on by chimp

In 2021, Shari was asked to participate in an Experts Panel about why Firms are Switching from Timeslips to Clio. Though it’s been five years, many of the core concepts remain the same.

Some key takeaways:

Adapting to a new system:

– Get buy in from key staff

– There’s no “overnight” solution, it takes planning, patience and commitment to the process

– Invest in training

Common Roadblocks

– Make sure that your data is in good shape prior to conversion (this applies to all types of conversions!)

– Do your due diligence and make sure all key factors (or deal breakers) are reviewed

If you have any questions, or would like to learn more please contact us: https://borekconsulting.com/contact/

Timeslips New Tiers FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Posted on by chimp

We only need one additional license for my existing Timeslips, can we purchase separately?
You cannot purchase a single license of Timeslips Premium and mix with older (Perpetual) versions, you must upgrade the entire installation/database. All licenses must be the same version and on the same Tier.

There are other methods that are possible to import time to Timeslips that may work for your firm. Contact us for more information.

Timeslips Premium is now subscription, does that mean that it is online (in the Cloud?)
No, Timeslips Premium is still on premise – installed on your workstations and not cloud based. The subscription includes periodic feature updates and maintenance fixes.

Is there a Timeslips Cloud (online) version?
Yes, Timeslips Anywhere is Cloud based. Please contact us to discuss the feature set to determine whether this will fit your needs.  There are also many other options that may be worth exploring. We can help you review your options.

My firm uses Funds (Client Retainers) but I only have 2 or 3 users, can I upgrade to the Standard Tier?
The minimum tier level that offers Client Funds is the Pro Level

Can I move up from one Tier to another if needed?
Yes, you can move up from one Tier to another if features you need are in a higher tier.

We have a really old version of Timeslips, will it convert to Timeslips Premium?
Yes! We can assist you if needed (very old versions of Timeslips often benefit from a phased upgrade)

Can we convert our installed version of Timeslips to Timeslips Anywhere?
There is currently no history conversion from Timeslips Premium (or earlier) to Timeslips Anywhere, however you can import matters, open balances, and unbilled time/costs.

We’ve been thinking about adding (or combining) our time and billing with other programs like accounting and/or practice management. Are there programs that can do this?
Yes! We’d be happy to schedule a call to discuss.

How can I get a quote, or get more details about the specific tiers when upgrading Timeslips?
 Borek Consulting would be happy to provide additional information including quotes. Please give our office a call or Contact Us

Timeslips Announces New Pricing & Subscription Tiers

Posted on by chimp

Timeslips made significant changes to their pricing and subscription model as of June 2, 2021.

To give a bit of history: while Timeslips has been around for over 30 years, until 2017 the only option was a traditional “perpetual” model that was released each year (i.e. Timeslips 2009, Timeslips 2015). Once owned, upgrading was optional (though encouraged), and typically the current and 2 previous versions were considered supported versions.

Beginning October 1, 2020, the perpetual version of Timeslips was no longer offered. The only option available now is Timeslips Premium, which is subscription based and requires annual renewal. Since the initial release of Timeslips Premium in approximately 2017, the major differentiators in the former Silver, Gold, or Platinum plans focused primarily on support options. With the newer Premium Plans, the differentiators are primarily focused on features and functionality. There are now 4 tiers available:

Starter (starts at $657/year)

  • Maximum one license can be installed (note this is not related to the number of timekeepers, but the number of workstations where Timeslips is installed)
  • Has the most limited set of features

Standard (starts at $1,250/year**)

  • Licenses capped at 4 Licenses (**at additional cost per license)
  • Includes additional features such as TALPro (Link with Quickbooks), Custom reports and more
    Includes 1 Timeslips GO License

Pro (starts at $1,659/year**)

  • Unlimited Licenses can be installed (**at additional cost per license)
  • Includes Client Funds (Trust Accounts), Fee Allocations, Split Billing, Calculated Fields, and more
    Includes 2 Timeslips GO Licenses

Elite (starts at $1,851/year**)

  • Unlimited Licenses (at additional cost per license)
  • Includes Ability to Undo Multiple Bills, Bill reminders, mail merge, and more
    Includes 3 Timeslips GO Licenses

How to Choose?
For firms new to Timeslips, it will be a fairly simple process of choosing the tier and functionality that they need. For upgraders, the situation is more complex, as they currently have a version that is not limited and will need to evaluate which tier matches their current (and future) needs. A detailed review of the features in each level is important to choose the appropriate Tier.

What Next?
If you would like more detailed information or to have a quick conversation about your options, please give our office a call or Contact Us.

CLIO: Your Complete Guide to Effective Small Law Firm Management

Posted on by chimp

If you’re wondering how to manage a small law firm effectively, you’re not alone. Managing a small firm poses unique challenges to legal professionals compared to Big Law, where admin staff performs many of the day-to-day tasks. In most smaller firms, those admin tasks fall on the shoulders of the attorneys and paralegals. This takes time away from billable and direct client work to be the “chief, cook, and bottle washer.”
Managing a law firm also looks drastically different at the end of 2020 as opposed to earlier this year. There are unique challenges to managing virtually every aspect of the firm, from staff delegation and oversight to changing your law office’s processes and client relationships.

Regardless of where you’re located, no one can deny the impact of the events of 2020 on the flow of their business. Your firm must be extremely nimble and adaptable to change and keep up with the latest industry trends and developments—to make sure your legal practice does not fall behind.

In this blog post, we’ll cover how to effectively manage a small law firm, by focusing on key aspects of your firm: staff, client experience, financials, technology, and brand. We’ll also include tips on how to manage your team to set you and your team up for success in the new year.

Click here to read the entire article at clio.com

Last Call for Timeslips 2020

Posted on by chimp

In case you have missed the calls, notices and emails, in October 2020 Sage Timeslips announced their transition to a Premium subscription only version. This seemed like a different lifetime ago (as all pre-Covid things do), however the reality is that we are now well past “Last Call” for non-subscription versions of Timeslips.

Timeslips 2020 is no longer available for purchase, nor are add-ons such as additional licenses or electronic billing. This may be a good time to evaluate the benefits of upgrading to Timeslips Premium, or considering practice management and/or cloud based solutions.

Beginning October 1st, only Timeslips Premium will be offered as an option. With the annual subscription, Timeslips periodically issues updates which include new features as well as maintenance fixes. One of the more popular Premium new features includes the ability to undo more than one invoice per client, a long requested function.

If you would like to discuss your firm’s specific needs, please reach out!