Tony Conticello

Review of LEAP Legal Software

I am a LEAP user. I give it 4.5 stars because the...

I am a LEAP user. I give it 4.5 stars because there is room for improvement, but I can't do that using google reviews so I rounded up.

I have a solo firm and we used CLIO for years. While Clio was a good system, it was TOO basic. It's technology did not keep getting better, rather it stagnated. They required you to basically purchase upgrades from third party vendors to make their system better, instead of doing it themselves. I was using 4 vendors to make the system work, integrating time entries while sending out emails, sending and receiving secure attachments.

I really wanted to transition into a platform that did it all. I found Leap late Spring and worked through the transition. They do need to be more forthcoming about the technology requirements of your computers, because some people may sign on and find out they have to upgrade their computers before they can begin. Also, the transition was LONG, it took over a month. Finally, all the information didn't come over exactly as was described to me during the transition. Ultimately, it didn't matter, but the expectation was set and not fulfilled exactly.

The other issue I had with LEAP and they need to change it is that they quote you monthly, and you sign an agreement. Afterward, all of a sudden a finance company calls you a few days later and says that you have to sign financing paperwork through them and they are paying LEAP for the whole year and you can pay them monthly. I Said HELL NO and told them I was going to terminate. I'm not financing a monthly deal with some unknown finance company. NO DEAL. They ended up backing down, and I pay monthly directly with LEAP. That is pretty shady, so ASK in advance.

One last area that needs to be mentioned and LEAP needs to change is to allow your membership to include at least one sign on for a support staff at no additional charge. You basically have to pay for your administrative assistant as though they were an attorney and that's a big Con.

Now the good part, and there is a lot of it. Once I transitioned over, I began learning all of the features. It integrates with quickbooks, I have an intake system (for free) that can create a new client with the click of a button, I can send secure messages, I can keep track of time of outgoing phone calls using my cell phone if I make them using the app, and the mobile and tablet app are way advanced (you can do most everything).

LEAP provided me with 2 different training sessions at the beginning to get me some basic knowledge. Learning a new platform is not easy. It takes time to kick the tires and figure things out. Some things could be improved, but whenever I have had a question, I have someone who can help. My rep, Cathie Orgill, has helped me on numerous things from changing the headers on my invoices to inputting time on an invoice that didn't populate correctly.

LEAP also provides forms. It creates pleadings for me using those forms. There is definitely room for improvement, and I do have mixed feelings because some STATE specific forms categories are empty for Florida. But overall that is WAY better than CLIO with NO forms.

It also works seamlessly with MICROSOFT!!! Outlook emails saved in your management system, you can save time on the email, on a word document, etc. For anyone that bills hourly, this is a game changer over CLIO (clio I had to pay and use a third party app to do this and it wasn't as robust as LEAP and it would only work on my computer).

DON'T REST LEAP, I am hoping that your functionality improves in areas where it is needed, but it is a powerhouse of a matter management system for us smaller firms!!!