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Trial Works Online Takes a Quantum Leap in Case Management

TrialWorks has added a extra-net or web-based component to their program. They've always had the remote access, but this allows you to give anyone a username and a password and access to a portion of your database.

You can give a new client access to their case information. If they have multiple cases, they can look up information on any of their cases. A co-counsel can have a filter that will allows them access to information on any of their referred cases.

What information do they have access to? Anything you want. You can set up a template as to what information to allow them, but also alter it for a specific client. For example, you can have them see the incident report, medical records, pleadings and discovery requests, but not correspondence.

There's also a Notes section and depending on the coding you put on the Notes, it will be sent to the client and/or co-counsel or not. On the web page, there's a button where the client can leave a Note for the law firm.

Now here's the best part, once it's set up correctly, all of this happens without any intervention on the part of the law firm. Here's how it works, we're already scanning everything into pdfs. When we get an incident report, we save it to the computer. Without us doing anything, the client will receive an e-mail saying 'We have received a copy of the Incident Report for the collision that you were involved in. If you would like to see a copy of it, please click on the link below'. They can see and download the pdf if they want.

The client would also have access to all of their medical records in pdf format. Many of our clients want copies of their medical recods for Social Security Disability hearings, or just to have for their records. Now, they'll have instant access to their medical records and can save as a pdf just by right clicking on it.

Also, all of the Notes and progress made on the case can be e-mailed them automatically just by saving in the Notes. You can also determine whether it's an appropriate Note to share with the client by the coding on the Note. There is some information that you might not want to automatically share with the client. For instance, an evaluation of the client as a witness, or certain aspects of a case evaluation with a client with unrealistic expectations. Not that you wouldn't share that information with the client eventually, but a raw note as it happens might not be the most helpful.

Anyways, you can pick and choose exactly what information you want to share and then it happens automatically.

Referred cases and co-counsel cases? You can keep the other lawyer informed in the case and they would automatically get copies of pleadings, discovery, notes or whatever you want to send.

I would imagine I would have a few different templates. A template for high information clients, low information clients, co-counsel that wanted to be informed, and co-counsel that just want to touch base every now and then.

I haven't seen it yet, but I would imagine it would be very easy to set up e-mail alerts to send them information about thier case or just personal injury cases in general on set intervals as well.

We often say that clients don't understand how much work we do on the case. This can give them a way to see the work that's being done. It also significantly increases the number of touches the client gets concerning the case they have and gives them a chance to provide more feedback to the firm.

I think it will take a little bit of tweaking and practice to get the right level of information. For example, do you want to just tell clients when you get their medical records? Or do you tell them you ordered the records, the follow up calls and letters to get the medical records? Or do you just tell the client when the medical records don't come in and the law firm takes special efforts to beat them in? 

I don't know if there's a right answer and think it will take time to find the best mix. I also know there are people that appreciate the higher level of information and there are other clients that too much information just increases their stress levels. It will be interesting.

Anyways, I was blown away by this. I thought it really is the next step to take and in the next five years is going to become the gold standard. It costs extra, over and above the standard Trial Works price, but there's a tremendous amount of work in getting it set up correctly.

I think this is a killer app for TrialWorks.

Full post as published by South Carolina Trial Law Blog on May 03, 2009 (boomark / email).