Case Management

CaseWizard tracks contacts and case information such as clients, attorneys, judges, doctors, insurance companies, employers and police. You also can enter notes such as judge preferences, phone conversations and so forth.

It also offers expense and time tracking, limited calendaring and date tracking, and a rolling index summarizing the case.

After case information is entered, you can print various reports, including client lists, tickler and statutory deadline reports, billing reports, doctor reports, attorney and insurance relations reports.

CaseWizard also offers a document assembly feature for creating various document templates and merging information from the program to your particular word processor.

The program installed fine.

I had some trouble logging on and setting up the program. After I entered my identification code and password, I could pick either a key or door icon.

Initially, I couldn’t figure out if the door was opening or closing the program. Was I going in or out the door? I separately clicked on each icon and finally was able to log on.

I later discovered I was given two slightly different identification codes and passwords — which caused part of the log-on problem.

Next, the manual said I would automatically be prompted for setup information. I was not and struggled to figure it out what went wrong.

I clicked on various icons such as “Attorneys,” “Users,” “Forms” and “Expenses” and followed the manual to set it up. The manual also said I had to select a data file, and the instructions were not exactly clear on how to select and install it.

For instance, after I attached the data file, the instructions said to wait a few minutes for reattachment, and in my case there was no lag time — not even a second. I was left wondering if I had completed the task correctly.

I would have appreciated step-by-step instructions for installation, logon and setup. Perhaps the company could have included a one- or two-page cheat sheet on how to set up the program and the purpose of each feature. This would have been a lot easier than browsing through the manual and hoping I got all the necessary information.

The manual did point me in the right direction on the next step — entering client information. I did that without a hitch and accessed the information as well.

CaseWizard states its program is “amazingly simple to use” and “playing around with it will probably be all the training you’ll need.”

I don’t believe that.

Some training is needed — whether it’s through talking with technical support or going through the manual. The program is intuitive to use and retrieve data, but this is definitely not the case for setup.

Overall, CaseWizard tracks case contacts and information for workers’ compensation, personal injury, Social Security and criminal defense cases in a nice fashion.

However, it’s not designed for a commercial litigation practice. Nor is it a knowledge management program such as CaseMap that tracks witnesses, facts and dates.

If you are looking for a simple case management program to track generic client and case information and print reports, CaseWizard will do the job, but be prepared to pull out the manual or have your information technology person standing by, for setup help.

Price: Each module costs $395. All four modules (Workers’ Compensation, Social Security, Personal Injury, Criminal Defense) can be purchased for $1,495 for one user license. Additional users cost $99 for one-module or four-module package.

Windows 95 and up; (for networks) Windows NT Workstation, Version 4.0, Service Pack 3 or later.

Reviewed by Melynda Hill-Teter, litigation paralegal, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Apr/May '01 Issue

PROS
The information is at your fingertips. Offers 30-day-money-back guarantee. Excellent technical support. I had no wait and my questions were quickly answered.

CONS
It’s initially hard work to enter all the information and start up the program. Confusing setup procedures — no cheat sheet to follow. Limited help online. Must look things up in the more than 150-page manual.

VERDICT
An option to consider if your practice is in workers’ compensation, Social Security, personal injury or criminal defense.

  | Home  | 

|  Issue Archive  |  Resources  |  About Us  |  Contact Us  |  Subscribe  |

|  Subscribers  |  Advertisers  |

Updated 08/30/01
© Law Office Computing Magazine
www.lawofficecomputing.com
(800) 394-2626