Smokeball Reviews

Pros

Getting around it feels very simple, even when you're using it for the first time. It lets you customize things with your own templates and the forms you rely on every day. All documents, invoices and emails are kept in the file so everything you need is just a click away.

Cons

It does freeze once in a while but the issue is usually resolved pretty quickly.

Pros

Right from the start, it feels very user-friendly and keeps everything in a file well organized, with each part easy to access when needed. The document automation is quick to use and helps you work faster and more efficiently. It also automatically tracks your time and activity which makes billing much simpler. On top of that, the unlimited training is a big plus, with a dedicated live support person and training videos available anytime, day or night.

Cons

A few windows will not stay open when you try to open another one so you have to close the original window and switch back and forth. Also since I use the desktop version of QuickBooks, Smokeball billing does not integrate directly with it. That said there is a simple workaround. TimeFinder is far too valuable for me to skip so I just create a dummy invoice in QuickBooks and that works perfectly fine.

Pros

Huge kudos to Smokeball and Mark Petrolis for being so responsive to our concerns while we continue growing our business. It's not often you come across a company that truly listens to its customers and is willing to adjust the product based on what they need. That level of support and flexibility is something I really value about Smokeball.

Cons

Reporting is still the weak spot. It has gotten better but our office still has to maintain separate spreadsheets for extra data that we can't currently run through the system.

Pros

Getting started with this has been very simple. For a small firm, it's a huge plus not having to spend extra time and money on training and new employees can get up to speed very quickly.

Cons

Once the first year is over, billing is handled through an external company that then passes it along to another party. That whole setup is frustrating although it's not really a Smokeball issue. Hopefully they bring billing in-house with their own finance department at some point.

Pros

Having all the forms already prepared and ready to use is the biggest advantage. I can also handle e-filing directly through it which makes the whole process even better.

Cons

The closing statements aren't as good as they were before since now you have to enter everything manually, including taxes, statements and the rest.

Pros

Keeping up with my caseload has been incredibly manageable with this software and the customer service team has been unbelievable. They respond very quickly and always handle any questions or special requests I have.

Cons

Any issue I've had with it has already been addressed through updates or changes.

Pros

One thing that really helps is being able to pull up a client's case notes right away when they call for a status update. If the person working on the file happens to be out, I can still see what's currently being handled and give the client an accurate update without any guesswork.

Cons

The toughest part is getting new automated forms set up. That said if I get stuck and can't sort it out, their support team is available to walk me through the process or I can send it to them directly and they'll automate it for us.

Pros

Any time I call support, they handle the issue right away while I'm still on the phone. If it's not something they can resolve immediately, they submit a ticket and get it taken care of as quickly as possible.

Cons

Honestly the only downside that comes to mind is the price. Also some of the add-ons still aren't available in New Mexico.

Pros

Having automation and centralized document storage in one place keeps everyone at the firm aligned. The automatic timekeeping has been fantastic especially compared with the manual entry process we used before.

Cons

Billing still feels like a work in progress though it does seem to be improving.

Pros

Running our practice feels much simpler because the integrations with Word, Outlook and other tools work so well.

Cons

At times, I have to download PDFs to my desktop first before I can add them into my Smokeball file.

Pros

Having everything tied to a single matter is the biggest advantage of Smokeball for me. Billing, court information and correspondence are all right there so it's quick to find what I need without jumping around. The eFiling integration is very user-friendly and I really appreciate that filed documents along with the related costs are automatically added to the matter which helps prevent anything from being missed or overlooked. Time tracking for attorneys is another really valuable feature.

Cons

There are only a few small improvements I'd still like to see in Smokeball. The biggest one is the ability to select one or multiple documents and simply right-click to print them. Right now, having to open each document individually before printing is frustrating. I'd also like the option to create a standard naming convention for documents.

Pros

Having document automation built right into Smokeball makes preparing documents feel much more seamless. The database captures a wide range of information which is really useful. Everything is saved in the Smokeball cloud instead of on a local computer so all the information stays centralized. The calendar has also been very helpful since it can be assigned to different clients making it much easier to keep track of when we last met with someone.

Cons

The system does have a few limitations. That said Smokeball offers both a content team and a tech team who are available to help work through those limitations.

Pros

Whenever we need help, their IT support team is fantastic. They're always friendly and seem able to resolve just about any issue. The software also keeps our work really well organized and helps us operate with as little paper as possible.

Cons

At times, the app does run pretty slowly especially if the computer hasn't been restarted in a while. I also wish it worked with Gmail instead of requiring Outlook.

Pros

Form integration has been a huge time-saver. I can put together a motion for court filing or prepare a deed package without having to re-enter the same repetitive information over and over.

Cons

A couple of things still feel clunky. I can't just click an item and delete it, I have to right-click and scroll up to "delete." I also wish drag-and-drop worked both ways. I can drag items into Smokeball but I can't drag them out into an email or folder.

Pros

Smokeball feels very user-friendly and I really appreciate how organized everything is.

Cons

I just wish there were a simpler way to save documents to both Smokeball and my firm's shared drive.

Pros

Document assembly, Outlook integration and remote access have made a huge difference in how productive I am and have dramatically cut down on errors. On top of that, the customer service is outstanding.

Cons

Any time the system goes down, the stress level goes through the roof.

Pros

It does an excellent job of keeping our office organized because everything is stored in one place.

Cons

Training is really necessary and there should be more than just a single training session offered.

Pros

Having everything organized and sorted by matter makes a huge difference. The way Smokeball connects with Outlook, Word and the platform itself is a key part of keeping everything together and running efficiently.

Cons

One area that could use improvement is the search feature. Right now, searches are fairly broad and it would be much better to have advanced search options that let you dig deeper into specific matters.

Pros

Using it has been simple and it handles a wide range of tasks really well. On top of that, the customer service has been incredible whenever needed.

Cons

The CRM side still has room for improvement. It doesn't automatically track leads and referrals out of the box, even though it can be set up to manage those tasks.

Pros

It is a very robust, full-featured platform and that depth is a big plus. At the same time, with so much built into it, there are moments when you're not sure whether a task can be done or what the best way is to handle it. Their training videos are excellent though and they're organized clearly enough that it's simple to jump in and follow along whenever needed. The biggest standout for me has been the onboarding and customer support. Anytime I've run into an issue, the team has been available to walk me through it and answer every question I've had, even the ones that felt basic. They also respond incredibly fast sometimes within just a few minutes. As a solo practitioner, that kind of support is invaluable because there's no one else I can pass these problems to.

Cons

One thing I'd really like to see is a client portal although I understand that feature is supposed to be on the way. Also, if you're trying to use Smokeball to manage a large number of referrals and prospective clients, it doesn't really handle that particularly well. There are a few workarounds you can use but the system just isn't built to function as a true CRM. It would be ideal if Smokeball either added that capability directly or created an integration with a dedicated CRM platform.