Choosing case management for a small firm: questions to ask any supplier

Choosing case management is one of the few decisions a small firm lives with for a decade. Every serious supplier will show you a polished demo. The questions below are the ones that rarely come up in a demo but decide whether you are still happy in year three. They apply to any supplier, including us.

Exit and ownership

• If we leave, what do we get back, in what format, and how long does it take? Ask to see a sample export.
• Are documents stored somewhere we control, or only inside your system?
• Is there a charge for exporting our own data, and what notice period applies on exit?
• Who owns workflows, templates and precedents we build on your platform?

Data and security

• Where is our data held, and is any of it transferred outside the UK? The UK GDPR restricts international transfers of personal data.
• Will you sign a processor agreement that meets Article 28 of the UK GDPR?
• Which of your staff and subcontractors can see our client data, and how is that logged?
• How do you handle a security incident, and how quickly will you tell us?

Regulatory fit

• Can we produce records for the SRA on request? Paragraph 3.3(b) of the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms requires information held by third parties carrying out critical functions for you to be available for SRA inspection.
• How does the system help us keep records that demonstrate compliance, as paragraph 2.2 of the Code requires?
• Where do conflict checks, client and matter risk assessments, ID and source of funds sit in the new matter process? Can a matter progress without them?
• Does it support the client care information we must give under the SRA Code of Conduct, without retyping?

Workflow and daily use

• Does it work where my fee earners already work (usually Outlook), or does it ask them to live in a second screen?
• Can we change a workflow ourselves, or is every change a paid request or a roadmap item?
• How is time recorded, and how much of it will people actually record?
• What does a fee earner see first thing in the morning?

Cost and commitment

• What is the full cost over three years, including setup, migration, training, add-ons and price rises?
• Is the price per user, per matter or per module, and what happens as we grow?
• What is the minimum term, and what happens to our data at the end of it?

Ask every supplier the same questions and compare the written answers. A supplier confident in its product will answer the exit questions as readily as the feature questions.

If you already run on Microsoft 365, read case management on Microsoft 365 for the case for keeping Outlook and SharePoint, and how owner-managed firms can escape software lock-in for the bigger picture.

How CaseMinder approaches this

CaseMinder works with Outlook and your firm's SharePoint, keeping matter documents in a location your firm controls. An Outlook add-in handles filing, deadlines and time recording, and the matter-opening workflow brings together conflict checks, onboarding, identity and AML checks, risk assessment and the client care letter. For the questions on exit, data, contracts and cost, ask us in writing like any other supplier.

See how CaseMinder works or book a walkthrough and ask us every question on this list.