Clio Software Reviews

Pros

Having a cloud-based system along with a phone app is really convenient and makes it much easier to access things when I'm away from my desk.

Cons

The biggest problem has been Clio Payments. Client payments were authorized to go into an attorney trust account but when the bank rejected those deposits, Clio did not return the money. I asked them to refund the clients since the funds could not be deposited into that trust account because of the bank issue. Clio Payments keeps saying they cannot refund money intended for a trust account, even though those funds were never actually deposited into any trust account at all. They have control of the client funds and are neither releasing them nor sending them back to the clients. For an attorney, this creates a massive professional ethics issue. They seem completely indifferent to the impossible situation this creates for my practice. At this point, it feels like they are just sitting on money that cannot be accessed or used for the client's benefit. I would strongly avoid Clio Payments and use LawPay instead.

Pros

Getting started with the product is very simple and whenever support is needed, help is consistently available.

Cons

It still doesn't fully integrate with Podium.

Pros

The integrations are really useful and the shared calendar and billing features work especially well.

Cons

The text messaging platform could be improved and it would help if it better supported offices that use multiple office numbers.

Pros

It doesn't try to cover every possible need on its own which actually works well because the integrations fill in those gaps nicely. The billing process is very simple and the platform offers a lot of customization especially when you take advantage of the available integrations.

Cons

It is a bit pricey and the document features could definitely be stronger. Still, it connects with other document platforms that provide much more if you need added functionality.

Pros

Having the ability to find a document that was created earlier is really helpful.

Cons

Updating a template isn't as simple as I'd want it to be.

Pros

It does a really good job of keeping our processes organized and it makes it simple to stay on top of every invoice and all billable time.

Cons

I haven't come across any noticeable downsides with it.

Pros

I've been using it since I opened my firm in December 2012 and it has been very user-friendly the entire time.

Cons

Back in the earlier years, it didn't integrate with immigration form software so having the Docketwise integration later on was extremely helpful.

Pros

After trying several legal practice management tools, this one has easily worked the best for our firm. It is not flawless but it is user-friendly and simple for everyone here to work with, from lawyers and law clerks to paralegals, admins and secretaries. We do not use the document feature but for everything else it covers a lot. I use it to keep track of open client matters, add case notes, assign tasks to support staff, schedule meetings on the calendar, track time, manage contacts and handle invoicing. One thing I really appreciate is that Clio keeps improving the platform to better match customer needs and is open to feedback and suggestions on ways to make the software better. I would absolutely recommend it to other law firms.

Cons

You cannot attach two clients to a single matter. We work with a lot of husband-and-wife clients so it would be very helpful to link both people to the same matter. I also rely heavily on the notes feature and wish it had richer formatting options more like a word processor, such as highlighting, numbered outlines, bullet points, font size changes and similar tools.

Pros

Having my entire practice in one place no matter where I am is a huge advantage.

Cons

The mobile app still doesn't let me create a new Matter or edit an existing one.

Pros

Honestly I don't have anything positive to say about it right now. Going through the process of moving our firm onto their software turned into a major lesson and it will definitely help me make a better choice the next time I'm selecting software.

Cons

Since we started using Clio, the features they've added have done nothing to improve how the product works for us yet they keep pointing to those changes as justification for significantly higher prices. The "client portal" they introduced doesn't even let you tell whether clients have viewed documents, even though the older version did. On top of that, their new payment system seems designed to boost their own profits so it makes no sense that they use it as another reason to push extra costs onto their customers.

Pros

For the price, it delivers a lot. It covers time tracking, billing, trust accounting, contact management and document organization all in one complete platform. Our clients really appreciate being able to securely upload documents for us to use in their matters. Since it runs through a web browser, we can also work from practically anywhere which has been a big plus.

Cons

There was a bit of a learning curve getting comfortable with the new system after working in Amicus for nearly 20 years. We also ran into a few minor issues while migrating our Amicus database but those were resolved fairly quickly and we were even able to tidy up a few other things ourselves in the process.

Pros

Getting to client information is simple and doesn't take much effort which makes it very convenient to use.

Cons

The reporting options are somewhat limited and they can be confusing at times.

Pros

Compared with other legal platforms, this feels like the most complete option available. It includes just about everything needed to manage clients and cases in one place, from document management and time tracking to client billing. The integrations are also a big advantage especially with tools like LawYaw which is a must, along with e-filing software, email platforms, Microsoft Teams, calendars and more. On top of that, it provides secure communication, a client portal and some of the best online payment options I've seen, with flat percentages and fees that make handling client payments much more manageable.

Cons

Overall it performs really well but there are still a few small areas where the billing and reporting features could be improved. The billing tools are strong though it would be helpful to have a way to quickly view trust balances before applying payments. There are also a few personal reports I'd still like to see added, even though the platform already includes many reports that I use on a regular basis.

Pros

Clients can send information and documents to our firm quickly and securely which has really changed how we handle cases and made our communication with them much more organized.

Cons

It covers a lot so getting new users fully trained takes quite a while. That said the training resources they provide are very strong.

Pros

Having cloud-based access is really useful for our team especially when we're away from our desks or not working directly from our computers.

Cons

This software isn't built for in-house legal teams and it also doesn't offer any reporting capabilities.

Pros

Running a solo practice with Clio, plus Clio Grow, has covered every feature I need from start to finish. It handles intake, time tracking and billing exactly the way I want from a practice management system. I also really appreciate that online payments are automatically matched to invoices. On top of that, their customer service has been wonderful.

Cons

It recently introduced invoice email templates and its own payment system which ended up fixing the only issues I had with it.

Pros

Right from the start, it has been very user friendly. The layout makes it simple to move around and the features help me stay more efficient and organized throughout the day.

Cons

One limitation is the file size cap. It is quite high but there are still times when some of our files go over the limit.

Pros

Running my practice feels easy with Clio because it saves me time and keeps getting better. One of the biggest positives is how responsive the Clio team is, they really pay attention to client feedback and continue improving the product on a regular basis.

Cons

The mobile app could still use a few more capabilities especially for things like editing a matter and handling billing. I'm hoping those updates are on the way soon. Since I'm based in Canada, I'm also waiting for the document fill-out feature to become available here because right now it's limited to users in the USA.

Pros

It covers most of what our office needs at a reasonable cost and it's been really nice to see the platform keep evolving over time.

Cons

There really aren't any major issues or complaints I have about Clio.

Pros

The software is uncomplicated and they continue to roll out new features that make the investment feel even more worthwhile over time.

Cons

Document generation still doesn't feel as organized as it could be.