PracticePanther

PracticePanther is all-in-one practice management software for law firms, built around the parts of running a practice that eat up the most admin time: case management, calendaring, client communication, billing and getting paid. It is best known for being easy to pick up, and for having payments and trust accounting built in rather than bolted on.

PracticePanther was founded in 2012, launched its first beta in 2014, and has been backed by the private equity firm Alpine Investors since 2018. In 2020 it launched its own in-house payments product, PantherPayments. It says tens of thousands of legal professionals use it, and that it is approved by more than 70 bar associations.

What PracticePanther does

At its core, PracticePanther is a case management system. Contacts and matters sit on one dashboard, with tasks, events, documents and notes attached to each case. Workflows let you standardise how matters run: each step can trigger tasks, events and checklists, and conditional workflows adapt to different situations. PracticePanther says workflows save firms more than 8 hours of admin a week.

Client-facing tools are a strong point. Automated intake forms with custom fields feed straight into new matters, the secure client portal shows clients their case progress, and two-way business texting keeps conversations in the case file, where they can be turned into time entries. Native eSignature, batch document creation, and automatic reminders for appointments, documents and invoices (by email, text or portal) cut down on chasing. There is also a legal CRM for nurturing leads and past clients.

Billing, payments and accounting

This is where PracticePanther stands out from simpler case management tools. Time and expenses can be tracked from any device, with multiple timers, and calendar events can be turned into time entries. Billing works for hourly and contingency matters, and the Business plan adds UTBMS coding and LEDES billing for clients that require it.

PantherPayments lets clients pay by credit card, ACH or eCheck, with payment plans, custom payment links and automated payment reminders. PracticePanther says firms get paid 70% faster with it. On the top plan, PantherAccounting Plus adds full trust and operating accounting, a general ledger, accounts receivable and expense management, and three-way trust reconciliation, so smaller firms may not need separate bookkeeping software.

PracticePanther pricing and plans

PracticePanther pricing is published, per user per month, in USD. Annual billing saves $120 per user per year:

• Solo: $49 billed annually ($59 monthly). Case management, time tracking, PantherPayments, document templates and task and event workflows.
• Essential: $69 billed annually ($79 monthly). Adds custom fields, custom security roles, invoice read alerts and multiple bank accounts.
• Business: $89 billed annually ($99 monthly). Adds two-way texting, intake forms, unlimited eSignature, the attorney revenue report and LEDES billing, plus VIP support and unlimited live training.
• Business Pro: $114 billed annually ($124 monthly). Adds PantherAccounting Plus with trust and operating accounting, an enhanced reconciliation process and GL, AR and expense management.

Every plan includes contact and matter management, time and expense tracking, the client portal, unlimited data storage and the iPhone, iPad and Android apps. There is a 7-day free trial with no credit card needed. Check the official PracticePanther pricing page for current figures.

Integrations

PracticePanther syncs email and calendars with Outlook, Gmail, Microsoft Exchange and Google Calendar, and connects to QuickBooks Online, Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive and Mailchimp. Legal-specific integrations include Lawmatics, Smith.ai, Docketwise, WealthCounsel and LawToolBox, and Zapier and an open API cover the rest.

Security

PracticePanther encrypts data with 256-bit encryption and encrypted connections, follows HIPAA standards for document storage powered by Box, and handles payments in line with PCI compliance. Two-factor authentication is available, and data is backed up on Microsoft Azure’s geo-redundant servers, so it is stored in more than one location.

Who it’s for

PracticePanther suits solo lawyers and small to mid-sized firms that want an easy-to-learn, all-in-one system with strong billing, payments and accounting, at a clearly published price. It supports many practice areas at once. It does not advertise built-in AI tools, so firms that want AI drafting, research or case analysis inside their practice management system may prefer Clio or MyCase.

To weigh it up, browse other legal tools in our directory, see our list of tools for lawyers, or put PracticePanther side by side with Clio and MyCase on the Compare tools page.

You can start a free trial on the official PracticePanther website.