Our Company

In 1987, LegalSuite developed one of the first document assembly programs, called MergePerfect, which automated the debt collection process of legal firms. It was well received by the legal fraternity and was soon expanded to reproduce bond and transfer documents as well.

In 1995, the Accounting module was added as well as various other modules such as Bills of Costs, Litigation and Client Billing.  The new version was released as LegalSuite for DOS in 1996. The program proved immensely popular and soon had over 400 firms as clients.

Development on the Windows version of LegalSuite began in 1997 and was first released in 1999. Many new features were added (such as Time Recording and Billing, Document Management, Email, SMS, Management Reports, Fixed Asset Register, Trade Marks, Administration Orders, Sectional Title Registers, Items in Safekeeping). The new Windows program was developed around the Microsoft SQL database and released in 2000.

Since then, the program has developed into a stable and mature product which is receiving rave reviews across the country. LegalSuite for Windows has grown into a sophisticated package that now ranks with the best available internationally.

Who’s behind LegalSuite?

LegalSuite has grown into a well-respected and financially secure company which employs 19 support people and has representatives in the major centres throughout South Africa. The directors are:

Why use LegalSuite?

LegalSuite is a South African program written specifically for attorneys practicing here. The program caters specifically for the nuances and idiosyncrasies of our country with particular attention to the bilingual requirements.

LegalSuite remains the only locally developed program that can offer a complete system which uses a common database and has a built-in accounting system to ensure total integration and automation. We offer the following modules:

Accounting (a complete system tailored for the South African attorney)

Practice Management (using File Notes, Fee Notes and Reminders)

Document Assembly (works with Microsoft Word)

Client billing (using Work in Progress-style Fees and/or Time Recording)

Customer Relations Manager (CRM)

Bond Registration (with electronic instructions from all major banks)

Sectional and Township Title Registers

Cancellations & Consents

Property Transfers (with electronic instructions)

High and Magisrates Court Litigation

Bills of Cost

Debt Collection (with electronic instructions through Lawyers Access Web)

Road Accident Fund

LegalSuite OnLine (give your clients access to their Matters)

Trade Marks

Fixed Asset Register

Admin Orders

Financial and Management Reports

LegalSuite has been approved by all the major financial institutions and the Receiver of Revenue to reproduce their documentation in both English and Afrikaans. Few other programs can boast of this and it is essential if one wants to automate the document assembly function of a law firm in South Africa.

The LegalSuite program and it’s database

LegalSuite works exclusively on the Windows platform and uses SQL Server as its database. SQL is the database of choice among most of the Fortune 500 companies internationally - not only because it is fast, but also because it is extremely reliable. Many of South Africa’s biggest corporations rely on SQL to store and retrieve their data. LegalSuite uses the very same database – whether for a single partner firm or a multinational corporation.

By using mainstream products, LegalSuite ensures that our clients will benefit from the advances made worldwide and also ensures that their data and methodology will be compatible with other systems and software applications.

Backup and Support

Any program is only as good as the after sales backup and support. In the legal environment, where up-time is crucial, quick response to problems is essential to minimise downtime.

The software support team are linked to clients via modem and, as a result, can provide instantaneous support by simply dialling in and working on the computers as if they were sitting in their offices. This model of centralised support has proven to be very successful as it allows the programmers and skilled support personnel located at head office to interact directly with the client.

LegalSuite also has well-trained agents in all the major centres of South Africa who are available for on-site support if required.

The directors of LegalSuite are all software designers and programmers who personally developed the LegalSuite program. They are intimately involved in the business on a day-to-day basis. When changes occur in the legal environment or requests are received from clients, the management team is able to respond quickly and deliver these modifications to the client usually within days, sometimes within hours.

Conclusion

From a technical point of view, LegalSuite is way ahead of the opposition. Many, if not all, of our competitors are playing “catch up” in the technical area, e.g. converting their databases to SQL. LegalSuite has been SQL-based since 1999.

From a program design and operation perspective, LegalSuite has no rival. It is the only program in South Africa that has virtually every tool a legal practitioner could want – linked to a common database – and totally integrated with its own accounting backend. The advantages of using a single application (as opposed to a “mix ‘n match” from diverse suppliers) in terms of automation, functionality, ease-of-use, training and support are obvious, yet should not be under-estimated.

After nearly 20 years in the field, LegalSuite has developed into a comprehensive program that offers a complete, fully integrated solution to South African attorneys. We believe it is the best solution available on the market today