Now let’s move on to some of the VoIP phone systems that are most popular with lawyers. If you’re looking to migrate your company to VoIP there are plenty of options. Of course, the challenge then becomes sifting through the various service providers and figuring out which one is the best fit.

Corvum – a VoIP platform specifically created for law firms. The overall features are essentially the same as those of other VoIP platforms. One notable attorney-specific feature is the built-in time-tracking functionality that allows lawyers to track the time spent on calls and capture that time for billing purposes. It also includes virtual faxing tools and texting capabilities. Pricing starts at $7.95 per month billed annually for texting alone; $17.95 per month when billed annually for voice and text; and if your firm has more than 30 users, you’ll need to reach out to Corvum to discuss pricing.

One of the most well-known VoIP providers is Ring. Central offers four pricing options and a rich feature list. You can have up to 20 users on the lowest level. The tier that starts at $19.99/user per month is the most expensive. All tiers include unlimited calls to the USA and Canada, unlimited document sharing and voicemail-to text functionality. More features become available the higher you go up the pricing tiers. The most costly tier is $49.99 per person per month. Some of the more expensive tiers include online collaboration tools, and videoconferencing. Ring can be found here. This is the central location for law firm and pricing levels. Nextiva also has a well-known alternative. There are four packages available: Ultimate, Essential, Enterprise, and Professional. The prices range between $18.95/user per month and $57.95/user per month. All plans offer unlimited voice, unlimited video, unlimited calling and unlimitedfax. Plans with higher tiers may offer videoconferencing and text messaging as well as voicemail transcription. Nextiva pricing information and other options for law firms can be found here. Vonage, with three pricing tiers, is becoming increasingly popular among attorneys. Pricing starts from $19.99/month for a single line and ends at $39.99/month. All plans include unlimited calls, text, and team messaging. Higher tiers offer unlimited meetings and call recording.

There is an 8×8 option. The pricing for 8×8 Express business phone plans costs $12 per month. This includes unlimited calls to the US and Canada as well as video and messaging tools. You can also choose from X2, which is $24/month when you bill annually and X4, $44/month when you bill annually. These tiers have features such unlimited voice calling to any country, fax capabilities, as well as team chat. You can learn more about the pricing for each tier here Finally, don’t overlook the phone capabilities built into a tool your firm may already be using: Zoom. Zoom Phone, the cloud-based telephone system from Zoom, is now available. Three tiers are available, with the lowest being $10 and highest at $20 each month. All plans include domestic texting, a US and Canada phone number, and the ability to make calls from multiple devices. Higher tiers provide unlimited phone calls and additional features. See the pricing information. You can view the pricing information here. With all of the turmoil and uncertainties that have occurred in the past two decades, your company should prepare for any eventuality. Create a business continuity strategy for your communications firm that you can trust no matter what happens in the future. A VoIP phone system allows you to rest assured that there is no future unpredictability.

Nicole Black is an attorney in Rochester, New York. Nicole also writes, publishes, and serves as the My. legal technology ambassador. Case, a software program that manages small law firms’ legal practices. Nationally recognized, she is also the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers. She co-authored Social Media for Lawyers The Next Frontier. Both books were published by American Bar Association. She also is co-author of Criminal Law in New York, a Thomson Reuters treatise. She regularly writes columns for ABAJournal.com. Above the Law.com. The Daily Record. Follow her on Twitter @nikiblack , or she can be reached at niki.black@mycase.com This column reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily the views of the ABA Journal or the American Bar Association.