Clio for Law Firms and Lawyers Examine App

Pros: This app is so much cleaner and user friendly than using Clio Manage in a browser. Our office is calendar-centric so the calendar is essential—that’s my favorite part of the app vs the browser. The calendar doesn’t get lost with everything else like it does in the browser. Cons: Everything else. Outside of the calendar view and the simplicity of the app, there’s a lot missing which makes the app close to useless outside of viewing your calendar or matter notes. You can’t see or do everything and it’s easy to assume something is missing or wasn’t done because there’s no where to look it up from the app. There also haven’t been any changes or improvements to the app in years. I’ve used Clio Manage and Grow for 4 years and I’ve noticed that Clio is big on acquiring new programs and pushing their add-ons to their current customers and there is little improvement on the products that initially appealed to people like myself who need a CRM that works phenomenally at the basics before you’ll sell me on anything else. The lack of improvement on things they said were “coming soon” 4 years ago, (such as more cohesiveness between Manage, Grow and the app having more functionality) has been frustrating. The recent price increases on these products, despite the lack of said improvements, are the final straw. We’re going to end our relationship with Clio and explore CRM platforms that focus on improving their current products instead of adding new ones that they don’t improve.

Best service my firm has had

I have used 3 different law practice management software's over 30 years of practice. Clio is far and above better than any of the ones I used in the past and better than the dozens that I have demo'd over the past 5 years.

While at my desk, Clio and Outlook work fine together with emails getting attached to the correct matter. How can there still be no cell phone app integration? Filevine and others have figured this out.

Not working properly.

Good app for inputting time it it should include the add on apps

This app is great when it works. However, many times throughout the day it freezes when I attempt to add notes. It’s extremely frustrating.

Useless

Clio changed payment lag from 1-2 days for payments made through their system to 5-7 days. For 300 bucks a month at 3% of sales that is not acceptable. I’ll be looking for another billing system after January one.

If you are using Clio to manage your law practice but aren’t using the app you are losing out on functionality. If you aren’t using Clio to manage your law practice, you should be.

We use this for our law firm. Great interface, functionality and versatility.

(1) All reports are on client level. No matter report available. (2) No report by practice area. (3) Reports with useful info also provide bunch of unnecessary stuff you cannot filter out. You can hide columns but not filter- pointless. (4) all pmts processed in Clio are recorded to one and the same GL in QBO. No division by practice area. (5) reversals done in Clio are not reflected in QBO. Only deposits. If not careful you end up with duplicate deposits. (6) Hard Cost have to be entered in Clio and then again in QBO. (7) AR is migrated to CLIO as expense. Able to change it to fees in CLIO but payments received for those ARs won’t be reported as services in QBO. (have to reclassify manually... Fun) (8)Trust Reconciliation cannot be adjusted. have to void all and start all over. All trust in Clio. (9) unable to control online payments. Clio posts within 24hrs, even on a weekend, before you can even see it pending in the bank. Not able to set cut off time. Throw off daily deposits. (10) deposits are applied to individual time entries so reports that provide fees/cost breakdown are way too long and not easy on the eyes, including that in QBO.

You can only record payments via card or QR code in the app. No ability to record checks or ACH transfers. Not useful.

App has definitely gotten better. I would give it 5 stars if I could access it offline and have it sync when online. Courthouse WiFi stinks, and I would appreciate the ability to access my data offline (at least via the app).

Not intuitive or easy to use. Most non functional app around.

Does what you need. I don’t use it too too much but always can rely on it

The app is awful. You are unable to navigate to realistically communicate with clients, unable to send bills, unable to check payment status and balances. It is just “unable” to do most things that you would need in an app.

Just getting started with Clio at our law firm. Struggling a little bit with the web based application and clicking through all of the steps to enter time accrued prior to Clio. Moved to the iPad app and it is much easier. Part of the ease may be the use of touch which is a little more difficult on my computer/3 screen setup. iPad and keyboard make it simple.

August 8, 2023. I would like to see an integration with a note taking app as well as I would like to see the mobile version for iPad function, the same as the mobile version for the iPhone when using Gmail. Specifically, there is no integration between iPad email app and Clio. I’ve been requesting this for over a year now. Use the app a lot Both on my phone and iPad. It is so important to capture your work and this allows me to capture not just time but important notes and documents on the go. Clio is absolutely invaluable. They are constantly making improvements.

Clio and automation have transformed my practice. I have been able to turn deep work into shallow work, which has given me more time for more deep work.

Has all the details to keep my records straight!

Our firm relies heavily on the tasks feature of Clio to manage matters between attorneys, paralegals, and other administrative staff. The Clio app appears to not populate a matter’s tasks to allow me to see the latest status of a matter while not in the office. It’s nice to be able to review my notes from anywhere, but I need the task feature to function in the app for the app to have truly meaningful value to me.

This program and app are a real game changer. I am in a small firm and by changing to Clio I have streamlined the process for time input and billing. I highly recommend this product as it is intuitive and easy to use and manage.

This is so annoying. I changed my password 3 times and you guys confirm that it has changed and it still tell me it’s wrong, such a useless app.

On my iPhone . When I try to migrate a voice message to Clio , the initial attempt always fails. On the second attempt , and every attempt after that , it works . I think it has to do with how Clio opens. The 1st attempt just takes me to a main Clio screen. The subsequent attempts take me to a list of matters to select from .

Incredible all!

It allows me to enter time and expenses on the go without missing any as I go through the day.

The limited nature of the app combined with poor performance on a cell screen is really frustrating. Users can’t always be on a laptop or desktop. Compatibility with mobile devices should be a no-brainer in 2024.

Onboarding process was awful. Designed to check off boxes for Clio not help us. Recirds transfer from our 30 year billing system an inaccurate disaster. Communication from Clio poor. System requires huge amounts of care and maintenance. No help witn our going remote. Had only been 6 months and want to cancel.

I love how I can use this app on my iPhone and not ever have to worry about being late on billing times. Since it’s easily accessible for my use.

Despite years of requesting it

This app seems to do it all for small law practices, or large law practices. works on Mac and iPhone. Really needs an Apple Watch app.

I received a message about tap to pay. The setting for the digital wallet is not on my app. Ten minutes wasted.

Still feels like this app could be so much better. Clio has been around a long time. The app is just basic. Besides checking calendar and messages it offers little functionality. I expected more from Clio.

The app freezes and must be rebooted every time you add a matter to event, task, or note. Has been happening for around 8 months. Please fix.

Security issues that they want to bill you for not a good thing to have.

I love the app!!

Not an ez experience

When a use logs in to a specific matter. The order thing they must see is what is the current trust balance and what unfollows hours are there. They do not need to have access to trust account to so that. As an owner, this is critical or else I will have lawyers putting in hours and the client trust account is in the negative. This not good business. We move from pc law to clio. We were told that one can see this information. Not really true unless you have access to the full trust and or billing. Only certain people should be able to touch the trust or billing. It should not be the Lawyer or user, Currently clip has an all of nothing access. Not good. When someone is getting ready to put hours on. Matter the current trust balance Should be glaring at them or else they don’t car and the system Allows them to continue to do work and then the owner has to hope that the client pays the balance.

This app does not provide the ability to do very much at all. It’s almost worthless.

I use it often, but it has many limitations, and there is no app for Clio Grow. How is that still possible?

As a firm owner, I want to be able to easily monitor my team throughout the day. Clio needs to incorporate the ability to look at the firm dashboard and activities—at a minimum. I can’t see how my firm is doing unless I get on my computer.

Update from my original review 4 years ago, and it’s still behind; same problems App is still way behind what you would expect from a legal practice management app. Many tasks require a desktop to get information. The app is essentially a glorified time keeper that only connects single user contacts and calendar. Suggestions: More speed, less lag; True swipe actions (not swipe and tap) Messaging function for client “portal” takes far too many taps to draft (email is still just easier) Tasks should be more like (or sync with) Microsoft To Do

Needs these two improvements

Why doesn’t the app allow you to see invoices in the format used on the website, i.e. Pending Approval, Unpaid and Paid? The service is primarily a billing system (as sold to me). Why can’t I easily get to my invoices on the app?

Choose another billing software.

Considering the amount of time I spend on Clio, navigating through files and maintaining client data, I am impressed with how well Clio works with everything that I need, and it’s all very comprehensive. The only reason why I didn’t put 5 stars, is because I think it would be better if each user could customize their own page settings and have a more personalized layout, rather than just the standard layout and color scheme. Nitpicking, sure, but it’s still a critique that I think should be considered in future iterations of the app, mobile app, and desktop website versions of Clio.

Please keep on improving

The app works well to allow the user to look at a file and documents stored in the file with relative ease. It is convenient to enter notes and add time entries quickly. It is almost easier to use than a laptop in some respects The only thing that is missing from my workflow is the inability to assign task lists from the app.