Law Practice Management (LPM) software is a platform that, to varying degrees, manages each aspect of your law firm. The scope, features and capabilities of any given Law Practice Management application varies from product to product; though broadly speaking, LPM software performs the following functions.

  • Client & Contact Management
  • Case/Matter Management
  • Time & Expense Tracking
  • Billing
  • Calendaring
  • Task Management

Beyond these core features, some LPM applications provide additional functionality or focus on a particular element of law practice as a stand-out feature.

These include:

  • Conflict Checking
  • Document Assembly/Automation
  • Trust Accounting
  • Business Accounting
  • Document Management
  • Email Management

In this way, LPM software sometimes overlaps with Document Management Software (DMS) and Law Firm Accounting Software.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Tabs3 and PracticeMaster

Tabs3 and PracticeMaster by ProfitSolv are collectively a suite of law practice management and accounting software. Both Tabs3 and PracticeMaster can be used as stand-alone applications, but are frequently purchased and used together. As such, we’ll refer to the pair of applications collectively as “Tabs3 and PracticeMaster,” as that is how they are often implemented.

  • PracticeMaster: PracticeMaster provides client and contact management, case/matter management, calendaring, and other “front-office” capabilities.
  • Tabs3: Tabs3 serves as the “back-office” counterpart to PracticeMaster, in that it handles legal billing, business accounting, and trust accounting for your law firm.

(See below for a full list of features for both modules.)

Both Tabs3 and PracticeMaster are server/desktop-based software, which means it can run on-premise, on your firm’s in-house servers, or hosted in a Private Cloud.

A Good Fit for Firms That…

Tabs3 and Practice Master are good fits for law firms that need both comprehensive billing and accounting (including trust accounting) along with a sophisticated solution to manage clients and cases. Since both front-office and back-office functions are managed by the Tabs3/Practice Master suite, the solution is good for firms that do not want to manage their practice and their accounting in separate software.

The Company

Both Tabs3 and PracticeMaster were developed by Software Technology, Inc. (STI), which is also the parent company of CosmoLex.

See Tabs3 & PracticeMaster in Use

Tabs3 and PracticeMaster have intuitive interfaces, and integrate in such a way that the pair often feel like a single application.

PM_Calendar_File
PM1-PM-Calendar-File-tab-opened
PM_Matter_Manager

Tabs3 & PracticeMaster Stand-Out Features

Modular and End-to-End Law Practice Software

Tabs3 and PracticeMaster are separate applications, and in that way are modular in nature. They can be used independently for firms that need only front-office or back-office capabilities, or together for an end-to-end law practice platform.

Network of Authorized Consultants

Tabs3 and PracticeMaster have an authorized consultant program and a large network of independent legal software consultants who can help your firm maximize your investment in the software.

Integration for Document Management

Tabs3 and PracticeMaster handle your firm’s accounting and case management, respectively. For firms that need comparable document management, the suite integrates with Worldox document management software.

Complete Feature List

Client & Contact Management

A central database to store information for clients, courts, related parties and other contacts.

Matter Management

A central database of matters, cases and projects. Stores the most relevant information pertaining to each matter.

Calendaring

Individual calendars for each user, along with an aggregated, firm-wide view/calendar. Synchronization with Outlook calendar.

Task Management

Create tasks and to-do items pertaining to specific matters or projects. Assign tasks and set deadlines.

Time & Expense Tracking

Track billable hours and related expenses for a particular client or matter.

Billing

Invoicing, including for billable hours, contingency work, and fixed-fee matters.

Conflict Checking

Search the database for related names, document each conflict check.

Business Accounting

Standard business accounting, including a Chart of Accounts, Bank/Operating Accounts, standard accounting reports (P&L, Balance Sheet).

Trust Accounting

Trust/IOLTA accounting for management of trust funds, including trust account reporting.

Document Assembly/Automation

Automatic preparation and population of specific court documents and forms.

Document Storage

Built-in cloud storage for related documents and files.

Document Management

Advanced document management including full-text search, document tagging & profiling, and version management.

Email Management

The ability to save emails to specific matters, via Outlook integration.

Mobile App

An Android or iPhone application for time entry and some subset of software functionality.

Client Portal

A client-facing online portal to share documents and updates with clients and other third-parties.

Open API

An open API (Application Program Interface), allowing you or third-parties to develop integrations with the software.

User Feedback

We’ve aggregated and curated feedback from Tabs3 and PracticeMaster users. This feedback is made up of feedback from our clients, legal technology consultants and online user feedback.

“I Highly Recommend Tabs3.” - Tracy from Rembolt Ludtke, LLP

“We use Tabs for our timekeeping and billing, the Tabs3 Connect is a great feature for attorneys to enter their time on the go. The General Ledger and Accounts Payable software integrate well with each other and with Tabs, so that saves on duplication of work. Practice Master has great features and is a great database for containing the information needed for our clients.”

“We’re a Satisfied Customer.” - Katherine from Hirst Applegate, LLP

“We have used Tabs3 for billing since before I started (16 years ago), but we used another practice management software for a while before switching to PracticeMaster. We recently made the change from the basic version to the Platinum version. The price difference was the hurdle, but the features in Platinum are valuable. Support has been very good over the years.”

“Cumbersome and Outdated” - Attorney from a Small Law Firm

“It is very difficult to navigate and hard to learn if you are not trained well, and especially if you do not have significant bookkeeping experience. It does seem to have lots of features and capabilities. However, many of them are not easily found, or require too many steps to be efficient. There seem to be lots of unnecessary steps added to very basic requests. The whole program has an outdated, unaesthetic appearance.”

“Easy to Use.” - Nicole from Haddon, Morgan and Foreman, P.C.

“Good timekeeping reports and billing statements. It streamlines billing and conflict checks. Creates uniformity for invoices and statements overall look is clean and polished. However, there are too many steps to set up a new client, there are close to 9 tabs that need to be viewed in order to to generate a new file.“

Tabs3 & PracticeMaster Software Pricing

Pricing information provided is made up of intel from customers, consultants, and in some cases the software publisher.

  • Pricing is based on whether your firm buys Tabs3, PracticeMaster or both.
  • Pricing is also based on the number of Timekeepers and Users within your firm.
  • See the vendor’s Price Calculator for more information.

Tabs3 and PracticeMaster in the Cloud

Tabs3 and PracticeMaster are desktop/server-based software, which means you can run them on your firm’s in-house, on-premise servers, or hosted in a Private Cloud.

Running Tabs3 or PracticeMaster in secure Private Cloud, via a Virtual Desktop platform, gives your law firm the advantages of the cloud, without having to maintain servers and deal with IT headaches.

Advantages of Tabs3 and PracticeMaster in the Cloud

The Best of Both Worlds

Keep the robust legal software that your firm is committed to and relies on, while enjoying the advantages of the Cloud.

Work From Anywhere

Unchain your self from the office, ditch clunky VPN and remote-computer-login “solutions.” A Private Cloud provides a secure, easy-to-use Virtual Desktop that gives you access to your legal software, documents and email from anywhere.

Data Security & Compliance

Secure Private Cloud platforms, like Uptime Cloud, keep your software and data secure. End-to-end data encryption, Multi-Factor Authentication, Geographic Data Redundancy (Backups), Virus Protection and Ransomware Protection will keep your data secure and your firm compliant.

Eliminate Servers & IT Headaches

Maintaining servers and managing IT is a pain, even with a capable local IT support firm. A Private Cloud like Uptime Cloud provides all necessary server infrastructure, managed, backed up and ready-to-go: So you can focus on your firm and your clients.

Minimize Downtime

Capable Private Cloud platforms like Uptime Cloud are built with enterprise-grade infrastructures and managed round-the-clock by professionals. This minimizes downtime for your firm, and maximizes productivity.

Flexible & Scalable

Stay flexible: Cloud-based solutions allow you to scale users, software, storage and options up or down as needed.

Economical

We consistently see Private Cloud solutions deliver a lower Total Cost of Ownership compared to managing on-premise, in-house servers and IT equipment. Study the Financial Case for Private Cloud, or get our Cloud Cost Calculator.

Ready to Get Tabs3 or PracticeMaster in the Cloud?

At Uptime Legal, we host Tabs3, PracticeMaster and other legal software for hundreds of law firms across North America.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about a private cloud for your law firm.

Published On: December 15th, 2023 / Categories: Law Firm Software, Tabs3 /

Written By: Dennis Dimka

As the founder and CEO of Uptime Legal, I've had the privilege of guiding our company to become a leading provider of technology services for law firms.

Our growth, both organic and through strategic acquisitions, has enabled us to offer a diverse range of services, tailored to the evolving needs of the legal industry.

Being recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist and seeing Uptime Legal ranked among the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America for eight consecutive years are testaments to our team's dedication.

At Uptime Legal, we strive to continuously innovate and adapt in the rapidly evolving legal tech landscape, ensuring that law firms have access to the most advanced and reliable technology solutions.

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