Smokeball Reviews

Pros

There isn't just one standout feature here because it works really well together. The AI timekeeping has been incredibly useful, I mostly just review what it captures and add anything I handled outside the system. It keeps getting better over time, too. I also love how automatically it saves emails and documents to the right matter. The document automation is strong overall, every now and then some state forms don't behave properly but that seems more like a court system issue than a Smokeball problem. Another huge plus is how portable it is, being able to pull up documents on my phone during an emergency is fantastic. The Communicate feature is also really helpful since I can text clients without sharing my personal number. Billing is simple as well.

Cons

My only real concern is that it's possible to lean too heavily on the AI timekeeping since it still doesn't catch absolutely everything, things like internet research, reading and reviewing paper documents and phone calls. There is a workaround for some of that but I'm not currently able to use it.

Pros

From opening a matter to sending the final bill, everything works together in a really user-friendly way. It cuts down on how many times you have to go back into a matter just to re-enter information. Everything connected to that file stays saved there, including automatic time tracking. That means no more missed time when reviewing emails, replying to messages or making edits to documents. The training is excellent and the staff and help resources are incredibly friendly and pleasant to work with. I actually look forward to any calls with them. Anytime we need custom reports or have questions, the support team has been amazing.

Cons

Honestly nothing comes to mind. They really got it right.

Pros

Handling only the billing side of Smokeball in my role as Business Administrator, I've had a really positive experience with it. The system is very simple to use. The whole billing workflow, from creating a draft invoice, to making revisions, to saving and finalizing it and then sending it out, takes much less effort and saves a lot of time compared with the process at my previous firm. It's also really helpful that all of the partners can directly access the same information I see and check on things whenever they need to. Entering payments after they're received is also very simple. Overall it has made my job a lot easier.

Cons

It only lets you link an operating retainer account and a trust account. I really wish there were an option to connect more than two accounts. The way payments sync over to QuickBooks can also create extra work during the billing cycle because when clients make payments on their bills and I record them in Smokeball, the payment pushes from our retainer account and then I have to go into QuickBooks and correct it manually. I'd really prefer a setup where I could connect more than two accounts and have that process work more efficiently.

Pros

I really appreciate how much effort they put into helping users. I've had plenty of conversations with their support and they've worked with us to customize the program to fit our firm's needs. The layout is well done, the quick-click features are convenient and the invoicing tools make it simple to send clients reminders when they still need to pay us.

Cons

The drawback with it is that, as a multi-practice law firm, we can't link clients and matters together. That makes it harder for a client who has more than one matter to keep track of everything in one place.

Pros

Billing has been excellent and the support available whenever needed has been really helpful.

Cons

The migration process was a mess. It dragged on much longer than expected and it felt like the team helping with the transition neither listened to us nor asked what we actually needed.

Pros

Their support team has been cooperative and really knows the system well.

Cons

Reporting or really the lack of it, doesn't do much to support accounting tasks and there's also no way to send invoices with cover letters directly from Smokeball.

Pros

Getting around it feels simple and it lets us pull up customer and billing information with only a few clicks.

Cons

Adjusting to new updates can take a bit of time and they can be a little buggy when first released.

Pros

Its user-friendly design, along with the support team and training videos, has been really helpful.

Cons

The only downside is the delay when waiting for requested forms to be returned.

Pros

There are plenty of options to customize how invoices look which makes the final appearance much more polished.

Cons

It does calculate tax on fees but tax on costs still has to be added manually line by line.

Pros

The system is very user-friendly and whenever a question comes up, help is always close by. The Support Hub is packed with useful information and clear step-by-step instructions. If the answer is not there, reaching out by chat or email is simple and the support team responds very quickly.

Cons

I have not run into any issues at this point. Even the support has been excellent.

Pros

Whenever I run into a problem, the support team responds quickly and is really helpful. I made some mistakes while entering information into the accounting side and Emily P patiently walked me through how to fix everything.

Cons

Haven't really come across any major downsides yet, there are just a few features I still haven't fully learned how to use.

Pros

One of the best parts of using it has been the outstanding customer service. The program is also very user-friendly and simple to navigate.

Cons

It feels like a very well-designed thoughtfully built program. I honestly don't have any complaints about it.

Pros

The time tracking is fantastic and the court calendaring with built-in rules is a huge help. It also auto-fills judicial council forms, lets you automate your own forms and even allows texting directly from the contact record.

Cons

At the moment, the billing side doesn't let you request trust fund replenishment although that feature is supposed to be included in an upcoming update.

Pros

The AI features have been a big win especially the automatic time capture and how it keeps data coordinated between systems, like pulling Outlook emails directly into the case file.

Cons

The billing workflow could still use a few refinements although it's clear they're continuing to make regular improvements.

Pros

It has become an essential part of my practice. It saves me a lot of time and really boosts my productivity especially with the time-tracking tools. I also value the record-keeping features and the fact that I can access my files from anywhere.

Cons

I'd like to see some kind of automatic backup file being created as well.

Pros

Having strong customer support makes a big difference especially in an organization with people at different levels. The Smokeball team has been consistently positive and helpful, guiding each person through the learning, migration and adaptation process step by step.

Cons

One thing I'd still like to see is notification and alert functionality similar to Microsoft 365. It would also be helpful to have the ability to link documents or insert links within documents.

Pros

Having all our information in one place has been a big plus. It pulls in correspondence and communications together and we can also get client documents signed without needing to switch to a different platform.

Cons

we have to open several windows to see all the information we need and the entry window does not let us cut and paste.

Pros

It combines all matter-related items in one place, with everything connected to the calendar, makes it really convenient to stay on top of things.

Cons

The contacts section isn't very user-friendly and the billing side still feels like it needs more improvement.

Pros

Its amazing how carefully it seems to have been designed. The features work well together and the regular updates show they're actively improving the platform. I also feel confident about the security and whenever help is needed, the team has been very supportive.

Cons

A few standard hotkeys would make navigating files faster and more convenient, like being able to back out of a sub-folder with the DEL key. I'm also not completely clear on how the file backups work or how long files are retained so it's hard to know how much I still need to keep client files on my own server or in paper form.

Pros

Having everything in a single place has been a huge benefit. I can go back through old files, pull out information that helps with current matters and do it without much effort. I've also refined my workflows over time which has saved me a significant amount of time. On top of that, my daily tasks are automated so I no longer need to build a day-to-day to-do list myself. The value of that really can't be overstated.

Cons

If I could change one thing about Smokeball, it would be the lack of Apple/Mac integration. I prefer working on Mac computers and the downloadable application isn't currently supported.