Getting Started

Owned by Karen McDonald
Last updated: Feb 05, 2024 by Gemma Heidemann
4 min read

Wise Owl Legal is browser based state-of-the-art Legal Practice Management Software for the Wise Lawyer. For more information and an overview of the Help System, Click Here to watch our YouTube video.

Wise Owl Legal Software runs on a SQL data base, and can run from your in-house server, or a cloud server depending on the preference of your practice.   

The most important difference about Wise Owl Legal Software to any previous desktop versions of practice management software you might have used is Wise Owl Legal is Browser based.  What this means to you the user is two things:

  1. The controls to operate the system are a little different:

    1. You get the use of Browser short cuts; 

    2. There is no double click for pick lists; 

  2. The security is more intense.

    1. When you are given a log on, if you are allowed to access Wise Owl Legal Software from outside of your main office you will need to set up a browser authenticator on your phone.  We will help you do this when we give you your log on.

    2. Security settings can be controlled by job, function or user.

 

Wise Owl Legal Software has three main modules:

Trust Accounting Module - compliant with all legislative and law society requirements, including:

  • matters

  • contacts

  • trust bank reconciliation

  • end of month reporting

Finance Module

  • time recording

  • time billing

  • productivity reporting

  • recording of outlays

  • invoicing

  • receipting

  • link to accounting

 Documents Module

The list of ever growing standard document packs available are on our website at https://www.wiseowllegal.com.au/modules.html

To request and additional pack of document templates click here to submit your request. 

The documents module will include document templates for multiple areas of law including:

  • Wills & Estates

  • Family Law

  • Criminal Law 

  • UCPR Forms (court forms)

  • Motor Vehicle Accidents

  • Conveyancing (Qld will be released first)

Further product releases will be scheduled in line with client requests.

We encourage clients to provide feedback in regards to product enhancement requests and suggestions, via the online feedback with our software or by email to wiseowl@wiseowllegal.com.au. 

The Wise Owl pays careful attention to not only the requirements specific to the legal industry but also the individual needs of your practice. The Wise Owl will do his best to exceed your expectations!

Accessing Wise Owl Legal

Do not use Wise Owl Legal on untrusted computers such as Internet Cafes, friends' computers etc. 

  • Doing so is similar to opening up confidential client files at a public library and spreading all your papers across the desk. Someone is extremely likely to read them, whether out of maliciousness, curiosity or total accident. 

  • Even with the privacy settings turned to maximum, if you open up Wise Owl on a public computer the next person who uses it might be able to load up what you were looking at

  • These sorts of computers are also more likely to have viruses, spyware and other nasties which try to steal information to sell on the black market. 

Always remember to logout of Wise Owl when you are not at your computer or finished using the software.

To logout click the logout button in the top right-hand corner. Then close ALL tabs and windows in your Wise Owl Browser. 

 

Notes on closing browsers:

  • If you only have one browser open and then close it, you will be logged out (you will need to enter your username and password when you open WOL again)

  • If you have many tabs, you need to close ALL of them for the auto logout (not just the Wise Owl ones, the news sites, Facebook, etc.)

  • If you have many browsers (that is, many of the same browser; many Firefoxes for example), you need to close ALL of them for the auto logout (not just the Wise Owl ones, and don’t forget the ones on your other monitor as well)

  • As soon as you hit the logout button, any other Wise Owl tab / browser will auto logout (within about 30 seconds)

  • All the major browsers have a “private window” or “private session” feature (with various brandings). These are, from Wise Owl’s perspective, a totally new and separate browser. So if you logout from your “normal” browser, it does NOT logout from the “private session” and vice-versa. When you check the Tools -> Active Users page, you see two Firefox / Chrome / IE browsers listed for that user.

Effectively using Wise Owl Legal

The Wise Owl has a few handy tips to ensure you get the most out of the software, in order to maximise the productivity within your business!

1)    Use keyboard shortcuts were possible

2)    Use your browser and tabs cleverly

  • Have a browser dedicated solely to Wise Owl Legal to avoid cluttering

  • Only have tabs open if they are needed

  • When working on a data entry screen, open the corresponding register in a separate tab to check any details etc.

3)    Read the help pages and Wise Owl Legal training documents to gain a thorough understanding of all that Wise Owl Legal has to offer.

Help Pages can be accessed by going to http://help.wiseowllegal.com.au/ or by selecting the blue Help icon on the top right of all Wise Owl Legal pages. 

This will take you to help pages specific to the page you are on in your Wise Owl database.