Smokeball Reviews

Pros

It has been a superb way to improve productivity in our office and helps us accomplish much more throughout the day. Honestly we wouldn't be able to handle the same amount of work without it.

Cons

Every now and then, a new update brings a few bugs or errors. That said the support team usually responds quickly and starts investigating right away. If the issue isn't resolved immediately, they keep working on it until they find an answer.

Pros

Being able to pull up information from any device has made a big difference and it keeps our firm connected whether we're in the office or away from it. It also gets rid of the need for physical files which has really helped modernize how we work.

Cons

The recent update changed how memos are organized so they no longer appear under the matter folder and now sit in a separate tab. On top of that, the memo section doesn't seem to have enough storage to keep one continuous memo the way it used to.

Pros

Running a consulting firm and virtual paralegal service for law firms across the US, we've had a really great experience with it. Their customer service is outstanding and they make it very simple to integrate the software into our clients' practices. The interface feels simple to handle. We also really value the built-in state-specific court forms since they remove the need to buy separate state form libraries that can be very costly. On top of that, the workflow feature is one of the strongest we've seen across all the software we've tested and used.

Cons

If Smokeball could find a way to support Mac operating systems and expand its intake and lead management features a little further, I honestly think they could double or even triple the number of firms they're able to serve.

Pros

Anyone with a bit of tech experience will pick this up quickly because the software feels very easy to use.

Cons

The toughest part has been manually entering most of my clients' information which can feel a bit overwhelming. Thankfully since my practice is still fairly new, I have fewer files to move over.

Pros

Being able to pull up files on my phone or tablet whenever I'm away from the office is a huge plus. It also does a really good job of keeping my daily tasks organized and on track.

Cons

Honestly I don't have any complaints. I think it's an excellent system.

Pros

Everything stays connected in one place, from emails to documents which makes collaboration much better. The document auto-population is a huge help and the closing statement automation works really well too. Being able to pull documents directly from Smokeball when sending emails is also incredibly convenient.

Cons

Didn't notice any drawbacks yet.

Pros

Since our firm bought Smokeball in September 2022, it has gone well beyond what we expected. Matt McCahill, our sales representative, walked our team through several demos and the level of customer service he delivered was some of the best I've ever received. Right from the start, it was clear that Matt knew the product inside and out and genuinely cared about Smokeball. His presentations were simple and whenever we needed more information, he gave us enough detail to confidently decide that the software was a good fit for our firm. Tyler Wyciskalla, who handled our onboarding, has been just as impressive, providing top-notch training and support throughout the process.

Cons

Our team hasn't found anything to dislike about this law practice software.

Pros

Stepping into an entry-level Legal Assistant role felt much more manageable with it. It's made tracking all of our law firm's clients and cases far more simple and the Forms & Templates have been especially useful for learning how to draft motions, notices and other legal documents.

Cons

Every now and then, my firm runs into minor issues with their Billing website. Payments sometimes get sent straight to Ledgers automatically, even when we try to invoice them and redirect them in a more organized way. It's not a major problem though.

Pros

My office has become far more productive than I expected thanks to this software. It automatically tracks my time and keeps my tasks organized and managed.

Cons

The only thing I'd really want added is a Google add-in for calendars and other Google apps.

Pros

The interface feels user-friendly and it handles tracking my billing really well.

Cons

At times, the pop-up windows can be awkward to use and difficult to move around.

Pros

Being able to track time directly from MS Outlook and Word is a really useful feature and fits nicely into my daily workflow.

Cons

The software can be a bit slow when starting up although I usually work around that by just leaving it open on my computer. It would be much better if it integrated with Zapier.com since that would open up a lot of other important integrations.

Pros

It gives me every tool I need to keep client information organized and actually make use of it.

Cons

Honestly I don't have much negative to say about Smokeball. It solves the problems that used to frustrate me with other CRM platforms.

Pros

Everything about it feels very user friendly and the customer service has been awesome.

Cons

Faced no issues so far.

Pros

It handles client information, document storage, workflow and communication all in a single system which keeps things organized and efficient. The smartphone app also works across multiple operating systems so there's a lot of flexibility when it comes to accessing client details on the go.

Cons

The biggest frustration is that the platform still only supports Windows. We've been asking for MacOS compatibility for a long time but nothing has changed.

Pros

Everything related to a case can be stored and pulled up in one system. Since it can automate nearly any data point it captures, you usually only need to enter information once and it carries through where needed.

Cons

A common frustration is that getting the most out of it especially its more advanced automation tools, does take a fair amount of time to learn all the details. That said the time spent learning it has absolutely been worth it.

Pros

Having everything connected in this tool is a huge advantage. My files are available right away on all of my devices, phone, laptop, office desktop, home desktop and my assistant can access the same setup on all of hers as well. It also integrates well with my Microsoft programs, including Outlook Calendar, Contacts, Word and Excel and lets me keep accounting and billing coordinated in one place. Since it works with my RingCentral system too, I miss very few billing opportunities. After more than 50 years in practice, along with my financial background as an MBA and CPA, I have a strong sense of what makes a system truly effective and this one is better than the many others I've used before. It really feels like Smokeball has brought all those smaller separate programs together into one thoughtfully coordinated system. Nicely done by SB.

Cons

One thing that could be improved is the adjusted statement output. The system gets so deep into the details that it really should offer a simple one-page summary up front, with the later pages left for the supporting detail. Right now, it feels overly wrapped up in the detail and the design gives me the impression it may have been approached from more of a student perspective.

Pros

Using it feels incredibly simple and their customer support has been absolutely amazing whenever needed.

Cons

there's nothing about it that I don't love.

Pros

One of the biggest drains on an attorney's day is time entry and billing and Smokeball has made a noticeable difference there. It automatically tracks the time spent working on documents which adds up more than you realize. In my first few months with Smokeball, my billable hours went up by more than 50% even though I was working the same number of hours. The real gain came from all the small interruptions throughout the day, checking a document, revising it, reading through it or taking a phone call. Since it integrates with RingCentral, it also logs call time automatically and creates a time entry under the correct matter.

Cons

The billing side is not quite as strong as its other components. That said the billing features have been improving on a regular basis.

Pros

It is surprising how advanced this program is when it comes to capturing approximate time spent on tasks even when no timer was started, like emails, reviewing documents or drafting them. It's also very useful for quickly searching through lots of past documents within any client file.

Cons

It keeps creating another time entry each time the same email or document is opened again. Because of that, you still have to review all the time entries carefully before sending a bill to the client.

Pros

Setting up files in a consistent way by category is a big plus because every new matter already follows the same structure and you just plug in the details that match your case pattern. Since we handle injury cases, it's especially helpful that the software includes file types designed specifically for that area of practice. On top of that, having everything accessible online from anywhere makes it even more convenient.

Cons

A few parts still need to be adjusted and customized for each individual practice but that's really unavoidable with any case management system. To Smokeball's credit, they continue refining the platform and seem willing to take feedback and build those suggestions into the product.