Two of the leading cloud-based law practice management platforms, MyCase and Rocket Matter, are each announcing major new enhancements today. MyCase is rolling out full integration with QuickBooks accounting software, while Rocket Matter is unveiling a significant update to its client portal.

MyCase QuickBooks Integration

Starting today, MyCase users will be able to synchronize the billing and invoicing they do within MyCase with the popular accounting software QuickBooks. This is full and painless synchronization, where your clients, payments and trust accounts can be synchronized with just the click of a button.

All invoicing and records of payments will be made within MyCase. When you are ready to sync, you select the QuickBooks tab within MyCase. A list of unsynced items will appear. Select the ones to sync and click the button. All of the entries are synced to QuickBooks.

There is no additional monthly charge for the integration. However, MyCase is charging a one-time set-up fee to add the integration. For an introductory promotional period, the fee will be $49, after which it will increase to $99.

Based on a demonstration I saw last week, this appears to be a more robust and seamless QuickBooks integration than other practice-management platforms offer. Others integrate only with the desktop version of QuickBooks or require a multi-step process of exporting data from one platform and then importing to the other.

Rocket Matter Client Portal

Although Rocket Matter already allowed users to create client portals, it is calling this new offering its Portal 2.0. The new version allows users to create branded portals where they can share calendar information, documents and invoices with clients or anyone else. The new portals include integration with LawPay, a credit card processor that allows you to collect payments electronically.

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Rocket Matter’s new client portal with the LawPay feature.

Now, when you create an invoice within Rocket Matter, you can deliver it to the client through the portal. The client is notified by email of the invoice and can log in and pay the invoice directly through the portal using LawPay. Any payments are automatically reflected on the client’s account balance within Rocket Matter. (Use of this feature requires you to have a separate subscription directly with LawPay.)

The new portal also allows you to invite clients to calendar events. The events will show within the portal and can also be emailed as iCalendar files (.ics) that recipients can add directly to their own calendars.

Another new feature that Rocket Matter announced today is integration with Copy2Contact. Copy2Contact is a great little tool that lets you simply highlight someone’s contact information — from their email signature, a web page or wherever — and add it to your contacts. It automatically populates the correct information in the correct fields, saving you from having to type it all. The Rocket Matter integration allows you to this Copy2Contact to add new entries to your Rocket Matter contacts.

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.