Clio

We started using Clio in March 2009 in our personal injury practice, and we’ve been happy with the service since day one. Prior to upgrading to Clio, we had been using Time Matters for several years. However, our server running Time Matters crashed in mid-February, and as we went to restore the software, we realized we were not using many of the features.  Time Matters also required constant patching and expensive upgrades to work properly and did not integrate particularly well with our Microsoft Office suite and our iPhones.  It did not allow us to easily attach related documents to matters.  All of these problems prompted us to look for something new.

While we were researching Software-as-a-Service, we also considered several other options, including Rocket Matter and Bill4Time, but we found Clio to be superior because it delivered a broader range of features, such as document management and integrated trust accounting, at a very affordable price point.

The fact that Clio allows us to easily attach related documents to matters is a great benefit.  Because we maintain our personal injury practice as a “paperless” office, we had been using a VPN and remote desktop to access files.  Clio provides a more flexible method of accessing all current matters, including documents, over the web and without the hassle of the VPN.  The ability to access case materials from anywhere via computer, or more importantly, via iPhone, allows us to instantly respond to clients and be completely mobile.

We have found Clio to be easy to learn and use.  We learned Clio in stages, but each stage took us only about 1-2 hours to learn.  We’ve found it’s faster and easier to enter information into Clio than into Time Matters and Clio is also much more flexible.  I’ve also used Daylight for Mac on a very limited basis and found Clio to be much more intuitive and, importantly, highly customized to a law office’s needs.

We set Clio up by ourselves, and entered in all our basic practice information in less than two hours.  Entering a matter used to take 10 to 15 minutes, but with Clio it takes only 2 to 3 minutes.  I particularly like being able to define how the contacts are related to the matter, so listing all counsel of record is very easy, even if there are more than usual.  Our past software defined contacts so rigidly that I was forced to write a Word document with all counsel of record if there was more than one defendant.  And if we require information that Clio does not have a specific field for (for example, a date of loss), I can enter it in as a Note, so it’s still right at my fingertips.  I also use the Notes to record conversations or information received during a phone call, so important notes are not lost or accidentally discarded.

I initially entered in three matters with their calendar events, contacts and tasks and then added all their documents during the first day our Clio free trial.  Since the first round of matters went so well, we decided to use Clio to completely replace our old case management software.  Clio uploaded all of our 1200+ contacts from Time Matters, which saved us a lot of time and money.  Once that was finished, I entered in the rest of our current matters, then all of their documents (which was the only labor-intensive part), and then the accounts and transactions information.

One of my favorite things about Clio is the highly responsive customer service. Whether they are resolving any issues that arise or incorporating new features and ideas we request, we find the Clio team to be among the most responsive software support resources we’ve ever dealt with. After we taught ourselves Clio by using the online help and some trial-and-error, the company’s founders, Jack Newton and Rian Gauvreau, personally helped us import our contacts and a resolve a sign-in issue that arose the first week.

Another feature I appreciate about Clio is that, unlike on-premise software like Time Matters, it never crashes.  Upgrades are always seamless and Clio is always available.

Furthermore, Mr. Nikolay particularly likes the access and mobility of using web-based software.  Being web-based makes Clio significantly faster than using remote desktop over VPN, and this has allowed him to be much more productive from his home office.

For attorneys in a solo or small office practice, SaaS web-based practice management is really an ideal solution.  We save money on expensive, yearly software upgrades and hardware.  We don’t have to contract with IT consultants to maintain a server and network.  Plus, we have additional peace of mind if our computers fail, because Clio backs up all our uploaded contacts and documents.  In addition, SaaS is available anywhere and anytime the internet is available.  We don’t have to make special arrangements to access our calendars, contacts or matters just because we’re not in the office.

I believe that more attorneys will start using SaaS products like Clio as they become aware of its convenience and security.  Especially for most small practices, or offices that are not as computer-savvy, Clio is a great option – an excellent, inexpensive practice management software with a minimal start-up cost.