Bob Ambrogi

<img width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.lawnext.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ActionstepPayments1-1024x576.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;" />Way back in 2020, I wrote about how the pandemic had escalated the <a href="https://abovethelaw.com/2020/09/is-the-pandemic-driving-the-recent-spate-of-practice-management-acquisitions/">importance of electronic payments</a> as a feature of law practice management software. That trend has only escalated since then, with any number of practice management platforms launching not just integrated e-payments from third-party payment processors, but their own native e-payments.
Now, another practice management platform is taking that step, as <a href="https://www.actionstep.com/">Actionstep</a>, a cloud-based legal practice management software for mid-sized law firms, today launches <a href="https://www.actionstep.com/product/actionstep-payments">Actionstep Payments</a>, a built-in electronic payments solution for its customers in the United States.
The company said that the new feature provides flexible options for making online payments that will make it easier for a law firm&#8217;s clients to pay invoices and that will save firms valuable time entering, processing, and chasing down payments.
It also eliminates the need for firms to use third-party payment providers to receive payments online from clients, which in some cases can create data silos and extra data entry.
<a href="https://directory.lawnext.com/products/actionstep/">More about Actionstep in the LawNext Legal Technology Directory</a>.
The new Actionstep Payments feature is built natively within the Actionstep platform, enabling firms to send secure online payment links to clients and accept a variety of payment types, all within the platform. Payments are directly deposited into the law firm’s operating or trust account.
<div id="attachment_41838" style="width: 696px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41838" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-41838" src="https://www.lawnext.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ActionstepPayments2.png" alt="" width="686" height="472" />Firms control where funds for retainers and invoice payments are deposited.</div>
The feature allows clients to view all their open invoices, pay multiple invoices at once, or make partial payments.
Firms can set a retainer linked to a matter, create automatic notifications, view outstanding client balances, and monitor key payment metrics.
The payments interface can be customized to the firm&#8217;s logo and branding. (See featured image at top of post.)
&#8220;Our goal with Actionstep Payments is to simplify payments for both firm clients and teams,” said Cody Bender, Actionstep’s chief product officer.
<div id="attachment_41837" style="width: 811px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-41837" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-41837" src="https://www.lawnext.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ActionstepPayments3.png.jpg" alt="" width="801" height="612" />A dedicated payments portal lets firms see all transactions, run reports, and customize how payments are processed.</div>
Before launching the feature, he said, the company did a significant amount of market research and testing to ensure it developed a comprehensive payments solution.
&#8220;Beyond the benefit of eliminating much of the back-office administrative pain points caused by using separate payments providers, Actionstep Payments results in faster payments from law firm clients, improved fee collections, and a real work-life balance emphasis for countless firm administrators based on ease of use and feature flexibility,&#8221; Bender said.
Actionstep, which says it is used by more than 775 law firms in the U.S., is presenting a <a href="https://my.demio.com/ref/kXuABRgUHJFmczKN">webinar on the new feature</a> on Nov. 3. Those interested in learning more about the new feature can visit: <a href="https://www.actionstep.com/product/actionstep-payments/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.actionstep.com/product/actionstep-payments/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1667325267793000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3peexU-FcChn8NpJ_kCU8Z">www.actionstep.com/product/actionstep-payments/</a>.

Way back in 2020, I wrote about how the pandemic had escalated the importance of electronic payments as a feature of law practice management software. That trend has only escalated since then, with any number of practice management platforms launching not just integrated e-payments from third-party payment processors, but their own native e-payments. Now, another […]

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Actionstep

Actionstep, Practice Management Platform for Mid-Sized Firms, Adds Built-In E-Payments Feature