Providers of legal aid services need effective case management solutions
Legal aid offices are unique because they require specialized legal and case management software to meet their needs. For example, legal aid providers must perform client income eligibility determinations, while also collaborating with offices around the state.
Legal Services of Connecticut faced these challenges, and it selected Legal Files Software to overcome them.
Legal Services of Connecticut had several case management needs
The Legal Services Programs in Connecticut are comprised of several nonprofit organizations that provide free legal assistance in civil matters. The programs are tailored to low-income individuals, and eligibility depends on their assets, income, family size, and legal issue.
Legal Services of Connecticut has more than 200 users, 10 locations, four databases, and a single statewide hotline to handle client intake. As a result, the organization needed a robust system to handle statewide intake, determine eligibility, transfer files between offices, assemble documents, and provide comprehensive reporting. It also needed a single database with four different views and the ability to integrate with Outlook.
It seemed like an impossible wish list until Legal Services of Connecticut found Legal Files Software.
Legal Files Software was the perfect solution for Legal Services of Connecticut
After conducting a comprehensive search for the right system, Legal Services of Connecticut selected Legal Files Software. According to Kathy Daniels, IT Administrator for the Connecticut programs, “We spent over a year looking at case management software. We wanted something that took legal services needs into consideration and that would give us a robust, but user-friendly product.”
Legal Files Software provides the features that Legal Services of Connecticut was seeking. “In Connecticut, we have an LSC funded statewide telephone intake office and nine other offices serving the entire state,” Daniels said. “That meant that a case management program had to handle everything from basic legal services intake to a large civil litigation case. Not only does Legal Files do that, but it also has a good eligibility module, and the ability to transfer cases between our offices with just the click of the mouse.”
Speaking of the eligibility module, the Legal Files Eligibility Wizard allows legal professionals to manage an unlimited number of prospective clients, and it can also track outcomes to gauge organizational effectiveness. This user-friendly tool makes it easy to make eligibility determinations based on a potential client’s legal problem, household information, and income.
In addition to the eligibility module and case transfer feature, Legal Services of Connecticut also praises Legal Files Software for its document assembly feature and Outlook integration, as well as the company’s high quality customer support. According to Daniels, “Legal Files was highly regarded by others for their support, and our own experiences with their staff and support have always been very good.”
All of these features make Legal File Software the perfect product for Legal Services of Connecticut and other legal aid providers. “We have been using Legal Files for years and it has become an invaluable tool for our advocates,” Daniels said. “I repeatedly hear about the time savings and value of the online collaboration that it has made possible.”