{"id":27919,"date":"2024-10-15T17:29:52","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T15:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/?p=27919"},"modified":"2026-03-13T16:54:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T14:54:38","slug":"case-management-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/workforce-management\/case-management-software\/","title":{"rendered":"Case Management Software Is Costly. Here\u2019s an Alternative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Managing a law firm is no easy feat, as it involves juggling clients, casework, and your fellow lawyers \u2014 all at the same time.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure, case management solutions may help you run your firm like a well-oiled machine, but are they cost-effective?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, most law firms <strong>overpay for bloated case management software<\/strong>, whose clunky interfaces and needlessly complicated features only create more work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, there are other options.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll show you a viable alternative to paying thousands of dollars for case management tools each year.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Case-Management-Software-Is-Expensive.-Heres-a-More-Affordable-Alternative-cover.jpg\" alt=\"Case Management Software Is Expensive. Here\u2019s a More Affordable Alternative - cover\" class=\"wp-image-27957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Case-Management-Software-Is-Expensive.-Heres-a-More-Affordable-Alternative-cover.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Case-Management-Software-Is-Expensive.-Heres-a-More-Affordable-Alternative-cover-600x300.jpg 600w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Case-Management-Software-Is-Expensive.-Heres-a-More-Affordable-Alternative-cover-1110x555.jpg 1110w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Case-Management-Software-Is-Expensive.-Heres-a-More-Affordable-Alternative-cover-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Case-Management-Software-Is-Expensive.-Heres-a-More-Affordable-Alternative-cover-18x9.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-is-case-management-software\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is case management software?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lawyers use case management tools to organize information about a case.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the right law firm case management software, you can neatly centralize important data, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Case documents,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Notes,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Time stamps,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Calendar entries, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Invoices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Consequently, you\u2019ll be able to access relevant information quickly \u2014 allowing you to complete case-related tasks on time and with fewer errors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"is-a-case-management-system-useful\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is a case management system useful?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Case management tools can be useful in busy law firms, with many complex cases requiring frequent collaboration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if your law firm is well-organized, case communication can easily become unmanageable, with long email chains where specific information is hard to find.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, co-counselors often need to share private client information without revealing it to other colleagues or third parties.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Case management tools help by keeping relevant information in one place. With a newer cloud-based solution, you can even securely access case files from your phone or tablet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides document management, these software solutions may provide features related to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Billing and accounting,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scheduling,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Time tracking,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Client communication, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Task management.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, quality case management programs reduce a lot of redundant legwork.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the real question isn\u2019t whether case management systems are useful \u2014 it\u2019s whether their software is worth the price.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group pro-tip\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 CLOCKIFY PRO TIP:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to get better at creating invoices for your clients? Check out our guide to professional invoicing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/business\/professional-invoices-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3 Steps to Professional Client Invoices that Encourage Payment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-much-does-case-management-software-cost\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much does case management software cost?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While useful, case management software for attorneys is far from affordable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pricing varies between providers, but most charge a hefty monthly subscription per user \u2014 not exactly small fees for a tiny firm that\u2019s still finding its sea legs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take <strong>Clio<\/strong> as an example, as it&#8217;s one of the most popular case management systems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clio\u2019s basic monthly subscription costs <strong>$49 per user, <\/strong>even though it only includes time tracking, billing, and document management features. For 3 lawyers, you\u2019d have to pay almost $150 per month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next tier, which includes <a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/business\/client-relationships-improvement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">client communication and scheduling<\/a> options, would set you back $89 per user each month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure, larger firms can get a custom quote and a discount if they pay for the whole year upfront \u2014 but it\u2019s still a substantial expense for a small law firm.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same is true for popular Clio alternatives. For instance, <strong>MyCase<\/strong> also charges a monthly subscription of <strong>$49 per user <\/strong>for its basic features.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"is-there-an-affordable-alternative-to-case-management-software\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there an affordable alternative to case management software?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your small law firm doesn\u2019t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a case management system each month, the good news is \u2014 you probably don\u2019t have to.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the features found in case management software for attorneys are geared toward larger firms anyway.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, you can find most of the necessary functions in a simple, <strong>affordable time tracking app.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom-btn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/app.clockify.me\/en\/signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Track time and payroll with Clockify<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"time-trackers-a-budget-friendly-alternative-for-managing-legal-workload\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time trackers: a budget-friendly alternative for managing legal workload&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A time tracker like <a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clockify<\/a> provides time tracking, task management, scheduling, and billing features \u2014 <strong>for a fraction of the cost.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our tool helps you and your colleagues track billable and non-billable hours spent on each client.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that information, you can automatically <a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/features\/invoicing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">generate invoices<\/a> and share them with clients via email \u2014 without leaving the platform.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"935\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Invoicing-in-Clockify.jpg\" alt=\"Invoicing in Clockify\" class=\"wp-image-27917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Invoicing-in-Clockify.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Invoicing-in-Clockify-385x300.jpg 385w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Invoicing-in-Clockify-809x630.jpg 809w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Invoicing-in-Clockify-768x598.jpg 768w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Invoicing-in-Clockify-15x12.jpg 15w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Invoicing in Clockify<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"custom-btn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/app.clockify.me\/en\/signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bill clients easily with Clockify<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides billing, you can use Clockify to <a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/features\/scheduling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">schedule tasks<\/a> and reassign them if necessary \u2014 ensuring everyone shares a fair load of casework.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Projects tab within this feature provides an easy overview of casework for different clients, where each one is represented by a color-coded timeline.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"736\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Scheduling-in-Clockify.jpg\" alt=\"Scheduling in Clockify\" class=\"wp-image-27918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Scheduling-in-Clockify.jpg 736w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Scheduling-in-Clockify-368x300.jpg 368w, https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Scheduling-in-Clockify-15x12.jpg 15w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scheduling in Clockify<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>You can use this view to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Schedule individual tasks for all clients,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See who\u2019s working too many hours,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assign and reassign lawyers to cases in real-time, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Share the updated schedule with the whole firm.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>While you and other lawyers track time at work, Clockify automatically generates <a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/features\/reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">visual reports<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among other crucial information, these reports show the profitability of each client based on billable vs. non-billable hours.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, you\u2019ll always know which cases require more attention and manpower \u2014 allowing you to assign staff accordingly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group pro-tip\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 CLOCKIFY PRO TIP:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to manage your team\u2019s schedule more efficiently? Check out our guide to effective team time management:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/productivity\/team-time-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">14 Proven ways to improve team time management<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"banner banner-light clockify-gradient-pricing\">\n    <div class=\"banner-text lg:pr-[6rem]\">\n        <span class=\"h4 text-lg translation-block mb-0\">Free time tracker<\/span>\n        <p class=\"translation-block mt-1 mb-3\">Time tracking software used by millions. Clockify is a time tracker and timesheet app that lets you track work hours across projects.<\/p>\n\n        <div class=\"banner-buttons d-flex gap-4 align-items-center translation-block justify-content-center justify-content-sm-start\">\n            <a class=\"bg-white rounded px-3 py-1 text-gray-dark\" href=\"https:\/\/app.clockify.me\/en\/signup\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up<\/a>\n\n                            <a class=\"button-2\" href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/apps\" target=\"_blank\">Learn more<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"banner-image banner-image-middle \">\n        <picture>\n            <source srcset=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/clockify\/pricing@2x.png 2x\" alt=\"Illustration\"  media=\"(min-width: 1022px)\" \/>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/clockify\/pricing.png\"  alt=\"Illustration\" \/>\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    \n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"how-much-does-clockify-cost\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much does Clockify cost?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Clockify\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/clockify.me\/pricing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pricing<\/a> is perfect for small law firms that don\u2019t want to invest in expensive case management solutions with tons of unnecessary features.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At $9.99 per user, the Pro monthly subscription <strong>costs almost 4 times less<\/strong> than the average case management tool. It also provides all the task management, scheduling, and billing features your firm needs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Clockify doesn\u2019t include a file management system, the <a href=\"https:\/\/cake.com\/bundle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CAKE.com bundle<\/a> offers additional tools \u2014 Pumble for team communication <em>and<\/em> Plaky for project management.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can easily utilize these tools to manage and share case-related files within the firm.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"organize-your-time-and-casework-with-clockify\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organize your time and casework with Clockify&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With Clockify, your law firm will run like clockwork even <strong>without costly case management software<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use Clockify to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Track your lawyers\u2019 work hours,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organize casework efficiently,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Approve and manage PTO,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monitor client profitability, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Generate invoices automatically.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike expensive law firm software, implementing Clockify literally takes minutes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to its clean, user-friendly interface, you don\u2019t need any experience with law practice software or other productivity tools. You\u2019ll be able to use Clockify to improve your firm\u2019s workflow right away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t waste money on expensive case management software you don\u2019t need.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"custom-btn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/app.clockify.me\/en\/signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Try Clockify today<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Does your law firm really need expensive case management software? Learn about a viable alternative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":27958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-workforce-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27919"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27919\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35979,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27919\/revisions\/35979"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}