Clio
Clio gives law firms one platform to manage cases, bill clients, and automate the work that eats up your day.
Overview
If you run a small law firm, you already know the pain of juggling spreadsheets, chasing unpaid invoices, and losing billable time to administrative tasks. Clio puts case management, billing, document storage, client communication, and reporting under one roof. Over 400,000 legal professionals use it, and it carries bar approvals in all 50 U.S. states. Plans start at $49 per user per month billed annually. You get unlimited document storage, time and expense tracking, invoicing, payment processing, and a mobile app on every plan. Higher tiers unlock automated workflows, custom reports, a secure client portal, and a built-in CRM for client intake. Clio offers a free 7-day trial with no credit card required, free data migration on paid plans, and 24/5 live support by phone, email, and chat. For a small firm ready to stop running on sticky notes and spreadsheets, this is a serious contender.
Features
- Time tracking and invoicing with hourly, flat rate, and contingency billing options
- Secure client portal and mobile app for document sharing and messaging
- Automated workflows for task assignments, document creation, and matter management
- 250-plus app integrations including QuickBooks, Xero, Gmail, and Outlook
- Court-rule-based calendaring with automated deadline reminders
Best for
Clio fits solo attorneys and small law firms with two to twenty staff who need to replace disconnected tools with one system. It works especially well for firms that bill by the hour, handle high document volume, or want to professionalize their client intake process.
Why this SMB score
Clio delivers broad functionality built specifically for law firms, offers strong support and security, and scales from solo practice to mid-sized teams, but per-user pricing and add-on costs make the total monthly bill climb quickly for firms with more than a few staff members.