SIDEBAR Winter 2017-18 - 12

MONTGOMERYBAR.ORG

By Joel B. Bernbaum, Esq.

bout three years ago, I became a sole practitioner and
moved my office to Bala Cynwyd. I decided to use my
technology skills and reduce my dependence on paper
and staff. Today, I no longer have day-to-day staff, and very little
paper is generated in my Family Law practice. I enjoy this change,
and depend on different applications, hardware and cloud-based
systems to meet my needs.

One of the most important decisions was choosing my billing
system. I consulted several technology gurus, read many articles,
made a list of my needs, and tried three or four packages before
deciding on CosmoLex. It turned out to be the most useful and
productive decision I made.
CosmoLex is internet-based, and you securely log into their
website from any device or platform. Additionally, they supply
a free app for your phone or tablet. No need to worry about a
backup as their servers do that job for the user. Your billing is
synched across your devices and platforms. No excuses for lost
time. If your computer goes down, you can log in from any secure
device; this certainly provides peace of mind in this world of
hackers.
12 SIDEBAR

Before the current technology, paper remedies were timeconsuming, and without staff to assist, my time limits were
stretched. I had experience of being with a medium-sized law firm
and the managing partner of my own firm in the past to compare.
It is especially important that you accurately capture all time and
billing. In my experience, the paramount rule is contemporaneous
entry. CosmoLex allows you to do all of these things in an
accessible format. The actual bill is customizable and can be sent
by email or hard copy. Complete record keeping is incorporated
into the program from your costs, trust accounts, operating
accounts, and of course, the monthly billing, be it an hourly
or a flat rate. Multiple billers are easily incorporated and all is
reviewable by everyone, including your accountant. The financials
are current and compliant.
Recently, LawPay was incorporated into the program at no
extra cost. Additionally, a link can be embedded into the bill (via
email) to provide your clients with an expedient way to pay with
their credit cards. I found a 35% reduction in the time payments
are made. Clients get the bill via email, click on the link, and pay.
The increase in cash flow is great.
There are many features that are available depending on your
needs: documents, emails, and records all can be stored within
the program. Calendaring, task management and accounting are
also included. Additional features are put online as developed.
The customer service is available within the program itself, online,
through webinars as well as direct service reps. I find what I need
quickly and efficiently. You can pay monthly or annually, at a
discount.
I would strongly suggest you download the free trial of this (as
well as other helpful programs); call the company to ask questions
or try them in real time. I did, and I am comfortable with my
decision.
*Editor's Note: In Nov. 2017, MBA became the first bar association in
Pennsylvania to offer members a 10% lifetime discount on CosmoLex.
To take advantage of this discount and to try CosmoLex FREE (no
credit card required), visit www.montgomerybar.org and click on the
CosmoLex affinity partner logo located at the bottom right of the page.

https://montgomerybar.org/ http://www.montgomerybar.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SIDEBAR Winter 2017-18