I Am Starting To Dislike Amicus Attorney

I have really started to develop an attitude about Amicus Attorney, our case management system. It’s not that it doesn’t do the things it’s supposed to do. It’s not that we haven’t relied on it extensively over the last many years. It’s just that it’s not web based. We use Amicus Attorney for client matter management, contacts, calendaring and tasks. It hit me the other day that our base camp extranet does at least 85% of what Amicus Attorney does. Currently, we are entering calendaring dates and contacts into both Amicus Attorney and our Extranet. The one critical thing that Amicus Attorney still does and our Extranet does not is export time into our billing system. Our Extranet captures time and spits it out into an excel spreadsheet. Someday soon accounting software will more easily link up with web based applications and Amicus Attorney will be toast.

Yes, I know they’ve got the new web interface in Amicus 10. But I’m not buying the proposition that Amicus Attorney will be able to keep up with the pure web based developers in the space. Proprietary client based software is too hard to maintain and requires too many resources to deploy client side to ever devote enough attention to the web development side.

What do you think?

Comments

[Chris McKinney]

I was interested that you mentioned this topic. My firm has been using Basecamp extranet without a separate case management software and it has worked fine for us. More than 50% of our billing is contingent work so it may be less of of an issue for us. We send monthly billing reports to contingennt clients only for informational purposes. The hourly clients we have need to be entered into our billing software but I expect a link from basecamp within a year or so b/c they are a company that "gets it."

We are a Macintosh firm so Amicus has only recently become available to us now that Macs run Windows programs. I've looked at it but was not impressed. Basecamp integrates directly with Ical, Mac's onboard scheduling software and is really amazing. You might want to give it a look. As forward thinking as you apear to be from your postings, I am surprised you are not already using Apple computers. They are light years ahead of what Windows can currently offer.

Your point is 100% correct though, the future is web-BASED, not web-accessable.

[Frustrated - Seattle]

Terrible, terrible support. I have been a networking engineer for 24 years. There is one standard I always apply to a product. SUPPORT. There is one sure fire way to test support before you buy. Call for support and time how long it takes to get a real person for support. Then call new sales and see how quickly you get a real person for sales. Generally, sales is ALWAYS faster than support. That means only one thing: They are quicker to take your money than to actually earn it. In the case of Amicus software by GAVEL & GOWN SOFTWARE, the sales answers in second. Their support, many hours to actual DAYS to actually talk to a support person. There are even times when you have to leave a call back number because they are too busy (or too cheap) to answer the phone. In addition, not once, never, not ever did they call me back. THIS software is garbage, especially Amicus Accounting. This is not even SQL based. Absolute, total, 100% GARBAGE!!! Do not buy. If you want an accounting product, go to QuickBooks Enterprise because at least you can pay for premier support and they actually answer the phone.

[Peter Tensuda]

I use goclio.com. It is fantastic and perfect for small firms and solos. I was able to afford to set up my own practice largely because of it and it allows me to be more efficient.

[Shauna]

Amicus Accounting is terrible!!!!! Even their own consultants recommend that you use Qickbooks because of the problems. I tried tech support and they were worthless!! Stay away from the Accounting, and based on the attitude they take when you tell them their product does not work, I'd stay away from the whole line of products!!

[Patrick Mazor]

Amicus Attorney and Accounting is a poor program at best - from the user's perspective, from the design perspective. Their support people are arrogant and uncooperative - assuming you can get into the program. Here are two examples of our experiences with Amicus Attorney and Gavel & Gown Software:

Our firm had been delinquent in keeping our accounting up to date. So we hired someone to come in and help us get our books reconciled. In order to go into a month that had been closed out, we had to call technical support and have one of their people remote in to unlock the databases and allow us to reconcile the books. The project took nearly six months to complete. It could have easily been done in a month if our accounting person could have had access to the password to the accounting database.

About a month ago (July 2011), we finally threw our hands up and said enough and decided to make a change. I kid you not - one of Gavel & Gown's people said the following, "Well - you're leaving us. We have no obligation to provide you with support." I guess having paid them before wasn't adequate. When I tried to discuss this with a senior person, I could not get past the receptionist. When I called back, I was cycled through the system multiple times and could not even get to the receptionist.

Like I said - arrogant and the sense of loyalty to customers is not there at all.

DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT - YOU WILL REGRET IT. Go with Abacus if you are on PC and with Hipersoft's PIP if on Mac.

[Steven]

Amicus Attorney 11 is crap! They took everything that worked and broke it. It crashes, it loses postings and contacts, I could go on but I have wasted too much time on this product already.