Overall, an excellent software and definitely worth considering for your law firm, especially if you handle real estate transactions.

1. Smokeball is an "everything" platform. We realized we were only using the other softwares for billing/invoicing, but found little use for them otherwise. Smokeball, on the other hand, is much more versatile. We track our to-dos there, create workflows, assign tasks/projects to others at the firm (it avoids the back-and-forth internal emails), share our draft documents with client through a secure portal, and much more! 2. If you are a real estate transactions law firm (as we are), Smokeball is the only platform specifically designed for that practice area. We love that it automatically calendars deadlines, has templates built in, and otherwise automates much of the closing process for us (and avoids costly mistakes such as missing a deadline).

1. Cost (yup, it's one of the more expensive options you'll find out there). But when evaluating options, the thought process should be whether you will save some time by implementing the features of the software. And if so, a few extra bucks monthly is well worth it. 2. A little glitchy at times. We sometimes would create an invoice but would not be able to load it or send to a client until the next day. I have no idea why this happens, though it hasnt been a big issue for us. 3. Requires you to invest a lot of time to set up to automate your documents and learn how to modify them as you go. But, again, it is time well spent.

I have used Smokeball for years. The features and customer service are phenomenal. I have used other programs that left me frustrated and having to use multiple programs to obtain less that perfect results. The reporting features let me stay on top of all things case related as well as keeping my firm profitability at my fingertips. I highly recommend Smokeball to everyone!

The integration with microsoft office, zoom, ring central, infotrack, and now TxDocs make Smokeball my hands down favorite. Smokeball communicate allows clients real time "text" access without having to give out personal numbers and is a wonderful customer service option. Reporting features are especially great for things such as "paid vs. incurred" and litigation deadlines.

Smokeball and mac are not friends. There is a work-around, but I hope to see mac fully integrated in the future.

I said I wanted API access. They said, "what's an API?" I sent them a link to their website showing where they provide API access to developers. They refused. This became an issue because they will not provide your client and matter data in a useful format. It's a lawyer-run company. The support staff is legalistic and misleading. I would not do business with them again. I don't think "they'll make it right" if you have an issue. I know I sound like a crank. But I feel pretty badly treated by them and in 2023 the lack of an open API is insane. Now that I have my data out of their system, I am no longer hostage to their garbage. If I had read a review like this during my evaluation, I hope that I would have hesitated and made a different choice.

The software has a point of view. Its ideal user is a middle-aged tech-phobic lawyer that needs most decisions made for him.For that reason, the software makes a lot of choices for you. And mostly they are fine choices if you want a desktop-based app and a forms-heavy practice.They oversell their integration with MS Word and Outlook. Their custom add-ins are slow to load and unimpressive.If you truly want to play in the MS Dataverse, which I think is a smart long-term play, then use a product that integrates with Sharepoint and Teams. Also, the app is a POS.

This software is a technical dead end. They will never have an open API and integrate with the web. But if you ask for it, they "will submit a feature request" despite the fact they actually have an API that developers can use.They will not help you export your data. They provide you with your files in an unstructured mess of separate .csv files and client folders.They answer the customer service number 1 out of 5 calls. They shuttle you to email, where the support doesn't read the emails you send.Their document automation team screwed up my documents. I sent templates in Georgia 11 and got back documents with a mixture of Times New Roman 12 and Georgia. I sent over documents with tables for signature blocks and got back documents where the signature block was done with an underline and space bar.

I am delighted to share my positive experience with Smokeball, the case management system that has truly transformed the way I handle transactions in my legal practice. From the moment I integrated Smokeball into my workflow, I noticed a significant improvement in the efficiency and seamlessness of my transactions. The user-friendly interface and intuitive design make it incredibly easy to navigate through the intricacies of case management. Smokeball's comprehensive features have streamlined the entire process, allowing me to stay organized and focused on providing the best legal services to my clients. The automated tools have been a game-changer, saving me valuable time and ensuring accuracy in every transaction. The system's responsiveness and reliability have made it a trustworthy companion in my daily tasks. I appreciate the consistent updates and improvements, demonstrating Smokeball's commitment to staying ahead in the ever-evolving legal technology landscape. In summary, Smokeball has exceeded my expectations and has become an indispensable tool in my practice. I highly recommend it to fellow attorneys looking for a case management solution that not only meets but exceeds their needs.

Sometimes there is a lag. Also need more resources on training to complete your own documents.

More efficient, able to handle more business in less time.

It took a while, but once I understood how things work it made it easy to manage my client workload. Before I would lose track of matters where the client should have gotten back to me and didn't. Now with tasks it is easy to keep track. Also like the billing options and the automation. I am much more efficient than before.

Still getting used to billing hourly. I like that it tracks my time, but the entries are not good for billing as difficult for a client to understand. Also wish I could have converted Time Matters client to Smokeball easily. It would have been expensive so I running two databases.

Complete end to end practice management solution. Fantastic tech support and client account managers. Constantly improving the product for users. Actually does legal template automation (caption and proof of service etc) as opposed to Clio.

Cost of entry seemed very steep on 3-year contract basis. Because Smokeball integrates with all accounting processes except for operating accounts payable there is a great deal of work to get it stood up. Both of these hurdles are surmountable and worthwhile given the excellent product and service.

Love Smokeball - I have been in the legal field for 18 years now and have worked with a number of different Legal Billing/Case Managment Programs. Smokeball, hands down, is leading the pack.

Time tracking, integration with Microsoft, intakes, Secure client portal, templates, document management system

I wish we had the option to create reports by selecting different fields.

The productivity has increased. Training a new higher is so much easier and the features of Smokeball really allows you to set a Newby up for success! There are just to many amazing features that make the overall experience better than I could have ever expected!

Making my work product automatically generate on demand!

The Matter Types are not customizable and do not work for Texas cases.

It's been great. They have advance greatly over the years.

Document automation, storing emails with the matter, document organization.

When you schedule an event inside a matter, rather than on the calendar directly, it will not alert you that you have a conflict with your new appointment.

Fantastic!

Smokeball ability to track all of my activities throughout the day is a game changer. When they tell you it will pay for itself, they are not kidding. But they don’t tell you is how Smokeball intelligently generates to-the-second-accurate billing entries without the need for additional data entry.

I haven't found a feature that I do not like, but I have one client who doesn't want to use the communication portal, and an occasional opposing counsel who needs some assistance, accessing files set through the portal

Our firm literally cannot work without Smokeball. I am not exaggerating one bit when I tell you that it is as essential to our practice as air. When the pandemic began, other lawyers were struggling to figure out how to work from home. Luckily for us, Smokeball is everywhere we are. With help from Smokeball's cloud-based system, we were able to transition to working from home very quickly and easily. Thanks to Smokeball's features -- file notes, memos, timeline, phone messages, email tracking, and activity tracking -- it is easier than ever for multiple staff members to collaborate on a file even though they are not physically in the same space. The integration with InfoTrack/Docusign means that we obtain client signatures without even leaving our desks. And the document automation and contact database make working much easier and more productive in general! I highly recommend Smokeball to any small law firm.

Email tracking, file notes/timeline. These features make it so much easier for two or more people to collaborate on a file!

I wish that "to-do" tasks in the system would auto-delete if a matter is canceled or closed.

I have really enjoyed using this product and a have been a strong advocate from day one; however, I am concerned that they have not fixed this problem and I do not have the one capability that I need which is being able to get my emails and task while I’m in the car.

This software is easy to use and all of my staff love it! It improves our workflow, makes us more efficient and makes every day more enjoyable!

This software is lacking in one essential area – – you are unable to get your emails and task while on the go on your phone. I was told this app and feature works when I signed up for three years only to find out later that it does not work and the calendar is not very good either

We've gotten more efficient and better at communications and organization. We can offer clients a better overall experience.

Smokeball really changed how our small firm runs. We are much more organized and efficient than ever before. Smokeball tech support is readily available and fantastic. There is so much functionality to what this software can do.

The only drawback is that if you sign your contract with a certain number of users, you can't drop below that number for that year. As a small business that grows and changes frequently, it's hard to know that if we happen to have 5 users when we sign our annual contract, we're paying for 5 users all year, even if we go down to 4 users or 3 users, etc.

Implementation was super smooth and the support people are so responsive and helpful. It's amazing!

Smokeball is great because of it's auto document generation, billing integration, calendaring and tasking system, calendar integration, email integration, document version tracking, and work flow set ups.

The cost is high but that's really to be expected with how much you are getting out of this software.

Awesome!!

The is software is extremely user friendly. It saves a ton of time with templates for documents you regularly draft. Also, the absolute best part is the app you can download on smartphone which lets you access your files anywhere and anytime.

Honestly nothing. Smokeball is a huge time saver and I am so glad our firm did the switch.

Excellent. Support and account managers are always very responsive and helpful.

Customization, document automation, many features I haven’t fully explored. Syncing and integrations with other software.

Not sure if it’s a Smokeball issue but have had issues with the outlook add-in at times. Would be nice if software would also integrate with g-suite.

We needed a new software system because our old one (very old) was aging out of the version we used and was no longer going to be supported. When looking at other options with them, they determined that our firm just wasn't big enough for their software. They tried to sell us on a smaller platform that they had purchased, but after demo-ing for a week I knew it wouldn't work for us. Someone had mentioned Smokeball to me and to my boss. Since we had both gotten word of it from separate sources we decided to check it out. Kind of a "the universe is telling us something" sort of deal. Once I started working in the demo and seeing how integrated it was, I knew this is the one we wanted. And it was cheaper than our old system! Onboarding wasn't difficult at all. Because we are a smaller firm and we only wanted active cases in the new system we transferred the data from the old system to the new system ourselves. It took a few people a few weeks to get all the data in, but it was great because there was a field for everything and we were able to find a place to the put all the information. Since then, we have trained new employees very easily, we are all using the software to its fullest potential. We all watch extra webinars and training videos when they come up and are continuing to improve our use of the software. It is really a very easy system to learn. Everything is logical. The forms and templates are a dream to work with.

The thing I like most about Smokeball is how integrated with other programs it is. I can create and save Word documents from inside the software. E-mails and attachments in Outlook are so easy to link. We changed the way we use our scanner so that it goes to our e-mails instead of a folder on the old server because it is so easy to get the documents into the correct file and name them correctly at the same time through Outlook.

The only thing I feel like Smokeball is missing is a date calculator. I miss being able to calculate forward and backward choosing calendar days or court days and such. Calendaring rules are great, but sometimes I need to know when I can schedule a motion for BEFORE it is calendared.

We are moving toward a paperless office, and have a better sense of organization, because with Smokeball, we know where everything is, and it's easy to find.

That it is cloud-based makes is usable anywhere: home, office, while traveling. That's especially important now, given the limitations imposed by Covid 19. I appreciate the ability to have all emails related to a case appear in the same place. I like the automation features, particularly for drafting quick letters.

There are still technical issues involving the relationship between Smokeball and Outlook, and even when everything works smoothly, which is most of the time, the loading of both programs takes a while.

I have gained a lot from using Smokeball, but I have had to give up things that I view as basic and simple needs in exchange. The company is open to hearing suggestions, but they are not quickly implemented. They are aware of the complaints that new users have, but they still don't discuss them in the sales demo. I would suggest buying one license only if you decide to try the software. You can add more later if you find that it works for you, but really use the software before adding more as it will take you a minute to realize all of the simple tasks it can't perform. If you have used other major software programs like Abacus or Practice Panther, you may not feel like the benefits are worth the hassle of the change. If this is your first case management system, you will be happy.

The integration with Microsoft Word and Outlook are great. Unlike other software programs, they work all the time and are easy to use. The templates and automation features help you save tremendous amounts of times doing routine work. The software does not crash and have bugs all the time like the previous software I used.

This is an out of the box, canned solution. Even on simple requests, ZERO customization is allowed. Also, they are HORRIBLE with allowing you to import data from other software systems. They basically expect each firm to just start over from scratch, other than importing contacts. This is crazy and unrealistic for small or large firms. Smokeball is a one size fits all tool that frequently falls short. It is very difficult to run reports. You have the ability to add labels and input data, but extremely limited ability to run reports to transform the data you have collected into useful information. During the demo, they show you nifty features like automated time keeping, but they neglect to tell you that if you turn on that feature, your invoices will get all messed up. You won't have the ability to itemize or discount each line item of work performed on the case, instead they group them together with a list of daily worked. There is a reason why they do not offer a try before you buy option or a month to month option. You have to sign up for a full year and then you are locked in.

We have found Smokeball helped us to increase our revenue due to the automatic posting of billable hours. It was easy to learn and the customer service has been great. The Smokeball staff is friendly and responsive.

Smokeball streamlined our time tracking and billing.

I can't really think of anything negative about the version we have. We wish we could afford the more comprehension system, but we are a solo office, and it gets pricey for our firm.

I enjoy Smokeball and recently looked into Mycase. Do not consider Mycase. I was informed by Mycase that the integration process would be easy and would take 5-10 days. Those were lies. I have 4+ years in Smokeball with over 1000 files.

I am able to pull up any document while in court along with access to my client. I am able to conduct a conflict check within minutes.

The billing program requires me to exit out and enter another program. Least favorite part of Smokeball.

Smokeball is our on stop shop for case management... it is so organized and helps us streamline our case management. I love using it to broadly track a case as well as using it to get into more intricate details such as medical provider logs or insurance company information.

Smokeball makes our case management so efficient and effective through its many integrations (Docusign, Microsoft Word, YoCierge etc.)! It is easy to keep organized while tracking all of the case notes help us be as thorough as possible when working in the files.

I am eagerly waiting for an intake feature to be added to Smokeball. Otherwise, I do not have any complaints aside from typical software issues, but I understand that SB is in beta and always being improved.

One of the most impressive items is that we can answer a call from a client whether it is our matter or not, we can communicate with our client giving them what they called for without delay. We have had other firms ask what we use as they were impressed with are detailed fast response.

We are a law firm in the Chicagoland area, it is such a relief to have all of our communications and files in one location so that all of us can share the data at any time. Having the court forms at our finger tips, not having to go to each county is such a time saver. We have only scratched the surface using the many efficiency's that are offered.

Sometimes, when the documents are populating they could load just a tad quicker.

I cannot say enough good things about the customer service. The representatives are very knowledgeable about the product and extremely responsive to their customers’ need. Several times, when there wasn’t a solution to my issue, they submitted a work ticket and “created” the solution.

Our office (small family law firm) loves Smokeball! As a paralegal, my favorite features are the form automation, automatic time tracking and billing entries, the integration with my calendar, file management, and my absolute favorites - the Tasks and Daily Digest Pane features. Attorneys can assign tasks to other members of their teams, which can then be broken down into subtasks to create simple to-do lists. The Daily Digest Pane displays your schedule for the day, making it so easy to track your current and upcoming tasks in a quick glance. I also love the feature that allows you to search for specific words within saved documents (not just words in document titles).

I love the secure link feature that allows you to send documents to external parties. However, while it's easy on my end, the recipients routinely call me for help and instructions because they can't figure out how to access the documents.