CARET Legal Review: Features, Pricing & Alternatives 2023
This article is part of a larger series onAccounting Software.
In the News:Zola Suite is now CARET Legal, and as a result, the program has significant changes, including adjustments to the pricing plans and feature inclusion.
Pros
- Full-featured accounting but more affordable than other similar software
- 有内置的总会计功能,所以呢’s no need to use external bookkeeping software
- Includes email management and document management
- Features a CRM module and a client portal
- Dashboard can be customized to your preference
Cons
- No free access for your external accountant
- Calendar management requires a subscription to LawToolBox
- Users complain that invoicing requires several steps
Do you need something different?If you think you’ll be better served by general-purpose accounting software, then explore our evaluation of thebest accounting software for small businesses.
CARET Legal Deciding Factors
Supported Business Types
|
Lawyers and law firms looking for a full-featured trust accounting solution at a low cost |
Pricing (Monthly Billing)
|
|
Free Trial
|
10 days; no credit card required |
Standout Features
|
|
Customer Support
|
Phone and email support, online ticket support, premium 24/7 support in Enterprise Advance, and self-help resources (i.e., blogs, webinars, and videos) |
CARET Legal New Features for 2023
- Added time filter:You can now filter your time list by originating attorney, giving you more flexibility in locating the time entries you need.
- APX disbursement reports: CARET Legalintegrates with APX to process credit cards, automated clearing house (ACH), and e-check payments. Now, you can also create consolidated payment reports from both CARET Legal and APX.
- Subaccounting:This new feature allows you to create subaccounts, which can help you become more detailed in your reporting.
CARET Legal Alternatives
CARET Legal Alternatives |
Pricing ($/User/Month) |
CRM |
Client Intake Forms |
Built-in Accounting |
LEDES Billing |
Client Portal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
From $69 |
✓ |
✕ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
From $30 |
✕ |
✕ |
✓ |
Requires LeanLaw integration |
✕ |
|
From $89 |
Integrates with CosmoLex CRM |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Custom quote |
✕ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✕ |
|
From $13 |
Requires TimeSolv integration |
✕ |
✓ |
Requires TimeSolv integration |
Requires TimeSolv integration |
CARET Legal Pricing
CARET Legal is available in three plans with prices starting at $89 per user, per month, when billed monthly. All packages include standard features, such as email and document management, billing, and task management, while the higher plans include advanced functionality, such as CRM and intake management tools and department-based accounting.
You can try CARET Legal for free for 10 days or request a personalized demo before buying.
Enterprise |
Enterprise Plus |
Enterprise Advance |
|
---|---|---|---|
Per-user Monthly Pricing (Billed Monthly)
|
$89 |
$99 |
$149 |
Per-user Monthly Pricing (Billed Annually)
|
$79 |
$89 |
$139 |
Legal Billing
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Email Management
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Client Portal
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Document Storage
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
CRM & Client Intake Management
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Task Management
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
Custom User Permissions
|
✕ |
✓ |
✓ |
Advanced Document Management
|
✕ |
✓ |
✓ |
Department-based Accounting
|
✕ |
✓ |
✓ |
HotDocs Integration
|
✕ |
✕ |
✓ |
24/7 Customer Support
|
✕ |
✕ |
✓ |
Check out the provider’s website to see the complete plan comparison and the other services that you can purchase.
CARET Legal Features
CARET Legal comes with a comprehensive list of features that help you tackle the different aspects of your legal business. Below is a list of its most notable features.
CARET Legal has two types of dashboards: default view and admin dashboard. From the default view, you’ll see the most commonly used features, including the calendar and email. Meanwhile, the admin dashboard displays essential metrics about your information, such as income and expense trends for a certain period, open invoices, and overdue receivables.
One thing we like about CARET Legal’s dashboard is that you can customize it based on your preference. You can control what it looks like and what menus or features it shows.
To customize your dashboard, click theCustomizebutton on your main dashboard, and theCustomize Dashboardscreen will show up. From here, you can drag a menu on the left-hand section to the window and choose which part of the dashboard it appears in.
With CARET Legal, you can track how much you work on a matter and client by using the built-in timer or by manually recording your work hours. To start a timer, click on the arrow on the left side of your dashboard to open the collapsible screen. Click theAdd New Timer按钮,选择您想要工作的事,click the play button. The timer will continue running until you pause it. Click on the checkmark to save or select the X button if you wish to cancel.
When you clickSave, CARET Legal will take you to theNew Time Entryscreen, where you can record the details about your time recording, including work type, rate, and description.
You can set up multiple timers if needed, enter time entries for various work types, assign rate cards with custom user rates to any matter, and convert activity log entries to time entries. You can also record expenses on each matter, use LEDES billing, and apply custom allocations, so you can assign specific amounts easily to timekeepers and expenses.
There are two ways to create and send invoices in CARET Legal. You can send an invoice straight from your unbilled activities or create a new one from scratch.
To bill clients directly from your unbilled time entries, click on the+sign on theOpen Billscreen from the Accounting menu and select theInvoiced Unbilled Activities下拉。未开票活动窗口打开, showing a list of all your invoices. It’s easy to find the time entry you wish to bill, as there are plenty of filter options to use.
Mark the checkbox next to the time entry you wish to bill, and clickGenerate Invoice.
We are not impressed with CARET Legal’s invoicing feature as it requires several steps to create an invoice from scratch. You need to open and field out several forms in order to complete a new invoice. Other accounting software like QuickBooks Online have a single invoicing window, where you can also provide all the details needed to create an invoice.
Additionally, the invoices are not that customizable. While you can add a logo and change font styles and sizes, you can’t change the color. Below is a sample invoice created in CARET Legal.
CARET Legal includes a Smart Account Reconciliation module that allows you to reconcile your trust accounts manually. You can generate a complete record of all your legal accounting transactions, including profit and loss (P&L), asset statements, and liabilities. It has a flexible billing management module that lets you filter unbilled activities using various metrics, select entries individually or bill them in bulk, write trust checks for vendors, bill multiple clients on a single matter, and more.
If you don’t want to miss deadlines and want detailed tracking for a particular matter, the matter management module comes in handy. All matter-related information is stored in a single dashboard that you, your team, and your clients can access.
Using the module, you can create user groups, assign matter-related contacts and roles, set permissions on a matter level, create and review notes and share them with other users or clients, and view critical financial information through the admin dashboard.
We like the module because it allows you to track all your matters easily. You’ll instantly know if there’s a pending project and who among your lawyers is responsible for that matter. Also, there’s a visual chart that shows you progress without checking the list.
CARET Legal’s built-in CRM tool provides a single platform where you can create and manage tasks, notes, and emails pertinent to your prospects. You can create intake forms to share with your leads, manage lead information submitted through these forms, and convert new lead information into a matter. This is a notable feature, especially for law firms looking for a little help with their marketing needs.
To add a new lead, click on the+button on theLeadswindow from the CRM menu and complete the required information.
CARET Legal allows you to build and customize client intake forms based on your practice area. Intake forms can be accessed from your Firm settings menu. When creating a new intake form, you need to provide a form name, select a practice area, and customize the fields. Fields can be customized with different elements, like texts, paragraphs, multiple choice, and drop-down.
This module is useful if you’re working with many contacts, whether they’re prospects, clients, witnesses, or opposing counsel. It lets you store and manage contact information, including name, phone number, and email address. You can add contacts by clicking the+button on theContactwindow or by taking a photo of a business card using the mobile app.
The integrated client portal called Caseway allows you to review and edit documents uploaded by your clients and then assign them to their designed matters. You can also use it to send invoices to your clients and accept payments with CARET Legal’s mobile scanning technology. Your client only needs to take a photo of the credit card they wish to use to pay off their invoice, and then the program automatically records the information from the card and processes the payment.
One of CARET Legal’s biggest strengths is its strong integration with third-party software. These include Google Drive, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, LawPay, iManage, Microsoft OneDrive, QuickBooks Online, NetDocuments, and LawToolBox.
3.8
On App Store
4
On Google Play
The CARET Legal mobile application lets you manage appointments, contacts, matters, emails, and time entries on the go. It also includes a built-in business card scanner that enables you to snap a photo of a business card and upload it to the program. The app will automatically generate digital information from the uploaded image.
You can run standard or advanced reports depending on your subscription. CARET Legal generates a wide range of reports, including client reports, productivity reports, accounting reports, and trust reports. Accounting reports include P&L statements, balance sheets, vendor payments, general ledger, and trial balance. You can create legal-specific reports, such as billable hours by the user, originating attorney, and split origination.
CARET Legal Customer Service & Ease of Use
CARET Legal has a neat and consistent interface that’s fairly easy to navigate, even for accounting novices. All the features are accessible easily from the main screen, and you can execute pretty much any action in just a few clicks. New users will like the shortcut “+” button on the main dashboard that lets you instantly create any transaction, including matter, time entry, invoice, and task.
If you get stuck, you can contact CARET Legal over the phone or by email. You can also submit a ticket on its website and check out its online knowledge base of how-to articles, videos, and webinars.
CARET Legal User Reviews
Based on online CARET Legal reviews, the platform is appreciated by many users for its overall ease of use and robust set of features. For instance, one user commented that they find it easy to record time, while another said they’re delighted that it offers a CRM system, which isn’t offered by similar programs. However, users who left complaints said that the invoice templates aren’t customizable and that it takes several steps to create an invoice.
Here’s how CARET Legal is rated by popular review websites:
- G2:4.7 out of 5 stars based on around 140 reviews
- Software Advice:4.64 out of 5 stars based on about 120 reviews
CARET Legal Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What practice areas is CARET Legal suitable for?
CARET Legal is great for lawyers in the following practice areas: personal injury, civil litigation, family law, criminal law, estate planning, immigration law, employment law, intellectual property, and insurance defense.
Does CARET Legal integrate with third-party accounting software?
While CARET Legal has built-in accounting features, it does integrate with QuickBooks Online to provide users with enhanced bookkeeping functionality.
What are the best alternatives to CARET Legal?
If CARET Legal isn’t right for you, then we recommend the great alternatives in our guide to thebest law firm accounting software.
Bottom Line
如果你需要一个合法的会计溶胶ution with built-in CRM features and client intake forms for managing customers and leads, then CARET Legal is for you. Its lowest pricing tier already has a lot to offer, but if you need additional benefits, such as unlimited document storage and department-based accounting, you’ll get your money’s worth with its Enterprise Plus plan. Sign up for the CARET Legal 10-day free trial today.