Vendors of cloud-based practice management applications are continually building out their products by adding new features and new integrations with third-party software. Overall, that’s a good thing, in that it broadens the options available to law firms and lets law firms tailor systems to their own needs.

However, one side effect of all this is murkier pricing. For a law firm shopping for a practice management platform, comparing features is already a matter of apples and oranges. Integrations add a further layer of complexity to the equation. Most PM systems advertise a monthly subscription rate. But when you factor in integrations your firm may need — such as accounting or CRM — that monthly price can grow.

This is my topic this week in my column at Above the Law. For more details and examples, see: This Week in Legal Tech: Practice Management Pricing Gets Murky.

And if you are in the Philadelphia area, I’ll be speaking about choosing a practice management platform on Friday at Above the Law’s Academy for Private Practice.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.