March 2011

NY Divorce Software That Simplifies, Well, Everything

Changes in New York State divorce law in 2010 threw a few things out of whack.

We know. It’s your job to stay on top of changes in laws and regulations. But it’s also our job to keep our software rigorously up to date.

Enter EzSupport-NY. New York family law software that creates a case management center for each of your clients. You can have your NY family law forms, your support and maintenance calculators and worksheets, and all case correspondence stored—and generated—in one place.

We love it, and we trust you will too.

You look at the lower left panel for your navigation tabs.

You go to “Case Info” to enter your case information: the wife, the husband, the children and their ages, etc.

You click on “Support Worksheets” to generate Child Support and Temporary Maintenance Worksheets. To print the worksheets, simply click “Print.”

You click “Add Worksheets” to generate a comparison of multiple worksheet scenarios. Make your changes for each scenario, save, and click on Summary to compare.

The data you’ve collected produces a statement of net worth—where all the calculations are generated for you. And you can add an unlimited number of expense items, asset items, and debit items—particularly useful for high net work individuals. The form automatically expands to accommodate your entries. To print, you just click “Print”.

At your command, any form you need merges with your captured case data. For example, you can click on “UD-6: Affidavit of Plaintiff.” The merged form is now nearly ready, after you answer just a few remaining questions.

All prepared documents can be saved as a PDF or Word document. They can all be emailed directly from the software, too.

Easy, right?

That’s why we call it Easy Soft.

Posted by Rick Kabra on March 14, 2011 in Family Law Software, New York Family Law | Comments Off
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Credit Card Payment Solutions for Lawyers

When you open a law firm merchant account, your clients are poised to pay you faster and with less effort on your part (and theirs). But that’s not all:

  • Direct Payments to Escrow and Trust Accounts. Because we are law firm specialists, and leading providers of law firm billing software and trust accounting software, we’ll also help you set up secure payments to your escrow and trust accounts. We’ll set it up with your operating account—so that it works in tandem with your trust account, and ensures you’re managing your clients’ funds correctly. Not all credit card processors understand law firm compliance requirements. We practically wrote the book!
  • “Real Time” Reporting. Use your desktop or laptop to accept credit or debit card payments, and reap the benefits of “real-time” electronic reporting for optimal accounting reconciliation.

§  Improved Client Acquisition and Retention. An online credit card payment option allows clients to make timely legal fee payments or fund escrow accounts without dipping into their investments.

For more than 25 years, Easy Soft has worked with thousands of law firms, helping them leverage technology to comply with regulations and streamline their payment systems.

Put specialized payment technology to work for your law firm today. Give your clients more payment options with the exclusive Easy Soft Payment Acceptance Program, and you’ll increase your cash flow, reduce outstanding receivables, and eliminate the frustration of collection efforts.

To learn more about the Easy Soft Payment Acceptance Program, call 800-905-7638.

Posted by Rick Kabra on March 12, 2011 in Attorney Trust Accounting, Legal Billing, Legal Technologies | Comments Off
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Easy Soft’s Payment Acceptance Program

There are only a couple of reasons for flagging profitability. One is a slow workflow, and a slow economic recovery.

But if you’re busy and billing, flagging numbers could just as easily mean that your accounts receivables need a boost. After all, you’re no different from any other type of business in that you’ve got to stay on top of your cash flow.

Today, we’re rolling out something new and exciting. Easy Soft’s Payment Acceptance Plan, Enabling electronic payments online for law firms.

Think of the Payment Acceptance Plan as a cash flow accelerator. With the Payment Acceptance Plan, your clients will pay you with fewer reminders and less cajoling. In fact, the Payment Acceptance Plan makes it easy for clients to pay you on the very same day that your invoice is due.

The Payment Acceptance Plan also makes it easy for clients to deposit money into your escrow account—for real estate transactions, divorce and other legal settlements, and the like. Transactions become easier for clients, and easier for you. There’s less paperwork, and less cash to move around.

The Payment Acceptance Plan accepts and clears all electronic payments. Clients can pay against any account—their legal invoices, settlements, even filing fees—using their credit or debit cards. They can sign up for recurring billing, and/or tender remote checks by phone. Our secure software also performs check guarantees, acts as an automated clearing house (ACH), and performs escrow management services.

Pair this powerful payment processor for law firms with our popular law firm billing software or trust accounting software, and your law office management procedures are suddenly leveraged and powerful. Call us. We’ll train you, make sure you’re up-to-date, and you’ll always get our undivided personal attention (during business hours).

To learn more about the Easy Soft Payment Acceptance Program, call 800-905-7638.

Posted by Rick Kabra on March 11, 2011 in Attorney Trust Accounting, Legal Technologies | Comments Off
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Trust Accounting Software Saves the Day

It’s scary. The annual number of disciplinary actions—even disbarments—that arise out of client trust fund mismanagement.

Some are the result of careless mistakes—brought from bad escrow management practices. Few encapsulate actual intent. But then come the random auditors—and suddenly, you’re in trouble.

Don’t let it happen to you.

Using the below primer on trust accounting, you can put a few practical tips into practice immediately. We’ll have you in compliance and prepared ­for a knock on the door from your state auditors.

First, which of the following funds belong in client trust accounts?

A) Real estate transaction funds, such as a down payment on a house

B) Personal injury settlements

C) Earned fees

D) Personal funds

E) Operating funds

F) Collections

G) Other settlements or judgments

H) Retainers and advances

The answer is A, B, F, G, and maybe H—depending on whether you’ve earned the advances or not.

If you knew the answers, the tougher question is, how do you put it into action?

You’ve got to a) keep all of your client’s funds in separate accounts, b) make sure your client ledger doesn’t have a negative balance (or you’re in the red), and c) make sure everything’s in the right account (trust v. operating) at all times. Then, at the end of the day, you’ve got to d) reconcile it all.

How do you know what to keep, and what you can toss? Often, trust account bookkeeping  requires you to keep paper records of check stubs and expense receipts.

With Easy Soft’s Easy Trust software, it is easy. The software guides you through each requirement, reconciling balances—even performing three-way reconciliations.

Don’t lose sleep over trust fund accounting. Follow the above rules, and you’ll always be prepared for an audit.

Posted by Rick Kabra on March 4, 2011 in Attorney Trust Accounting | Comments Off
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