Legal Case Management Software: What It Should Do, and How to Choose
Legal case management software is the system a law firm works a matter in: the file, the documents, the deadlines and tasks, the parties, the communication log and the reports that show where every case stands. Evaluate it on how the platform handles your practice’s matter lifecycle from intake to resolution, how documents and deadlines are managed, how it connects to the systems the firm already runs, and who will administer it after go-live.
Micronetbd implements and supports two case management platforms, Filevine and Litify, and migrates firms onto them from older systems. This guide covers what to look for and how the two fit.
What case management software should do
- Run the matter lifecycle. Stages or phases that match how your practice works a case, with the tasks, documents and deadlines each stage requires attached to it, not left to memory.
- Manage documents where the firm works. Templates and generation from matter data, version history, and either a full document store in the platform or a live connection to SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Drive.
- Calculate deadlines. Deadline chains from a trigger date, court-rule calendaring where the practice needs it, and reports on what is due and who owns it.
- Log every communication. Email filed to the matter, texting and calls recorded, a client portal or update method that reduces “any news on my case” calls.
- Report across the caseload. Matters by stage, by attorney, by age, by source, with the numbers partners ask for on a Monday.
- Connect. Intake, records retrieval, e-signature, accounting and the document library the firm already uses.
How to evaluate it
| Area | Weak answer | Strong answer |
|---|---|---|
| Matter setup | A generic template every practice area uses | Project types per practice area with their own sections, fields and deadline chains |
| Documents | Upload and download | Generation from matter data, version history, and sync with the firm’s document library |
| Deadlines | A calendar entry someone types | Chains from a trigger date, with reassignment and reporting |
| Intake | A form that emails the office | Qualification, conflict check, engagement and a matter created from the intake |
| Reporting | Exports to a spreadsheet | Dashboards by stage, attorney, age and source, in the platform |
| Migration | Import a CSV | A written field map, a test migration, a signed reconciliation before go-live |
Where Filevine and Litify fit
Filevine is built as a legal case management platform: configurable project types and sections, deadline chains, document management and generation, texting and calling in the matter, and an integration ecosystem that includes Lead Docket for intake and Vinesign for signatures. Firms that keep their documents in SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Drive run MatterOrbit alongside it to keep both sides in sync. Micronetbd is a certified Filevine partner: Filevine implementation and managed services.
Litify is case and practice management on the Salesforce platform: matters, intake, Docrio documents, time and billing, with Salesforce flows, portals and analytics underneath. It suits firms that want that platform, or that already have Salesforce skills or a partner. Micronetbd is a certified Salesforce and Litify partner: Litify implementation and managed services.
Moving from an older system
Most case management purchases are migrations: from Needles or Neos, Clio, MyCase, ProLaw, a home-grown database or spreadsheets. The migration is where projects go wrong, usually because the field mapping was never written down and the reconciliation was never signed. Micronetbd migrates with a written field map, a test migration the firm reviews, and a signed reconciliation report before go-live; see the law firm data migration hub and the per-platform migration pages linked from it.
Questions people ask
What is legal case management software?
The system a law firm works a matter in: documents, deadlines, tasks, parties, communication and reporting for each case, from intake to resolution.
Is case management the same as practice management?
They overlap. Case management is the matter-level work; practice management adds intake, billing, trust and firm-wide reporting. Filevine and Litify cover both, so the distinction matters less than it used to.
What should a small firm look for?
The same fundamentals at a smaller scale: matter templates for its practice areas, document generation, deadline chains and email filing, plus a migration plan for the data it already has. Avoid paying for volume features it will not use, but do not skip the deadline and document basics.
How do we migrate from Needles, Clio or MyCase?
With a written field map from the old system to the new one, a test migration the firm reviews on real matters, and a signed reconciliation report before go-live. Micronetbd runs migrations this way onto Filevine and Litify; the per-platform pages are linked from the data migration hub.
Can case management software keep documents in SharePoint?
Yes. On Filevine, MatterOrbit keeps documents in sync both ways with SharePoint, OneDrive and Google Drive, so the matter and the library both stay current.
Who administers it after go-live?
An in-house administrator, or a managed services retainer with a named admin. Micronetbd runs that retainer for Filevine, Litify and Salesforce, with a ticket queue and a flat monthly fee.
