Clio Reviews

Pros

The Clio platform is not intended to be a closed, proprietary system. Instead, it forms the foundation for the day to day management of leads, clients, time, documents, and billing, supplemented by almost 200 third party integrations, with new offerings coming on line each month. Clio offers unlimited cloud storage and IOS/Android apps making all of your firm information, clients, and documents available 24/7. Clio continues to innovate and as the leading provider to small/medium law firms throughout the world, I don't worry about whether they will be in business a few years from now. Finally, all, yes all, of your data saved in Clio is easily exportable should you decide to change to a different vendor.

Cons

Clio's growth means that feature changes must be more fully vetted as they are used by more than 150,000 legal professionals. As they broaden their perspective to encompass larger firms, the pace of change may continue to be more deliberate. The movement and management of files without a third party integration, such as FasterLaw, is cumbersome. Clio's own integrations with Office365 for emails and calendaring remain a work in progress.

Alternatives Considered

CosmoLex and Rocket Matter

Reasons for Choosing Clio

At the time I decided to look at alternatives, in 2017, the product was getting worse, not better.

Reasons for Switching to Clio

Largest user base and least likely to get assimilated or go out of business, forcing another vendor change.

Pros

Integration of payment, invoicing and CRM

I used to love the customer service but now....NO

Cons

Difficult to customize. Customer Service has gone from knowledgeable Canadian staff to foreign people not familiar with the program. You are often on your own to try to resolve questions - or make multiple queries.

Pros

Manage makes it easy to send bills and get paid electronically. It can maintain files and track time.

Cons

Grow is a useless product that doesn't really work, and premium tech support is a waste of money.

Alternatives Considered

MyCase

Reasons for Choosing Clio

I opened a new office and needed software

Reasons for Switching to Clio

Clio seemed good for a solo practitioner. Boy was I wrong.

Pros

Provides online access and accessibility.

Cons

Reports and tracking are not always helpful.

Pros

Clio helped me hit the ground running when I opened my solo practice. Nearly every feature is user intuitive, and I have already been delighted to see Clio continue to upgrade its services in the two years I have used them. I couldn't survive (i.e. stay organized) without all of its features, billing, document e-signature service, and access to its partner, Proof for service of process.

Cons

Initially I was disappointed that Clio Grow and Clio Manage didn't "talk" to one another. I love Clio Grow to keep track of leads and potential clients, and I like the ability to transfer a file over to Clio Manage. I didn't like that they weren't truly in sync. However, Clio has worked to solve that pet peeve and is continuing to make improvements.

Alternatives Considered

MyCase

Reasons for Choosing Clio

No access to government system when opened own practice

Reasons for Switching to Clio

I was impressed by their sales presentation, the ability to track payments in the trust account and operating account, and it was highly recommended by a colleague I trust. She was not wrong. When another colleague opened her practice next door, I recommended Clio and she also loves it.

Pros

It’s easy to use and covers everything I need it to do. From letter/document creation to billing and invoices. Everything is centralised in one place for accurate record and ease of access.

Cons

It’s very time intensive to set up all the features in the manner you need the system to function to align with your business and there’s not really a guided process for this which would be helpful as some of the set up features can be tricky. It would be helpful to be assigned someone when you first sign up and for them to help you actually set things up the way you need them to be. I also can’t link my emails to Clio as my email:outlook was purchased through a third part (Go Daddy) but I was not aware this was going to be a problem so it would have been helpful if that that was clarified from the outset when I first spoke to Clio so I would have known.

Alternatives Considered

Actionstep

Reasons for Choosing Clio

LEAP had terrible customer service and although I had used them previously when I was employed, using them now as a firm manager, the customer relations and care was horrendous. Once they have you signed up they couldn’t care less about you and it was a nightmare dealing with them.

Switched From

LEAP

Reasons for Switching to Clio

Clio was practicle, affordable and comprehensive. It has everything I need for my firm currently as a start up business as has the ability to grow as my business grows with all the in built features.

Pros

We love the invoicing the most - we are sure we have re-captured getting paid for many files we used to not be able to track and get paid for. Now we can send an invoice online and get paid online too. Making a bill is quick and easy, and our staff even thinks fun!

Cons

We were considering moving our document storage to Clio, but we couldn't preset files with our folder organization system and it seemed more difficult to attach files to emails, so we didn't end up doing this. Also, when sending an email from Clio, I would prefer that it auto-saves it to the Clio file.

Alternatives Considered

MyCase

Reasons for Choosing Clio

Amicus was "clunky" - it was not cloud based, didn't connect with our cell phones (so we couldn't see our calendar), and document management and billing was not easy.

Switched From

Amicus Attorney

Reasons for Switching to Clio

The look of the software was very clean and we loved the ability to code different types of events on our calendar by color, that is how we organize our files. It was intuitive and easy to use, while not offering an overwhelming number of services we didn't need.

Pros

I came to Clio because Thomson Reuters discontinued its Firm Central case-management product, and I needed a replacement. Clio has all the functionality that Firm Central did, but in a more logical, easier to use interface. I found that, with minimal instruction, I was able to get up and running. The Clio onboarding process was very effective.

Cons

Clio was designated by Thomson Reuters as its preferred partner to replace Firm Central. In that role, I would have expected the Clio team to have been a little more up-to-speed on the best way to migrate from Firm Central to Clio. Clio's team does migrate your data, and that went very smoothly. But "data" doesn't include documents, which is the bulk of what we were storing in Firm Central. Clio has no advice on how to move those documents. They simply recommended three third-party vendors. I contacted the one that advertises that it specializes in migration to Clio. It was going to charge me $3,000 to upload my files into Clio. But I'd still have to figure out how to get them out of Firm Central, which was my major challenge. Once I had them downloaded, Clio makes it easy to upload. At any rate, Firm Central's instructions were helpful, and the process went fairly smoothly.

Pros

It is user-friendly and helps me manage all the essential aspects of my law practice such as time tracking, billing, invoicing and file management. As a sole practitioner, Clio has been invaluable in saving me time on administrative tasks and allowing me to focus more on growing my practice.

Cons

There is nothing that I didn’t like, all the components have made my life easier!

Alternatives Considered

PracticePanther Legal Software

Reasons for Choosing Clio

ESILAW 360 is not user-friendly and they provide minimal customer support.

Reasons for Switching to Clio

Clio had a great customer support team that helped with on boarding and answered all of my questions and concerns.

Pros

Clio is intuitive and easy to use. I also love that the team is forward-thinking and always deploying new features that enhance productivity. As a solo practitioner, Clio grow is exceptional and a tool everyone should be using. I can manage my leads with very little overhead. Additionally, Clio support always goes above and beyond

Cons

Initially, I did not understand why Clio Grow and Clio Manage were separate products. However, the integration between the two is seamless, and I have grown to love the distinct nature of the two products.

Alternatives Considered

MyCase

Reasons for Switching to Clio

The demo for Clio was much more thorough and at the time, Clio's functionality seemed above and beyond

Pros

The Clio platform was very easy to implement with our firm's daily usage. The onboarding process was smooth and the learning and transition for staff were easy. The software is meeting our firm's needs on a daily basis. I also appreciate that they listen to suggestions and continue to improve and add features throughout the year. Clio has allowed our monthly billing process to go from a day-long process to an hour process.

Cons

Some of the reporting features need to be fine-tuned or added to. My biggest pet peeve is the limit of 50 items to a page, so you update to 200 but it defaults back to 50 every time you move around between pages.

Pros

Clio software is comprehensive and covers everything that I need as a solo attorney to keep my practice running smoothly and efficiently. Clio Grow is a new feature that helps me track leads, lead sources, the intake process, etc. It is very comprehensive and is easily merged with Clio Manage. The Clio help desk is excellent. Answers are always spot on. If they cannot fix my problem, they will honestly tell me that Clio does not have the capability that I'm looking for and they will offer to submit a request for that capability to be considered in the future. Clio is always looking to address customer needs.

Cons

Does not have all of the capabilities that I need but has most of them. Sometimes the queue for the help desk/chat is rather long.

Pros

Clio provides an all in one suite of applications that are necessary for my law firm to operate. We used to rely on a stand-alone billing software program for our billing and time-tracking. Of course every computer or user we added cost us more money on top of the software itself. When the software became outdated and no longer supported, we had to purchase the latest version. We also relied upon emails to assign tasks, and give each other messages about the cases we were working on together- without a centralized location for the team to track and review each other's notes and progress, each member had to rely upon their own notes, memos, emails, etc. This was inefficient and time consuming. Another fun part of my day was searching for contact information of opposing counsel on particular matters. Often times I would search emails, review the documents on a case, or review documents in the file to get the contact information I needed. Calendaring was also an administrative hurdle. Entering dates in a separate software system led to disorganization, and required jumping around from one program to another to manage information and learn where attorneys were supposed to be.
Clio puts all of these functions , and more, under one roof. It has made the work flow in my law firm seamless, efficient, easy, and organized. Clio does it all, and I am truly grateful for this product.

Cons

I would like it to be easier to review the billing entries of other users in real time.

Pros

I really do believe that Clio is the future of legal cloud computing and practice/file management. It's a functional piece of software that allows attorneys and legal staff to manage cases with ease. There are a few things that I find to be useful with Clio:
1. Clio integrates with tons of other software options, including Grow (a CRM management tool). Keeping things "in the family" is really useful and speeds up management.
2. Clio's billing functionality is really nice. It's one of the more functional back end management tools I've seen, and I really like the way it works. You can integrate it with Quickbooks for easy accounting, which we really appreciate and which looks great on the user end (for clients, when they receive bills).
3. Clio sports a really professional interface, which just looks nice when you're working. It looks grown up and sleek, so if someone peeks over your shoulder or you're working while in the vicinity of clients, it doesn't have a preschool feeling to it.
4. Most important - Clio's customer support is incredible. Have an issue? There are videos you can watch, or people you can talk to. They will literally stay on the phone with you for hours as you troubleshoot issues together, or learn something new. Top notch, seriously.

Cons

I do have a few gripes about Clio. If these were addressed, it would get a 5-star rating from me:
1. Mouseclicks. Clio requires so. many. mouseclicks. It is infuriating at times. I realize this sounds stupid, but over time, they add up. I am a huge fan of efficiency, and Clio is one of the most inefficient programs I've used.
2. Workflows. I really enjoy using workflows to track various projects. Clio sucks at workflows. A complete rework of how they approach them, and how they look for interface with the staff who are responsible for executing, would go a LONG WAY toward making Clio a more useful application. I think workflows are really the topic that causes Clio to lag behind other software out on the market. I would like to see something in place that allows a user to create a workflow, move tasks around in the list, add subtasks to tasks, and assign triggering dates, secondary dates, etc. It would also be useful to be able to assign various tasks to various users. Until that's in place, I'll be sad about using Clio.
3. A central location for performing various functions. Clio does have a left-hand toolbar that allows you to do SOME things, but not ALL things. It would be good if, from the left-hand menu, I could do each discrete thing that I can do in Clio by clicking a mouse a zillion times. Once that happens, I'll be happier.
4. Document management. I'm out of room, but it is not idea. Too much downloading/uploading. Dropbox is better (for collaborati

Alternatives Considered

MyCase

Reasons for Switching to Clio

Clio came recommended by another practitioner who had gone solo and had a great experience.

Pros

Our firm had used Timeslips for timekeeping and billing in the past before switching to Clio a few years ago. Timeslips was simply outdated and cumbersome, not to mention that we had no tech support. After having switched to using Clio, I was able to use the software to email clients directly and have the emails come from our firm email account via Clio without always having to involve the office manager for billing my invoices. If the clients have questions, they will know to direct their questions to the office manager, who is otherwise in charge of general accounting matters. Additionally, I love that I can always reach out to Clio's tech support for answers as to user issues or questions, and the services have always been pretty prompt and spot-on.

Cons

I remember there were some data migration issues when we transitioned from Timeslips to Clio. It has been a while, but I recall that at least some of the client data like their addresses didn't look quite right when it was pulled over, and I basically had to start over with entering the information in Clio.

Pros

It's too difficult to describe what is best, I could not manage my practice without this software. It is incredibly user friendly and easy to learn. I use pretty much all aspects of the software on a daily basis and have been using it for more than 10 years. My practice has grown from just one attorney, me, to now four along with paralegals and clerks. Clio has made the growth seamless.

Cons

I don't have any complaints whatsoever. The software has been essential to my practice in all ways.

Alternatives Considered

Time Tracker, CANVAS, Rocket Matter and Google Calendar

Reasons for Choosing Clio

I used these at other firms. When I opened up my own practice I chose to use Clio.

Switched From

Time Tracker and Asana

Reasons for Switching to Clio

Price, options, versatility, tech support.

Pros

I have nothing positive to say about Clio at this time. Integrating our firm into their software was a major learning experience, which will guide me with the next software I choose.

Cons

The items added in the time that we have been with Clio have caused no improvement to our use of the product, although they use these additions as an excuse for raising their prices significantly. The "client portal" that they added does not even allow you to see if clients have viewed documents, which their old version did. Their new payment system only adds to their profits, so why would they utilize that as an excuse to pass on additional costs to their clients?

Alternatives Considered

Rocket Matter and CARET Legal

Reasons for Switching to Clio

Even though Clio was more expensive than our other final possible choices, we were made representations about what this software could do that exceeded the other offerings in assistance with our needs. However, once we started with Clio, we were immediately told that some of those representations were not functions of Clio at all.

Pros

There is no such thing as a perfect legal case management software. There is nothing that is going to do everything the way you want it and Clio is no different. However, clio has numerous thrid party integrations. If this software doesn't do something there is probably something else out there that will fill in the gaps. However, what really makes clio great is its easy to use Open API. I have a saying with automation. Where there is a will there is a way and this API makes that possible. If there is something you want to have done or want to automate Clio's open API makes it possible.

Cons

There reporting could use some work although they have made some improvements. Some of their bigger improvements can take a lot of time. However, there are always making consistent and regular improvements. It does seem like at times they will make a partial release but complete release or complete functionality can take a back seat.

Alternatives Considered

CosmoLex, MyCase, Actionstep, Tabs3 and Centerbase

Reasons for Choosing Clio

Amicus Attorney got bought by Abacus Next and service went downhill. There were MANY improvements that were needed to the product but they were slow to update and there were a lot of integrations and features missing. I switched to clio because I knew I could get it to do what I wanted within reason by use of integrations and their open API.

Switched From

Amicus Attorney

Reasons for Switching to Clio

The easy to use open api and robust list of thrid party integrations

Pros

I liked that out of the box, it was very easy to implement and get started. When we first started with Clio, all of our practice management was done via paper and handwritten. Immediately, Clio made it easier to find cases and keep track of all the different matters. I like that we can accept payments and it will automatically close out bills. With the addition of Clio Portals, it makes it much easier to communicate with clients and keep everyone involved on the same page.

Cons

After the out-of-the-box implementation, there is not much to improve our workflows. I would like to see some enhancements that allow users to break from the same workflows and have logic and other efficiency tools for their practice. Not all law firms only practice in one area, and it would be nice to have the ability to have a matter format for a practice area when that practice area is selected. Once the practice area is selected, it should be able to only show areas that pertain to that practice area, reducing the errors of missing information or having the wrong information. I wish that Clio Payments could have similar functionality as LawPay, allowing refunds on trust payments. I do not like how restrictive the software is when trying to create different fields and areas that work best with our firm. It would be nice if emails could be built into Clio so that we are not having to search back and forth. I would like to see Clio Manage and Clio Grow merged, and some of the features of Grow enhanced into Manage. (Scheduler, workflows, etc.)

Alternatives Considered

MyCase

Reasons for Switching to Clio

While others had better out-of-the-box start-ups, Clio showed better growth opportunities along with easier implementation for users.

Pros

Support 'Live' is actually live - always available and always helps! This is important because with other companies you're usually on hold on the phone for a long time and then when the do answer - the take a message and 'refer you to the right team' - you're stuck on your task until they call back. When they call back, the caller tells you what to do but can't show you - that's another team. In my working day - its vital that support is given there an then so you can move on.

Cons

Integrating it and setting up - this is very time consuming. It would be useful to have I suppose when migrating a one2one live support - somebody spends a day at the firm and sorts all this out. Templates, billing everything you need to get started. That would've been rather helpful.

Pros

I liked how the IT team literally walked me through the entire set-up/integration. To be 100% honest, they recovered & transferred my crashed billing entries from Timeslips into their system. There are so many positives re: Clio software that I cannot pick what I like most; however, the Quick Bill & Payment Plan features are very convenient. Oh, I can't write a review and not mention the LawPay integration. That is also a great feature!

Cons

I hate when I am asked for instructions on setting up their client portal because I have no instructions to give them. I wish Clio had a .pdf that I could hand to every new client. I also wish there were more options re: billing history printouts for the Court. This is VERY important when asking for ATTY fees.

Alternatives Considered

PracticePanther Legal Software

Reasons for Choosing Clio

Timeslips crashed and they would not help me unless I upgraded.

Switched From

Sage Timeslips

Reasons for Switching to Clio

I chose Clio because of the support team.

Pros

Custom sets of templates for client types and matter types is great. There are tons of integrations with so many other programs to add functionality is dizzying. We're still learning all this program can do and trying to maximize our use of it through best practices, but we're very hopeful and optimistic that it's going to make our lives much easier and more organized.

Cons

The implementation by Clio has been less than stellar. They've tried to integrate spreadsheets of information from our prior practice management software, plus other sources to get all of our client and matter data into the program. But getting the data migration specialists on the phone has been difficult. We noticed that one phase of the migration had not gone correctly, so we called and e-mailed like mad to make sure they wouldn't go to the next step of migration until we could get that prior data fixed. They ignored the calls and e-mails and went ahead with the next step. So that just compounded the problem by about 10,000 times. Now, we're having to go back through our spreadsheets to clean up the data again. Then they're going to have to somehow undo the migration steps they've taken already. Then we'll try it again. We've been using it almost 90 days, and we're still not at full usage yet, because the migration is so messed up.

Alternatives Considered

MyCase, Rocket Matter and Smokeball

Reasons for Choosing Clio

Firm Central hasn't been updated or given additional functionality in well over 5 years. No one else uses it, and it has no integrations with or support from third parties to add any more functionality. West has practically abandoned the product entirely. If they don't want to keep supporting it, then why should we keep using it?

Switched From

Firm Central

Reasons for Switching to Clio

It had a larger installed user base with more third-party integrations and third-party consultants available for use in assisting us to migrate and implement it. Also, our outside accounting company is more familiar with it than any of the other programs.

Pros

I love the simplicity and flexibility of Clio. It is very user friendly and the way it looks is very neat. It does not take long to work out exactly what you are looking at and what it all means. For me personally, I do a lot of billing and compared with a previous software package, Clio has saved me a lot of time and it's really easy to keep track of where you are as it automatically incorporates a workflow. Also, setting up new cases is easy and flexible. You are easily able to incorporate your own requirements and information.

Cons

This is quite specific but for us, the biggest drawback is not being able to present the invoice in exactly the way we want (i.e. a front cover summary of figures without the time description wording). There is a lot of flexibility on the invoices which is great but the one thing we can't do is take the wording away from the first page. Our company like to keep the first page of the invoice very simple and clear and then have the narrative on the following pages. We understand, however, that this is being developed by Clio and should be rolled out some time in the next couple of months or so.

Pros

Web based program and cost.

Cons

Rigid, time consuming process. So many things don't work and the process of finding a work around is cumbersome.

Pros

It's online.
The timer can be stopped and started easily.

Cons

I spend about two (2) hours a day implementing workarounds to make the system work because it was not built for family law practice or file review. It's a good backup system but it's nothing very reliable unless you're willing to invest the time into making it work.