Technology has taken the world by storm this past decade by transforming existing industries and creating new ones.
The legal industry is one of the oldest industries in the world, experiencing a technology deficit. The industry has taken its time moving into the technological era, unlike other industries. However, there are law firms that have embraced the changes technology brings more quickly than others.
In recent times, Law firms and lawyers have come to understand the urgent need for software solutions to accelerate their processes and make their lives and work easier to meet international standards. However, African law firms are still behind as most do not see the need for technology and are used to their manual ways of operation.
The truth is that many law firms work on a tight budget and do not have big clients with deep pockets; without cash, solo practitioners and midsized law firms struggle to pay for good technology. Also, there are a lot of law firms that do not have a budget for technology annually.
Law firms in Africa do not purchase legal software for a lot of reasons, some of which are:
1. There is a re-occurring fee that accompanies the purchase of legal software, which is deemed expensive
2. A Lack of varying indigenous options of Software solutions that suit the African business processes and market.
3. Support is not readily available from foreign software, internet interruptions, and quite frankly, most law firms cannot afford to pay for on-ground support.
4. The available software is often rigid and doesn’t adapt to change or reconfigurations
5. The software’s available addresses one issue at a time, resulting in a law firm purchasing several different technologies to address one issue at a time.
Solving the technology crisis in the legal industry takes a special kind of dedication because the legal industry is slow to accept innovation. Rigid standards bind it, and it does not have nor encourages a culture of rapid change. If law firms want to grow their practice, the problems must be addressed; after all, technology is here to improve and make lives and work better.
However, there is an entrepreneur for every problem, and at NextCounsel, we took the challenge and proffered a solution.
We have spent five years trying to move the legal professionals from analogue to digital. At the same time, we are converting law firms forced to use foreign solutions due to the unavailability of ingenious ones to get comfortable and get services they deserve at a very affordable rate.
NextCounsel is the first ingenious practice management software tailored for the African legal industry. The system addresses issues lawyers and law firms face in one package at an affordable rate while offering unparalleled support for free. After a long line of research and consultation, we came to the unique understanding that the issues faced by lawyers and law firms in Nigeria and Africa are somewhat similar, ranging around:
1. Staying organized and managing your cases from anywhere and at any time
2. Having an advanced document management system that allows for proper arrangement and security of documents.
3. Reducing manual time entries and ensuring billing is done faster
4. Proper business development system themed for law
5. Better transactional accounting
6. Improved staff management and inculcating the spirit of collaboration.
The NextCounsel software addresses all these and more. With five modules, namely
- Case & Client Relationship Management
- Document Management
- Time and Billing Management
- Accounting Management
- HR Management
The modules listed above, when broken down, are very comprehensive and solve a lot of problems. The exciting bit of this solution is that we aren’t enforcing adaptability; instead, we ensure the system adapts to your processes and workflows.
Furthermore, we pride ourselves on the most unparalleled support you would find in the legal service market. We provide on-ground customer support, in-depth training and installations; our customer care lines are available 24/7.
We also provide materials that make your experience less burdensome. Once you get signed up to our system, you have your designated relationship manager to ensure you have the best experience using the system.
These and many more are why we have signed up over 30 law firms in Nigeria and other African Countries.