Category: Practice Management
Amicus Attorney 2010
Posted by Steve Best in Practice Management, Uncategorized Tuesday, 5 January 2010 13:52 No Comments
Gavel & Gown Software, the developers of Amicus Attorney, have announced the release of Amicus Attorney 2010. Amicus 2010, both Small Firm and Premium Editions include new features that many users have been waiting for: color coding on appointments, progressive proirities on To-Do’s, appointment adjournments (keeping track of when appointments get re-scheduled), improved document generation (it’s really time to stop cutting and pasting from an old document to a new document), a firm member in/out board, and improved matter intake forms.
Firms who’ve purchased Amicus’ “maintenance plan” in 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to Amicus Attorney 2010 while the maintenance plan is current. If not, upgrade licenses are on sale through the close of business (eastern time) on Friday, January 29th.
Software Technology, Inc. President announces Tabs3 & PracticeMaster Compatible with Windows 7
Posted by Britt Lorish Knuttgen in Practice Management, Time/Billing/Accounting Software Monday, 23 November 2009 21:15 No Comments
On October 15, 2009, the President of Software Technology, Inc., announced that Version 15 of Tabs3(R) billing and PracticeMaster(R) practice management software is compatible with Windows(R) 7. Software Technology, Inc. is also a Microsoft Gold Certified partner.
As always, before upgrading your PC to Windows 7, we strongly advise consulting with your Affinity Consulting Group partner company for advice on how that upgrade may affect other software or hardware in your office.
Gavel & Gown Announces Amicus Attorney Discounts
Posted by Scott Bassett in Practice Management, Software, Time/Billing/Accounting Software Tuesday, 17 November 2009 08:12 No Comments
Gavel & Gown software announced discount promotions on Amicus Attorney valid through December 31, 2009. Amicus Attorney is the world’s leading practice management software for law firms. Amicus Attorney software solutions are designed specifically for law firms. With Amicus software, legal professionals will improve the efficiency and profitability of their firms and get the most out of the time they spend practicing law. Amicus products are used by tens of thousands of law firms around the world every day to manage their busy practices.
New Amicus Attorney customers are offered a:
- 15% discount on Amicus Attorney 2009 licenses
- 30% discount on Amicus Attorney 2009 licenses if an Amicus Maintenance Plan is purchased.
Amicus Attorney customers who do not currently have Amicus Accounting are being offered a:
- 30% discount on Amicus Accounting 2009 licenses
For details, contact your Affinity Consulting Group partner company.
Cheaper Alternative to eFax
Posted by Scott Bassett in Practice Management, Software, Web/Tech Monday, 24 August 2009 07:25 No Comments
I’ve had an eFax web-based faxing account for over a decade. It has served me well. I junked my dedicated fax machine many years ago. But now I am considering switching to a less expensive alternative that links to, and leverages, my Skype account. First, a bit a about Skype before we get to faxing.
If you don’t have a Skype account, you should. The basic account is free. A free account allows you to call other Skype users computer to computer. But the real value with Skype comes from its paid (but inexpensive) subscription and on-line number services. The subscription is just $2.95 per month and allows you to call any land-line, cell, or VoIP telephone number in the U.S. and Canada. An on-line number gives your Skype account, which can be run on multiple computers and even on cell phones (it runs on my Windows Mobile smart phone, for example), its own phone number. With that number, anyone can call you from a regular or cell phone without using their computer. If you want to add an on-line number to your Skype subscription, it is just $30 per year.
If you want to leverage your Skype account even more and break away from using a headset with your computer to make or receive calls, add one of the many Skype-compatible phones at the Skype store or on the web.
Back to faxing. PamFax is both a service and software that integrates with your Skype account. Just select the file you want to send and pick a fax recipient.
PamFax prices are lower than eFax.
Efax
- Monthly Subscription $16.95
- Setup Fee (one time) $10.0o
- $.15 per page for received faxes per month after 130 free pages
- $.10 per page for sent faxes per month after 30 free pages
PamFax
- Monthly subscription $5.84 ($70.09 per year)
- Setup Fee $0.00
- $0.00 per page for received faxes (unlimited) per month.
- $0.089 per page for sent faxes per month.
Both services provide you with your own fax number to receive faxes from ordinary fax machines as well as other web-based fax accounts. I noticed that PamFax does not yet offer numbers in a few U.S. area codes. I have not yet switched to PamFax. I have business cards with my eFax number. But I may be ready to redesign my cards anyway. This is in interesting option.
Identity Theft – Beware Writing Checks
Posted by Scott Bassett in Financial Management, Law Office Management, Other Stuff..., Practice Management Thursday, 23 July 2009 12:13 No Comments
I have written my last paper check. Well, not entirely. There are still times when I need to write a check, such as for appellate filing fees in my cases. But otherwise, I am through.
I am avoiding paper checks not due to any new technology employed in my practice. It is because for each of the last two days someone has passed a counterfeit check bearing my routing and account number at two different Walmart stores, neither in my community.
I am not missing any paper checks. None have been misplaced or stolen. Instead, it appears that someone obtained my routing and account numbers from a paper check I wrote somewhere (I write only a handful each month, so there are not many possibilities) and then printed a batch of counterfeit checks bearing my information. Because many retailers, including Walmart, now use electronic debit systems and immediately return the paper check to the customer, there is no clear paper trail for law enforcement to follow (nor any chance of obtaining fingerprints from the check). Fortunately, at least Walmart has video recordings of transactions at checkout counters. Most also have video cameras recording the comings and goings in the parking lot, so it is often possible to associate the culprit at the checkout with a particular vehicle in the parking lot.
I pay the vast majority of my bills by credit card or using my bank’s on-line payment service. That service can pay large vendors electronically. But you can add anyone as a payee and have the bank mail a paper check mailed to that person or business. The great thing about the bank mailing a check is that the bank’s check does not contain your account information. That omission provides greater protection from identify theft and the type of check fraud I’ve experienced the last two days.
Trust me. Being a crime victim is no fun. I hope the culprit enjoys his new Blu-ray players purchased with checks written on my account – NOT! You may want to avoid writing paper checks in any situation where it is not absolutely necessary.
