LEAP Reviews

Pros

I adore LEAP and consider it to be a priceless resource for my legal business. The element of LEAP that I value the most is its thorough document management system. I can easily arrange, keep, and access all of my legal paperwork in a one location thanks to LEAP. The time and effort I would have otherwise spent looking for and managing tangible files is significantly reduced thanks to this. Finding specific papers is really simple for me thanks to the user-friendly UI and powerful search features, even on my mobile devices. The document management features of LEAP have significantly increased my productivity and efficiency, allowing me to devote more of my time to helping my clients and less of it to office work.

Cons

While I have had an overall positive experience with LEAP, there is one aspect that I found slightly challenging. The feature that I liked the least about LEAP is its learning curve when it comes to customization and advanced settings. As a user, I appreciate software that offers flexibility and allows me to tailor it to my specific needs.

Pros

I loved this program when we used it. You could save emails directly to the file, the documents could be easily organized to the file. You could easily create documents using the coding from each field you chose to set up your file.

Cons

Sometimes the program would lag or the coding would be an issue and then you would have to constantly fix problems. Toward the end of our use of the program, the emails sync was a giant issue for us. I also had difficulty finding the fields sometimes as it wasn't customizable. We would have to use the fields that were supplied by Leap which could be confusing at times.

Pros

Let's be honest, LEAP is aimed mid to large sized businesses. It doesn't really cater for us smaller players in the market. With this in mind, it's primary aim is case management and deployment/delegation to others. It offers many features and add-ons from outside apps but very few were ones I was already existing.

Cons

LEAP's software is difficult to manage, not very intuitive. Cumbersome for a so-called leading software provider. 8 months in, there are many features I do not use/nor require. Integration with other apps such as Willsuite has been a frustrating experience to say the least with many issues still unresolved.

Sadly, LEAP's customer service is woeful. No helpline, they just direct you to self-help videos or request you to email support. It can take days for them to respond, a complete joke when you have work and clients waiting for vital documents.

Pros

Constant development and improvement, adding new features frequently.

Cons

Features feel incomplete and unpolished. For example, there is a bulk import tool to upload documents into LEAP, but bulk export is limited to the first 100 documents. Exporting more than 100 documents requires manually exporting files, subfolder by subfolder, and file by file if more than 100 files in a folder. Be warned that once you move your document to LEAP, they are stuck there. I've had a support ticket out for a week and am waiting for response.

Alternatives Considered

Clio

Reasons for Choosing LEAP

Actionstep tripled its prices, despite not adding any significant features for years.

Switched From

Actionstep

Reasons for Switching to LEAP

A lot of essential features and functions are not included in the base subscription. Figuring out what features to add to CLIO would have been a huge pain. LEAP had all features included for free with the base subscription, making it a bit cheaper if you use a lot of add in features; but more importantly, avoiding the time-consuming process of testing and evaluating to figure out what features to add. Also, LEAP seems to be more on the cutting edge of incorporation AI tools. Because LEAP seems to be a relatively new entrant, they may have lucked out in that they happened to be investing a lot into improving their project right around the time that generative AI came out, meaning that they are building their web app with AI in mind from the start, whereas other legacy products are tacking on AI features as an afterthought.

Pros

Cloud based, creates efficiencies when working correctly

Cons

Lack of transparency with issues, tech support is lacking and disjointed

Pros

Not a bad product, good management system.

Cons

Great before you sign up, but no support should there be a problem...check out Leap Community.

They lured me back with a discounted fee and then raised it by 50% for the new term so we left...they don't have a monopoly anymore!

Pros

The offering was great and appeared to do everything I needed in my business.
Training offered was fairly good but useless in hindsight.

Cons

Software littered with problems.
Draft documents poor quality
Support was shockingly bad

Pros

More user friendly than PCLAW in terms of being able to locate info regarding a client

Cons

Does not handle the accounting side of the operating account

Alternatives Considered

CosmoLex

Reasons for Choosing LEAP

Support for PCLAW ended and its price went sky high with no longevity

Switched From

PCLaw

Reasons for Switching to LEAP

Supposedly our historical data was going to be mograted

Pros

The system is better for large firms with IT specialist.

Cons

Waste of money if you a a small firm or sole practitioner.
Have to reinvest in a system that is compatible with the software, costing additional 2k
External trainer rubbish as you have to book time and it’s rushed if you do not know windows.
You have to purchase top ons. That is more costly so your package could run into the thousand.
Read the contract and if not happy make sure you cancel.
Once your subscription finish you will not have the availability to gain access to your client files.
If you are tied in and try to negotiate you will be ignored and you have no resolution
BECAREFUL BEFORE YOU SIGN THIER CONTRACT.

Pros

The product is mature and provides a complete law practice package including document storage, time reading, billing, trust accounting and matter management. Remote access is available and there are nice mobile app features available.

Cons

Alot of functionality is heavily promoted in LEAP marketing materials but requires additional premium third-party licenses.

LEAP has a rigid pricing structure. There are no categories for admin staff vs fee earners etc. This means you must purchase a full license including precedent subscription for every staff member including casual and part-time staff.

Technical support has declined dramatically in the past 6 months. We have waited over a week to have a support ticket acknowledged. Matter remains unresolved two weeks later. There is no transparent ticketing system for technical error. You are pushing onto the online chat which currently has wait times over an hour and the end result is to lodge a support ticket.

Implementation was poorly handled with poor communication.

Alternatives Considered

Smokeball

Pros

Leap has a very good document library which is why we initially selected leap. However, this is probably the best feature.

Creating templates is also easy as is some of the accounts features. However, it does not have a general accounting facility - so you'll be paying extra to Xero for that.

Cons

Tasks - it is heavily reliant on MS Outlook. If you do litigation, imagine note being able to access or edit tasks allocated to one of your fee earners and that fee earner is off. What do you?

When it comes to diarising tasks, you will be spending more time accepting assigned tasks than actually earning any fees. As an example, on a litigated matter i could have up to 20 directions that i need to comply with. my assistant will set a 14, 7, 2 and on the day reminder (this is a laborious task in Leap). thats 4x20 (80 tasks). i then receive 80 emails i need to open, accept and save (imagine how long that takes). The task is then saved in my out look tasks. No one else can access or edit or delete. This is stuck in outlook and in the matter!

So if i leave - and i have 100 files, thats 800 tasks that no one can access - they will have to troll through the file and set the tasks again. You see the problem! we learnt the hardway.

There is no adequate reporting - so you want to find out how many files you have with a particular supplier/referrer. You can find that out but you can export that into excel . you want to run that report - a third party app will cost you more.

Pros

I love that the mobile app for LEAP looks and performs as if you were at your desktop computer. I also find that the time entries and billing aspects could not get any easier.

Cons

What I am not liking about LEAP is when in LEAP and prepare an e-mail to anyone, it is not obvious where the subject line is pulling from. As I am a new user, I am currently waiting on my next training to use this feature because I find it more difficult to have the program put in an incorrect subject line and then have to change it every time I prepare a new e-mail. I would prefer that when entering information into LEAP that it say "e-mail subject line" or something that indicates where LEAP automatically gets this information from.

My second con is that we are an insurance defense firm LEAP assumed that we were a plaintiff firm. What that means is that now I must go into each of our cases and change the information as our "client" is not the plaintiff.

Alternatives Considered

Time Matters and Clio

Reasons for Choosing LEAP

We wanted a more detailed and mobile friendly cloud based program. PCLaw has a cloud based program but that I was not the program we were using.

Switched From

PCLaw

Reasons for Switching to LEAP

Because Lexis gave LEAP a great review.

Pros

the detailed cards for the plaintiff, defendant, opposing counsel, etc.

Cons

This software is not user friendly and complicated to learn/use.

Pros

Leap is easy to use and integrates perfectly for your firm, whatever size. Great online support service available.

Cons

I cannot fault Leap. I have had no issues whatsoever.

Alternatives Considered

Clio

Reasons for Choosing LEAP

Proclaim was very difficult to use

Reasons for Switching to LEAP

I had already been with Leap and the system had no faults. Although Clio may have been slightly cheaper, I was happy to pay for a service I was happy with.

Pros

[sensitive content hidden] is great at document automation

Cons

Support is all on the web.....hard to get a human voice

Pros

It's great having everything in one place in a cloud based system. The integrations with Xero, Office and Review Solicitors are excellent.

Cons

Law Connect is not as useful as it should be. We have given up on using the Your Finances app

Pros

The meeting with Kudzai was really informative and the system has many advantages, which were well explained by Kudzai.

Cons

They were just a few things we felt that the system was lacking with law connect: 1. The inability to send emails out of the law connect system and the fact that all documents would be in different places. So, only attachments to client's would be on law connect but the emails would be elsewhere. It would be useful if you could also send all things from one place on the law connect app so that it is easy for us and the clients. 2. Unable to open downloads on the law connect app, would have to be in leap.

Pros

Easy to use, works alongside our accounts system and good value for money.

Cons

Nothing I've come across that I don't like.

Pros

All the guides and precedents we have access to are really helpful and save so much time

Cons

Greater admin control could make life easier, but I'm aware they are making changes to this

Pros

We like the ease with which LEAP integrates with Microsoft products and the fact it was cloud based, which did come into its own over the past 18 months with staff moving to work from home. Time recording can be easily done when reviewing/typing up emails. Flexibility to set up precedents that work for your own practice or there are LEAP precedents that can be used as well. Using LawConnect, makes it straightforward to share documents with others securely. The team are constantly looking a developing the software to make improvements to the software. The integration with many APPs can bring more efficiencies. A good selection of reports that can be run to extract vital information for running your business. The integration with Xero accounting for the practice's own accounting is very good.

Cons

There has been work required to ensure the product can meet the accounts rules for Scotland and further developments are in progress with an imminent release which should make this easier . The online chat is great to get a quick answer but if you have a technical query, you have to wait for a call back and this can be frustrating as you may not be available when they call back. It would be better if an appointment system could be created so you know when to expect a call, even if 1/2 or hour windows. It is on the higher scale for cost but if you use the system as it is designed to be used, which may involve you changing your processes, efficiencies can be achieved, which goes towards offsetting the cost of the product.

Pros

LEAP manages to be complete and complex beneath the surface but appears to be so simple and clear on-screen. If one thinks that there is something that can't be done on LEAP, a simple chat with the helpdesk usually reveals that the facility required has been there all along and is easy to access (once you know how). The support is always fast and effective as well as pleasant and friendly.
I also like the fact that LEAP are open to suggestion and discussion with the community about changes or additions to their software. It doesn't feel like a "like it or lump it" product.
LEAP also introduced us to some other companies whose services integrate fully with LEAP and make processes seamless, thus saving precious time.

Cons

We hadn't used a dedicated case management system before so, initially, we found it difficult to get used to a whole new concept and there was a temptation to cheat and revert to our old processes. It took a while for us to overcome our fears of the unknown and to become accustomed to a new way of thinking. This was our failing, not LEAP's, but as complete rookies we could probably have done with a little more hand-holding. The early days were hard without a doubt but that is true of most dramatic changes. The benefits of having LEAP far outweigh that tough initial learning curve.

Pros

Most important was
The complete integration with Microsoft 365.
excellent time recording function - (need to add facility to add a time entry to a pdf which has been imported into Leap)

Cons

Using template documents and creating template matters is not very intuitive - of course this is a complicated function but it could be made easier/clearer.
Main page menu structure is not easy to navigate. in particular accounting information - it seems fragmented. some bits here others in different places.
have found excel documents are not always saved up to date which is concerning.

Pros

The Leap platform is easy to use and form templates are customisable as are presidents. Accounting can be linked to most financial platforms, we use Xero which works well. Customer support is what is should be, responsive and easy to access. Online training guide and user forums solve most issues with minimal time and effort. The introduction of Customer Success Managers to provide personal support, who are accessible is excellent. If you use the system as designed, a CRM platform you will obtain true benefits in workflows and costs.

Cons

Mobile access to Leap is good on Apple phones but has limited functionality on Android phones. This is a failing. Perversely Leap does not work well on Apple Macs but is excellent on Pc's?
Other legal system providers do not appear to have this as an issue with their android aps development, android being the predominant and growing platform in the UK.

Pros

it's just so user friendly and the "how to" articles are very helpful.
it's integrates brilliantly with Xero.
Info Track is a real time saver for conveyancers and cuts down the accounts work in reconciling the LR account - also far less likely to miss picking up a search on a bill.
the integration with the forms is also fantastic
the "print to LEAP" feature also saves a lot of time

Cons

create or tailor own reports would be useful
when attaching forms to emails, it would be good to have them running from new to old within the folder
create own work types
it's a shame LEAP ties you into a 3 year renewal deal.

Pros

Billing and time keeping, email, the mobile app, case and document management,

Cons

The lack of available categories for matter types tgst reflect aspects of real law practice in Illinois

Alternatives Considered

Clio

Reasons for Choosing LEAP

User unfriendly

Switched From

PCLaw

Reasons for Switching to LEAP

Leap was more comprehensive