I love having a great case management system. On top of that, I really love our flat fee system. We’ve got a great way to keep up with the work we’ve done and we don’t need to keep time records. It’s magic.

But, I recognize that not everyone is going to invest in a case management system with a built-in time and billing system. I also know, having talked to so many of you by phone and email, that you’re not necessarily ready to move to a flat fee system. I get it.

That doesn’t, however, mean you can run your practice on the back of a napkin. You need a really solid time and billing system. You want it to be simple. You don’t want to spend a bunch of money on it and you especially don’t want to get bogged down in technology issues when  the server crashes and the backup fails. You’d rather not track time by hand, but you will if it’s less of a hassle than managing a computerized system.

I’ve checked out a bunch of systems and one product keeps coming up – FreshBooks. I’ve read multiple reviews from a variety of professionals with hands-on experience with the product.  Everyone loves it and highly recommends it. My experience with the product is limited to their free “Moped” account. I’ve spent some time playing with their user interface and I’m impressed. FreshBooks is absolutely worth the time it will take you to check it out and see if it meets your needs. It’s a hosted product meaning there’s no software for you to install, no data to backup and no server to maintain.

Their pricing is good and it varies depending on the number of clients you need to bill. They have a variety of add-ons including iPhone and Android apps and desktop time keeping. They offer a free trial and a money back guarantee. If you’re doing this by hand, or if your current system keeps you awake at night with worry about a system crash, then it’s time to give FreshBooks a try.