Practicing in the family law area has its own distinct problems and sophistications.  This new family law software provides the case management, contact management, and document management services needed in order for family law practitioners to practice more efficiently and lower the cost of doing business.

The software, TFLA, was developed over the years primarily from two sources.  First, the software was designed by and in consultation with attorneys thoroughly experienced in the particular problems in the practice of family law.  As in all areas of law today in the United States, the attorney, paralegal, and legal secretary need to practice only in areas that they are able to provide appropriate and competent services.  Developed with these family law experts, TFLA allows experienced attorneys and newer attorneys, to both practice safely and productively.  Second, there are the years of experience that The Legal Assistant has had in the use by attorneys throughout the United States of our previous products, The Personal Injury Assistant, The Real Estate Assistant and The Criminal Law Assistant.

A partial list of the specific areas that are covered in this software, TFLA, includes:

• Time management and billing system
• Document assembly
• Legal calendaring
• Contact management
• Case management
• Clients, Dependents and Spouse Database
• County Court & Judge Database (New Jersey by default)
• Attorney Database (New Jersey by default)
• Expert Database

While this program comes with a default set of data for New Jersey, including judges, court data and other information, the complete package dovetails perfectly with the use of court forms in other jurisdictions.  For example, in California, fillable all court forms are provided by the governing State Judicial Council.  Those forms are available at http://www.courts.ca.gov/, are able to be uniquely filled out on your computer, and relate to the case management aspect of your case provided by The Legal Assistant.

Of course, there is constant updating of the system because of not only the change in technology, but also the constant change in court personnel, information concerning the court system, and general databases.

The TFLA, The Family Law Assistant, contains pre-designed family law templates for divorce, domestic violence, pre-nuptial agreements, visitation, child support, child abuse, child custody, military divorce and spousal support, but also allows you to use a customizable database which allows you to add in other areas of family law practice.  In all circumstances, the forms can be modified to fit your case.  In addition, the workflow management of the TFLA software allows you to modify it easily in order to optimize the custom workflow system already in place in your office.

The Legal Assistant allows you to manage all aspects of the case, and use the court forms independently. All systems work within one software application which allows you to smoothly transition from one type of work on an individual case, and also transition smoothly with no change of software to another client.  Importantly, TFLA is also extremely easy to use, and The Legal Assistant provides free chat and webinars.  You can sign up at any time for the seminars, and of course, the legal chat results in either immediate results during business hours, or a response the next day.

All of the programs of The Legal Assistant work from the same database so that other work such as real estate or criminal law is easily accessed.  TFLA is also fully compatible with Microsoft Office and allows you to use Outlook, Word and Excel seamlessly.

Finally, The Legal Assistant includes financing functionality, which allows you to get the complete package including the time management and billing system for just $75.00 per month with only a six-month commitment.  This pricing system allows all legal practitioners to easily afford the upgrade in their practice of law, which in a short period of time saves them money, increases their efficiency and provides them with peace of mind, which sometimes can be difficult in the field of family law.

General updates affecting all modules

Unprotected Attachment Distribution

A popular request was to allow the distribution of system generated Microsoft Word documents from the attachments screen in unprotected form primarily so that users could continue to edit letters after they had been created. This is particular useful for legal contracts where you would want to ‘track changes’ in the document.

Integration with EFax

We have now added the popular internet faxing service ‘EFAX’ to our list of supported fax distribution methods. Now you no longer need a physical fax machine in your office, if you are signed up with eFax, all you need to do is update your company parameters and select EFAX as your fax service and thats it. The next time you distribute a letter via fax, it will use your eFax provider.

Ability to Complete/ReOpen event log entries

It is now possible to mark event log entries as either complete or re-open completed entries directly from the event log form.

Printed Case Statistics

We have now added a ‘Print’ button to the case statistics dialog, so you can easily obtain an overview of your system in hard copy, including statistics such as open/closed cases.

Outlook Calendar Synch (OLSYNCH)

OLSynch is an additional feature that can update your personal calendar in your own installation of MS Outlook with calender entries held in The Legal Assistants system calendar assigned to you automatically with no intervention. This is a fantastic feature for those who require their personal calendars are kept up to date with their office activities, even for mobile users as long as they already have synchronization in place between their mobile device and their office calendar.

TO DO List overview default search dates.

The search date range now defaults from today’s date to 30 days ahead.

Defendant search include Opposite Parties

Both the Defendant and Opposite Party databases will be searched when you carry out a search from either case form as they both typical represent a conflict.

Emails can now be sent BCC

The attachment/email distribution facility now additionally supports Blind Carbon Copy(BCC).

Importing an Email from Sent Items

An issue has been resolved when importing emails from the ‘Sent Items’ email resulting in the incorrect date being carried over to the case attachments form.

Referral field issue resolved

An issue was identified and has been resolved involving the Referral field on the case details form.

The Personal Injury Assistant Enhancements

Inclusion of Police Departments database (State specific)

You can now select, and maintain the related police departments through the additional accident details interface.

Other events are now printable.

A facility has been introduced allowing a report to be generated of all ‘Other Events’ across all cases, filterable by date.

Doctors list now printable

The list of Doctors linked to a case can be quickly printed providing a hard copy of all the doctors details.

Introduction of Interpreter Required flag against the case.

It is now possible to indicate on your case file whether an interpreter will be required at court events. This field can then be used within your letters to the courts to indicate the interpreter requirement along with the language required.

No restriction on Deposition entries.

We have now made the number of depositions you are allowed to enter unlimited. In addition you can also click to see instant reports on depositions by attorney for that case, or globally across all cases and even limited by date range if required.

Defendants Attorney Personal Fax/Phone

An issue has been resolved while retrieving and presenting the personal fax and phone of a defendants attorney.

The Real Estate Assistant Enhancements

Surveyor Reference Number

You can now specify a reference number for the surveyor.

We’d like to hear from you if you have any suggestions for future updates or comments re’ this update so do not hesitate to contact us
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On Twitter : http://twitter.com/lawyersoftware

Or via our website.

Lawyers have gotten a bad rap due to stereotyping in pop culture, and other people’s bitterness about how their legal situation turned out. Sometimes, that just cannot be helped. In every contest of wills, which is essentially what two or more non-attorneys arguing over a legal matter is- a contest of wills in the courtroom- there is a winner and a loser. Whose will was stronger? Whose lawyer did more work on the case and therefore, had the best arguments which won the case? Which party was in the right, legally, if not necessarily morally? These things help to determine who wins or who loses a case.

An attorney can bill for hours and hours of tedious work on a case, only to lose the case because a form was not properly prepared by a Paralegal, or part of the client’s file was mislaid, misfiled, or completely lost. How does that look to the client? How does it look to a judge or a jury? It looks shabby, fly-by-night, and only adds to the negative perception that so many have of attorneys.

Part of the problem is that paralegals can quickly become overburdened in a fast-paced office. Answering phones, filing cases in their proper place in the office, taking dictation and writing out the forms the attorney needs to file, while setting appointments, both for court dates and client interviews both in person and by telephone or even Skype, and handling clients’ payments to the attorney, disbursing payments to the client after taking payment for the attorney’s fees, as well as helping research case law is a pretty tall order! One Paralegal working for one or more attorneys has a very important and large job in the firm. The support a paralegal gives in that firm is absolutely invaluable, but the human factor can never be ruled out. Much of the actual work done that attorneys bill clients for is done by that paralegal.

Paralegals put as many hours into a case for the attorney as the attorney puts into the case. Most attorneys have more than one case they handle simultaneously. What if you could eliminate many of the errors the humans in the office make, get more work done in less time, and bill for the same number of hours? With the right legal practice software, you can. Your paralegal would be able to call up any client’s file with a few clicks. Creating documents could be done from a template provided in the software, or using a macro and include your firm’s logo and/or letterhead where appropriate, keep lists of court contacts, attorney contacts, client information, and other important matters all in one place, without the need for so much paper and ink. You could print the completed paperwork you needed right from your office chair, collect it, and file any motions or proceedings you needed at the courthouse. The right software would also eliminate that clunky, easy-to-misunderstand or erase whiteboard. Appointments would appear on your screen as reminders. A calendar, lists of which attorney (s) in the office had which cases (s), and which paralegal had typed the needed letters, forms, and other paperwork would be listed for your convenience.

You may say, “We already have software to help us in our office systems.” Ask yourself this: “Is my current software helping me and my colleagues as much as this software claims to do?” “How much time is my current software actually saving me?” “Was the software we already have worth the money spent purchasing, installing, and learning to use, compared to the help it gives now?” If the answer to any of these questions is not satisfactory, then consider using The Legal Assistant. The Legal Assistant was developed by attorneys and paralegals for attorneys and paralegals. It will help any size firm work more efficiently, saving man-hours, without sacrificing billable hours, and it is as easy as 1-2-3 to operate once installed in the firm’s private servers.

Once you use The Legal Assistant Software, you’ll wonder why you ever tried anything else. You’ll take some of the stress out of your day, take some of the stress out of your paralegal’s day, and the entire office will run so much more quickly and efficiently. That is going to do you nothing but good.

A very efficient law office is paramount to succeeding in todays legal industry.  An efficient law practice  impresses potential clients, keeps current clients happy, and can only help you win that contest of wills in the courtroom. How will that look to a jury? How will it look to a judge? Time is certainly money. Save time by using The Legal Assistant Software and make more money for less work. If you save time without cutting corners, you can also take on more clients, which brings more money. You can’t go wrong with The Legal Assistant software, and your Assistant and your Paralegal will certainly thank you for it.

Being as busy as you are, there are bound to be a few mistakes here and there. You are, after all, human, and not a robot. What happens when paperwork is misfiled, or forms are filled in improperly? What happens when you don’t set up that email alert about your lawyer’s four o’clock meeting? Lots of extra time at the office, and an irritated boss, not to mention the blow to your own work reputation, that’s what happens. The Legal Assistant.com has exactly what you need, so you no longer need to worry.

The Legal Assistant is a comprehensive legal software program designed to be used by Paralegals, Legal Assistants, and Legal Secretaries. Whether your law firm specializes in Criminal Law, Personal Injury Law, Real Estate, or Family Law, you have one simple to use place to store everything you need. All Common legal forms, customizable letter templates, cases files, HUD information, contacts lists, scheduling for yourself and the lawyer you work under, and to-do lists, are all easily available in this database. You import all your lawyer’s contacts, clients case information, and other information uniquely related to your firm, and The Legal Assistant software will generate letters from templates, allow you to customize everything easily if you need to do that, and eliminate most errors. If a Social Security number, for example, is wrong when you fill in a form for a client, you will receive a pop-up message. There are tips and video tutorials that are built into this awesome piece of software, to help you learn to use it quicker and more efficiently.

No more misfiled documents, no more mistakes on forms, and no scheduling conflicts or flubs, means you’ll be able to spend less time at the office, and more time with the ones you love. Being more efficient at your job means having a happier boss, and quite possibly a raise, even in a slow economy, because your firm will be able to take on more cases.

Imagine being able to work smarter, not harder, and not be totally overwhelmed by your work all the time. The Legal Assistant Software can eliminate the need for you to take work home, where your work should never be! Keep home a peaceful sanctuary from your work life with this easy-to use software.

Try The Legal Assistant today. You’ll be amazed at how awesome this piece of attorney database software really is as soon as you begin to use it. It’s simple, it’s easy, and you will absolutely not be sorry you gave us a try!

For more information on our customized modules check out our legal software products page

What is the HUD-1 Settlement Statement?

HUD is an acronym for Housing and Urban Development,  and represents the arm of the U.S. government department responsible for legislation relating to home ownership and property development within the United States of America.

The HUD-1 form, often also referred to as a “Settlement Statement”, a “Closing Statement”, “Settlement Sheet”, combination of the terms or even just “HUD” is a document used when a borrower is lent funds to purchase real estate.

Another acronym used in relation to the HUD form is GFE, which means ‘Good Faith Estimate’.  The ‘Good Faith Estimate’ was incorporated into the HUD form in 2010 and presents figures initially estimated by the lender in order to compare with the final HUD figures.

When is a HUD-1 Settlement Statement used?

Another term linked with the HUD is RESPA.  RESPA is an acronym for Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and represents a set of legislative statutes relating to real estate transactions put in place by the government to enforce disclosure of charges and fees to the consumer.

According to the RESPA act, the HUD form is to be used by all lenders of loans providing funds for real estate purchases and refinances of real estate loans and must be given to the borrow at least one day prior to the date of settlement.

A settlement agent, or closing agent, will prepare a HUD-1 settlement statement at the closing of a real estate loan.  The final version will explicitly state all costs involved with the real estate loan and to whom the individual charges and fees will be paid to.  This provides the borrow and the seller with a concise breakdown of all costs involved.   Good Faith Estimate figures will typically be sent from the lender to the settlement agent within three days of application of the loan.

The settlement agent can take the form of a title agency, mortgage broker, even the bank could act as a settlement agent however it is recommended hiring an experienced real estate law firm experienced in real estate closings to take care of the closing.

What information is provided on a HUD-1 Settlement Statement?

Aside from the basic details of the involved parties, consisting of the buyer and seller, the lender, property details and settlement agent details, unsurprisingly the majority of the settlement statement consists of figures. Lots of figures.

Page One

The first page lists figures in a dual column format listing buyer details on the left and where applicable, the seller details on the right.  Details you will find on page one include;

The gross amount due from the buyer and to the seller.This includes the contract sales price, value of any personal property and the total amount of the settlement charges and fees extracted from the final total on page 2 (line 1400). Adjustments for items paid in advance by the seller primarily calculated from taxes paid. Amounts paid for by or in behalf of the borrow, and reductions in the amount due to the seller. Adjustments for items unpaid by the seller Cash at settlement due from or to the buyer and seller

Page Two  

Page two details the associated fees and charges involved with the settlement, although the various figures and details are listed down the page, there again features two columns representing the charges paid by buyer and the charges paid by the seller.

The settlement charges listed feature the following; Broker fees Fees related to the loan Items required to be paid in advance by the lender Deposits reserved with the lender Title charges Government recording and transfer charges Any additional settlement charges

Page two closes with the total of settlement charges for the buyer and seller.

Page Three

Page three features figures relating to the Good Faith Estimate (GFE) and the details of the loan terms.The GFE estimate figures will have been supplied to the settlement agent by the bank upon application of the loan, the HUD figures will be listed side by side by the GFE figures in order to easily spot any discrepancies or wide variations in amounts.The loan terms include the originating loan amount, interest rate, interest rate details, and other payment details.

Are there problems with the HUD-1 Settlement Statement?

Despite best efforts by the Housing and Urban Development department and the RESPA, mistakes can and do happen when preparing the settlement statements.  It is extremely important to understand each and every entry on the HUD form.  As previously mentioned it is highly recommended hiring an experienced real estate attorney to take care of the closing as in addition to resolving any legal disputes, they are likely to make use of specialist HUD-1 software which will reduce the chances of human error when preparing the settlement statement by means of validating input, ensuring figures are within allowed ranges and automatically calculating figures used throughout the HUD form.

HUD-1 RESPA & GFE FAQs

Below is a set of very frequently asked questions as presented to real estate attorneys when acting as closing agents.

In every case any questions you may have on any element on the HUD form should be asked preferably to an attorney, and not disregarded.

1. Preparing for the financial summaries of transactions
2. Preparing for the necessary arrangements for closings
3. Preparing for the preliminary negotiation documents
4. Preparing for legal documents like purchase contracts, and listing agreements
5. Gathering information associated with taxes
6. Analyzing mortgage and financing commitments
7. Eliminating possible title problems
8. Determining the status of the title
9. Conducting property surveys
10. Determining scope of inspections
11. Drafting of instruments of conveyance
12. And so on…

It is fortunate they have highly skilled paralegals at hand who know how to handle these tasks competently but undoubtedly, the problem of human error can and will happen, leading to situations where office conflicts and attorney-client disputes may arise.

Aside from these concerns, another problem that real estate lawyers have to face today, is simply remaining in business. Lawyers are not exempt from the recent recession and many law firms are trying their best just to stay in business. Many have resorted to different methods in which they can save expense and one of the first things that is often considered is reducing the headcount which includes associates, paralegals, staff and non-productive partners in the firm.

This is a great cost-cutting strategy but who will then manage all of your files, schedules, as well as document and correspondence preparations? Do you think you will solely be able to handle all the above tasks?  You definitely need an aid which will not bring you any additional worries.

LPO(Legal Practice Optimization) compliant case management software is the perfect solution to all of these problems. It helps lawyers with their case management worries and assists them with their cost-cutting issues and it massively reduces risks of human error. It will not require you to hire additional staff members just for him or her to operate the system for you. It is very simple and convenient to use. It has a friendly interface that allows users, even non-technical types, to navigate through it without any hassles.

Let’s take for example your task to remember important dates related to particular cases that your firm is handling. Traditional real estate lawyers will most likely have a big white board inside their office. This serves as his reminder of the things that needs to be accomplished for the month. He or she may not be the one who updates this gigantic work calendar but this is enough for him to be reminded of his or her tasks for the month.

The problem with this office management approach is convenience. There is no way you can bring this giant white board everywhere yet Case management software provides you the luxury to always have all of this vital information at the comfort of your laptop or mobile device. Now you can have access to a colossal weight of information wherever and whenever. Once a system is installed in your laptop or desktop, you can conveniently click on its designated button and the information you sought for will instantly be presented before your eyes. There is no need for you to call your paralegal and search for files. You simply need to familiarize yourself with the case management software and you can handle it on your own.

Aside from this, it allows you to automatically generate and send letters.  Legal Case Management tools typically come with tons of templates for all your letter needs. It can even install your letterhead into the system as well as your virtual signature so you can send and print letters conveniently. They also contain trackers for different kinds of correspondences that you have traditionally mailed or electronically mailed to your clients. Just signal the system to proceed with mail delivery and it will be done within a few seconds.

A reliable case management application is the ultimate paralegal you may ever need. It is not susceptible to human error and performs its duties 100% efficiently.  Any calculations that must be done can be done in an instant. Any client, broker, lawyer, or any other contact type can be instantly retrieved. In this manner, you can reduce your headcount, benefit, compensation, and even office expense without worrying about the quality of work it will deliver.

Real Estate Legal Software such as The Real Estate Assistant module, part of The Legal Assistant software suite, provides your firm with custom databases that will include the following:

1. Lawyer Database
2. Clients Database
3. Bank Database
4. Real Estate Broker Database
5. Real Estate Agency Database
6. County Clerk Database
7. House and Pest Inspector Database
8. Surveyor Database
9. Municipality Database
10. Title Agency Database
11. Letter Database which contains more than 150 letter templates
12. HUD-1/RESPA

It will assist you with time and billing management, inter-office communication, scheduling and calendar management, notification and reminder management, generate the HUD-1 RESPA form at the click on a mouse, and additionally document management and letter generation features.

One major advantage offered by The Real Estate Assisant is the nature of combining multiple  features into a single product, unlike many offerings out there which require one package for handling billing, another to let you create the HUD-1 or GFE settlement statement,  The Real Estate Assistant has in-built HUD-1 Software right out of the box.

There is no other legal case management software developed which can so much cater to the needs of real estate lawyer than The Legal Assistant.

The traditional legal industry has no solution for these types of situation but with the advancement of modern technology and the use of the internet there is a perfect and simple solution for these types of attorney-client concerns – Law Practice Optimization or Legal Practice Optimization (LPO).

Many law firms still rely on paper-file system, snail mail, and face to face appointments with their clients. Apparently, very few of these legal firms are aware of the fact that their lawyer-client relationship may be improved through Legal Practice Optimization.

Legal Practice Optimization allows legal firms to have a virtual law office giving the attorney the opportunity to effectively communicate with their clients wherever they may be and whenever they need to do so.

Legal Practice Optimization and Client Attorney Relationships

Lawyers are well aware of the fact that visibility and communication are one of the main factors any client seeks with their lawyers.  These clients want to feel secure with their legal disputes and wish to know the progress of their cases, sometimes a little too often than the busy attorney would like.  They indeed are appreciative if their lawyers will constantly feed them with any relevant information pertaining to their case.  However, this is a problem if the lawyer lacks a system that will effectively remind him of his daily, weekly, and monthly commitments.

Lawyers are constantly busy with a variety of paper work, pleas, court responses, contract preparation, court hearings, and legal appointments thus every second of his busy lifestyle counts.  Law Practice Optimization provides lawyers the luxury to work wherever they may be.  Electronic correspondences can be linked to their cellular phones so they can respond to it whenever and wherever.  Moreover, it can allow lawyers to discuss serious and sensitive matters pertaining to the case through real time online communications.

Legal Practice Optimization entails the use of Legal Case Management Software software designed to give ease to lawyers and their paralegals when dealing with clients.  Legal staff may provide the basic information on the case even if the lawyer-in-charge is not around with a few simple clicks of the mouse.  Details of the case will immediately be provided on the screen and clients will easily receive the information he or she wishes to know.  Whoever the operator maybe can instantly be familiarized with the individual clients case and relay information over the phone pertaining to the clients circumstances instilling a sense to the client that they are indeed, the law firms number one priority.

Law Practice Optimization removes all excuses for improved client-attorney relationship. It guarantees no delay in the delivery of correspondences, no forgotten appointments, no unprepared legal documents, no late billing statements sent to the client and no wasted time searching for legal files.

Increase your chances of attracting more clients by adopting Legal Practice Optimization in your law firms.  Do not waste time, money and effort due to unnecessary legal clutters in the offices and forgotten schedules and deadlines. Transform your office into a modern legal firm which will be model law office of tomorrow.

The Legal Industry is probably one of the top culprits behind massive tree cutting in the past years. In a recent survey of paper use, results revealed that an average attorney generates more or less 100,000 sheets of paper a year which is enough paper to wrap the entire U.S. Supreme Court Building 66 times over and is equivalent to twelve 40 foot trees in a year. If the numbers can be reduced then imagine how many trees lawyers can save! But is it possible?

It is impossible for any lawyer not to use paper since document production is an inevitable part of his daily transactions. Voluminous amount of research and paperwork is a common site in the work place of these lawyers thus it is not unusual to encounter heated arguments amongst office personnel because of frustrations associated with finding specific files. If only there could be a way to get rid of these office annoyances and clutter.

Law Practice Optimization or Legal Practice Optimization (LPO), as others may call it, is the solution offered by software developers to the legal industry. It was developed and designed to help provide assistance to law firms by allowing them to obtain a better and more efficient office management in the work place. It introduces modern technology through the use of computer systems and LPO compliant case management programs such as The Legal Assistant that will aid lawyers with their daily routines.

Law Practice Optimization allows the Legal Industry to continue with their daily office routines without the regular office-paper hassles like regular filing of case folders, client files, letters, memorandum, billing statements, pleas, notifications, petitions and the like. Instead of the usual paper and file system, lawyers and their paralegals can simply click on their desired information and key-in specific commands for them to see the information they are looking for. These liberate them from long hours of searching which only brings frustrations and additional stress to the body.

In addition to the above benefits of LPO to the regular office works of lawyers, it also makes their lives more convenient since it allows lawyers to connect to their clients faster and more effectively. The designed software gives lawyer the luxury to receive their mail and even reminders or court notifications electronically or through SMS messages. Thus it puts an end to last minute formulation of Responses to the court simply because you or one of your assistants fails to remind you of the Court’s deadline.

Law Practice Optimization is the perfect tool for the modern law firm.  It is in accordance with the Go Green Campaign advocacy to help save Mother Earth from destruction while assisting legal personnel and lawyers with their daily office work. It brings an end to cluttered offices and needless use of papers while providing you more time to handle family matters and other pressing issues which need to be attended to in the office.  Moreover, it also helps increase the online exposure and marketing of law firms which ultimately enhances your chances of getting more clients and cases to handle.

For further information on LPO software or to arrange a live one on one demonstration of the software, read more on The Legal Assistant, our Legal Case Management Software suite.