PIMs

The program has four personal information management (PIM) components: Telephone Book, Calendar, To Do List and Appointments. A myriad of tasks can be performed from within each window. Many activities, however, start in the telephone book. From any name, you can drag-and-drop to make an appointment or assign a to-do. You can, by clicking on a phone number or an e-mail address, create an e-mail or send a fax. You can also store Internet addresses and Web pages.

One of the best features is the program's merge templates. Clicking on the word processing integration button in the telephone book will bring up a menu of word processing options: create a new letter or template, or use one of the existing templates (there are 30 Word templates included -- WordPerfect templates should be coming soon). Although the templates are usable "out of the box," I found them to be better suited as starting points for creating documents more in line with my own writing style.

Central to Easy Case & Billing is its time & billing feature. Again, from the telephone book, selection of the client name and a click of the billing button will open the billing window with the client's name pre-selected. Selecting the client's name will display a table of transactions and activities. There can be multiple matters for each client, and a drop-down list of activities and expense items can be detailed as well. There is a quick-start timer for billing phone calls and tasks.

Note that the billing program is a "fresh" system -- you won't be able to import from an existing billing package. Converting your practice to this program, therefore, may require you to abandon or re-enter your existing data -- an unattractive option for anyone with time invested in another system.

Another downside of the program is that there isn't always help where you need it. For example, I would prefer to be able to click help within a particular menu; instead, you have to close the window and go back to the main screen. On the other hand, the manual is a decent source of information.

EasySoft offers a number of separate modules with which it can integrate, including certified mail software and a Palm Pilot synchronization of the address book, calendar and to do lists.

This program demonstrates the powerful foundation of its Time & Chaos roots. Even so, this specialized application of the PIM to the legal profession still needs to mature. Currently, Easy Case & Billing could be a good investment for a new solo or small office where the program, and the practice, can be groomed, fitted and tailored together. Otherwise, some of this version's quirks -- the inability to import existing billing data, the need to purchase separate modules for certain features -- make this a less-attractive choice for an already active practice.

Windows 95, 98, NT

$199

Reviewed by Denise P. Ward, attorney, Grean & Ward, Port Chester, N.Y.

Aug/Sep '99 Issue

PROS
Templates; network-ready out of the box; great value.

CONS
Program has quirks; can't convert existing billing data.

VERDICT
Good start, but still needs to mature. Could work well in new practices.

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Updated 09/19/01
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