Product Overview of Aderant
Aderant is a comprehensive legal practice management software designed to streamline and enhance the operational efficiencies of law firms and professional services firms. Here is a detailed overview of what the product does and its key features:
Primary Function
Aderant is tailored to manage the business aspects of law firms, focusing on global accounting, case and matter management, time and expense tracking, and advanced billing and e-billing capabilities. It is designed to support law firms of all sizes, particularly mid-sized to large firms, in managing their daily operations more effectively.
Key Features
Financial Management
Aderant Expert offers robust financial management tools, including reporting, budgeting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger. This module helps in generating professional financial statements and provides insights into profit, loss, and balance sheets, along with warning alerts for deviations from projected values.
Time Management and Billing
The software includes capabilities for managing time and billing, tracking billable hours, and generating invoices. It also features advanced tools like Paperless Billing, which streamlines the billing cycle by simplifying invoice creation and reducing billing turnaround time. The Paperless Billing Inbox is a centralized interface that enhances billing partners’ productivity with advanced searching and sorting features.
Case Management and Records Management
Aderant enables firms to organize and handle case-related information efficiently. It provides tools for effective case management, document reviewing and editing, and ensures that critical dates are tracked and deadlines are not missed.
Legal Project Management
The platform includes Aderant MatterWorks, which expands legal project management capabilities. This helps firms in managing legal projects more effectively and ensures that all aspects of a case are well-coordinated.
Compliance and eBilling
Aderant BillBlast is a feature that expedites legal eBilling submissions, enhances compliance with client requirements, and accelerates the path to acceptance and payment. It eliminates multiple steps in the eBilling process and reduces the risk of human error by adhering to client guidelines through rules-based compliance.
Business Intelligence
The Spotlight feature delivers critical insights to law firm decision-makers through detailed analytics, resulting in increased efficiency and maximum profitability. Users can drill down into various data sources for more information and take immediate corrective action. Spotlight also provides customizable performance views by matters, individuals, practice areas, offices, or across the firm.
Mobile Access and Collaboration
Aderant offers mobile access, allowing lawyers and firm staff to work and access vital information securely from anywhere. The software also includes features like Handshake and Drive, which secure client collaboration portals or extranets, providing clients with transparency into their matter, legal team, and financial data.
Process Automation
The platform standardizes and automates processes using workflows and OCR capabilities, reducing manual effort and increasing accuracy. This includes automated approvals based on firm-defined rules for expense management and other processes.
Integration and Security
Aderant integrates with various technologies, including Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Outlook, and other tools, allowing firms to use the tech stack that best suits their needs. The software is fully managed in the cloud through AWS, ensuring security and relieving firms of infrastructure, technical, and maintenance issues.
Deployment and Accessibility
Aderant Expert can be deployed either on-premise or cloud-based, offering flexibility to law firms based on their preferences. It supports multiple client operating systems, including Windows, iOS, Android, and web-based access.
In summary, Aderant is a powerful legal practice management solution that streamlines accounting, case management, time and expense tracking, and billing processes, while also providing advanced business intelligence, compliance tools, and mobile accessibility to enhance the operational efficiency and profitability of law firms.