Advocate Bart Cools on Cicero LawPack
The Miveco law firm from Lommel has been using Cicero for a long time. The various applications of the package were gradually introduced over the past 25 years, somewhat in parallel to the developments within the office. We probed advocate Bart Cools with regard to his findings, as well as those of his colleagues in connection with Cicero LawPack.
"It was in the late eighties when Cicero was introduced into our office, and placed right next to the fax machine. The secretary typed the dictates of two lawyers, who managed their fees themselves. For years we used the program only for the case management and its link to word processing, and occasionally for debt collection," Advocate Cools recalls vividly.
After a while, the integration with Outlook and the introduction of VAT for lawyers helped convince even the most loyal supporters of paper diaries to also start using Cicero's modules for accounting, billing and calendaring (court docketing and calendaring, appointments as well as reminders).
According to Bart Cools, Cicero LawPack has repeatedly proved its worth over the years. "The expansion of the office from two to five lawyers made it necessary to work more uniformly, and with Cicero this is actually possible. It does force one to reflect upon ingrained habits and working methods. Unlike twenty years ago, for example, we now type our letters ourselves, and the secretaries deal with accounting and billing. Some weeks ago, we finally said goodbye to our paper diaries."
The Overpelt branch of Miveco uses a VPN connection to directly work on the server, without any delay. Bart Cools also points out how striking it is that trainees can handle the program quickly, which underlines the user-friendliness of Cicero LawPack.
The people at Miveco are also very pleased with their contacts with Informa Europe, the supplier of Cicero. On informal training days, e.g., the very new program modules, such as the web applications, are explained, which offers ample opportunity for personal contact between suppliers and users.
