PracticePanther is a cloud-based legal practice management platform built specifically for law firms. It bundles case management, billing, document handling, and a client portal into a single system, positioning itself as a modern alternative to legacy legal software. Tens of thousands of legal professionals use it, and the company claims it can save firms up to 8 hours per week on administrative work.

Client Portal

The client portal gives clients a self-service window into their matters. From the portal, clients can view uploaded documents, send secure messages to the firm, check invoice balances, and make payments online. All portal communications sync back into the CRM so attorneys have a complete record without manually tracking email threads. Firms can white-label the portal by embedding their logo, giving it a more professional appearance than a generic vendor interface.

The portal connects directly to PracticePanther's intake and workflow automation. When a prospect fills out a customized intake form, their data flows into a new contact record automatically—eliminating manual data entry and speeding up the process of getting a new client into the system.

Case and Matter Management

Cases are organized around a matter record that consolidates contacts, documents, time entries, calendar events, notes, and billing in one place. Custom tags let firms categorize matters however they see fit, and the dashboard provides a high-level view across the entire caseload. Conditional workflow automation can trigger tasks, reminders, and client communications based on case stage, which is useful for firms with standardized processes like real estate closings or immigration filings.

Billing and Payments

PracticePanther's billing toolset is one of its strongest differentiators. Attorneys can track time from any device, run multiple concurrent timers, and convert calendar events directly into billable time entries. The built-in PantherPayments processor accepts credit cards, ACH, and eCheck. The company claims it helps firms get paid 70% faster, and payment plans with custom payment links are supported.

Trust accounting is fully integrated, with daily three-way reconciliation support and configurable threshold notifications to maintain IOLTA compliance. This matters a lot for law firms—non-compliant trust accounting is a bar discipline risk—and having it built into the billing workflow rather than bolted on is a genuine advantage.

Intake and Automation

Intake forms can be embedded on a firm's website with custom fields and branding. Submissions auto-populate contact records in the CRM. From there, firms can enroll contacts in automated workflows that send appointment reminders, document request nudges, and invoice payment reminders via email, SMS, or the client portal. Two-way business texting is included, with conversations tracked against the matter record for billing purposes.

Integrations and Security

PracticePanther integrates with a range of third-party tools including email platforms, calendars, and document storage. Security uses 256-bit SSL encryption with real-time cloud backup. Admins can assign role-based security permissions, so a paralegal or intake coordinator can be restricted from accessing billing data or sensitive matter details.

Pricing

Plans are offered monthly or annually, with annual billing providing a discount. The Solo plan starts at $49/user/month (annual) and covers contact and matter management, time tracking, and the client portal with unlimited data storage. The mid-tier plan at $79/user/month adds features like custom intake forms and reporting. The Business plan at $99/user/month unlocks e-signatures, two-way business texting, attorney revenue reports, and advanced workflow capabilities. A 7-day free trial is available with no credit card required.

Limitations

PracticePanther is purpose-built for legal work, so it won't fit professional services firms outside of law. The client portal is a component of the broader practice management suite rather than a standalone product—if you only need a client portal, you'd be paying for a lot of features you won't use. Per-user pricing can also become expensive at scale, since features like business texting and e-signatures are locked behind the top-tier plan, meaning firms may need to upgrade all users to access those capabilities.

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