Clio Software Reviews

Pros

Putting documents together is one of the best parts of using Clio. Creating retainers and setting up templates works really well and saves a lot of time.

Cons

The invoicing fees are the biggest downside. The charges tied to it are just too high.

Pros

This is an excellent practice management tool for our firm and it gives us enough flexibility to keep building solutions whenever new challenges come up. It has been especially valuable for time tracking, database management for clients, opposing counsel, judges, mediators and others, as well as case management, invoicing and data analytics for performance metrics and financial forecasting.

Cons

It delivers a lot of powerful functionality but it still is not completely comprehensive. When a needed feature is missing, support usually adds it to a list of feature requests for future development. I do appreciate that they continue working on improvements but some of the limitations we have run into are surprising for software designed specifically for law firms. One issue we are currently dealing with is the pre-bill review process: when discounting line items, the system only allows percentage-based discounts instead of dollar amounts which was not something we had to work around in our previous software.

Pros

Between the deadline reminders, follow-up tracking and task management tools, it does a really good job of making sure nothing slips through the cracks. The mobile app and integrations also make the workflow more efficient and help ensure all billable time gets captured.

Cons

Because there are so many features packed into it, finding exactly what you need can take a little while until you get fully comfortable with the system.

Pros

We find it to be user friendly. It comes with a full set of management tools and it keeps both me and my office manager happy since it helps her nearly as much as it helps me.

Cons

I've only been using it for a few months but at this point I honestly haven't run into any issues to mention.

Pros

In our line of work, billing is a big deal and Clio makes that part very simple to handle.

Cons

Honestly nothing negative comes to mind.

Pros

Switching over from LawPay was simple and the integration with Clio worked without much trouble although LawPay connected just as well. The lower fees were also presented as a benefit.

Cons

The biggest problem has been the painfully slow credit card payment turnaround, often taking 5 to 7 days. There's no real explanation for these delays and customer service offers little to no help. Trying to move back to LawPay has also been unnecessarily difficult. They require you to set up an appointment just to speak with someone and then that conversation mostly revolves around how hard it is to switch back. On top of that, they insist you cancel all pending payments even though that was never required when moving from LawPay to Clio in the first place. Reporting is another weak spot. There are no standard reports or monthly statements so you're left to piece everything together yourself, calculate the fees manually and keep downloading transaction histories on your own. The way fees are deducted before payments are deposited also throws off accounting since the client payment amounts no longer line up with the billed amounts. To make matters worse, the customer service team seems to have no authority and little interest in resolving anything, while the sales team was very attentive when it came to getting us switched over. It really feels like Clio is becoming less focused on helping law practices and more focused on its own bottom line.

Pros

After more than two years of using CLIO, it has become a key part of how our firm manages cases and it integrates really well with our intake software. The update I appreciate most is the texting feature since people are much more likely to reply to a text than answer a call or listen to voicemail. I use texting every day, often several times a day with different clients.

Cons

I still haven't been able to get the portal feature working but I plan to reach out to support for help when I get the chance.

Pros

Creating timed billing entries is really handy and it keeps me from wasting time when I'm tracking billable hours.

Cons

outages and glitches, like duplicated entries, do happen which makes it harder to rely on the software completely.

Pros

Having every matter organized in one place is a huge plus and I can get to everything from anywhere as long as I have an internet connection. It's also really helpful that I can look back at closed matters whenever I need them for research.

Cons

A few people on our staff do run into problems when it comes to adding time.

Pros

Getting started with this software took no effort at all, it's very simple to use and no training was needed.

Cons

I honestly can't think of anything that has caused problems for us while using the program.

Pros

Having all of our client information in one place has been incredibly helpful especially for keeping notes organized and tracking the time spent on each case. We also rely on the calendar to send notices and reminders to clients about their hearings which has made communication much more efficient.

Cons

Honestly I can't think of any downside. It's simple to use and has really organized a lot of our office work, from billing and calendaring to keeping notes and storing important documents.

Pros

It keeps our team organized and helps us provide a very professional service. The app works really well and the attorney can pull up Clio on his phone to access information while he's in court.

Cons

The newer text messaging feature still has a limitation since it doesn't let you send or receive files or images.

Pros

Clio has been a big help when it comes to managing cases and handling billing and invoicing.

Cons

Getting started with Clio can be a bit challenging because the onboarding process is somewhat difficult.

Pros

Having billing, scheduling and document management all in one place makes staying on top of clients much simpler. The task assignment feature is also really useful and adds a lot to the workflow.

Cons

It is a bit on the expensive side but overall it still feels worth the cost. There is also a slight lag from time to time.

Pros

Honestly there wasn't anything positive to point to and whenever issues came up, the responses were basically nonexistent at best.

Cons

Pretty much everything was a problem especially the misrepresentations made during the sales process and the complete lack of support and service afterward.

Pros

Over the years, it has kept improving in a way that feels thoughtful instead of disruptive. They clearly listen to feature requests and try to balance innovation with a consistent interface making changes gradually so the experience doesn't become frustrating from constant shifts. Beyond the product itself, their customer service has stood out from the start, responsive solution-oriented and honest when something simply hasn't been built yet instead of overselling or pretending software can perfectly fit every need. The platform is also very stable and secure and even systemwide updates seem to be planned carefully during lower-usage times.

Cons

This isn't really a direct problem with Clio as much as it is a capacity issue on our side. There are plenty of integrations and newer improvements we probably could be using more effectively but we've lacked the bandwidth to fully implement them. It would be really helpful if Clio offered a quarterly or semiannual soft audit where someone from their systems team reviewed how a business like ours is using the software and suggested a couple of practical next steps that could make a meaningful difference in getting more value from the tools.

Pros

Its user-friendly to use. Whenever I've had a question, Clio Support has responded quickly with solid answers or useful options. The onboarding process was polished and went really well.

Cons

It would be even better with more template forms available. Being able to send bills directly from the app would add a lot and the app itself feels a little clunky at times.

Pros

No legal case management platform is ever going to match every workflow perfectly and Clio is no exception. That said it connects with a lot of third-party tools so if something is missing, there's usually another solution that can cover it. The biggest advantage though, is Clio's user-friendly Open API. I always say that if there's a will, there's a way with automation and this API really proves that. If there's a task you want to automate or a process you want the system to handle, Clio's Open API makes that possible.

Cons

The reporting still has room to improve even though they have made some progress. Some of the larger updates also take quite a while to arrive. On the positive side, they do keep rolling out regular and consistent improvements. Still, there are times when it feels like a feature is only partially released, while the full version or full functionality ends up delayed.

Pros

Quite easy to use, reliable and free of glitches. Tracking time is simple and honestly the whole system feels simple to use across the board.

Cons

A few integrations can take a little extra effort to figure out but it's a pretty minor issue overall.

Pros

Switching over from my old billing software was painless because their team handled the data migration really well. The whole transition felt smooth. Clio is user-friendly which matters a lot as a solo practitioner since I do not have the time or patience for hours of administrative work every week. It helps me keep track of my work as I'm doing it and gives me a solid structure for managing client and case information. By the end of the month, I only need around two hours to review everything and send out my bills.

Cons

I'd still appreciate more flexible reporting options especially when it comes to A/R.