# CaseFuze — Full Knowledge Base Complete text of every page on https://casefuze.com. Generated for LLM ingestion. ================================================================ # Home URL: https://casefuze.com/ Summary: Run your whole firm on one platform: case management, billing, and audit-ready IOLTA trust accounting. Built by attorneys. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ New HIPAA-compliant AI agent, zero retention → Built by attorneys · $49 per user ### Your whole firm, running on one platform. Case management, billing, and audit-ready IOLTA trust accounting in one place. Stop stitching together four tools and a spreadsheet. Start now Book a demo Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply 200+ firms HIPAA compliant Plaid-verified bank feeds app.casefuze.com/trust IOLTA Trust ledgerReconciled Trust balance $248,910 Bank · Plaid $248,910match Ledgers $248,910 Rivera v. Hollis · retainer + $12,500.00 Estate of Okafor · disbursement − $3,200.00 Delgado LLC · settlement + $48,000.00 Synced 4 min ago · First National Trust ••4021 Everything a firm runs on 200+firms on CaseFuze $49per user, flat 16tools in one HIPAAcompliant & secure Trusted by growing firms across the country ### Built by a lawyer who still has a docket. Nicholas Wooldridge · Co-founder, CaseFuze · Founder, LV Criminal Defense, Las Vegas CaseFuze started because running a practice meant fighting the software as well as the case. It is built by people who do this work, for people who do this work, and every decision in it was settled by someone who would have to live with the answer on Monday. Meet the team → One login, every workflow ### The tools your firm actually uses, in one system. Enter a client once and CaseFuze carries the detail into billing, documents, and trust accounting. No re-keying, no export-import shuffle. ### Case & matter management Deadlines, notes, contacts, documents, and billing for a matter, together in one record the whole firm can see. Learn more → ### IOLTA trust accounting Connect your trust account once. CaseFuze keeps book, bank, and every client ledger in agreement, and tells you the moment they aren't. PopularLearn more → ### Billing & invoicing Generate LEDES-ready invoices, batch bill, and send from any matter. Learn more → ### AI agent Choose from HIPAA-compliant models across several providers. The agent reads your firm's own data, analyzes whatever you upload, and produces the documents you need. None of it is stored. PopularLearn more → ### Online focus groups Run an online focus group with one participant or several thousand. Present video, documents, and photos, collect structured answers, and let the AI tell you what the results mean. PopularLearn more → ### Document management Case document management with version control, templates, and full-text search across every file the firm holds. Learn more → See all 16 features → AI, inside the matter ### An AI agent that already has the file open. Ask about a caseload, a client's history, or where the month's billing went, and the answer comes out of your live CaseFuze records. Upload a 214-page medical record and it reads all of it, then hands back the demand letter as a draft you can edit. HIPAA compliant, every model Zero retention Never trained on your data Explore the AI agent AI in focus groups → app.casefuze.com/ai AI agent · Rivera v. HollisZero retention What in the medical records contradicts the deposition? CaseFuze agent Three conflicts. The 3/14 ER intake records no loss of consciousness, and the deposition puts it at twenty minutes. Two more at pages 112 and 140. medical-records.pdf · 214 ppRivera depo, p. 87 Draft the demand letter. CaseFuze agent Written off the matter file, your fee agreement, and the three conflicts above. Demand-Rivera-v-Hollis.docx Model of your choice · nothing stored, nothing trained on ### Queries your records Matters, contacts, invoices, deadlines, trust balances. It reads the live database, not a stale export. ### Reads what you upload Contracts, medical records, depositions, discovery responses, spreadsheets. Two pages or two hundred. ### Writes the first draft Demand letters, client updates, memos, chronologies. You edit a draft instead of facing a blank page. ### Your pick of model Providers have different strengths. Draft on one and run long-document analysis on another, same matter. The part most tools get wrong ### Audit-ready IOLTA, without the spreadsheet. Trust accounting is where firms get into ethics trouble. CaseFuze reconciles book, bank, and client ledgers automatically and flags any drift the moment it appears. - Live Plaid bank feeds. Book and bank always agree. - Per-client ledgers. Every dollar traceable to a matter. - One-click reconciliation. Bar-ready reports on demand. Explore trust accounting app.casefuze.com/trust/reconcile Three-way reconciliationBalanced Book $248,910 Bank $248,910 Ledgers $248,910 All three balances agree — audit-ready Plaid feed synced 4 minutes ago app.casefuze.com/focus/new New focus group412 invited Participants 412 Questions 9 Videos 2 Panel · selected by AI from contacts Ready Question set · drafted and ordered 9 items Emoji reactions on, timestamped to the second New in CaseFuze ### Test the case on real people, before trial does it for you. Build an online focus group of one participant or several thousand, show them your video and exhibits, and find out what actually lands. Every reaction is timestamped, and the AI reads the results for you. - Any size. One honest reviewer or a thousand respondents. - Timestamped reactions. See the second sentiment turns in a video. - AI in the loop. It picks the panel, writes the questions, reads the answers. Explore focus groups Why firms switch ### Software that thinks like a firm, because attorneys built it. ### One price, no line items $49 per user, every feature included. No add-on for trust accounting, no per-matter fees. Card and ACH payment processing is billed separately at 2.75%, or 2.25% at volume. ### Bank-grade security SOC 2 Type II, encryption in transit and at rest, read-only Plaid connections. ### Move in without the pain Import matters, contacts, and balances from your current system in days. Loved by 200+ firms "We replaced three subscriptions and a monthly reconciliation. Trust accounting used to be the thing I dreaded — now it just matches." Managing partner · 12-attorney litigation firm Everything included CaseFuze Complete $49/moper user Ask about free accessFree migration & onboardingEvery feature, unlimited Case & matter management Time, billing & payments IOLTA trust accounting Plaid bank feeds Documents & e-signature Workflow automation & AI Reporting & analytics Unlimited matters & storage Start now — $49/moper userContact us to use CaseFuze free · conditions apply Questions ### Frequently asked. What is CaseFuze, and how does it help my firm?CaseFuze is all-in-one legal practice management: case tracking, billing, IOLTA trust accounting, document management, staff tools, and workflow automation in one platform. It runs firms of every size, from one solo attorney to a multi-state practice with a thousand users and more, on the same plan. One system means more billable hours captured, fewer missed deadlines, and compliance you don't have to chase, all at $49 per user. What does CaseFuze connect to today?Read-only Plaid bank feeds, card and ACH payment processing, and an open API for anything custom. Bookkeeping is built in rather than integrated: bank transactions are split and applied to matters inside CaseFuze, so there is no separate ledger to keep in agreement. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 email and calendar are in build, with cloud storage after them. What's included in the $49 per user plan?Everything: matter management, automated workflows, IOLTA trust accounting with three-way reconciliation, billing and invoicing, document management with e-signatures, and HR and staff management. Matters and storage are unlimited, and the app installs on every device your firm uses. No add-ons, no tiers, and no per-matter or per-client fee. Card and ACH payment processing is billed separately at 2.75%, or 2.25% at volume. Is there a free trial?There can be. Contact us to see how you can use our app for free. Conditions apply. Otherwise it is $49 per user, per month, with every feature on and migration and onboarding included. How secure is my data?Your data is protected with bank-grade security and encryption in transit and at rest, with access controlled and logged. See our Security page for the full detail. How hard is it to switch from another system?Not hard. Migration is free, with a dedicated onboarding specialist and import tools for your matters, contacts, invoices, and trust balances, and zero downtime during the move. Can I use CaseFuze on my phone?Yes. CaseFuze is a progressive web app: open it in the browser on your phone and install it to the home screen, where it opens and behaves like any other app. There is nothing to download from an app store and nothing for your IT person to deploy, and it installs the same way on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac. The whole platform is reachable from a phone, though the heavier work like a billing run or a month-end reconciliation is still easier on a full screen. Is the AI safe to use with client files?Yes. You choose from models across several providers, and every one of them runs under HIPAA-compliant terms with no data retention. Your prompts, uploads, and matter data are not stored by the models and are never used to train them. See the AI agent page for detail. What can I do with online focus groups?Build a group of one participant or several thousand, present video, documents, and photos, and ask true/false, multiple choice, and long-answer questions. Video responses collect timestamped emoji reactions, and the AI helps you pick participants, write the questions, and interpret what came back. The software is included at $49 per user, with no per-study fee for the platform itself. Paying the panel is separate: you compensate the participants, whether you recruit them from your own contacts or have CaseFuze supply them for an additional fee. ### Let's revolutionize the way your firm works. Use CaseFuze free · contact us · conditions apply Free migration & white-glove onboarding Every feature included at one flat price Start now ================================================================ # Case & matter management URL: https://casefuze.com/features/case-management/ Summary: Open one screen and see the whole matter: deadlines, notes, documents, time and trust activity in a single record the firm shares. Case management software for law firms at $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Case & matter management Case & matter management ### Case management software that puts every matter on one timeline. Deadlines, notes, contacts, documents, and billing for a matter, together in one record the whole firm can see. Start nowBook a demo Case & matter management ### Open a matter, and the whole firm is on the same page. Because every module shares one record, a note added in intake is already there at billing time. - Shared record. One matter, visible to everyone who should see it. - Deadline safety. Reminders on court and statute dates, never a sticky note. - Instant context. Documents, time, and trust activity in one view. app.casefuze.com Active matters32 open Rivera v. Hollis · Litigation · due Aug 4 Estate of Okafor · Probate · due Aug 9 Delgado LLC · Business · active Nguyen intake · New · needs conflict check Capabilities ### Everything a matter needs, in one record. One screen for the whole case, organized around what you do next. ### Unified matter record Deadlines, notes, contacts, documents, and tasks for a matter sit on one screen, so the answer is in front of you before the client finishes the question. ### Deadline tracking Count a statute or a court date in the calculator, save it to the matter, and reminders fire on time, so a missed date never threatens a case or a malpractice premium. ### Task management Recurring tasks for routine work, dependencies that hold follow-up until prerequisites finish, and time tracking so you can bill straight from a task. ### Firm-wide search Find any matter, contact, or document in a keystroke, instead of clicking through tabs and menus until you forget what you were after. ### Calendar sync Court dates, meetings, deadlines, and tasks flow to Google, Outlook, and Apple Calendar, and any change in CaseFuze updates your calendar too. ### Team collaboration Internal notes clients never see, mentions to notify a colleague, and task assignments that send an email the moment they land. Deadlines ### Count the date once. The matter remembers it. Work out the date in the calculator, put it on the matter, and stop carrying it in your head. 01 ### Enter the trigger The complaint filing date, the date of loss, the notice date, or whatever else starts the clock. 02 ### Count the interval Add the days the rule gives you, in calendar days or business days, and read off the date. 03 ### Save it to the matter The date lands on the case and on the calendar, where the people covering the file can see it. 04 ### Get warned early Reminders go to the team rather than to one attorney's memory, so cover does not depend on who is in the office. Dates and files ### The two things a matter loses first. ### Calendar or business days The calculator counts either way, so a fourteen-day response window and a two-year statute both come out right without a desk calendar and a pen. ### Document organization Every file lands by category, date, author, and custom tag, so you can filter to the exact document you need in seconds. app.casefuze.com/reports Case reportsExport Open matters · by practice area PDF Task completion · overdue and bottlenecks PDF Documents filed · what is missing PDF Activity log · by user and matter CSV Reporting ### Know what your firm is actually doing. Case status, task completion, and document reports turn a pile of matters into numbers you can act on, sliced by practice area, attorney, or time period. - Case status. Open and closed matters by practice area or attorney. - Bottlenecks. Task completion reports surface overdue work before it stalls a case. - Nothing missing. Document reports show what is filed and what is still outstanding. At a glance ### The specifics. Matters and storageUnlimited SearchFirm-wide, across matters, contacts and documents Custom fieldsYes, modelled to your practice area CalendaringCourt dates and statute-of-limitations reminders Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureClient intake →FeatureTime tracking →FeatureDocument management →PracticeImmigration →GuideDo you need it at all? →GuideSoftware vs spreadsheets →GuideConflict checks →GuideBuilding your own →GuideBy firm size → ### Ready to see case & matter management in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Features URL: https://casefuze.com/features/ Summary: Replace five subscriptions with one login: case management, billing, IOLTA trust accounting, documents, a HIPAA-compliant AI agent and online focus groups. Everything included at $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features Everything in one platform ### Sixteen tools. One login. CaseFuze replaces the stack most firms cobble together. Every module shares the same data, so your matters, money, and documents finally speak to each other. Practice management ### Case & matter management → Deadlines, notes, contacts, documents, and billing for a matter, together in one record the whole firm can see. ### Client intake → Capture every lead, run the conflict check, and open the matter without re-typing a thing. Legal client intake from the first call to the signed engagement letter. ### Legal tools → Date calculators, a settlement calculator, statute search, document assembly and a client portal, without a second app. ### AI agent → Choose from HIPAA-compliant models across several providers. The agent reads your firm's own data, analyzes whatever you upload, and produces the documents you need. None of it is stored. Popular ### Online focus groups → Run an online focus group with one participant or several thousand. Present video, documents, and photos, collect structured answers, and let the AI tell you what the results mean. Popular Billing & money ### Time tracking → Track time from any screen, with timers and one-tap entries so nothing slips through. ### Billing & invoicing → Generate LEDES-ready invoices, batch bill, and send from any matter. ### Payment processing → Card and ACH payments that land in the right account, with trust rules respected. ### IOLTA trust accounting → Connect your trust account once. CaseFuze keeps book, bank, and every client ledger in agreement, and tells you the moment they aren't. Popular ### Reporting & analytics → Law firm analytics you run yourself: realization, collections, matter profitability, and staff productivity at a glance, without waiting on anyone to build the report. Documents ### Document management → Case document management with version control, templates, and full-text search across every file the firm holds. ### E-signature → Send engagement letters and forms for legally binding e-signature, tracked to the matter. Firm & platform ### Staff management → Roles, permissions, PTO, and productivity in the same platform as your matters. ### Integrations → A read-only bank feed, bookkeeping and payments in one system, with an open API for the rest. Email, calendar and cloud storage connections are in build. ### Security & compliance → SOC 2 Type II, encryption everywhere, and IOLTA-ready compliance controls. ### Data migration → We move your matters, contacts, documents, and trust balances from your current system. ### One price for all of it. Every feature on this page is included at $49 per user. No tiers, no add-ons. Card and ACH payment processing is billed separately. See pricingBook a demo ================================================================ # Client intake URL: https://casefuze.com/features/client-intake/ Summary: Turn a first call into an open matter in minutes. Branded intake forms, conflict checks before you take the case, and an engagement letter signed the same day. Client intake software at $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Client intake Client intake ### Client intake software for law firms, from first call to open matter. Capture every lead, run the conflict check, and open the matter without re-typing a thing. Legal client intake from the first call to the signed engagement letter. Start nowBook a demo Client intake ### Case intake from the first call to the open matter, without the copy-paste. Intake data becomes the matter record automatically, so nothing is re-entered and nothing is lost. The same client intake process runs whether you take six inquiries a week or six hundred. - No re-keying. Intake answers populate the new matter. - Conflicts up front. Catch a conflict before it becomes a problem. - Faster yes. Engagement letters signed the same day. app.casefuze.com Intake pipeline6 new Nguyen, T. · New inquiry · PI Barrett, S. · Conflict check clear Osei Holdings · Engagement sent Marsh, D. · Converted → matter Capabilities ### From first contact to signed client. Every intake channel and every step of qualifying a lead, in one pipeline. ### Capture from every source Web forms, phone scripts, and referral forms all feed one central database, so a 2 AM website inquiry and a business-hours call enter your system the same way. ### Conflict checks Screen new parties against your entire client history, current and former clients, opposing parties, and associates, before you agree to take the case. ### Lead qualification Intake forms capture case viability, damages, liability, and statute status, then score each lead automatically so you spend time on the ones worth taking. ### Self-scheduling Leads pick a consultation slot from your live availability, and confirmation emails go to both the prospect and your team automatically. ### Consultation prep CaseFuze compiles a packet from the intake form, prior communications, and staff notes, so the attorney walks into the meeting already up to speed. ### One-click convert When a lead says yes, promote them to a matter in one click, and every contact detail, document, and conflict result moves with them. The pipeline ### Stages that match how firms actually intake. Track every lead from first call through retention, no one lost along the way. 01 ### Prospect First contact, captured from a phone call, web form, referral, or walk-in. 02 ### Follow-up Leads that need another touch before scheduling stay on staff radar with reminders. 03 ### Consult The lead schedules or completes an attorney consultation call. 04 ### Convert The lead retains and becomes an active matter, with nothing re-typed. Analytics ### Know where your best cases come from. Track every lead source and referral relationship, then measure conversion by source, staff, and practice area to see what your marketing actually returns. - Source tracking. Tag each lead Google Ads, referral, past client, website, and more. - Referral relationships. See which attorneys and past clients send you business. - Live pipeline. Conversion rates and pipeline value update as leads move. app.casefuze.com/leads/sources Lead sourcesLast 90 days NEW LEADS 128 CONSULTS 46 CONVERSION 34% Referral · past client 41% Google Ads · paid search 22% Website form · organic 18% Accountability ### Assign it, then follow up on it. ### Intake staff assignment Assign one person or a whole team to each lead, or let round-robin distribute new leads evenly, so every inquiry has a clear owner. ### Follow-up reminders Set callback reminders and follow-up tasks, like sending a retainer or requesting documents, so a hot lead never goes cold. Questions ### Client intake questions by practice and firm size. Does this work as criminal defense intake software?Yes, and the shape of the call is different, so it matters. Criminal defense intake happens fast and often from a family member rather than the defendant: you need the charge, the court, the next appearance date and a fee quote before the call ends, plus a conflict check against co-defendants and complaining witnesses. Capture those on the form, run the check, and open the matter without retyping any of it. More on the criminal defense page. Can I use it for family law client intake?Family law is the practice where intake conflicts bite hardest, because a consultation you take by accident can disqualify the firm. The screening runs across every matter, party and opposing spouse before you take the meeting, not after. Intake also captures the financial picture you will need for temporary orders, so the disclosure list starts populated. See the family law page. What about client intake software for large law firms?The parts that change at scale are ownership and measurement rather than the form. Leads route to a named intake person or distribute round-robin so nothing sits unclaimed, permissions control who sees which pipeline, and lead source reporting shows which referral relationships actually produce signed matters. There is no per-matter or per-lead fee, so volume does not change what you pay. Is case intake the same thing as client intake?Attorneys use both, usually interchangeably. If there is a distinction in practice, client intake covers the person and the engagement, and case intake covers the facts of the matter. CaseFuze treats them as one flow, because everything captured on the inquiry becomes the matter record the moment you convert. Do intake answers carry into the matter, or is it rekeyed?They carry. The answers on the form become fields on the matter, the contact becomes a contact, and the engagement letter goes out for signature from the same record. Rekeying is where intake data quietly dies, and it is the main reason firms cannot report on their own lead sources. Can I take intake for a practice area that needs custom questions?Yes. Add the fields your practice needs, whether that is an incident date and treating providers, a receipt number and priority date, or a charge and a court department. They become part of the matter record rather than a note attached to it. At a glance ### The specifics. Intake formsBranded, online, feeding your pipeline Conflict checksScreened against your whole client history Engagement lettersSigned in platform, no third-party tool Re-keyingNone — intake answers open the matter Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureE-signature →FeatureLegal tools →PracticeImmigration →GuideBuilding an intake process →GuideConflict checks → ### Ready to see client intake in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Time tracking URL: https://casefuze.com/features/time-tracking/ Summary: Stop reconstructing Tuesday on Friday afternoon. One-click timers on any matter, passive capture that surfaces work you forgot, and approved time flowing straight to the invoice. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Time tracking Time tracking ### Legal time tracking software that bills every minute you work. Track time from any screen, with timers and one-tap entries so nothing slips through. Start nowBook a demo Time tracking ### The time you forget to record is the money you never see. CaseFuze captures work as it happens so your invoices reflect the hours you really put in. - Timers everywhere. Track from the matter, the doc, or your phone. - Nothing forgotten. Passive capture surfaces untracked work. - No double entry. Time posts to billing on approval. app.casefuze.com Today · timesheet6.4 h billable Rivera v. Hollis · Drafted motion · 2.1h Delgado LLC · Client call · 0.6h Estate of Okafor · Filing prep · 1.9h Admin · Non-billable · 0.8h Capabilities ### Everything that turns hours into revenue. Capture, categorize, and clean up time so invoicing is a quick review, not a reconstruction. ### Calendar sync CaseFuze reads your calendar and, after a scheduled client meeting, prompts you to log the time with the duration and description already filled in. ### Rate management Set default rates by role, activity-based rates for court appearances or depositions, and client-specific rates for negotiated discounts or premiums. ### Automatic rounding Time entries round to your firm's minimum increment automatically, so a three-minute call posts as 0.1 hours without any mental math. ### Review and approval Built-in workflows let a reviewer approve entries, request clearer descriptions, or adjust rates before an invoice is generated, with every change logged. ### Write-offs and realization Write-offs are tracked separately from billable time, so you can see hours worked, hours billed, and the realization rate between them. ### Budgets and alerts Set a time budget on a matter and CaseFuze warns you as you approach it, giving you room to discuss scope with the client before you run over. Descriptions that get paid ### Line items your clients don't question. Bills that say "legal research" invite pushback. CaseFuze prompts you to record what you did, why you did it, and what you produced, so every entry reads as work the client can see. - What, why, and what you produced. The three parts that turn a vague line into a defensible one. - Reviewed before it ships. Thin descriptions get flagged and fixed before a client ever sees them. - Output you can see. Productivity reports show billable hours by attorney, paralegal, or staff over any period, so it's clear who's tracking against target. app.casefuze.com/time/entry Time entryReady to bill Task · drafted motion to compel 2.1h Matter · Rivera v. Hollis, discovery $325/h Produced · 12-page motion, exhibits logged Billable · client-ready line item $682.50 How it works ### From first minute to final invoice. Four steps that keep tracked time moving toward getting paid. 01 ### Start a timer Kick off a timer on any matter from the record, a document, or your phone. 02 ### Let capture fill gaps Passive capture surfaces calls, emails, and research you would otherwise forget. 03 ### Review and approve Clean up descriptions and rates, then approve the day's entries for billing. 04 ### Send to the invoice Approved time flows into the next invoice as line items, with no re-entry. Capture anywhere ### Track time wherever the work happens. ### Timer or browser extension Start a timer from any tab, keep it running in the background, and right-click an email to log the time you spend reading and replying. ### Quick-add from templates Log recurring work in one tap with saved templates like "Client phone call, 0.2h" or "Court appearance," instead of typing the same entry twice a day. ### Every device, always synced Track from your desk, a courtroom, or your phone and every entry stays synchronized, so the work you log is waiting wherever you pick back up. At a glance ### The specifics. TimersOne-click, from any screen Passive captureYes — surfaces work you forgot to log Billing codesUTBMS task and activity codes at the entry MobileTrack time from the phone in your pocket, same app as the desktop Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureBilling & invoicing →FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureReporting & analytics →PracticeFamily law →PracticeInsurance defense →GuideLEDES billing → ### Ready to see time tracking in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Billing & invoicing URL: https://casefuze.com/features/billing-invoicing/ Summary: Bill the whole month in one pass instead of losing a weekend to it. LEDES-ready invoices, batch billing, trust-aware draws, and a pay-now link on every invoice. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Billing & invoicing Billing & invoicing ### Legal billing software that sends a whole month of invoices in one pass. Generate LEDES-ready invoices, batch bill, and send from any matter. Start nowBook a demo Billing & invoicing ### Billing that isn't a monthly ordeal. Approved time and expenses become invoices you review and send, not a spreadsheet you rebuild. - Batch in one pass. Bill every matter at once, then fine-tune. - Trust done right. Draw from trust with the rules enforced. - Get paid online. A payment link on every invoice. app.casefuze.com July billing runReady Rivera v. Hollis · $4,120 · draft Delgado LLC · $2,650 · approved Estate of Okafor · $1,890 · sent Marsh, D. · $980 · paid Capabilities ### Everything billing should already do. Track work, create invoices, collect payments, and see what still needs attention without bouncing between disconnected tools. ### Generated from your work Pick a date range and CaseFuze builds the invoice from tracked time and expenses, applies your rates, and produces a clean PDF ready to send. ### Multiple billing methods Run hourly, flat-fee, contingency, retainer, and hybrid arrangements, and switch methods case by case as the matter demands. ### Trust-aware billing Draw earned fees from a client's trust balance as part of the invoice, with the IOLTA rules enforced so nothing posts where it shouldn't. ### Online payments Every invoice carries a payment link for card or ACH, and payments apply automatically to the right invoice and matter record. ### Payment plans Set deposits and installments on a recurring schedule with automatic reminders, so your team stops chasing every due date by hand. ### Revenue visibility See unbilled time and overdue invoices at a glance, and track realization and collections with reporting your team can actually use. How it works ### How an invoice comes together. The work that used to eat half a day, reduced to a short review. 01 ### Pull the work Tracked time and expenses load by matter and date range, already totaled. 02 ### Review and adjust Write down time, discount amounts, or add flat fees and retainers before sending. 03 ### Apply trust Draw earned fees from the client's trust balance with IOLTA rules enforced. 04 ### Send with a pay link Generate the PDF and a card or ACH payment link in a single pass. app.casefuze.com/billing/methods Billing methodsPer matter Rivera v. Hollis · hourly $325/h Delgado LLC · flat fee $3,500 Marsh, D. · contingency 33% Estate of Okafor · retainer draw $2,000 Every fee arrangement ### Bill each case the way it's structured. Personal injury runs on contingency, corporate clients pay hourly, and simple matters take a flat fee. CaseFuze applies the right method to each matter and switches when a case calls for something else. - Hourly. Apply attorney and activity rates to tracked time. - Flat fee and retainer. Set a price or draw down from trust as work happens. - Contingency. Calculate the percentage of a settlement or judgment automatically. Beyond the basics ### The messy parts, handled. ### Split billing and allocation Split fees across multiple responsible parties so each payor gets a clear invoice, and track internal allocation by department, office, or partner without extra reconciliation. ### Payment plans without the spreadsheet Set deposits and installments on a recurring schedule, send reminders automatically, and see every plan's status across paid, pending, overdue, and adjusted balances. At a glance ### The specifics. Invoice formatsLEDES 1998B and custom Billing codesUTBMS task and activity codes Batch billingA whole month in one pass PaymentCard and ACH, with a pay-now link on every invoice Trust drawsApplied with IOLTA rules enforced Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureTime tracking →FeaturePayment processing →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →PracticeCriminal defense →PracticeFamily law →PracticeImmigration →PracticeInsurance defense →GuideSettlement statements →GuideFlat fees and trust →GuidePayment plans →GuideLEDES billing →GuideQuickBooks and trust → ### Ready to see billing & invoicing in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Payment processing URL: https://casefuze.com/features/payment-processing/ Summary: Get paid without chasing anyone. Card and ACH routed to trust or operating by rule, processing fees kept off your IOLTA, payment plans that run themselves, and reminders that go out for you. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Payment processing Payment processing ### Law firm payment processing that gets you paid without chasing anyone. Card and ACH payments that land in the right account, with trust rules respected. Start nowBook a demo Payment processing ### Money that lands where it's supposed to. Retainers go to trust, earned fees go to operating, and CaseFuze keeps the two from ever mixing. - Right account, always. Trust and operating stay separate by rule. - Fees off your IOLTA. Processing fees debit from operating, never from client funds. - Fewer follow-ups. Reminders chase invoices so you don't. - Predictable cash. Payment plans keep revenue steady. app.casefuze.com Payments · this week$18,240 in Delgado LLC · Card · operating · $2,650 Rivera v. Hollis · ACH · trust · $12,500 Marsh, D. · Card · operating · $980 Barrett, S. · Plan 2/6 · $360 Capabilities ### Everything a law firm needs to take a payment. Card, ACH, plans, and the compliance work around them, built into billing. ### Card and ACH on every invoice Each invoice carries a Pay Now button. The client clicks, pays by card or ACH, and the payment applies to the invoice while your accounting updates on the spot. ### Trust deposits routed right Retainers paid into trust route the way your jurisdiction requires, so trust funds and earned fees never land in the wrong account. ### Payment plans that run themselves Set a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly schedule with equal or custom installments, then let CaseFuze charge the saved method on time. ### Fraud checks on every charge Address and CVV verification confirm the card, and velocity checks catch unusual payment patterns before they cost the firm. ### Reporting and reconciliation Daily deposit reports, card-versus-ACH breakdowns, and fee analysis by transaction type reconcile cleanly with your accounting systems. ### Chargebacks handled for you Get notified the moment a dispute hits, with invoices and engagement letters compiled as evidence and submitted to the card networks for you. ### Global and multi-currency Bill international clients in their currency and settle in yours. CaseFuze converts at daily exchange rates, so a payment in CAD or EUR lands as clean USD on your books. ### Take payment from your phone Process a card or ACH payment from CaseFuze on the phone in your pocket, so you can close out a client at the courthouse or on a home visit rather than back at a desk. ### Payment history per client Open any client to see every payment, the date, amount, and method, each tied to the invoice it cleared, so answering "did that get paid?" takes one look. app.casefuze.com/payments/routing Payment routingTrust safe Client payment · Rivera retainer $5,000.00 IOLTA account · full deposit +$5,000.00 Operating account · processing fee debited Trust ledger · fees taken from client funds $0.00 Trust compliance ### Fees come out of operating. Your IOLTA stays clean. Take a processing fee out of a trust deposit and you have spent client money on a firm expense, which is the kind of thing that starts a bar complaint. CaseFuze deposits the client's full payment into your IOLTA account and debits the fee from your operating account, so the trust ledger shows what the client paid and nothing else. - The full amount reaches trust. A $5,000 retainer arrives in the IOLTA account as $5,000, with nothing shaved off the top. - Fees hit the operating account. Processing costs post where firm expenses belong, on their own line, ready for your bookkeeper. - Reconciliation gets boring. Bank statement, trust ledger, and client balances agree without a correcting entry to explain at audit. Lower fees ### More of each payment stays in the firm. Most legal software charges 3 to 4 percent per transaction because it resells another company's processor and marks up the rate. On $2M processed a year, that markup runs $30,000 to $50,000. CaseFuze charges 2.75 percent, and 2.25 percent for higher-volume firms, because it runs its own payment infrastructure and there is no middleman margin to cover. - 2.75%, or 2.25% at volume. American Express is accepted at the same rate as Visa and Mastercard rather than surcharged. - We own the rails. Processing is built in, not resold, so there's no third-party margin baked into your rate. - No surprise costs. Payment processing is included in the subscription, with no setup fees and no monthly minimums. - PCI Level 1 secured. Card data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and tokenization keeps card numbers out of logs and records. app.casefuze.com/payments/reports Deposits and reconciliationExport Daily deposit report · to your bank PDF Card vs ACH · by payment method PDF Fee analysis · by transaction type CSV Chargeback log · disputes and evidence CSV How a payment moves ### From invoice to reconciled, in four steps. 01 ### Send the invoice Every invoice goes out with a Pay Now button for card or ACH. 02 ### Client pays They choose a method and pay in a few taps, from a desk or a phone. 03 ### Routes to the right account Retainers land in trust, earned fees in operating, and the processing fee debits from operating. 04 ### Books update The payment applies to the invoice and posts to your records at once. At a glance ### The specifics. MethodsCard and ACH, American Express at the same rate Card rate2.75%, or 2.25% for higher-volume firms RoutingTrust or operating, decided by rule Processing feesDebited from operating, never from your IOLTA Payment plansInstallments that run themselves RemindersAutomatic until the invoice is paid Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan. Transaction fees are billed separately at 2.75%, or 2.25% at volume Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureBilling & invoicing →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureReporting & analytics →GuideDisbursing a settlement →GuidePayment plans →GuideQuickBooks and trust → ### Ready to see payment processing in action? The software is included in the $49 plan. Card and ACH transactions are billed separately at 2.75%, or 2.25% at volume. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # IOLTA trust accounting URL: https://casefuze.com/features/trust-accounting/ Summary: Close the trust account in ten minutes on the first of the month. IOLTA software with live bank feeds, continuous three-way reconciliation, per-client ledgers and overdraft prevention. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/IOLTA trust accounting IOLTA & trust accounting · flagship ### IOLTA trust accounting software that reconciles itself. Connect your IOLTA account once. CaseFuze pulls every transaction through Plaid, keeps book, bank, and client ledgers in agreement, and makes it hard to break a bar rule by accident. Start nowBook a demo Your bank feed, allocated ### Your bank transactions, pulled automatically. Most legal software makes you download statements, import CSVs, and key in every transaction by hand. CaseFuze connects to your IOLTA account through Plaid and fetches deposits, withdrawals, and fees instantly. - Split deposits to the right clients. Real-time balances update the moment funds are allocated. - No month-end panic. See exactly what hit the account and where it belongs. Powered by app.casefuze.com IOLTA Trust ledgerReconciled Book, bank, and ledgers all agree Rivera v. Hollis · retainer + $12,500.00 Estate of Okafor · disbursement − $3,200.00 Delgado LLC · settlement + $48,000.00 Built for compliance ### Every safeguard IOLTA asks for, inside the workflow. ### IOLTA compliance built in Every transaction requires a linked client and matter, so you can't pay an operating expense from trust by accident. ### Split deposits across clients Deposits rarely arrive clean. Click split, allocate to each client, and every entry ties back to the original bank transaction. ### Trust-to-operating, done right Invoice the client, and once it's approved, move earned fees from trust to operating with the workflow enforced. ### Client balances you can trust Every client's live trust balance sits on their matter page, with a full chronological history a click away. ### Integrated check printing Print checks straight from the trust balance. Each posts to the account and client ledger with documentation attached. ### Audit trails you can use Every entry is logged with user, timestamp, and before/after balances, searchable by client, matter, date, or type. Bank$248,910 = Book$248,910 = Ledgers$248,910 All three agree, reconciled automatically Three-way reconciliation ### The worst part of trust accounting, automated. Bank balance, book balance, and client-ledger balance all have to match. Plaid fetches your bank balance and transactions in real time, CaseFuze keeps the book and ledgers in step, and flags any drift the day it appears. Fees and trust ### Processing fees never come out of client money. A trust account holds money that isn't yours. Deduct a processing fee from a client's deposit and you have paid a firm expense with client funds, which is the sort of line a bar auditor stops on. CaseFuze deposits the full payment into your IOLTA account and charges the fee to your operating account, so the trust side of your books stays clean. - Deposits arrive whole. The payment lands in trust at full value, so the client ledger matches the receipt the client was given. - Fees post to operating. Processing costs show up as a firm expense on the operating side, itemized for your bookkeeper. - Nothing to explain at audit. No fee deductions on the trust side means no correcting entries and no questions about missing dollars. See how payment routing works → app.casefuze.com/trust/ledger Rivera v. Hollis · client ledgerBalanced Retainer received · card payment $12,500.00 Deposited to IOLTA · full amount +$12,500.00 Processing fee · charged to operating not in trust Client balance · available $12,500.00 Your jurisdiction ### Built around your state bar's rules. Trust requirements vary significantly by state. CaseFuze supports both models attorneys actually use. ### Pooled IOLTA accounts Track many clients in a single trust account, each with its own sub-ledger tied to the matter. ### Individual client accounts Keep separate bank accounts for high-value cases or specific clients, reconciled the same way. Setup ### Live in an afternoon, not weeks. No consultants, no training marathon. Three steps and your history is in. 01 ### Connect through Plaid Link your IOLTA account with a secure, read-only connection. 02 ### Set your threshold Choose the minimum balance you want to keep in the account. 03 ### Let Plaid backfill Your existing transactions flow in, ready to allocate. 04 ### Start reconciling Book, bank, and ledgers stay matched from day one. Reporting & billing ### The reports your bar wants, tied to your billing. Trust accounting shouldn't sit in a silo. Apply trust funds to an invoice in one click, and the disbursement posts to both the invoice and the trust ledger at once. app.casefuze.com/trust/reports Bar-ready reportsExport Monthly reconciliation · three-way status PDF Client ledger · any date range PDF Inactive balances · closed matters PDF Full audit trail · by user and matter CSV Pairs well with ### Better together. FeaturePayment processing → FeatureBilling & invoicing → FeatureReporting & analytics → PracticePersonal injury → PracticeCriminal defense → PracticeFamily law → GuideDisbursing a settlement → GuideSettlement statements → GuideThree-way reconciliation → GuideFlat fees and trust → GuidePayment plans → GuideSwitching software → GuideFree migration → GuideDo you need it at all? → GuideSoftware vs spreadsheets → GuideBuilding your own → GuideQuickBooks and trust → GuideBy firm size → At a glance ### The specifics. ReconciliationThree-way, continuous Bank feedPlaid, read-only — CaseFuze can never move money BookkeepingBuilt in — bank transactions split and applied to matters, no second ledger Client ledgersOne per client, never pooled Overdraft preventionBlocked at entry, before it posts ReplenishmentPer-client floors with the top-up request pre-filled Processing feesDebited from operating, never from the IOLTA DisbursementSettlement statements and checks generated from the ledger ReportsBar-ready three-way reconciliation, one click Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store ### Stop dreading your trust account. See a live reconciliation on your own numbers. It's included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Document management URL: https://casefuze.com/features/document-management/ Summary: Find any document in a keystroke instead of a shared-drive hunt. Case document management with version history, full-text search inside files, and templates that fill from the matter. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Document management Document management ### Case document management that keeps every file with its matter. Case document management with version control, templates, and full-text search across every file the firm holds. Start nowBook a demo Document management ### Stop hunting through shared drives. Documents are attached to the matter they belong to, versioned, and searchable by their contents. - Always in context. Files open from the matter they relate to. - Never lost. Version history and backups protect every draft. - Generated, not retyped. Templates pull from matter data. app.casefuze.com Rivera v. Hollis · files14 docs Motion to compel · v4 · edited 2h ago Engagement letter · signed Discovery responses · v2 · draft Client correspondence · 8 items Capabilities ### Built for the way legal documents actually pile up. Tag, version, generate, and secure every file without a folder maze. ### Tag it once, find it anywhere Skip rigid folders and tag documents with as many labels as fit. One file can be medical records, a doctor's name, and damages at once, and turn up under any of them. ### Version control that works Upload a new version and CaseFuze keeps both. You can see what changed, who changed it, and when it happened. ### Email straight to the file Forward an email into CaseFuze and it attaches to the right case. The system reads the subject and content to suggest the matter, and saves any attachments to the library. ### Templates and assembly Generate letters and pleadings with mail merge, conditional sections, and calculated fields. Answer a few questions and a formatted document assembles itself. ### Collaborate without clobbering Check a document out to edit and it locks for everyone else. Make your changes, check it back in, and no one overwrites another person's work. ### Secure storage and retention Bank-level encryption protects every file in transit and at rest, with unlimited storage and retention schedules that flag closed matters when their period ends. ### Every file, on your phone Install CaseFuze to your home screen from the browser and pull up any document in the courtroom or a client meeting. The full library travels with you, searchable, without a laptop or a printout. app.casefuze.com/matters/rivera/discovery Discovery review42 flagged Medical records · Dr. Johnson Reviewed Deposition transcript · plaintiff Needs review Employment file · defendant Flagged Expert report · reconstruction Reviewed Discovery tracking ### Know exactly what has been reviewed, and by whom. Mark documents as discovery with one click and filter to see only those files. CaseFuze tracks who reviewed each one and when, so nothing sits unread before a deadline. - Discovery flag. Tag any document as discovery and filter to the full set in a click. - Review tracking. See which staff reviewed each document and on what date. - Clear status. Mark each item reviewed, needs review, or flagged for follow-up. From draft to filed ### The whole document lifecycle, in one place. 01 ### Generate or upload Assemble a document from matter data, or drop in an existing file. 02 ### Edit together Check it out to work on it, then check it back in with the version saved. 03 ### Send for signature Mark the signature fields and route it to clients or opposing parties. 04 ### Files to the matter The signed version saves back to the case file automatically. At a glance ### The specifics. StorageUnlimited VersioningFull history, with rollback SearchFull text, inside the documents themselves TemplatesAssembled from matter data MobileThe whole library on the phone, installed from the browser Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureE-signature →FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureLegal tools →PracticePersonal injury →PracticeCriminal defense →PracticeFamily law →PracticeImmigration →PracticeInsurance defense →GuideAI and medical records →GuideSoftware vs spreadsheets → ### Ready to see document management in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # E-signature URL: https://casefuze.com/features/e-signature/ Summary: Send the engagement letter and have it signed the same day, with no third-party tool and no extra login. Signing order, tamper-evident audit certificate, and signed documents filed to the matter. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/E-signature E-signature ### Legal e-signature that gets the engagement letter signed the same day. Send engagement letters and forms for legally binding e-signature, tracked to the matter. Start nowBook a demo E-signature ### Signatures that don't leave your system. Send, track, and store signed documents on the matter, with a compliance record attached to each one. - One less tool. E-sign is built in, not bolted on. - Tracked to the matter. Signed docs file themselves. - Defensible. Audit certificate on every signature. app.casefuze.com Signature requests3 pending Engagement · Nguyen · Sent · awaiting Retainer · Barrett · Viewed Release · Marsh · Signed ✓ Consent · Delgado · Draft What you get ### Signing that lives inside your matters. ### Built-in e-signature Send documents for legally binding signature without a third-party tool or a separate login. ### Signing order Route to multiple signers in the order you set, with reminders that chase the ones who have not signed yet. ### Tamper-evident certificate Every completed signature carries a certificate showing who signed, when, and from where, so it stands up later. ### Reusable templates Turn engagement letters and common forms into one-click send-for-signature. ### Filed to the matter Signed documents save themselves back to the right matter, with no downloading and re-uploading. ### Legally binding Compliant with e-signature law, so what your clients sign holds up when it matters. How it works ### From draft to signed, without leaving CaseFuze. 01 ### Prepare the document Start from a template or a matter document and drop in the signature fields. 02 ### Send for signature Choose your signers and the order, then send. Reminders go out on their own. 03 ### Sign from anywhere Clients sign on any device, no account or app required. 04 ### Files itself The signed copy and its certificate save straight to the matter. app.casefuze.com/sign/certificate Signature certificateComplete Signed by · Nguyen, T. Jul 3 · 09:41 Identity · email + IP verified ✓ Sealed · tamper-evident ✓ Filed to · Nguyen intake auto Defensible by default ### A record you can stand behind. Every signature comes with a complete audit trail, so if a client ever questions what they agreed to, you have the answer attached to the matter. - Who and when. Each signer, timestamped and identity-checked. - Tamper-evident. Any change to a signed document is detectable. - Always on file. The certificate lives with the document, not in a separate tool. At a glance ### The specifics. IncludedBuilt in — no third-party tool, no extra login SignersMultiple, routed in the order you set Audit certificateTamper-evident, on every signature FilingSigned documents attach themselves to the matter Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureDocument management →FeatureClient intake →FeatureLegal tools →GuideBuilding an intake process → ### Ready to see e-signature in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Legal tools URL: https://casefuze.com/features/legal-tools/ Summary: Stop counting dates on a desk calendar. The legal tools sit inside the matter: date calculators in calendar or business days, a settlement calculator that pulls the case costs, statute search, document assembly and trial binder assembly. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Legal tools Legal tools ### The legal tools you reach for daily, inside the matter. Date calculators, a settlement calculator, statute search, document assembly and a client portal, without a second app. Start nowBook a demo Legal tools ### The small things that eat a legal day, handled. Deadline math, document assembly, and client updates are built in, so they stop living in your head. - Date math, done once. Count in calendar or business days, then save the date to the matter where the whole team sees it. - Assemble fast. Templates fill from the matter. - Clients in the loop. A portal instead of endless email. app.casefuze.com Matter workflowOn track Conflict check · Complete ✓ Engagement signed · Complete ✓ Discovery plan · In progress File responses · Due Aug 4 Capabilities ### A working toolkit, built into your matters. The calculators, searches, and generators lawyers reach for every day, without a second app. ### Date calculators Count out a filing date, a statute of limitations, or a probation completion date in calendar or business days, then save it to the matter with a reminder on it. ### Settlement calculator Model an offer with contingency fees, case costs, and lien reductions in one place. It pulls the case's expenses straight from your list. ### Statute search Search criminal and other statutes by code, section, keyword, or category, then open the full text, penalty, and fine. ### Pre-charge & warrant search Track cases in the pre-charge stage and filter by next search date, from overdue to due next week, so none slips past. ### Retainer & document generation Generate retainers from your firm's templates, merge client and case data automatically, and send for e-signature. ### Trial binder assembly Build court-ready binders with merged PDFs, a table of contents, and section dividers in a few clicks. Settlement calculator ### From offer to client take, in four steps. Evaluate a number without rebuilding it in a spreadsheet. 01 ### Pick the case Choose a case from your list and the calculator loads its expenses. 02 ### Choose the costs Select which case expenses to include in the math. 03 ### Enter the fee Add your contingency percentage, and CaseFuze applies it to the settlement. 04 ### See the split Fees, costs, and lien reductions net out to what the client actually receives. app.casefuze.com/tools/pre-charge Pre-charge search2 due Marsh, D. · next search date Overdue Nguyen, T. · next search date Due today Barrett, S. · next search date Next week Osei Holdings · monitoring Clear Search built in ### Find the right statute, or the next warrant date. Look up statutes by code, section, or keyword and open the full text, penalty, and fine. Track pre-charge cases and filter by next search date so a deadline never lives only in your head. - Statute lookup. Search by title, code, section, or category without leaving the matter. - Pre-charge tracking. Filter cases by Due, Due Today, or Due Next Week. - One less app. Every result ties back to the correct case. At a glance ### The specifics. Date calculatorsFiling dates, statutes of limitations and completion dates, in calendar or business days Also includedSettlement calculator, statute search, pre-charge search, trial binder assembly Document assemblyFrom matter data, with reusable templates Client portalIncluded WorkflowsRepeatable checklists for routine matters Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureDocument management →FeatureAI agent →PracticePersonal injury →PracticeCriminal defense → ### Ready to see legal tools in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Reporting & analytics URL: https://casefuze.com/features/reporting-analytics/ Summary: Know what the firm really made this month, today. Self-serve law firm analytics for realization, collections, matter profitability and staff productivity, live rather than exported. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Reporting & analytics Reporting & analytics ### Law firm analytics that show what the firm really made this month. Law firm analytics you run yourself: realization, collections, matter profitability, and staff productivity at a glance, without waiting on anyone to build the report. Start nowBook a demo Reporting & analytics ### Run the firm on numbers, not gut feel. Because billing, time, and payments live in one system, the reports are accurate the moment you open them. - Live, not stale. Reports reflect today, not last export. - Profit clarity. See where the firm makes money. - Partner-ready. Custom dashboards for the meeting. app.casefuze.com Firm performance · JulyLive Billed $182k Collected $164k Realization 94% Litigation · Most profitable area Collections · 18 days avg app.casefuze.com/dashboard Firm dashboardLive Open cases 142 Deadlines this week 9 Trust balance $1.2M Revenue this month · trending up $182k Team utilization · billable share 78% Collections · outstanding $18k Your command center ### The whole firm, on one screen. The moment you log in, the dashboard shows what actually needs your attention: open case counts, the deadlines coming up, revenue trends, trust balances, and how the team is tracking. It refreshes on its own, so what you see is where the firm stands right now, not where it stood at the last export. - Updates in real time. Numbers move as work happens, with nothing to run or refresh. - The metrics that matter. Cases, deadlines, revenue, trust, and productivity in one view. - Visibility without a data analyst. The answers are on screen, not buried in a spreadsheet. Report types ### Every angle on the firm, ready to open. Because billing, time, and payments share one system, these read from live data, not last month's export. ### Financial reporting See billed revenue by attorney, practice area, client, or period, so it's clear who generates income and which areas drive growth. ### Profitability Compare time invested against fees collected across matters, clients, and practice areas, so you know where the firm actually makes money. ### Productivity & utilization Track billable hours by person against targets, and measure utilization as a share of available time. ### Caseload reports View open cases by attorney with status breakdowns, new assignments over time, and closure rates that show who resolves matters efficiently. ### Client analytics Identify your best clients by lifetime value, prompt payment, and referrals, so the relationships worth growing get attention. ### Marketing ROI See which channels produce paying clients, not just leads, so budget follows the sources that convert. Report builder ### Build any report, then let it run. Pre-built reports cover the common questions, but every firm has its own. Select the fields, set filters, choose grouping, and generate exactly the view you need. Save it, then schedule it to land in the right inbox on its own. - No waiting on updates. Build the report yourself instead of filing a request. - Delivered automatically. Daily, weekly, or monthly, to the people who need it. - Export anywhere. Any report goes out to Excel, PDF, or CSV. app.casefuze.com/reports/scheduled Scheduled reportsAuto Daily cash receipts · to bookkeeper CSV Weekly caseload · to practice leads PDF Monthly financials · to managing partner PDF Realization, saved · custom report Excel Find it and see it ### Two ways to get to an answer. ### Ask in plain language Smart case search understands natural queries like "the PI case last year with the knee surgery" and finds it. It learns from what you open, so results sharpen over time. ### See it as a chart Turn tables into a picture with revenue trend lines, bar charts by attorney or practice area, and pie charts showing where revenue comes from. At a glance ### The specifics. MetricsRealization, collections, matter profitability, staff productivity FreshnessLive — no export step Custom reportsYes, built by you Source dataTime, billing and payments from the same system Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureBilling & invoicing →FeatureTime tracking →FeatureStaff management →PracticeInsurance defense →GuideThree-way reconciliation →GuideWhat a focus group costs →GuideLEDES billing →GuideBuilding an intake process → ### Ready to see reporting & analytics in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Staff management URL: https://casefuze.com/features/staff-management/ Summary: Cancel the separate HR tool. Staff management in the same system as your matters: least-privilege roles, PTO and coverage, onboarding, and billable output by person. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Staff management Staff management ### Law firm staff management for your people and your matters, in one place. Roles, permissions, PTO, and productivity in the same platform as your matters. Start nowBook a demo Staff management ### Your people and your matters, in one system. Manage who can see and do what, track time off, and understand output without another subscription. - Right access. Least-privilege roles per person. - Coverage clarity. PTO and scheduling in one view. - Real productivity. Output measured from actual work. app.casefuze.com Team9 users K. Rivera · Attorney · 142h billed M. Osei · Paralegal · full access S. Barrett · Attorney · PTO Fri New: T. Lee · Onboarding Capabilities ### Manage the team, not just the caseload. The people side of the firm, in the same platform as your matters and payroll. ### Staff directory & records One profile per person with photo, contact details, address, and hire and leave dates, plus a place to store HR documents like resumes, offer letters, reviews, and certifications. ### Roles & permissions Four built-in groups, attorney, law clerk, staff, and firm manager, with view, edit, and delete set per resource from cases to payroll. ### Time-off requests Staff submit vacation, sick, and personal leave with dates and a reason. Each request routes to their reporting manager for a quick approve or reject. ### Reimbursements Staff attach a receipt image or PDF to each expense claim. Approvers review the amount, description, and date, then sign off in minutes. ### Device accountability Track laptops, phones, and tablets assigned to each person, plus printers and scanners tied to an office, and flag anything for return when someone leaves. ### Staff analytics See billable hours, active cases, and leads converted per person by week, month, or quarter. ### Onboarding & offboarding Add a hire, assign an office, set permissions, and issue a device in one workflow. On exit, mark them inactive and flag their devices for return. app.casefuze.com/staff/approvals Approvals4 pending K. Rivera · vacation · Aug 4–8 Pending M. Osei · reimbursement · $142.50 Receipt S. Barrett · sick leave · Jul 30 Approved T. Lee · reimbursement · $86.00 Pending Approvals ### Time off and expenses, in one queue. Requests land on the right manager's dashboard with everything they need to decide. No forwarded email threads, no chasing paper receipts. - Routed automatically. Each request follows the org chart to the submitter's reporting manager. - Receipts attached. Expense claims arrive with the image or PDF in view. - Cleared in minutes. Approve or reject without leaving CaseFuze. Onboarding ### A new hire, set up in one pass. Everything a new team member needs, without four separate tools. 01 ### Add the hire Create their profile and assign them to an office. 02 ### Set permissions Pick a staff group and adjust access per resource. 03 ### Issue devices Assign a laptop or phone and log it to their name. 04 ### Run the checklist Work through onboarding tasks like email setup and training, tracked per hire. At a glance ### The specifics. Access modelRole-based, least privilege by default HRPTO, scheduling and onboarding in the same system ProductivityBillable output by person and team AccountabilityEvery access recorded against a named user Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureReporting & analytics →FeatureTime tracking →FeatureSecurity & compliance →GuideConflict checks →GuideBy firm size → ### Ready to see staff management in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Pricing URL: https://casefuze.com/pricing/ Summary: One plan, everything included: $49 per user per month. Case management, billing, IOLTA trust accounting, and more, with no add-ons or tiers. Card and ACH payment processing is billed separately. ================================================================ Home/Pricing Simple pricing ### One plan. Everything included. The price you see is the price your firm pays. Every module, every user, every month — no tiers to decode. Card and ACH payment processing is billed separately at 2.75%. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply 5–7tools replaced by one $49per user, all-in 6 mofree, no card needed $0setup or hidden fees Everything included CaseFuze Complete $49/moper user Ask about free access Free migration & onboarding Every feature, unlimited Case & matter management Time, billing & payments IOLTA trust accounting Plaid bank feeds Documents & e-signature Workflow automation & AI Reporting & analytics Unlimited matters & storage Installs on any device, no app store Start now — $49/moper userContact us about free access · conditions apply · volume pricing over 25 users Free access available · Free migration · SOC 2 Type II · One flat price Cards accepted Subscription fees are not refundable. The plan is month to month, so cancel whenever you like and billing stops at the end of the cycle. Read the refund policy. Questions ### Pricing, answered. What's included in the $49 per user plan?Everything: matter management, automated workflows, IOLTA trust accounting with three-way reconciliation, billing and invoicing, document management with e-signatures, and HR and staff management. Matters and storage are unlimited, and the app installs on every device your firm uses. No add-ons and no tiers. Card and ACH payment processing is billed separately at 2.75%, or 2.25% at volume. How hard is it to switch from another system?Not hard. Migration is free, with a dedicated onboarding specialist and import tools for your matters, contacts, invoices, and trust balances, and zero downtime during the move. What does CaseFuze connect to today?Read-only Plaid bank feeds, card and ACH payment processing, and an open API. Bookkeeping is built in rather than integrated, so bank transactions are split and applied to matters inside CaseFuze and there is no second ledger to reconcile against. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 email and calendar are in build, with cloud storage after them. How secure is my data?Bank-grade security, with encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access, and full audit logs. See the Security page for detail. Do you give refunds?No. Every fee paid to CaseFuze is non-refundable, including part-months and seats you stopped using. What you control is when you cancel: the plan is month to month, cancelling takes effect at the end of the billing cycle, and nothing bills after that. The full position is on the Refund policy page. Am I locked into a contract?No. CaseFuze is month to month and you cancel whenever you want. There is nothing to sign for a year. Can a solo firm buy a single seat?Yes. One user is a normal order. CaseFuze runs firms from a single solo attorney up to multi-state practices with a thousand users and more, on the same $49 plan and the same feature set. A solo gets IOLTA trust accounting, the AI agent and online focus groups on day one, and nothing has to be repurchased at a bigger tier when the firm grows. Is there a free trial?There can be. Contact us to see how you can use our app for free. Conditions apply. Otherwise it is $49 per user, per month, with every feature on and migration and onboarding included. Do you charge per matter or per client?No. The $49 is per user, per month, and that is the only number. Open three hundred matters and the bill does not move, because there is no per-matter fee, no per-client fee, and no usage metering. What happens above 25 users?Volume pricing applies over 25 users. The plan is the same one — every feature, unlimited matters and storage — with a per-seat figure worked out for your headcount. Tell us your seat count and we will quote it. Can I use CaseFuze on my phone?Yes. CaseFuze is a progressive web app, so you open it in your phone's browser and install it to the home screen. Nothing comes from an app store, and it installs the same way on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac. The whole platform is reachable from a phone, though the heavier work — a billing run, a month-end reconciliation — is still easier on a full screen. ================================================================ # AI agent URL: https://casefuze.com/features/ai-tools/ Summary: Read 214 pages of medical records in about a minute. A legal AI agent wired into your own matter data, running on HIPAA-compliant models that retain nothing and train on nothing. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/AI agent AI agent · flagship ### A legal AI agent that already knows your cases. Choose from HIPAA-compliant models across several providers. The agent reads your firm's own data, analyzes whatever you upload, and produces the documents you need. None of it is stored. Start nowBook a demo AI agent ### An assistant with the whole file already open. Because the agent is connected to your CaseFuze database, you never paste context into a chat window. Ask about a matter and it already knows the parties, the dates, the documents, and the ledger. - Pick your model. Several providers, all HIPAA compliant, switchable per task. - Zero retention. Your data is not stored by the models or used for training. - Reads and writes. Upload documents for analysis, get finished documents back. app.casefuze.com AI agentModel: your choice Analyze · Medical records · 214 pages Draft · Demand letter · Rivera v. Hollis Ask · “Trust balance on Delgado?” Summarize · Deposition → 1 page Capabilities ### What the agent actually does. It is connected to your data and to whatever you hand it, so the work comes back finished rather than described. ### Analyzes your firm data Ask about a caseload, a client's history, where the month's billing went, or which matters are drifting. The agent queries your live CaseFuze records instead of guessing. ### Reads what you upload Contracts, medical records, depositions, discovery responses, spreadsheets. Upload it and ask what it says, what is missing, or what it means for the case. ### Produces documents Demand letters, client updates, memos, summaries, chronologies. You get a draft to edit instead of a blank page to fill. ### Interprets, not just retrieves Compare two versions of a contract, find where a deposition contradicts a medical record, or explain why a number moved between two months. ### A different model per task Models have different strengths. Pick one for drafting and a different one for long-document analysis, on the same matter, in the same session. ### HIPAA compliant, all of them The models are served through Amazon Bedrock, a HIPAA-eligible AWS service covered by a business associate agreement. AWS does not store your prompts or train on them, and there is no non-compliant option sitting in the menu waiting to be picked by mistake. app.casefuze.com/ai/models Model & privacyCompliant Drafting model · in use HIPAA ✓ Analysis model · available HIPAA ✓ Long-document model · available HIPAA ✓ Data retained by model · none 0 Zero retention ### The answer comes back. Your data does not leave. Firms hesitate on AI for one reason: nobody wants privileged material sitting on somebody else's server. CaseFuze runs every model under HIPAA-compliant terms with no retention, so the material you send is used to answer you and then it is gone. - Nothing stored. Prompts, uploads, and query results are not kept by the model providers. - Nothing trained on. Your client files never become somebody's training data. - Nothing to configure. Every model offered is already compliant, so there is no wrong choice. How it works ### Four steps, no setup. 01 ### Pick your model Choose from models across several providers. Every option in the list is HIPAA compliant. 02 ### Point it at the work Open a matter, upload a document, or ask a question outright. Your firm's data is already in context. 03 ### Take the analysis or the draft It explains what it found, or writes the letter, memo, or summary you asked for. 04 ### Nothing is kept When the task ends, the model retains nothing. Your data stays where it started, in CaseFuze. Coming soon ### Built, and finishing testing. These are working in development and will switch on for every firm at no extra cost. ### Real-time web search Let the agent pull current information from the web mid-task, so research is not limited to what is already in your files. ### Audio and video transcription Turn a recorded deposition, client interview, or hearing into searchable text the agent can analyze alongside the rest of the matter. ### Predictive case analytics Estimate likely case value, duration, and outcome from your firm's own history, to support settlement conversations with something better than instinct. At a glance ### The specifics. ModelsSeveral providers, switchable per task Served throughAmazon Bedrock, on AWS infrastructure in the United States ComplianceHIPAA-eligible under an AWS business associate agreement Data retentionNone — nothing stored, nothing used for training GroundingYour own matters, contacts, time, billing and trust data InputsContracts, medical records, depositions, spreadsheets OutputsLetters, memos, summaries and drafts Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureOnline focus groups →FeatureDocument management →FeatureSecurity & compliance →GuideAI and medical records →GuideOnline mock juries → ### Ready to see ai agent in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Security & Compliance URL: https://casefuze.com/features/security-compliance/ Summary: Security and compliance built in: SOC 2 Type II audited, encrypted with AES-256 and TLS 1.3, hosted entirely in the United States, with read-only bank connections, HIPAA business associate agreements and an audit log that ties every action to a named user. ================================================================ Features/Security & compliance Security & compliance ### Security your clients can trust. Your firm holds privileged information and client funds. CaseFuze is built to protect both, and audited to prove it. Start nowBook a demo Security & compliance ### Held to a bank's standard, not a startup's. SOC 2 Type II audited, encrypted end to end, and access-controlled down to the person. Every action in your account is logged and attributable. - SOC 2 Type II. Independently audited controls. - Encrypted. In transit and at rest. - Read-only banking. CaseFuze can never move your money. app.casefuze.com Security postureSecure SOC 2 Type II · audited · current Encryption · AES-256 · TLS 1.3 Uptime · 99.9% · replicated Access · role-based · logged What protects your firm ### Defense in depth, not a checkbox. ### SOC 2 Type II Our controls are independently audited to the SOC 2 Type II standard, so you never have to take our word for it. ### Encryption everywhere Data is encrypted in transit with TLS 1.3 and at rest with AES-256, with keys managed and rotated for you. ### Read-only bank feeds Trust and operating accounts connect through Plaid in read-only mode. CaseFuze can see transactions to reconcile them, never move funds. ### Role-based access Give each person exactly the access their job needs. Least-privilege by default, and every access is recorded. ### Full audit trail Every action records who did what and when. Nothing can be deleted without a trace, which is exactly what an auditor wants. ### Continuous backups Point-in-time backups so a mistake, an outage, or a ransomware event never loses your firm data. ### 99.9% uptime Your data is replicated in real time across multiple servers, so the platform stays available when you need it and a single failure never takes the firm offline. Powered by Compliance ### Built for how law firms are actually regulated. ### HIPAA compliant Firms that store protected health information can put a Business Associate Agreement in place. We maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for PHI. ### ABA guidelines Aligned with the ABA technology guidelines for law firms, with encrypted communication, access controls, and audit trails that support your duty of technical competence. ### Built for IOLTA recordkeeping Every state bar asks for the same records: a ledger per client, a running balance, and a reconciliation that ties book, bank and client ledgers together. CaseFuze keeps all three and exports the reconciliation in a form an auditor accepts. app.casefuze.com Audit logLive K. Rivera · viewed matter #2041 · 09:14 System · Plaid feed synced · 09:12 M. Osei · exported reconciliation · 08:58 Admin · role changed: paralegal · 08:40 Accountability ### Every action, on the record. CaseFuze logs every action with the user, a timestamp, and before-and-after state. Search the full history by person, matter, date, or type, and export it whenever an auditor asks. - Attributed. Every entry ties to a named user. - Tamper-evident. Nothing is deleted without a trace. - Exportable. Clean, bar-ready reports on demand. At a glance ### The specifics. EncryptionAES-256 at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit Data residencyUnited States, end to end Multi-factor authenticationEmail confirmation at sign-in Bank connectionsRead-only through Plaid — CaseFuze can never move funds AccessRole-based, least privilege, every access logged Audit logAttributed to a named user, tamper-evident, exportable BackupsPoint-in-time, continuous Uptime99.9%, replicated in real time Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureStaff management →FeatureData migration →GuideBuilding your own → ### Ready to see security & compliance in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Online focus groups URL: https://casefuze.com/features/focus-groups/ Summary: Know the verdict before you file the demand. Run an online focus group or mock jury with one participant or several thousand, present deposition video and exhibits, and let the AI read the split. Included at $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Online focus groups Online focus groups · flagship ### Online focus groups that give you the verdict before you file the demand. Run an online focus group with one participant or several thousand. Present video, documents, and photos, collect structured answers, and let the AI tell you what the results mean. Start nowBook a demo Online focus groups ### Find out how the story sounds to strangers. You have lived with this case for a year. A focus group tells you how it reads to someone hearing it for the first time, while there is still time to change how you present it. - Any size. One reviewer or a thousand respondents, same setup. - Reactions with timestamps. Emoji responses pinned to the second they happened. - Analysis included. The AI summarizes the results instead of handing you a spreadsheet. app.casefuze.com Focus group · Rivera v. Hollis412 responses Participants 412 Completed 91% Avg. time 7m Opening video · 1,880 reactions Liability question · 68% for plaintiff Damages range · Long answer · 412 Capabilities ### Everything a mock panel does, without the vendor. Any attorney or staff member can build a group, present the material, and read the results the same day. ### One participant, or thousands Run a single honest read when you need a gut check, or several thousand responses when you want numbers you can rely on. Same setup either way. ### Show them the real material Upload video, documents, photographs, and exhibits. Participants see the case the way you intend to present it, not a written summary of it. ### Three question formats True and false for quick reads, multiple choice for structured comparison, and long answer when you need the reasoning behind the verdict. ### Emoji reactions on video Participants react as a video plays, and every reaction records the second it happened. You can replay the exact moment that moved the room. ### Participants live in contacts Focus group participants sit in the same contacts table as clients and witnesses, with their background details already on file and ready to filter on. If you would rather not recruit your own, CaseFuze can supply participants for an additional fee. ### Anyone at the firm can run one Attorneys and staff both create groups. No outside vendor and no separate login. You still pay the participants themselves, whether you recruit them from your own contacts or have CaseFuze supply them. How it works ### From an idea to an answer. 01 ### Build the group Pick participants from your contacts, or let the AI recommend who fits based on the background already recorded on each one. 02 ### Load the material Upload the video, exhibits, photos, and documents you want tested, in the order you plan to present them. 03 ### Ask the questions Mix true and false, multiple choice, and long answer. The AI will draft the set and tell you what order to run it in. 04 ### Read what came back Responses, reaction timelines, and an AI summary that says where the case holds up and where it does not. app.casefuze.com/focus/reactions Opening video · reactions1,880 total 0:42 · the fall is described 418 positive 2:15 · defense expert speaks 226 negative 3:58 · stairwell photograph 501 positive 5:10 · the damages ask 137 confused Timestamped reactions ### Not just what they thought. When they thought it. A summary tells you a jury disliked your opening. A reaction timeline tells you they turned at 5:10, when you named a number. One of those you can actually fix before trial. - Reactions carry a timecode. Every emoji is pinned to the second it was sent. - Replay the moment. Jump straight to the point in the video where sentiment moved. - Compare across cuts. Test two versions of the same opening and see which one holds. AI in the loop ### The agent works the group with you. Because focus groups and the AI agent share the same database, the AI helps before, during, and after the study. ### Chooses the participants The agent reads the background details on your contacts and recommends who belongs in this particular group, and who would skew it. ### Writes the questions Give it the case and it drafts the full question set, recommends the format for each one, and tells you what order to present them in. ### Interprets the results It reads the answers and the reaction timeline together, then tells you in plain language what the group responded to and what fell flat. At a glance ### The specifics. Panel sizeOne participant to several thousand MediaVideo, documents, photos and exhibits Question typesTrue/false, multiple choice, long answer ReactionsEmoji pinned to the second of the video ParticipantsYour own contacts, or supplied by CaseFuze for an additional fee CostIncluded in the plan — no per-study fee Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureAI agent →FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureReporting & analytics →PracticePersonal injury →GuideOnline mock juries →GuideWhat a focus group costs → ### Ready to see online focus groups in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Contact URL: https://casefuze.com/contact/ Summary: See CaseFuze on your firm real numbers. Book a walkthrough or start today for $49 per user, with free data migration. ================================================================ Home/Contact Talk to us ### See CaseFuze on your numbers. Tell us about your firm and we'll set up a walkthrough, or start your account today and we'll migrate your data for free. Company website (leave blank) First name Last name Work email Firm name Firm size 1–3 users4–10 users11–25 users26+ users Practice area LitigationFamilyEstate & probatePersonal injuryBusiness & corporateOther What are you hoping to fix? Request a demo Thanks — we'll be in touch within one business day. ### What happens next - 1We reply within one business day. A real person from our team, never a bot. - 2A walkthrough on your numbers. See CaseFuze set up around your firm's real matters and workflows. - 3Free migration when you're ready. We move your matters, contacts, and trust balances at no cost. ### Prefer to dive in? Start today for $49 per user per month, and you can bring your data with you. Ask us about free access. Start now Built by attorneys · 200+ firms · SOC 2 Type II · Plaid-verified ================================================================ # Integrations URL: https://casefuze.com/features/integrations/ Summary: Skip the second set of books. Read-only Plaid bank feeds, transactions split and applied to matters in the app itself, card and ACH payments, and an open API. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 next. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Integrations Integrations ### Legal software integrations that start where the money moves. A read-only bank feed, bookkeeping and payments in one system, with an open API for the rest. Email, calendar and cloud storage connections are in build. Start nowBook a demo Integrations ### The money side is already connected. The bank feed, the bookkeeping and the payments are one system rather than three that have to agree with each other at month end. Email, calendar and cloud storage connections are on the way. - Bank in sync. A read-only Plaid feed brings every transaction in. - Books in one place. Transactions are split and applied to matters here, not exported to another ledger. - Extensible. An open API for anything custom. app.casefuze.com Connected3 live Plaid bank feeds · Connected ✓ Card & ACH payments · Live Open API · Available Email & calendar · Coming soon Capabilities ### The money side is connected today. The bank feed, the bookkeeping and the payments are one system. The rest of the stack is being connected in order of what firms ask for most. ### Plaid bank feeds A read-only Plaid connection pulls transactions in from your trust and operating accounts. It can see the account to reconcile it and can never move money out of it. ### Bookkeeping built in Split an incoming bank transaction, apply the parts to the matters they belong to, and reconcile. The books live here, so nothing has to be exported to a general ledger and agreed with later. ### Card & ACH payments Take card and ACH on any invoice, with American Express at the same rate, and every payment routed to the correct trust or operating account. ### Open API Read case and client data, create or update records, and trigger workflows to connect anything custom. ### Data import & migration MyCase imports directly, Clio is next, and anything else comes in from CSV or a database export with custom field mapping. ### Email & calendar Coming soon Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, so case-related mail and calendar entries file themselves to the matter. In build now. ### Cloud storage Coming soon Connect the drive your firm already keeps files on, alongside the documents stored on the matter itself. ### Telephone & VoIP Planned Sync your phone system to log calls against the matter automatically, click a number to dial, and attach call recordings to the case file, no manual note-taking. app.casefuze.com/banking/transactions Bank feed mattersReconciled Deposit · applied to Rivera v. Hollis $48,000.00 Split · filing fee, Delgado LLC $435.00 Earned fee · trust to operating $2,650.00 Unapplied · waiting on you 2 Bookkeeping ### You don't need a second accounting system to close the trust account. Transactions arrive from the bank through Plaid. You split them, apply the parts to the matters they belong to, and the three-way reconciliation runs across the bank, the transactions in the app, and each client's trust ledger. Nothing is exported, so there is no second set of books to keep in agreement. - Split at the source. One deposit becomes the several matter entries it actually represents. - Applied to the matter. Every transaction lands on a case, so the client ledger is current rather than reconstructed. - Three ways, one screen. Bank, app transactions and client trust ledgers reconciled together. On the way ### What gets connected next. Named because firms ask, and dated only when it is close. ### Google Workspace Coming soon Gmail and Google Calendar, with case-related mail matched to the matter by sender and subject and filed with its attachments. ### Microsoft 365 Coming soon Outlook mail and calendar, filed to the matter the same way, for the firms that run on Exchange. At a glance ### The specifics. Bank feedsPlaid, read-only BookkeepingBuilt in — no QuickBooks or Xero needed for the trust side PaymentsCard and ACH, American Express at the same rate APIOpen API for anything custom Coming soonGoogle Workspace and Microsoft 365 email and calendar, cloud storage Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeaturePayment processing →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureData migration →GuideSwitching software →GuideBuilding your own →GuideQuickBooks and trust → ### Ready to see integrations in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # About URL: https://casefuze.com/about-us/ Summary: CaseFuze gives law firms one organized system for cases, billing, trust accounting, and operations. Meet the team and the mission behind it. ================================================================ Home/About About CaseFuze ### One organized system for the whole firm. CaseFuze was built to give law firms one system for cases, billing, trust accounting, documents, staffing, and operations — so nothing slips through the cracks and everything stays easy to find. We're guided by a simple belief: legal software should reduce mental overhead, not add to it. Every tool we tried did one thing well and left the rest to spreadsheets: cases in one place, billing in another, and trust accounting in a fragile monthly reconciliation nobody wanted to own. So we built CaseFuze around one idea: a firm's matters, money, documents, and people belong in one system that shares the same data. Enter something once, and it's right everywhere. What guides us ### Three principles behind the product. ### Organization first Find, review, and keep track of everything. A firm should always be able to locate what it needs. ### Built for real work Systems that support how firms actually operate across cases, billing, trust, staffing, and reporting. ### Long-term simplicity Software that stays intuitive after months of daily use, not just impressive in a demo. Leadership ### Built by people who've run the work. ### Nicholas Wooldridge CEO & Co-Founder A Las Vegas attorney and founder of LV Criminal Defense. The daily strain of running his own practice, where keeping work organized and visible from intake to resolution was a constant fight, became the reason CaseFuze exists. ### Adam Plumer Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder Works inside the legal practice environment and mapped the gaps in existing tools. He shaped CaseFuze to be cleaner, faster, and more practical than the scattered software firms settle for. ### Jacob Chikwanda Chief Technology Officer Leads engineering. His focus is a platform that stays stable, scalable, and secure, ready to support how law firms actually operate. ### Lukasz Hill Chief Marketing Officer Legal software is sold to a firm size that does not exist, somewhere between solo and enterprise. He handles positioning and market education, which means describing the product in the words firms use themselves. ### Alex Sherin HIPAA Compliance Engineer Medical records are the most sensitive files a firm touches. He maintains the HIPAA controls behind them, down to the AI models that read those records and retain nothing. By the numbers ### Trusted by firms that can't afford mistakes. 200+firms on the platform 16tools in one login $49per user, all-in SOC 2Type II audited ### Come see what one platform feels like. Start today for $49 per user, or book a walkthrough with our team. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowBook a demo ================================================================ # Data migration URL: https://casefuze.com/features/data-migration/ Summary: Bring six years of files and pay nothing to move them. A data migration specialist maps your matters, contacts, documents and trust ledgers, verifies every client balance before go-live, and leaves your old system running. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Features/Data migration Data migration ### Free legal data migration that moves your firm across in about two weeks. We move your matters, contacts, documents, and trust balances from your current system. Start nowBook a demo Data migration ### The reason firms put off switching, removed. Migration is the scary part. We own it, verify it, and don't flip the switch until your data checks out. - Done for you. A specialist handles the move. - Penny-accurate. Trust balances verified before go-live. - No cold turkey. Run both systems until you're sure. app.casefuze.com Migration statusVerifying Matters 1,204 Contacts 3,890 Trust ✓ matched Documents · 12,400 transferred Balances · Reconciled to source What you get ### A move handled for you, verified to the penny. ### A specialist runs it A dedicated onboarding specialist plans and runs the migration with you, from the first export to go-live. ### Everything comes over Matters, contacts, documents, calendars, invoices, and open trust balances, mapped into the right place in CaseFuze. MyCase is a direct import today and Clio is next; anything else, the specialist maps by hand. ### Balances verified to the penny Every client trust balance is checked against your old system before launch, so reconciliation holds from day one. ### Zero downtime Keep working in your current system while we migrate. You switch over only once the data checks out. ### Six months of support Free migration support for six months after launch, so anything missed gets cleaned up fast. ### Nothing left behind Notes, history, and attachments travel with each matter, not just the headline fields. How it works ### From your old system to CaseFuze, in four steps. 01 ### Scope your data We review what you have and where it lives, then build the migration plan around it. 02 ### Map and import Fields from your old system land in the right place, with import tools doing the heavy lifting. 03 ### Verify to the penny Trust balances and record counts are reconciled against the source until they match exactly. 04 ### Go live You switch over when you are confident, with the old system still there as a safety net. app.casefuze.com/migration/verify Migration verificationReconciled Matters 1,204 Contacts 3,890 Documents 12,400 Trust balances matched to source, to the penny Rivera v. Hollis · trust $12,500.00 Delgado LLC · trust $48,000.00 Proof before go-live ### You see the numbers match before you switch. Migration is the part firms dread. We do not flip the switch until your record counts and trust balances reconcile against the system you are leaving. - Counts reconciled. Matters, contacts, and documents tie back to the source. - Trust to the penny. Every client balance matches before launch. - A clean report. You get a verification summary to sign off on. At a glance ### The specifics. Migrates fromMyCase today, with Clio next Cost$0 — migration and onboarding are free TimelineAbout two weeks DowntimeNone — your old system keeps running Trust balancesVerified to the penny before go-live What movesMatters, contacts, documents, invoices and trust ledgers Built forOne solo attorney up to a 1,000-plus user multi-state firm, on the same plan Included inThe $49 per user, per month plan — there is no tier above it Free accessContact us · conditions apply Works onAny device with a browser. Installs from the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with no app store Pairs well with ### Better together. FeatureIntegrations →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureCase & matter management →GuideSwitching software →GuideFree migration →GuideBy firm size → ### Ready to see data migration in action? It’s included in the $49 plan, with every other CaseFuze feature. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Support URL: https://casefuze.com/support/ Summary: Help from people who know legal practice management: getting started, trust accounting, and migrating your firm to CaseFuze. ================================================================ Home/Support Support ### Help, when your firm needs it. Real people who know legal practice management, plus guides for getting the most out of CaseFuze. ### Getting started Set up your firm, import data, and invite your team in a day. ### Trust accounting help Reconciliation, client ledgers, and bar-ready reporting, explained. ### Migrating in Bring matters, contacts, documents, and balances from your old system. What you get ### Support is not a product tier. What it costsNothing beyond the $49 per user. There is no support plan to buy and no priority queue. EmailSupport@CaseFuze.com, answered by people who have run a practice rather than a script. Phone(725) 239-3539. Demo requestsAnswered within one business day. Setting the firm upWe configure the firm and import your data with you. Free, and not a paid onboarding package. Moving your data inMyCase imports directly and Clio is next. Anything else we map by hand: matters, contacts, documents and trust balances. Most answers are already written down. The knowledge base covers the software; the guides cover the work itself, from three-way reconciliation to running a conflict check. Questions ### Asked in the first week. Will you move my data off my old system?Yes, and it is free. MyCase imports directly, Clio is next, and everything else we map by hand. That covers matters, contacts, documents and trust balances. The migration guide explains what we need from you. How long does setup take?A firm can be configured, imported and inviting its team inside a day. Trust balances are the part worth slowing down for, because they have to reconcile against your bank before you start billing out of the new ledger. Is there a CaseFuze app for my phone?CaseFuze is a progressive web app. You install it to your home screen from the browser, and there is no App Store or Play Store download. It works on a phone, though it is not yet at parity with the desktop experience. Do you support single sign-on?Not yet. There is no SSO or SAML today. Multi-factor authentication is by email confirmation. Where is our data held?In the United States, end to end. CaseFuze is SOC 2 Type II, and a HIPAA business associate agreement is available where your matters involve protected health information. The security page has the detail. What happens if we want to leave?Billing is month to month and you can cancel at any time. Talk to support before you go and we will sort out getting your data out with you. ### Can't find it? Talk to a human. Our support team answers fast, and they actually understand how a firm runs. Email Support@CaseFuze.com or call (725) 239-3539, and demo requests get an answer within one business day. Contact support ================================================================ # Privacy Policy URL: https://casefuze.com/privacy-policy/ Summary: How CaseFuze collects, uses, and protects your firm data, including HIPAA safeguards. We do not sell your personal information. ================================================================ Home/Privacy policy ### Privacy policy Last updated: July 2026 CaseFuze ("CaseFuze," "we," "us," or "our") provides legal practice management software to law firms. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have. It applies to our website and application (together, the "Service"). Law firms that use CaseFuze (our "Customers") control the client and matter information they store in the Service. For that information, the firm acts as the controller and CaseFuze acts as a processor on the firm's behalf. ### Information we collect We collect the following categories of information: - Account and firm details. Names, work email addresses, phone numbers, firm name, role, and login credentials for the people your firm invites to the Service. - Billing information. Your subscription plan, number of users, and payment details, which are handled by our payment provider. - Customer data. The matters, contacts, documents, calendars, time entries, invoices, and trust-accounting records your firm enters or uploads. This content may include your clients' personal information and, for some firms, protected health information. - Financial connection data. When you connect a trust or operating account, we receive read-only transaction data through Plaid to support reconciliation. We cannot move funds. - Usage and device data. Log data such as IP address, browser type, the pages and features used, and timestamps, which help us secure and improve the Service. - Cookies. We use cookies and similar technologies as described below. ### How we use information - To provide, operate, and maintain the Service, including trust-account reconciliation and the features your firm uses. - To authenticate users, secure accounts, and detect and prevent fraud or abuse. - To process payments and manage your subscription. - To provide customer support and respond to your requests. - To monitor, troubleshoot, and improve the Service. - To comply with our legal obligations and enforce our agreements. ### How we share information We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own advertising or marketing. We share information only in these limited circumstances: - Service providers. With vendors who host, secure, and support the Service, such as cloud hosting, payment processing, bank-data connectivity through Plaid, and email delivery. These providers may use the information only to perform services for us, under contractual confidentiality and security obligations. - At your firm's direction. When you enable an integration or ask us to share data with another service you use. - Legal and safety. When required by law, subpoena, or legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and property of CaseFuze, our Customers, or others. - Business transfers. In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to this Policy. ### HIPAA and health information Some firms use CaseFuze to store protected health information ("PHI") as part of their client matters. Where CaseFuze functions as a "business associate" under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA"), we handle PHI in accordance with a Business Associate Agreement ("BAA") with the firm and maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect that information. If your firm handles PHI and needs a BAA in place, contact us. ### How we protect your data We use industry-standard safeguards to protect your information, including encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access controls, continuous backups, and activity logging. Our security program is independently audited to the SOC 2 Type II standard, and bank connections are read-only. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your information and to notify you of material incidents as required by law. ### How long we keep information We keep account and Customer data for as long as your firm's account is active and as needed to provide the Service. After an account closes, we retain information only as long as necessary to meet legal, regulatory, tax, and trust-accounting recordkeeping obligations, after which it is deleted or de-identified. Your firm can export or request deletion of its data at any time, subject to those obligations. ### Your rights and choices Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of your personal information, and to object to or restrict certain processing. Because much of the information in the Service is controlled by the law firm that entered it, we may direct requests about that content to the firm. To exercise your rights or ask a question, use our Contact page. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights. ### Cookies and tracking We use cookies that are necessary for the Service to function, such as keeping you signed in, and a limited set of analytics cookies that help us understand how the Service is used. You can control cookies through your browser settings. We do not use cookies for cross-context behavioral advertising. ### Third-party services The Service integrates with third-party tools you choose to connect, currently Plaid for bank feeds and our payment processors, with further connections such as email, calendar and cloud storage providers planned. Those services handle your information under their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them. ### Children's privacy The Service is intended for law firms and their staff, not for children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it. ### Where your data is processed CaseFuze is operated in the United States, and your information is processed and stored there. If you access the Service from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. ### Changes to this policy We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will post the updated policy here and revise the "Last updated" date above. Your continued use of the Service after an update means you accept the revised policy. ### Contact us If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, reach us through the Contact page. ================================================================ # Terms of Service URL: https://casefuze.com/terms-of-service/ Summary: The terms governing your firm use of CaseFuze legal practice management software. ================================================================ Home/Terms of service ### Terms of service Effective July 1, 2026 · Last updated August 24, 2026 ### 1. Introduction and Parties These Terms of Service ("Agreement" or "Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between CaseFuze, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company with its principal place of business at 300 S 4th St, Ste 960, Las Vegas, NV 89101 ("CaseFuze," "Company," "we," "us," or "our"), and the individual or legal entity accessing or using the CaseFuze platform ("Subscriber," "Customer," "you," or "your"). CaseFuze provides cloud-based legal practice management software designed for law firms, solo practitioners, and legal professionals. The platform includes case and matter management, IOLTA trust accounting, billing and invoicing, document management, e-signatures, client intake, AI-powered tools, payment processing, HR and staff management, reporting and analytics, and related features (collectively, the "Services" or "Platform"). By accessing or using the Services, you represent that: (a) you have read and understood these Terms; (b) you have the legal authority to enter into this Agreement on behalf of yourself or your organization; and (c) you agree to be bound by these Terms and all applicable laws and regulations. ### 2. Definitions For purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions apply: - "Account" means the unique account created for a Subscriber to access and use the Services. - "Authorized User" means any individual granted access to the Platform by a Subscriber, including attorneys, paralegals, staff members, and administrators. - "Client Data" means all data, information, documents, and materials uploaded, stored, or processed through the Platform by Subscriber or its Authorized Users, including client names, case files, financial records, and trust account information. - "IOLTA" means Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts, a program requiring attorneys to maintain separate accounts for client funds. - "Subscription Fee" means the per-user, per-month fee charged for access to the Services, currently set at $49 per Authorized User per month. - "Integrations" means third-party services connected to the Platform, including but not limited to Plaid and payment processors, together with any additional third-party services CaseFuze may connect to the Platform from time to time. - "AI Tools" means artificial intelligence features within the Platform, including smart case search, conflict detection, billing insights, and document assistance. - "Confidential Information" means non-public information disclosed by either party that is designated as confidential or that reasonably should be understood to be confidential given the nature of the information and the circumstances of disclosure. ### 3. Account Registration and Eligibility ### 3.1 Eligibility The Services are intended solely for use by legal professionals, law firms, and their authorized personnel. By registering for an Account, you represent and warrant that: - You are at least 18 years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into contracts; - You are a licensed attorney, law firm, legal professional, or their authorized agent; - Your use of the Services will comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, including professional conduct rules governing attorneys in your jurisdiction; - You have the authority to bind your organization if registering on behalf of a law firm or legal entity; - All registration information you provide is accurate, current, and complete. ### 3.2 Account Security You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your Account credentials. You agree to: (a) create a strong, unique password; (b) not share login credentials with individuals outside of permitted Authorized Users; (c) notify CaseFuze immediately at Support@CaseFuze.com of any unauthorized access or suspected breach; and (d) ensure each Authorized User complies with these Terms. CaseFuze is not liable for any loss or damage arising from unauthorized access to your Account resulting from your failure to maintain adequate credential security. ### 3.3 Authorized Users Subscribers may grant access to Authorized Users. Each Authorized User requires a separate paid subscription seat. Subscribers are responsible for all actions taken by their Authorized Users and for ensuring Authorized Users comply with these Terms. Subscribers must promptly revoke access for individuals who are no longer authorized. ### 4. Subscription, Fees, and Payment ### 4.1 Subscription Plans CaseFuze offers a single, all-inclusive subscription plan at $49 per Authorized User per month ("Subscription Fee"). This flat-rate pricing provides access to all features of the Platform with no tiered restrictions, hidden add-ons, or feature-gated upgrade requirements. Pricing is subject to change upon thirty (30) days' written notice to Subscribers. ### 4.2 Billing and Payment Subscription Fees are billed monthly in advance per Authorized User seat. By providing payment information, you authorize CaseFuze or its payment processor to charge your payment method on a recurring monthly basis. All fees are due upon invoice and are non-refundable as set forth in Section 4.4. Fees are exclusive of applicable taxes, which are your responsibility. ### 4.3 Adding and Removing Users Additional Authorized Users may be added at any time and will be charged on a pro-rated basis for the remainder of the current billing cycle. When Authorized Users are removed, the associated seat fee will not be refunded for the current billing period but will not renew in subsequent periods. ### 4.4 Refund Policy All fees paid to CaseFuze are non-refundable. This includes Subscription Fees for partial months, fees for seats that went unused, and fees for any period during which Subscriber did not access the Platform. CaseFuze does not issue pro-rated refunds. Subscriber may cancel at any time under Section 14.2, and cancellation ends all future billing at the close of the then-current billing cycle. If Subscriber believes a charge is incorrect, Subscriber must notify Support@CaseFuze.com within thirty (30) days of that charge. Nothing in this Section limits any refund CaseFuze is required to provide under applicable law. The full policy is published at casefuze.com/refund-policy. ### 4.5 Late Payment and Suspension If any Subscription Fee remains unpaid for more than ten (10) days after the due date, CaseFuze reserves the right to suspend access to the Platform without further notice. Access will be restored upon payment of all outstanding balances. CaseFuze is not liable for any harm resulting from suspension due to non-payment. ### 4.6 Free Migration Period CaseFuze offers six (6) months of free data migration support for new Subscribers switching from other legal practice management systems. This migration support is provided as a professional courtesy and does not constitute a warranty or guarantee regarding the completeness, accuracy, or integrity of migrated data. Subscribers are responsible for verifying all migrated data before relying upon it. ### 5. Permitted Use and Restrictions ### 5.1 Permitted Use Subject to these Terms and payment of applicable fees, CaseFuze grants Subscriber a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Platform solely for Subscriber's internal legal practice management purposes during the term of this Agreement. ### 5.2 Prohibited Uses Subscriber and its Authorized Users shall NOT: - Use the Platform in violation of any applicable law, bar rule, professional conduct standard, or ethical obligation; - Use the Platform to store, process, or transmit data in violation of attorney-client privilege, client confidentiality obligations, or professional rules of conduct; - Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Platform or its related systems; - Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to derive the source code of the Platform; - Resell, sublicense, or otherwise make the Platform available to third parties outside of Authorized Users; - Use the Platform to transmit malicious code, spam, or unsolicited communications; - Scrape, harvest, or extract data from the Platform using automated means; - Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Platform or third-party data therein; - Use the AI Tools as a substitute for independent legal judgment, legal research, or professional advice; - Use the Platform to engage in any deceptive, fraudulent, or misleading conduct; - Remove or alter any proprietary notices, labels, or marks on the Platform. ### 5.3 Professional Responsibility CaseFuze is a technology tool, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. Subscribers and Authorized Users remain solely responsible for all legal work product, professional judgments, compliance with professional conduct rules, client communications, court filings, and all other activities conducted through or supported by the Platform. The use of AI Tools, automated workflows, or any Platform feature does not diminish or transfer the professional responsibility of the attorney to the client or the court. ### 6. Artificial Intelligence Tools — Important Limitations CaseFuze incorporates AI-powered features including smart case search, conflict detection assistance, billing insights, duplicate detection, and document assistance tools. By using these features, you acknowledge and agree: ### 6.1 AI is Not a Substitute for Professional Judgment AI Tools are designed to assist legal professionals, not replace them. All AI-generated outputs, suggestions, conflict flags, billing recommendations, and document drafts are for informational and efficiency purposes only. Attorneys must independently review, verify, and take responsibility for all outputs before relying upon them. No AI output constitutes legal advice, and CaseFuze makes no representation that AI Tools are error-free. ### 6.2 Conflict Checks The AI-powered conflict detection feature is a supplementary tool only. It is not a substitute for a comprehensive conflict of interest check required under the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct. Attorneys are professionally obligated to conduct their own conflict checks through all appropriate means. CaseFuze disclaims any liability for missed conflicts not detected by AI Tools. ### 6.3 Accuracy Disclaimer AI Tools may produce inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated results. CaseFuze does not warrant the accuracy or fitness for any particular purpose of AI-generated content. Subscribers use AI Tools at their own risk and are solely responsible for all outcomes. ### 7. IOLTA Trust Accounting and Financial Features ### 7.1 Compliance Responsibility CaseFuze provides IOLTA trust accounting tools including automated three-way reconciliation, Plaid-integrated bank feeds, client and matter ledgers, and audit trail reporting. These tools are designed to assist attorneys in maintaining compliant trust accounts. However, Subscriber remains solely and entirely responsible for compliance with all applicable IOLTA rules, state bar regulations, and professional conduct obligations governing client funds. ### 7.2 No Financial Advice Nothing in the Platform constitutes financial, accounting, tax, or legal advice. Subscribers should consult qualified accountants and legal advisors regarding their IOLTA and financial compliance obligations. CaseFuze is not a financial institution, bank, or regulated financial services provider. ### 7.3 Plaid Integration The Platform integrates with Plaid Technologies, Inc. for real-time bank feed connectivity. By enabling Plaid integration, you agree to Plaid's separate terms of service and privacy policy. CaseFuze is not responsible for the accuracy or availability of data provided by Plaid or your financial institution. ### 7.4 Payment Processing Payment processing features are provided through third-party payment processors. CaseFuze is not a payment processor and does not hold, transmit, or control client funds. Subscriber is responsible for compliance with all applicable payment processing regulations, including PCI DSS requirements where applicable. ### 7.5 Financial Data Accuracy While CaseFuze strives to maintain accurate financial records, Subscriber is responsible for regularly reconciling all trust account records and verifying the accuracy of all financial data within the Platform. CaseFuze is not liable for errors arising from inaccurate data entry, bank feed discrepancies, or Subscriber's failure to perform regular reconciliations. ### 8. Data, Privacy, and Confidentiality ### 8.1 Ownership of Client Data Subscriber owns all Client Data uploaded to or processed through the Platform. CaseFuze does not claim any ownership rights in Client Data. Subject to these Terms, Subscriber grants CaseFuze a limited license to process and store Client Data solely for the purpose of providing the Services. ### 8.2 Data Processing CaseFuze will process Client Data only as necessary to provide the Services and as directed by Subscriber. CaseFuze will not sell, rent, or disclose Client Data to third parties except: (a) as necessary to provide the Services (e.g., sharing with integrated third-party providers); (b) as required by applicable law or court order; (c) to protect the rights, property, or safety of CaseFuze, its users, or the public. ### 8.3 Confidentiality of Client Data CaseFuze acknowledges that Client Data may include privileged attorney-client communications, confidential client information, and sensitive personal data. CaseFuze will maintain commercially reasonable confidentiality protections for Client Data and will require its employees and contractors who access Client Data to be bound by confidentiality obligations. ### 8.4 Data Security CaseFuze employs enterprise-grade security measures including: TLS 1.3 encryption in transit; AES-256 encryption at rest; separate encryption key management; access controls and role-based permissions; SOC 2 compliance frameworks; and regular security audits. Notwithstanding these measures, no data transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. CaseFuze does not warrant that the Platform is free from security vulnerabilities or that Client Data will never be accessed without authorization. ### 8.5 Breach Notification In the event of a confirmed data security breach affecting Client Data, CaseFuze will notify affected Subscribers in accordance with applicable law and will take commercially reasonable steps to investigate and remediate the breach. ### 8.6 HIPAA To the extent Subscriber's use of the Platform involves protected health information ("PHI") as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA"), Subscriber must notify CaseFuze and execute a separate Business Associate Agreement ("BAA"). Absent a signed BAA, Subscriber agrees not to upload PHI to the Platform, and CaseFuze disclaims all liability for any HIPAA violations arising from Subscriber's failure to comply with this requirement. ### 8.7 Data Retention and Deletion CaseFuze will retain Client Data for the duration of the Subscription and for a period of ninety (90) days following termination, during which Subscriber may export Client Data. After this period, CaseFuze may permanently delete Client Data. Subscriber is solely responsible for maintaining independent backups of Client Data. ### 8.8 Privacy Policy CaseFuze's Privacy Policy, available at casefuze.com/privacy-policy, is incorporated into these Terms by reference and governs the collection and use of information provided to CaseFuze. ### 9. Third-Party Integrations The Platform supports integrations with third-party services, currently including Plaid and payment processors, and may support additional services such as calendar and email providers and cloud storage platforms in future releases. By enabling any Integration, you acknowledge: - You are subject to the separate terms of service and privacy policies of those third-party providers; - CaseFuze does not control third-party services and is not responsible for their availability, accuracy, security, or conduct; - Third-party integrations may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time by the third-party provider; - CaseFuze's integration with a third-party service does not constitute an endorsement of that service; - Any fees charged by third-party providers are separate from CaseFuze's Subscription Fee and are your responsibility. ### 10. Intellectual Property ### 10.1 CaseFuze Ownership CaseFuze and its licensors exclusively own all right, title, and interest in and to the Platform, including all software, code, algorithms, AI models, designs, user interfaces, logos, trademarks, and documentation (collectively, "CaseFuze IP"). These Terms do not transfer any CaseFuze IP to Subscriber. Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas provided by Subscriber regarding the Platform may be used by CaseFuze without obligation to Subscriber. ### 10.2 Subscriber Content Subscriber retains all rights to Client Data and any content created by Subscriber using the Platform. Subscriber represents and warrants that it has all necessary rights, licenses, and permissions to upload and process Client Data through the Platform. ### 10.3 Trademark "CaseFuze" and the CaseFuze logo are trademarks of CaseFuze, LLC. Subscriber may not use CaseFuze trademarks without prior written consent. ### 11. Warranties and Disclaimers ### 11.1 CaseFuze's Limited Warranty CaseFuze warrants that: (a) it has the right to enter into this Agreement; (b) the Platform will perform materially in accordance with its published documentation under normal use conditions; and (c) CaseFuze will take commercially reasonable steps to maintain the security and integrity of the Platform. ### 11.2 DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN SECTION 11.1, THE PLATFORM AND ALL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CASEFUZE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AND RELIABILITY. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, CASEFUZE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT: (I) THE PLATFORM WILL MEET YOUR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OR EXPECTATIONS; (II) THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR COMPLETELY SECURE; (III) ANY AI-GENERATED OUTPUT WILL BE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR FIT FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE; (IV) THE PLATFORM WILL SATISFY ANY PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OR REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO SUBSCRIBER; OR (V) ANY DEFECTS IN THE PLATFORM WILL BE CORRECTED. CASEFUZE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL QUALITY, ACCURACY, OR APPROPRIATENESS OF ANY LEGAL WORK PERFORMED USING THE PLATFORM. ### 12. Limitation of Liability ### 12.1 EXCLUSION OF CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL CASEFUZE, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, LICENSORS, OR SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION: LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, BUSINESS, GOODWILL, OR REPUTATION; LEGAL MALPRACTICE CLAIMS; BAR COMPLAINTS OR DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS; IOLTA VIOLATIONS OR TRUST ACCOUNT SHORTFALLS; MISSED COURT DEADLINES OR STATUTES OF LIMITATIONS; LOSS OF CLIENTS; COSTS OF SUBSTITUTE SERVICES; OR ANY OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, EVEN IF CASEFUZE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. ### 12.2 LIMITATION ON DIRECT DAMAGES TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CASEFUZE'S AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE TOTAL SUBSCRIPTION FEES PAID BY SUBSCRIBER TO CASEFUZE IN THE THREE (3) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM; OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100). ### 12.3 Basis of the Bargain The parties acknowledge that the limitations of liability in this Section 12 reflect a reasonable allocation of risk and are a fundamental element of the basis of the bargain between the parties. CaseFuze would not provide the Services without these limitations. ### 12.4 Essential Purpose The limitations in this Section 12 will apply even if any limited remedy set forth in these Terms fails of its essential purpose. ### 13. Indemnification Subscriber agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CaseFuze, its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, licensors, and successors from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: - Subscriber's or any Authorized User's use of the Platform in violation of these Terms; - Client Data uploaded or processed by Subscriber, including any claims that such data infringes third-party rights or violates applicable law; - Any professional malpractice or ethical violation committed by Subscriber or its attorneys in connection with use of the Platform; - Subscriber's violation of any applicable law, professional conduct rule, or bar regulation; - Subscriber's failure to maintain adequate supervision of Authorized Users; - Any dispute between Subscriber and its clients arising from legal services performed using the Platform; - Subscriber's breach of any representation or warranty in these Terms. ### 14. Term and Termination ### 14.1 Term This Agreement commences on the date Subscriber creates an Account and continues on a month-to-month basis unless earlier terminated as set forth herein. ### 14.2 Termination by Subscriber Subscriber may terminate this Agreement at any time by providing written notice to Support@CaseFuze.com or through the account management interface. Termination will be effective at the end of the then-current billing cycle. No pro-rated refunds will be issued for partial months. ### 14.3 Termination by CaseFuze CaseFuze may terminate or suspend this Agreement and Subscriber's access to the Platform: (a) immediately, without notice, if Subscriber materially breaches these Terms or engages in conduct that poses a security risk or legal liability to CaseFuze; (b) upon thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason; or (c) immediately if required to do so by law or regulatory order. ### 14.4 Effect of Termination Upon termination: (a) all licenses granted hereunder will immediately cease; (b) Subscriber must cease all use of the Platform; (c) outstanding fees become immediately due and payable; (d) CaseFuze will provide Subscriber a ninety (90) day window to export Client Data; (e) after ninety (90) days, CaseFuze may delete all Client Data without further obligation. ### 14.5 Survival Sections 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.4, and 15 through 18 will survive termination of this Agreement. ### 15. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration ### 15.1 Informal Resolution Before initiating any formal dispute process, the parties agree to attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute informally by written notice to the other party describing the nature and basis of the dispute. The parties will have thirty (30) days from receipt of such notice to attempt to resolve the dispute informally. ### 15.2 Binding Arbitration ANY DISPUTE, CLAIM, OR CONTROVERSY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE BREACH, TERMINATION, ENFORCEMENT, INTERPRETATION, OR VALIDITY THEREOF, OR THE USE OF THE SERVICES, THAT CANNOT BE RESOLVED INFORMALLY WILL BE RESOLVED BY BINDING ARBITRATION ADMINISTERED BY THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION ("AAA") UNDER ITS COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION RULES. THE ARBITRATION WILL BE CONDUCTED IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, UNLESS OTHERWISE MUTUALLY AGREED. JUDGMENT ON THE AWARD RENDERED BY THE ARBITRATOR MAY BE ENTERED IN ANY COURT HAVING JURISDICTION. ### 15.3 Class Action Waiver TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SUBSCRIBER WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION AGAINST CASEFUZE. ALL CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT IN SUBSCRIBER'S INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY. ### 15.4 Exceptions Notwithstanding Section 15.2, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent actual or threatened misappropriation of intellectual property or breach of confidentiality obligations. ### 15.5 Governing Law This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada, without regard to its conflict of law principles. For any disputes not subject to arbitration, the parties consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the state and federal courts located in Clark County, Nevada. ### 16. General Provisions ### 16.1 Entire Agreement These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other policies incorporated herein by reference, constitute the entire agreement between the parties regarding the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, negotiations, representations, and understandings. ### 16.2 Modifications CaseFuze reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated to Subscribers via email or in-app notice at least thirty (30) days before they take effect. Continued use of the Platform following the effective date of any modification constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms. If Subscriber does not agree to the modified Terms, Subscriber must terminate its Account before the effective date. ### 16.3 Severability If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. ### 16.4 Waiver No waiver of any term or condition of these Terms shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or any other term. CaseFuze's failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. ### 16.5 Assignment Subscriber may not assign or transfer any rights or obligations under these Terms without CaseFuze's prior written consent. CaseFuze may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all of its assets without consent. Any purported assignment in violation of this section is void. ### 16.6 Force Majeure CaseFuze will not be liable for any delay or failure in performance resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, pandemics, government actions, cyber attacks by third parties, internet service disruptions, or labor disputes. ### 16.7 Notices Notices to CaseFuze must be sent in writing to: CaseFuze, LLC, 300 S 4th St, Ste 960, Las Vegas, NV 89101, or by email to Support@CaseFuze.com. Notices to Subscriber will be sent to the email address associated with Subscriber's Account. Notices are effective upon receipt. ### 16.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries These Terms do not create any third-party beneficiary rights. Subscriber's clients and other third parties have no rights under this Agreement. ### 16.9 Headings Section headings are for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of these Terms. ### 17. Mobile and Installed Use The Platform is delivered as a progressive web application. It runs in a standard web browser and may be installed to the home screen or desktop of a mobile or desktop device. CaseFuze does not distribute native applications through the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, or any other application marketplace. Use of the Platform on any device is governed by these Terms. Device capability, browser version, and screen size may affect the availability or presentation of particular features, and CaseFuze does not warrant that every feature will function identically on every device. ### 18. Contact Information For questions, concerns, or notices regarding these Terms, please contact: CaseFuze, LLC 300 S 4th St, Ste 960 Las Vegas, NV 89101 Email: Support@CaseFuze.com Phone: (725) 239-3539 Website: casefuze.com By creating an Account or using the CaseFuze Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms of Service. CaseFuze Terms of Service Effective Date: July 1, 2026 Last Updated: August 24, 2026 IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF SERVICE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE CASEFUZE PLATFORM. BY CREATING AN ACCOUNT, ACCESSING, OR USING THE SERVICES, YOU AND THE LEGAL ENTITY YOU REPRESENT AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, DO NOT USE THE SERVICES. ================================================================ # Refund Policy URL: https://casefuze.com/refund-policy/ Summary: CaseFuze subscription fees are not refundable. Cancel any time and the plan stops at the end of the billing cycle. Accepted cards, billing terms, and how to raise a charge you think is wrong. ================================================================ Home/Refund policy ### Refund policy Last updated: August 24, 2026 CaseFuze does not issue refunds. Your subscription runs month to month, so cancelling is how you stop the charges. Cancel whenever you want and billing ends with the cycle you have already paid for. CaseFuze, LLC sells one thing: a software subscription at $49 per user, per month. This page states our refund position in full, so nobody has to guess at it before they buy. ### We do not issue refunds Every amount you pay CaseFuze is non-refundable. That covers subscription fees, seats you added part-way through a month, and months in which nobody at your firm signed in. We do not pro-rate and we do not refund unused time. We would rather you never needed a refund, so ask us about free access before you pay for anything. Migration and onboarding cost nothing either. The Contact page reaches a person. ### Cancelling is how you stop the charges Your subscription runs month to month. No contract, no minimum term, no cancellation fee. - Cancel whenever you want. Do it in account settings or email Support@CaseFuze.com. You do not owe us a reason. - Cancellation lands at the end of the cycle you have already paid for. Your firm keeps working until then, and the next charge never happens. - Removing a seat works the same way. The seat fee already charged stands, and the seat does not renew. - Take your data with you. Matters, contacts, invoices, documents and trust records stay exportable for ninety days after the account closes. ### What we bill, and when - $49 per authorized user, per month, charged monthly in advance. Above 25 users we quote a per-seat figure for your headcount. - Seats added mid-month are pro-rated across the days left in that month. - Card and ACH processing for the payments your firm collects from its own clients sits outside the subscription, at 2.75% or 2.25% at volume. Those transaction fees are non-refundable as well. - We give thirty days' written notice before any price change. ### Late payment If a subscription fee sits unpaid for more than ten days past its due date, we can suspend access until the balance clears. Suspension is not cancellation, and a suspended account keeps billing. Cancel it if you want it to stop. ### Cards we accept Pay your subscription with any of these: Money your firm collects from its own clients through CaseFuze is a different thing. Refunding a client is your call to make inside your own trust and operating rules, and how those payments get routed is covered on the Payment processing page. ### A charge you think is wrong Email Support@CaseFuze.com within thirty days of the charge appearing and we will look at it. If we billed you for something you did not buy, we fix it. Going straight to your bank with a chargeback instead can leave the account suspended while the dispute runs, which helps neither of us. Talk to us first. ### How this fits the rest This policy forms part of the Terms of Service and states the same position as Section 4.4 of them. Nothing here removes a refund we are required by law to give. ### Reach us CaseFuze, LLC300 S 4th St, Ste 960Las Vegas, NV 89101 Support@CaseFuze.com(725) 239-3539 ================================================================ # Knowledge Base URL: https://casefuze.com/knowledge-base/ Summary: The CaseFuze knowledge base: guides, answers and how-tos for case management, trust accounting, billing, documents, security, and migration. ================================================================ Home/Knowledge base Knowledge base ### Everything about running your firm on CaseFuze. Guides, answers, and how-tos across every part of the platform. Search a topic or browse by area. Browse by area ### Pick a topic. ### Case & matter management → Organize matters, deadlines, notes, and documents on one timeline. ### Client intake → Capture leads, run conflict checks, and open matters fast. ### Time tracking → Capture every billable minute and send it straight to invoicing. ### Billing & invoicing → Generate invoices, batch bill, and get paid online. ### Payment processing → Card and ACH payments routed to the right account. ### Trust accounting (IOLTA) → Three-way reconciliation, Plaid feeds, and overdraft prevention. ### Document management → Version control, templates, e-sign, and full-text search. ### E-signature → Send legally binding signatures tracked to the matter. ### Legal tools → Date calculators, document assembly, and a client portal. ### Reporting & analytics → Realization, collections, profitability, and productivity. ### Staff management → Roles, permissions, PTO, and productivity in one place. ### AI agent → HIPAA-compliant models connected to your firm data, with zero retention. ### Online focus groups → Test your case on one participant or thousands, with AI analysis. ### Integrations → Plaid bank feeds, payments, and an open API. ### Security & compliance → SOC 2 Type II, encryption, HIPAA, and US hosting. ### Data migration → Move your matters, contacts, and trust balances, verified. ### Pricing & billing → One plan at $49 per user, everything included. Nothing in the knowledge base matches that. Try another term, or ask our team. Step-by-step ### Guides. How to actually do the work: trust reconciliation, disbursement, intake, conflict checks, switching software, and what changes as the firm grows. How to disburse a personal injury settlementThe order the eight steps have to happen in, and the three that end careers.What goes on a settlement statementLine by line, from gross recovery down to net to client.How to reconcile an IOLTA accountThe three-way reconciliation, step by step, and how to find the difference when it breaks.Do flat fees belong in the trust account?Unearned versus earned on receipt, what your state probably requires, and how to draw the fee down.Payment plans that actually collectStructuring installments, holding the unearned part in trust, and what to do when one goes quiet.Is ChatGPT HIPAA compliant for law firms?What HIPAA actually asks of a law firm, what your ethics rules ask, and what to check before uploading a record.How to run an online mock juryRecruiting the panel, presenting the evidence, writing questions that reveal something, and reading the result.What a trial focus group costsWhere the money goes in a traditional panel, and how to test a case on a smaller budget.How to switch case management softwareWhat to move, in what order, and how to prove the trust balances arrived intact.What free migration actually coversThe nine questions to ask any vendor before you believe the word free.Do you actually need case management software?The five conditions that decide it, and why "not yet" is a real answer.Software vs spreadsheets and Google DriveWhere the DIY stack genuinely works, and the three jobs it cannot do.Why carriers reject LEDES invoicesFormat failures, guideline reductions, and the appeal that is worth writing.How to build a client intake processSeven steps from first contact to open matter, and the two places leads leak.How to run a conflict check properlyWho belongs in the search, when to run it, and what to record afterwards.Building your own case management systemWhat the DIY stack does better, what maintenance actually costs, and where to draw the line.QuickBooks and law firm trust accountingThe structural gap, what the workarounds cost, and why bookkeeping is built in instead.What changes as your firm growsSolo, small, mid-size and multi-state: which problem you are solving now, and which arrives next. By practice ### Practice areas. What the platform does differently depending on the work your firm takes on. Personal injuryIntake to disbursement, including the checks.Criminal defenseFlat fees, trust rules, and a price that fits.Family lawEvergreen retainers that refill themselves.ImmigrationForms, flat fees, and hundreds of open files.Insurance defenseLEDES invoices the carrier accepts. Popular questions ### Frequently asked. What is CaseFuze, and how does it help my firm?CaseFuze is all-in-one legal practice management: case tracking, billing, IOLTA trust accounting, document management, staff tools, and workflow automation in one platform. It runs firms of every size, from one solo attorney to a multi-state practice with a thousand users and more, on the same plan. One system means more billable hours captured, fewer missed deadlines, and compliance you don't have to chase, all at $49 per user. What does CaseFuze connect to today?Read-only Plaid bank feeds, card and ACH payment processing, and an open API for anything custom. Bookkeeping is built in rather than integrated: bank transactions are split and applied to matters inside CaseFuze, so there is no separate ledger to keep in agreement. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 email and calendar are in build, with cloud storage after them. What's included in the $49 per user plan?Everything: matter management, automated workflows, IOLTA trust accounting with three-way reconciliation, billing and invoicing, document management with e-signatures, and HR and staff management. Matters and storage are unlimited, and the app installs on every device your firm uses. No add-ons, no tiers, and no per-matter or per-client fee. Card and ACH payment processing is billed separately at 2.75%, or 2.25% at volume. Is there a free trial?There can be. Contact us to see how you can use our app for free. Conditions apply. Otherwise it is $49 per user, per month, with every feature on and migration and onboarding included. How secure is my data?Your data is protected with bank-grade security and encryption in transit and at rest, with access controlled and logged. See our Security page for the full detail. How hard is it to switch from another system?Not hard. Migration is free, with a dedicated onboarding specialist and import tools for your matters, contacts, invoices, and trust balances, and zero downtime during the move. Can I use CaseFuze on my phone?Yes. CaseFuze is a progressive web app: open it in the browser on your phone and install it to the home screen, where it opens and behaves like any other app. There is nothing to download from an app store and nothing for your IT person to deploy, and it installs the same way on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac. The whole platform is reachable from a phone, though the heavier work like a billing run or a month-end reconciliation is still easier on a full screen. Is the AI safe to use with client files?Yes. You choose from models across several providers, and every one of them runs under HIPAA-compliant terms with no data retention. Your prompts, uploads, and matter data are not stored by the models and are never used to train them. See the AI agent page for detail. What can I do with online focus groups?Build a group of one participant or several thousand, present video, documents, and photos, and ask true/false, multiple choice, and long-answer questions. Video responses collect timestamped emoji reactions, and the AI helps you pick participants, write the questions, and interpret what came back. The software is included at $49 per user, with no per-study fee for the platform itself. Paying the panel is separate: you compensate the participants, whether you recruit them from your own contacts or have CaseFuze supply them for an additional fee. Every question and answer on this site is collected in one file at /llms-full.txt. ### Can't find what you need? Our team knows legal practice management and answers fast. Contact supportBrowse features ================================================================ # Practice Areas URL: https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/ Summary: Case management software built for what your practice actually does: personal injury disbursement, criminal defense flat fees, family law retainers, immigration filings. Everything included at $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Practice areas ### Case management software that knows what your practice does all day. A personal injury firm and an immigration firm run on the same platform and need it to behave differently. These pages cover what each practice actually does, and which parts of CaseFuze do it. ### Personal injury → Intake to disbursement, including the checks. 5 guides ### Criminal defense → Flat fees, trust rules, and a price that fits. 1 guide ### Family law → Evergreen retainers that refill themselves. ### Immigration → Forms, flat fees, and hundreds of open files. 1 guide ### Insurance defense → LEDES invoices the carrier accepts. 1 guide How the money works ### Five fee models, five different ways to lose money. Practice area is mostly a billing question. What you do all day changes how you get paid, and how you get paid decides which part of the job costs you without ever showing up on an invoice. Personal injuryContingency. Nothing bills for two years, and then every cost, lien and reduction has to reconcile in a single afternoon, against a trust ledger the bar can audit. Criminal defenseFlat fee, high volume. The bill that hurts is your software’s, the moment it starts charging per matter or per client on a practice running 300 open files. Family lawEvergreen retainer. You work for free from the day the balance drops through its floor to the day somebody notices. ImmigrationFlat fee, high volume, government deadlines. The file you cannot find in under a minute is the one the client is on the phone about. Insurance defenseHourly, billed to a carrier rather than a client. The carrier rejects the invoice over a task code and pays you sixty days late. Common ground ### What does not change, whatever you practice. One matter recordDocuments, time, costs, contacts, deadlines and the trust ledger sit on the case rather than in four systems that disagree. IOLTA trust accountingClient ledgers, three-way reconciliation and bar-ready reporting are in the base plan. Read how the trust ledger works. One price$49 per user per month with the whole feature set in it. Volume pricing applies above 25 seats and the features never change. Free migrationMyCase imports directly and Clio is next. Anything else we map by hand, and we do not charge for it either way. Built for both endsOne solo attorney up to a 1,000+ user multi-state firm, on the same platform. US-hostedData stays in the United States end to end. SOC 2 Type II, and a HIPAA BAA when your work needs one. Practice not on the list? CaseFuze is not practice-specific software, and these five are where the differences bite hardest. An estate planning, employment or general civil practice runs on the same matter record, the same trust ledger and the same billing engine. See the full feature set. Questions ### Practice areas, answered. Is CaseFuze only for these five practice areas?No. Nothing in the platform is locked to a practice type. These five have the sharpest differences in how money moves, so they get their own pages. Every other practice runs on the same matter record, trust accounting and billing. Does a practice-specific setup cost more?No. There is one plan at $49 per user per month with everything in it. Volume pricing applies above 25 seats, and the feature set is identical at every size. Can one firm run several practice areas at once?Yes. The fee arrangement is set on the matter, not on the firm, so a practice doing criminal defense on flat fees and family law on evergreen retainers runs both out of one system. Does CaseFuze calculate court deadlines for my jurisdiction?No, and be careful with anyone who says they do. CaseFuze gives you a date calculator: count a filing date, statute or completion date in calendar or business days, save it to the matter, and the reminders warn the whole team rather than one attorney. It does not hold a jurisdiction rules database. I am switching from another system. What happens to my open matters?They come with you. MyCase imports directly, Clio is next, and anything else we map by hand, including matters, contacts, documents and trust balances. Migration is free. There is a guide to switching if you want the detail first. ### One plan, whatever you practice. $49 per user per month, everything included. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Personal injury URL: https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/personal-injury/ Summary: Settle a case and print every disbursement check the same afternoon. Personal injury case management with records, liens and costs on the matter, online mock juries, and a settlement statement that reconciles. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Practice areas/Personal injury Personal injury ### Personal injury case management software that settles the case and writes every check the same afternoon. Personal injury work is a long wait punctuated by deadlines, and then every dollar moves at once. CaseFuze holds the case together through the wait and generates the disbursement checks at the end. Start nowBook a demo Personal injury ### The file has to survive two years of nothing happening. Between the accident and the demand, a PI matter is medical records you keep requesting, providers who keep not sending them, and a statute of limitations getting closer. Most of that work is chasing. CaseFuze keeps every record request, lien, and treatment date on the matter, so you can open one screen and see what is still outstanding. - Records and liens live on the matter. Every request, provider, balance, and reduction sits with the case instead of a spreadsheet somebody keeps on their desktop. - The statute is a deadline, not a memory. Count the limitation date once in the date calculator, put it on the matter, and the reminders warn the whole team rather than only the attorney who opened the file. - Costs accrue where the fee is calculated. Filing fees, expert invoices, and records charges post to the matter as you incur them, so the settlement statement adds up without a reconstruction exercise. app.casefuze.com/matters/rivera Rivera v. Delcarr FreightIn treatment Statute of limitations Mar 14, 2028 Medical records · requested from 9 providers 6 received Provider liens on file $41,280.00 Case costs to date · 14 items $3,905.00 app.casefuze.com/matters/rivera/disbursement Disbursement generator7 checks queued Gross settlement · funds cleared trust $185,000.00 Attorney fee · 33.3% contingency $61,605.00 Case costs · 14 items itemized $3,905.00 Provider liens · after reductions $28,940.00 Net to client · check 007 $90,550.00 Disbursement generator ### It writes the checks. Settling a case used to mean rebuilding the math in a spreadsheet, typing a settlement statement from it, then hand-writing a check to every provider and hoping the total matched what left the trust account. CaseFuze takes the settlement amount, applies your fee agreement, pulls the costs and lien balances already sitting on the matter, and generates every disbursement check in the run. - Every payee gets a check. Client, providers, lienholders, referring counsel, and the firm, each one drawn against the trust ledger it came from. - The statement and the checks agree. Both come from the same ledger, so the number your client signs is the number that leaves the account. - Trust never goes negative. If the run would disburse more than the matter holds, CaseFuze stops it before a check prints. Read the full disbursement sequence → Capabilities ### The parts of a PI practice other software treats as edge cases. Contingency fees, lien negotiation, and a two-year gap between opening a file and billing anything. ### Medical records, tracked as a queue Log the request date, the provider, and what came back. Open the matter to see which six of nine providers have answered and which one has been sitting on a records request since March. ### Liens with their reductions Hold the original balance, the reduction you negotiated, and the final payoff on the same record. The disbursement run uses the reduced figure, and the file shows how you got there. ### Statute of limitations calendaring Count the limitation date from the incident in the date calculator, put it on the matter with the dates that depend on it, and the warnings reach the whole team. ### Costs that survive to settlement Filing fees, expert invoices, records charges, and court reporters post to the matter the day you incur them, itemized and ready for the settlement statement two years later. ### Settlement calculator Model the disbursement before you accept: apply the fee agreement, subtract costs and lien balances at their reduced figures, and see the net to your client. Run it during the negotiation rather than after it. ### Mock juries before you try it Run a case past real participants and find out which facts land, without booking a room or hiring a jury consultant. ### Referral fee splits Record the split at intake. When the case settles, referring counsel appears in the disbursement run with the rest of the payees. ### Intake that screens for value Personal injury client intake that screens as it captures. Take the incident date, injuries, treatment, and coverage in the first call, so you can decline a case in ten minutes instead of three weeks. ### A client portal for the quiet years Clients check status themselves instead of calling for an update, which is most of what your paralegal's afternoon disappears into. ### Settlement funds in trust, correctly The settlement lands in IOLTA, clears, and sits there until the disbursement run moves it. Three-way reconciliation runs against live bank feeds the whole time. Case testing ### Find out what a jury hears before one is empanelled. Jury consultants price a focus group out of reach for most cases, so firms try the case for the first time in front of the only jury that counts. CaseFuze runs the focus group online, with anywhere from one participant to several thousand, drawn from your own contacts or recruited to a profile. - Show them the evidence. Upload deposition video, scene photos, and exhibits, then watch reactions land against the timeline as they play. - Ask real questions. True and false, multiple choice, and long answer, ordered by an AI that has read your matter. - Get the reading back. The AI interprets where the panel split and which fact moved them, so you know what to lead with. app.casefuze.com/focus-groups/rivera Panel results312 participants Found defendant liable 71% Reacted to dashcam footage · 0:42 248 Median damages awarded $210,000 Split on comparative fault flagged How a matter moves ### From the first call to the last check. 01 ### Intake and screening Take the incident date, injuries, treatment so far, and available coverage. Run the conflict check. Open the matter without retyping any of it. 02 ### Treatment and records Request records as providers come in. Log liens as they attach. Costs post to the matter as you spend them, and the limitation date sits on the calendar the whole time. 03 ### Demand and negotiation Assemble the demand from documents already on the matter. If the case is going to trial, test it against a panel first. 04 ### Settlement into trust The check deposits to IOLTA and clears. Nothing moves until it does, and three-way reconciliation runs against the live bank feed. 05 ### Disbursement Apply the fee agreement, pull costs and reduced lien balances, generate the statement for your client to sign, then print the checks. The ledger reconciles because both came from it. Go deeper ### Reading and features for personal injury firms. GuideDisbursing a settlement →GuideSettlement statements →GuideAI and medical records →GuideOnline mock juries →GuideWhat a focus group costs →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureOnline focus groups →FeatureLegal tools →FeatureDocument management → ### Run your personal injury practice on one platform. Everything above is in the $49 plan. No tiers and no add-ons. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Criminal defense URL: https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/criminal-defense/ Summary: Run three hundred open files for $49 per user. Criminal defense case management with flat-fee trust compliance, court calendaring, discovery storage and document assembly included, no tier above it and no per-matter fee. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Practice areas/Criminal defense Criminal defense ### Criminal defense case management software that runs 300 open files without eating your margins. Criminal defense runs on flat fees and volume, not on six-figure settlements, and legal software is priced as though it does not know that. CaseFuze is one plan at $49 per user with nothing held back for a higher tier. Start nowBook a demo Criminal defense ### You are billing $2,500 flat and being sold $89-a-seat software. Most practice management vendors put trust accounting, document assembly, and reporting behind separate tiers, so the tools that keep you compliant cost extra on top of a seat price built for firms billing by the hour. CaseFuze charges $49 per user for all of it. - One price, everything in it. Trust accounting, documents, billing, calendaring, and the AI agent are in the $49 plan. There is no tier above this one. - No per-matter or per-client fees. Run 300 open files without the bill moving. Volume practices get punished by usage pricing, so there is none. - Free migration off what you have. We move your matters, contacts, documents, and trust balances, and we do not charge to do it. app.casefuze.com/billing/plan What the firm paysAll included Per user, per month $49.00 Trust accounting · not a paid add-on included Document assembly · not a paid add-on included app.casefuze.com/matters/whitlock/fee Flat fee drawdownUnearned in trust Fee received · deposited to trust $3,500.00 Arraignment · earned, moved to operating -$875.00 Preliminary hearing · earned -$1,050.00 Still unearned · client's money $1,575.00 Flat fees and trust ### The fee is not yours the day it clears. A flat fee paid up front is unearned when you take it. In most jurisdictions that means it belongs in trust and comes out as you do the work, and a lawyer who banks the whole thing on day one and withdraws before trial has a problem that has nothing to do with the quality of the defense. CaseFuze holds the fee against the matter and moves it to operating in the amounts you have actually earned. - Define what earns what. Set the stages in your fee agreement, and each one releases its portion when you mark it done. - Refunds are already calculated. A client who leaves after the preliminary hearing gets the unearned balance back, and the ledger shows how you arrived at the figure. - Every movement is recorded. Each transfer from trust to operating carries its date, amount, and reason, which is the record you want if the fee is ever questioned. See how trust accounting handles it → ### The person who built this defends criminal cases for a living. Nicholas Wooldridge · Co-founder, CaseFuze · Founder, LV Criminal Defense, Las Vegas CaseFuze exists because running a criminal defense practice meant fighting the software as well as the case: flat fees that had to come out of trust in the right amounts, court dates across three departments, and discovery arriving as video. Everything on this page was built for that practice first, then for everyone else's. Meet the team → Capabilities ### Built for volume, priced for it too. Two hundred open files, court dates across three courthouses, and discovery that arrives as video. ### Court dates across every file One calendar covering every appearance, with the matter, courthouse, and department attached. Filter by day and you have your morning. ### Discovery that arrives as video Body cam, dash cam, and interview footage store against the matter with the rest of the file, so the evidence is not living on a hard drive in a drawer. ### Warrant and pre-charge search Check whether a warrant is outstanding before the client walks into a courthouse, and search pre-charge status when somebody calls to ask whether they have been charged yet. It is the first question on half your intake calls. ### Statute search Pull the statute and its elements without leaving the matter, so checking what the prosecution actually has to prove does not mean a second subscription and a third tab. ### Motions from templates Assemble a suppression motion from a template that pulls the client name, case number, and court from the matter instead of a find-and-replace pass. ### Trust accounting included Three-way reconciliation against live bank feeds, per-client ledgers, and overdraft prevention. In the $49 plan, not a compliance upsell. ### Client intake at the volume you take it Criminal defense intake moves fast. Capture the charge, the court, the next date, and the fee quote on the first call. Run the conflict check. Open the file without retyping it. ### The file on your phone Pull up the charge, the next date, and the fee balance from the hallway outside Department 12, which is where you usually need it. ### Payment plans that collect Most clients cannot pay a flat fee in one go. Set a schedule, save the method, and let CaseFuze charge it without anybody chasing. ### An AI agent on the file Ask what the discovery says about the traffic stop, or draft the client letter. Every model it uses retains nothing. ### What the practice actually earns Fee per matter type, collection rate, and which referral sources send the cases that pay. Volume practice lives or dies on this. What it costs ### One plan. No tier above it. Legal software pricing assumes you bill by the hour at rates a criminal practice does not charge. Vendors then split the product into tiers so trust accounting, document assembly, or reporting cost extra, which means the compliance tools sit behind the paywall. CaseFuze is $49 per user per month with everything switched on. - No per-matter pricing. Open three hundred files this year. The bill is the same. - No setup fee, no minimum. Payment processing is in the subscription rather than sold as a bolt-on with its own monthly charge. - Migration is free. Matters, contacts, documents, and trust balances move across at no cost, which is usually the reason firms stay somewhere they have outgrown. app.casefuze.com/pricing Four attorneys, one yearAll features CaseFuze · 4 users, months 1 to 6 $0.00 CaseFuze · 4 users, months 7 to 12 $1,176.00 Trust accounting tier · not charged $0.00 Data migration · not charged $0.00 Go deeper ### Reading and features for criminal defense firms. GuideFlat fees and trust →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureLegal tools →FeatureDocument management →FeatureBilling & invoicing → ### Run your criminal defense practice on one platform. Everything above is in the $49 plan. No tiers and no add-ons. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Family law URL: https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/family-law/ Summary: Know a retainer is running low weeks before you invoice, not after the hearing. Family law case management with replenishment alerts per client, time that draws against trust, and a portal showing the balance. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Practice areas/Family law Family law ### Family law case management software that tops up the retainer before you work for free. Family law runs on money your client has already given you, drawn down month by month. CaseFuze watches every client balance against its floor and asks for the top-up before you work for free. Start nowBook a demo Family law ### You find out the retainer is empty when you invoice. A custody fight runs eighteen months and the trust balance falls the whole way. If nobody is watching the floor, you discover the shortfall after the hearing you already prepared for. CaseFuze checks the balance as time posts and flags the matter while there is still something in the account. - Replenishment triggers per client. Set the floor once. When a balance drops through it, the matter flags and the request goes out with the current figure already filled in. - Time drawn against the right balance. Hours post to the matter and reduce the client trust balance as you earn them, so the ledger is current rather than reconstructed at month end. - The client can see it too. The portal shows what they paid in, what you have earned, and what is left, which settles most billing arguments before they start. app.casefuze.com/trust/balances Client trust balances1 below floor Hollis, K. · floor $2,500 $1,180.00 Marchetti, D. · floor $3,000 $7,420.00 Okonjo, A. · floor $2,000 $5,905.00 Top-up requested · Hollis, K. $5,000.00 app.casefuze.com/matters/hollis/invoice Invoice 2214 · HollisDraft Attorney time · 6.4 hrs at $325 $2,080.00 Paralegal time · 3.1 hrs at $145 $449.50 Filing fee · motion for temporary orders $85.00 Applied from trust · balance now $0 -$1,180.00 Balance due · top-up requested $1,434.50 Billing ### Your client reads every line of this one. A divorce client is paying for a fight they did not choose, out of money that now has to cover two households. They read the invoice, and a block entry that says "various correspondence, 2.4" reads to them like a number you invented. Entries written the day the work happened hold up. Entries reconstructed on Friday from memory are where fee disputes start. - Log the call as you hang up. Start a timer from your phone, or post six minutes against the matter in the parking lot outside the courthouse. - Entries a client can follow. Date, task, matter, and who did it, so the person paying can see what the hour bought. - Time reduces the trust balance as it posts. The ledger is current on the 14th, not rebuilt at month end when the shortfall is already three weeks old. See how time capture works → Capabilities ### Built for the matter that lasts eighteen months. Temporary orders, financial disclosure, a parenting plan, and a client who calls on Sunday. ### Conflict check before the consult Family law client intake starts here: one search across every matter, party, and opposing spouse the firm has touched. A consultation you take by accident is a disqualification you cannot undo, and family law generates more of them than any other practice. ### Hearings and temporary orders Every appearance, response deadline, and review date on one calendar with the matter attached. Warnings reach the paralegal too, not only the attorney who opened the file. ### Financial disclosure, collected Request the tax returns, the pay stubs, and the account statements through the portal, then open the matter to see which three of eleven items have not arrived. ### Parenting plans from templates Assemble the plan, the affidavit, and the proposed order from templates that pull the parties, the children, and the case number off the matter instead of a find-and-replace pass. ### Trust accounting included Per-client ledgers, three-way reconciliation against live bank feeds, and a block on any withdrawal that would overdraw a client. In the $49 plan. ### The conversation lives on the file Emails, texts, and call notes attach to the matter. When the question is what the other side agreed to on the 14th, the answer is not in somebody's personal inbox. ### The file on your phone Pull the balance, the next date, and the last thing you told the client while you are standing in the hallway waiting for the judge. ### An AI agent on the file Ask what the financial affidavit says about the rental income, or draft the status letter the client has asked for twice. Every model it uses retains nothing. ### Which matters actually pay Realization rate by attorney, fee per matter type, and the files that ran past their retainer and never caught up. Usually the same three every quarter. Disclosure ### Eleven documents, from a client who has stopped answering the phone. Disclosure stalls on the things only your client can produce. You send the list, they send four of eleven, and the rest arrives the week the hearing is set. CaseFuze puts the list on the matter, sends the reminders on its own schedule, and shows you what is missing per client rather than per email thread you have to go find. - They upload, you do not chase. The portal shows the client what is outstanding and takes a photograph of a pay stub from a phone. - Everything filed against the matter. Statements, appraisals, and the opposing side's production sit in one place with version history, not in a folder tree three people name differently. See document management → app.casefuze.com/matters/hollis/disclosure Financial disclosure3 outstanding Tax returns · 2023 and 2024 received Pay stubs · last six months received Bank statements · 4 accounts 2 outstanding Retirement statement · reminder sent Aug 2 outstanding Received to date 8 of 11 Go deeper ### Reading and features for family law firms. FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureTime tracking →FeatureBilling & invoicing →FeatureDocument management → ### Run your family law practice on one platform. Everything above is in the $49 plan. No tiers and no add-ons. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Immigration URL: https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/immigration/ Summary: Answer any client call in one search across four hundred files. Immigration case management with receipt numbers and priority dates on the matter, RFE countdowns, and flat fees collected in installments. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Practice areas/Immigration Immigration ### Immigration case management software that finds any of four hundred files in one search. Immigration practice is volume work with government deadlines attached. CaseFuze keeps every receipt number, priority date, and form on the matter, and bills the flat fee without a timer. Start nowBook a demo Immigration ### The deadline comes from USCIS, not from a court rule. Your calendar has to track receipt dates, priority dates, RFE response windows, and work permit expiry, none of which a court-rules engine knows about. CaseFuze holds them on the matter as dates you can filter, sort, and get warned about, across every open file at once. - Case numbers where you can find them. Receipt number, A-number, and priority date sit on the matter, so answering a client call takes one search rather than a folder hunt. - RFE windows that count down. Log the notice date and the response deadline sits on the calendar with the whole team warned, not just the attorney who opened the envelope. - Client document collection. Request the birth certificate, the passport page, the tax return through the portal, and see what is still outstanding per client. app.casefuze.com/matters/ibarra Ibarra, M. · I-130RFE open Receipt number MSC2190847331 Priority date Nov 8, 2024 RFE response due · 32 days Sep 11, 2026 Client documents · 2 outstanding 7 of 9 app.casefuze.com/matters/ibarra/documents Document checklist · I-1302 outstanding Marriage certificate · uploaded Jul 14 received Passport biographic page · both spouses received Birth certificate · translation needed outstanding Proof of joint residence · lease, utilities outstanding Received to date · 3 reminders sent 7 of 9 Client documents ### The petition is ready. It is waiting on a birth certificate from 1987. Your part of the filing takes an afternoon. Getting the documents out of the client takes eleven weeks, four phone calls, and a paralegal who now handles this instead of the work you hired them for. CaseFuze puts the checklist on the matter, sends the reminders itself, and shows you which two items out of nine are holding up a case you could otherwise file this week. - A checklist per case type. An I-130 asks for different documents than an I-589. The list arrives with the matter rather than out of somebody's memory. - Your client uploads from a phone. Most of them will photograph a document rather than scan it. The portal takes the photograph and files it against the matter. - Reminders go out on schedule. Nobody has to remember that the Ibarra file has been waiting since July for a translation. See document management → Capabilities ### Four hundred files, and you have to know where each one is. Receipt notices, biometrics appointments, RFE windows, and a household that is really four petitions. ### Every filing on the matter The petition, the receipt notice, the biometrics appointment, and the approval sit on the case in the order they happened, so answering a client call takes one search. ### Deadlines the agency sets RFE response windows, work permit expiry, and priority dates are dates you can filter and sort across every open file, which is not something a court-rules engine will do for you. ### Households, not just matters One family is often four petitions. Link them, and a change of address or a new phone number updates every file instead of the one you happened to open. ### Status across the whole caseload Filter by case type, stage, or what is due in the next fourteen days. You get a work list for the morning rather than four hundred rows sorted by client surname. ### Client intake at consultation speed Client intake software built for volume. Capture the case type, the entry date, the immigration history, and the fee quote on the first call. Run the conflict check. Open the file without typing any of it twice. ### Translations with their originals The certified translation stores against the document it translates, so the exhibit and its certificate never get separated on the way to a filing. ### The file on your phone Receipt number, priority date, and next deadline, from the waiting room at the field office where the wifi is somebody else's. ### An AI agent on the file Ask what the RFE is actually asking for, or draft the cover letter and the client update. Every model it uses retains nothing. ### What each case type earns Fee per case type against the hours it took, collection rate, and which referral sources send the work worth taking. Volume practice turns on this. Getting paid ### A $4,500 fee that arrives $300 at a time. Immigration clients pay in installments because that is what they can do, which leaves you running a small lending operation alongside a law practice. Chasing the ninth payment of fifteen is nobody's job and so it becomes everybody's. CaseFuze holds the schedule, charges the saved method on the day it falls due, and flags the plan that has gone quiet. - Plans that collect themselves. Set the schedule at intake and the card runs on the first of the month, with the receipt sent and the ledger already updated. - The unearned part stays in trust. A flat fee paid up front is your client's money until you do the work. CaseFuze moves it to operating in the amounts you have earned, and records every transfer. - No charge per matter. Four hundred open files cost the same $49 per user as forty. Usage pricing punishes exactly the practice you run. See billing and invoicing → app.casefuze.com/matters/ibarra/billing Payment plan · IbarraOn schedule Flat fee · I-130 and I-485 $4,500.00 Paid to date · 9 of 15 installments $2,700.00 Next charge · card on file, Sep 1 $300.00 Still unearned · held in trust $1,050.00 Go deeper ### Reading and features for immigration firms. GuidePayment plans →FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureDocument management →FeatureClient intake →FeatureBilling & invoicing → ### Run your immigration practice on one platform. Everything above is in the $49 plan. No tiers and no add-ons. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Insurance defense URL: https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/insurance-defense/ Summary: Stop losing part of every invoice to guideline reductions. Insurance defense case management with UTBMS task codes captured at entry, LEDES 1998B export, per-matter budgets, and block-billing caught before you submit. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Practice areas/Insurance defense Insurance defense ### Insurance defense case management software that gets the LEDES invoice paid the first time. You do not bill a client, you bill a carrier, and the carrier has an opinion about task codes, block billing, and what your paralegal is allowed to charge for. CaseFuze puts the codes on the entry as you write it and exports LEDES that passes. Start nowBook a demo Insurance defense ### The invoice was fine. The format was not. Defense work gets reduced twice: once when a line is written the way you would write it for a paying client, and again when the e-billing system rejects the file for a code it did not recognise. Both are avoidable at the point of entry, which is the only point where fixing them is cheap. CaseFuze asks for the task and activity code when the time is logged, not when the invoice is due. - UTBMS codes on the entry, not the invoice. Pick the task and activity code as you record the time. The person who did the work is the person who knows which code it was. - LEDES 1998B out of the box. Export the format your carrier e-billing system expects rather than rebuilding it in a spreadsheet every month. - Budgets tracked per matter. Most panel guidelines require a budget and then hold you to it. Watch fees against it while there is still time to ask. app.casefuze.com/billing/ledes/hartwell LEDES export · Hartwell claimValidated L120 Analysis/Strategy · A104 review, 3.2 hrs $704.00 L310 Written Discovery · A103 draft, 5.6 hrs $1,232.00 Block-billed entries · guideline violation 0 Budget used to date · of $28,000 approved 61% app.casefuze.com/billing/reductions Reductions this quarter3 appealed Billed to carriers · 4 panels $214,600.00 Reduced on review · 61 lines -$9,840.00 Top reason · block billing $4,110.00 Recovered on appeal · 3 invoices $3,275.00 Where the money goes ### You find out what the carrier cut sixty days later. Reductions arrive as a line on a remittance long after the work, usually citing a guideline nobody at the firm has read since the panel agreement was signed. By then the entry is stale, the associate who wrote it has moved on, and appealing costs more than the line is worth. So most firms absorb it and never learn which habit is costing them. - Reductions recorded against the reason. Every cut line keeps the guideline the carrier cited, so the pattern is visible rather than anecdotal. - Appeal from the original entry. The narrative, the code, and the date are still on the matter, which is most of the appeal already written. - Realization by carrier, not just by matter. Some panels pay what you bill and some do not. You should be able to say which. Read why carriers reject LEDES invoices → Capabilities ### Built for billing somebody who is not your client. Panel guidelines, task codes, budgets, and four carriers who each want it differently. ### UTBMS codes at the point of entry Task and activity codes are picked when the time is logged, by the person who did the work. Coding a month of entries afterwards is how wrong codes and block billing get in. ### LEDES 1998B export Produce the file the carrier's e-billing system expects, validated before it goes, so a rejection is not the first time you learn a field was malformed. ### Budgets that warn before they breach Panel counsel guidelines usually require a phase budget and then treat an overrun as your problem. Watch fees against the approved figure while there is still time to request an amendment. ### Block billing caught before submission A single entry covering four tasks is the most commonly reduced line in defense billing. It gets flagged at review, when splitting it still costs nothing. ### Every panel deadline on one calendar Answer dates, discovery cutoffs, and dispositive motion deadlines across every file, filtered by carrier or by court, on one calendar the whole defense team sees. ### One claim, many matters Coverage, liability, and a declaratory action can run off the same claim number. Link them so the reporting adds up the way the carrier sees it. ### Split billing and allocation One claim can carry an insured, an excess carrier and a co-defendant who each owe a share. Allocate a line across payers by rule, and send each one an invoice that stands on its own instead of splitting a PDF by hand. ### Time from the courthouse Log the appearance with its task code before you reach the car. Defense work is billed in six-minute increments and reconstructed time is where realization quietly goes. ### An AI agent on the claim file Ask what the policy says about the exclusion, or summarize the plaintiff's medical records. Every model it uses retains nothing and trains on nothing. ### Rate tables per panel Each carrier caps rates differently and by timekeeper level. Hold the agreed rate against the panel so nobody bills a partner rate on a file that does not allow one. Guidelines ### Four carriers, four sets of rules, one firm. One panel bars travel time. Another allows it at half rate. A third wants a budget amended before you exceed any phase by ten percent, and a fourth will not pay for two attorneys at the same deposition. None of this is in your practice management software, so it lives in somebody's head and leaks the moment they take a week off. - Guidelines on the matter. The rules that govern a file sit with the file, where the person billing it will actually see them. - Staffing rules that hold. If a panel pays for one timekeeper at a hearing, the second entry is flagged before it reaches the invoice. See billing and invoicing → app.casefuze.com/panels/hartwell-mutual Panel guidelinesApplied to 34 matters Partner rate cap $245.00 Associate rate cap $195.00 Travel time · billable at half 50% Budget amendment · required over 10% Two timekeepers at a deposition not paid Go deeper ### Reading and features for insurance defense firms. GuideLEDES billing →FeatureBilling & invoicing →FeatureTime tracking →FeatureReporting & analytics →FeatureDocument management → ### Run your insurance defense practice on one platform. Everything above is in the $49 plan. No tiers and no add-ons. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Guides URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/ Summary: Practical guides for attorneys on IOLTA reconciliation, flat fees and trust, payment plans, AI and medical records, mock juries, and switching case management software. Written for the person doing the work. ================================================================ Guides ### Law firm guides for the lawyer, not the client. How to disburse a settlement, what belongs on a closing statement, and the trust rules that turn a bookkeeping slip into a bar complaint. Written for the person doing the work. ### How to disburse a personal injury settlement → The order the eight steps have to happen in, and the three that end careers. ### What goes on a settlement statement → Line by line, from gross recovery down to net to client. ### How to reconcile an IOLTA account → The three-way reconciliation, step by step, and how to find the difference when it breaks. ### Do flat fees belong in the trust account? → Unearned versus earned on receipt, what your state probably requires, and how to draw the fee down. ### Payment plans that actually collect → Structuring installments, holding the unearned part in trust, and what to do when one goes quiet. ### Is ChatGPT HIPAA compliant for law firms? → What HIPAA actually asks of a law firm, what your ethics rules ask, and what to check before uploading a record. ### How to run an online mock jury → Recruiting the panel, presenting the evidence, writing questions that reveal something, and reading the result. ### What a trial focus group costs → Where the money goes in a traditional panel, and how to test a case on a smaller budget. ### How to switch case management software → What to move, in what order, and how to prove the trust balances arrived intact. ### What free migration actually covers → The nine questions to ask any vendor before you believe the word free. ### Do you actually need case management software? → The five conditions that decide it, and why "not yet" is a real answer. ### Software vs spreadsheets and Google Drive → Where the DIY stack genuinely works, and the three jobs it cannot do. ### Why carriers reject LEDES invoices → Format failures, guideline reductions, and the appeal that is worth writing. ### How to build a client intake process → Seven steps from first contact to open matter, and the two places leads leak. ### How to run a conflict check properly → Who belongs in the search, when to run it, and what to record afterwards. ### Building your own case management system → What the DIY stack does better, what maintenance actually costs, and where to draw the line. ### QuickBooks and law firm trust accounting → The structural gap, what the workarounds cost, and why bookkeeping is built in instead. ### What changes as your firm grows → Solo, small, mid-size and multi-state: which problem you are solving now, and which arrives next. ### Stop doing this part by hand. CaseFuze keeps the ledger, writes the statement, and prints the checks. $49 per user. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Disbursing a settlement URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/disburse-personal-injury-settlement/ Summary: Settle on Monday and have every check printed by Friday. The order settlement funds have to move in: deposit to trust, wait for clearance, resolve liens, get the signature, then disburse. Plus the three mistakes that draw bar complaints. ================================================================ Guides/Disbursing a settlement Personal injury ### How to disburse a personal injury settlement without touching the wrong account The settlement check arrives and eight things have to happen in order. Get the order wrong and you have spent client money, which is a bar complaint rather than a bookkeeping error. A settlement check is the only moment in a personal injury case when you hold a large amount of somebody else's money. Everything before it is work. The disbursement is custody, and the rules governing it are stricter than the rules governing anything else you do. Most disbursement problems are not theft. They are sequence errors: paying somebody in the right amount at the wrong time, out of an account that had not yet received cleared funds. The order below is the order that keeps you out of trouble. The sequence ### Eight steps, in this order. 01 ### Deposit into trust The settlement check goes into your IOLTA or client trust account. Not operating, not a personal account, and not "temporarily" into operating so you can split it later. Depositing client funds into an operating account is commingling on the day it happens, whatever you do next. 02 ### Wait for the funds to clear A deposit is not a clearance. If you disburse against a settlement check that has not cleared, the money leaving your trust account belongs to your other clients, which is a shortfall even if it corrects itself a week later. Get confirmation from the bank rather than from your online balance. 03 ### Identify every claim on the money Health insurer subrogation, Medicare conditional payments, Medicaid, ERISA plan reimbursement, med-pay carriers, provider liens, letters of protection, child support arrears in some states, and any referral fee you agreed to. Anything you miss now, you pay for later out of your own pocket. 04 ### Get reductions in writing Negotiate the balances down, then get the final number confirmed in writing before it goes on the statement. A verbal reduction that a provider later disputes leaves you holding the difference in front of your client. 05 ### Prepare the settlement statement Gross recovery at the top, then your fee, then itemized costs, then every lien at its final figure, then the net to your client. The arithmetic has to come from the ledger rather than from somebody retyping numbers into a template. 06 ### Have the client review and sign Your client signs the accounting before any money moves. This is where you explain why the net is smaller than the number they have been quoting to their family for two years, and having it on paper protects both of you. 07 ### Disburse from trust to each payee Write separate checks against the trust account, one per payee. Your fee moves from trust to operating as its own transaction with its own record. Do not pay firm expenses directly out of trust. 08 ### Zero the matter and reconcile After the last check clears, the client's balance on the matter should be exactly zero. If a residue sits there, find out what it is now, while you still remember the case. app.casefuze.com/trust/rivera/ledger Client trust ledgerReconciled Settlement deposit · cleared Apr 2 +$185,000.00 Provider liens · 4 checks -$28,940.00 Case costs reimbursed · to firm -$3,905.00 Attorney fee · to operating -$61,605.00 Net to client · check 007 -$90,550.00 Closing balance $0.00 What auditors look for ### One ledger per client, closing at zero. A trust account audit does not start with your bank statement. It starts with whether you can produce a ledger for each client showing every dollar that came in and where it went. A settled matter that closes at zero, with a signed statement matching the disbursements, answers the question before it gets asked. - Per-client balances, not one pooled number. The account total tells you nothing about whether one client's funds paid another's disbursement. - Three-way reconciliation. Bank statement, trust ledger, and the sum of client balances have to agree, monthly in most jurisdictions. - The statement and the checks match. If the signed accounting says $90,550 and check 007 was written for $90,505, you will find it at audit rather than now. Three ways this goes wrong ### The mistakes that draw complaints. ### Disbursing against uncleared funds You deposit the settlement Monday and cut the client's check Tuesday because they have waited long enough. Until that deposit clears, the money funding your check belongs to other clients. Bar counsel treats a shortfall as a shortfall whether or not it lasted. ### Paying yourself before the liens Taking your fee first and sorting out a Medicare conditional payment afterwards can leave you personally liable for the reimbursement. Federal law lets Medicare recover from the attorney, not only the client. Resolve the claims, then take the fee. ### Netting the fee on the way in Depositing the settlement into operating, keeping the fee, and paying the client from there feels like fewer steps. It is commingling, it destroys the trust ledger you would need to defend yourself, and it is the pattern that turns a fee dispute into a disciplinary matter. Questions ### Common questions about disbursement. How long do I have to hold settlement funds before disbursing?Until the deposit has actually cleared, which depends on the check and your bank rather than on a fixed number of days. Ask your bank to confirm cleared funds rather than reading an available balance. Separately, most jurisdictions require you to disburse promptly once funds clear and the claims are resolved, so holding money longer than the work requires creates its own problem. Can I take my fee out of the trust account directly to pay a firm expense?No. Move the fee from trust to your operating account as its own transaction, then pay firm expenses from operating. Paying a vendor straight out of the trust account breaks the line between client money and firm money even when the arithmetic is correct. What if a lien is still unresolved when everything else is ready?Disburse the undisputed portions and hold back enough in trust to cover the disputed claim at its full asserted value. Your client gets most of their money now, and the disputed amount stays in trust until it settles. Document why you held it back. Does the client have to sign the settlement statement?Rules vary by jurisdiction, but a signed written accounting is standard practice everywhere and is the single best protection against a later dispute about what your client agreed to. Get it signed before the checks go out, not after. What happens to a small residual balance on the matter?Track it down rather than leaving it. It is usually a lien that came in lower than reserved or interest posted after your final disbursement. Refund it to the client, and if you genuinely cannot locate them, your state's unclaimed property rules govern what happens next. Related ### Keep reading. PracticePersonal injury →GuideSettlement statements →GuideThree-way reconciliation →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeaturePayment processing → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Settlement statements URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/personal-injury-settlement-statement/ Summary: Hand your client a statement that reconciles the first time. Every line a personal injury settlement statement needs: gross recovery, contingency fee, itemized costs, liens and reductions, subrogation, and net to client. ================================================================ Guides/Settlement statements Personal injury ### What has to be on a personal injury settlement statement Your client signs a document that says where every dollar of their settlement went. Here is what belongs on it, line by line, and why the arithmetic has to come from the ledger rather than a typist. The settlement statement is the one document in a personal injury case your client will read line by line. They have been quoting the gross number to their family for two years. The statement is where they find out what they actually take home, and how you got from one figure to the other. It is also the document that decides a fee dispute. If a client complains to the bar eighteen months from now, the signed statement is the record of what they agreed to. A statement that is vague about costs, or that buries a lien reduction, does not defend you. Line by line ### Every figure the statement has to carry. Work top down, gross to net, with nothing rolled together. If two liens are combined into one "medical" line, your client cannot check it, and neither can anyone reviewing it later. - Gross recovery. The full settlement figure, before anything comes off. If the case settled with multiple defendants or carriers, show each one. - Attorney fee, with the rate. Not just the dollar amount. State the percentage and what it applied to, because a fee calculated on gross and a fee calculated after costs produce different numbers from the same agreement. - Case costs, itemized. Filing fees, expert reports, records charges, court reporters, service. One line reading "costs $3,905" invites the question you do not want asked at signing. - Each lien at both figures. Show what the provider originally claimed and what you negotiated it to. The reduction is work you did for your client, and this is the only place they see it. - Referral fees and co-counsel splits. If another lawyer is taking part of the fee, your client is entitled to see it. - Net to client, and the signature line. The number they take home, above a line they sign and date. app.casefuze.com/matters/rivera/statement Settlement statementAwaiting signature Gross recovery $185,000.00 Attorney fee · 33.3% of gross -$61,605.00 Case costs · 14 items -$3,905.00 St. Anne's Medical · $22,400 reduced -$14,560.00 Valley Ortho · $19,100 reduced -$14,380.00 Net to client $90,550.00 Where the numbers come from ### Retyping is how statements stop reconciling. ### Costs come from the matter Every cost posted to the case as you incurred it, over two years, with its date and vendor. The statement itemizes what is already there rather than what somebody can reconstruct from a folder of receipts. ### Liens carry their reductions Each lien record holds the asserted balance, the negotiated figure, and the written confirmation. The statement prints both numbers because both are on the record. ### The checks come from the same figures The disbursement run reads the statement it just produced. A typo cannot exist in one and not the other, because there is only one set of numbers. Read the disbursement sequence → Questions ### Common questions about settlement statements. Is the fee calculated before or after costs come off?Whichever your fee agreement says, which is why the statement has to state the basis rather than only the amount. On a $185,000 settlement with $3,905 in costs, a one-third fee on gross is $61,605 and a one-third fee on the net after costs is $60,365. Your client can tell those apart, and so can a disciplinary panel. Do I have to show lien reductions I negotiated?Show them. The reduction is money you put back in your client's pocket, and hiding it inside a single net figure means they never learn you did it. Displaying the asserted balance next to the final payoff also documents why the disbursement differs from the lien letter in the file. What if a cost is disputed at signing?Resolve it before the client signs rather than after. If you cannot, hold the disputed amount in trust, note the holdback on the statement, and disburse the rest. A statement your client signs under protest is worth less than one they agree with. How long should I keep the signed statement?As long as your jurisdiction requires you to keep trust records, which is commonly five to seven years after the matter closes, and often longer than you would keep the rest of the file. Store it with the trust ledger for the matter, not loose in the case folder. Related ### Keep reading. PracticePersonal injury →GuideDisbursing a settlement →GuideThree-way reconciliation →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureBilling & invoicing → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Three-way reconciliation URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/three-way-reconciliation/ Summary: Close your IOLTA account in ten minutes on the first of the month. How to do a three-way trust account reconciliation, match the bank, the ledger and every client balance, and find the difference fast when it breaks. ================================================================ Guides/Three-way reconciliation Guide ### How to do a three-way reconciliation on your IOLTA account Three numbers have to agree: your bank statement, your trust ledger, and the sum of every client balance. Here is how to reconcile an IOLTA account each month, and what to do on the morning they do not match. A three-way reconciliation asks whether three numbers agree. The adjusted balance on your trust bank statement, the running balance in your trust ledger, and the total of every individual client balance you are holding. If all three match, the money in the account is accounted for. If they do not, you are holding an amount you cannot explain, and the explanation is what bar counsel will want. Most jurisdictions require this monthly and require you to keep the reconciliation for five to seven years. The reconciliation itself is arithmetic. The part that takes an afternoon is finding the difference when the three numbers disagree, which is why the sixth section below is longer than the rest. The reconciliation ### Six steps, once a month. 01 ### Start from the bank statement Take the closing balance from the trust account statement. This is the only one of the three numbers you did not produce yourself, so it anchors the other two. 02 ### Adjust for what the bank has not seen Add deposits that have not yet posted. Subtract checks you have written that have not yet cleared. The result is the adjusted bank balance, which is what you should actually be holding. 03 ### Compare it to your trust ledger Your ledger is the running record of every deposit and disbursement across the whole account. Its balance should equal the adjusted bank balance. Two numbers down, one to go. 04 ### Add up every client balance List each client you are holding money for and what you hold for them. Total the list. This is the number most firms cannot produce quickly, and it is the one that matters most, because it is the only figure that shows whether one client's funds are covering another client's disbursement. 05 ### Confirm all three agree Adjusted bank balance, ledger balance, and the sum of client balances. One number, three ways of arriving at it. No client balance should ever be negative, even for a day. 06 ### Sign it and keep it Print or export the reconciliation with the date and who performed it. Most states want it retained for at least five years and want it available on demand. A reconciliation you did but cannot produce counts as one you did not do. The master ledger in CaseFuze. Every movement across the trust account, with the running balance that has to match your bank statement. app.casefuze.com/trust/reconciliation July reconciliationBalanced Bank statement · closing Jul 31 $248,310.00 Deposits in transit · 1 item +$4,500.00 Outstanding checks · 3 items -$9,860.00 Adjusted bank balance $242,950.00 Trust ledger balance $242,950.00 Sum of 34 client balances $242,950.00 Doing it monthly ### The reconciliation is not the work. Finding the break is. A firm doing this by hand exports a statement, opens a spreadsheet of client balances that somebody maintains separately, and hopes the two agree. When they do not, the search covers a month of transactions with no way to tell which day the difference started. CaseFuze keeps the three figures in step continuously against a read-only bank feed, so a break surfaces on the day it happens rather than on the fourth of next month. - Client balances are never pooled. Each client has their own ledger, so the sum is a query rather than a spreadsheet somebody keeps current by hand. - A disbursement cannot overdraw a client. If a payment would take one client's balance below zero, it stops at entry instead of quietly borrowing from the client next to them. - Corrections are adjustments, not overwrites. Every entry keeps who made it and when, which is the trail that shows a mistake was a mistake. When it will not balance ### Six things that cause the difference. Work down this list before assuming the worst. In order of how often each one turns out to be the answer. ### A check you forgot was outstanding Written in March, never presented, and dropped off your mental list. It still reduces what you can disburse. Age your outstanding checks and chase anything over ninety days rather than carrying it forever. ### Bank fees taken out of trust Wire fees, statement charges, or a monthly maintenance fee debited from the trust account spends client money on a firm expense. Move the account to a fee arrangement that bills operating, and reimburse anything already taken. ### Card processing fees netted on the way in A processor that deposits $970 against a $1,000 retainer and takes its fee off the top has taken it from your client. Use a processor that debits fees to operating, which is a standard legal-specific arrangement. ### A disbursement on the wrong client ledger The account total still balances, so the first two numbers agree and only the client sum reveals it. One client shows a shortfall and another shows a surplus by the same amount. This is the most common reason a three-way breaks when a two-way would not have. ### An earned fee still sitting in trust You billed against a retainer and never moved the money to operating. It is not a shortfall, but it makes the client sum disagree with your ledger and it leaves your own money in a client account, which is its own problem. ### A transposition $4,150 entered as $4,510. If the difference divides evenly by nine, you are almost certainly looking at two digits that swapped places. Old bookkeeping trick, still the fastest way to find one. A read-only bank connection keeps the book balance and the bank balance in step between reconciliations, so a break surfaces the day it happens. By the first of next month ### Reconciled before your coffee goes cold. Connect the trust account once and CaseFuze keeps the bank, the ledger, and all thirty-four client balances in agreement between reconciliations. The monthly close becomes a report you export and sign instead of a Saturday you lose. Migration of your existing balances costs nothing. Start nowSee trust accounting Questions ### Common questions about trust reconciliation. How often do I have to reconcile?Monthly in most states, quarterly in a few, and some set no interval but require records adequate to prove the account is in order, which in practice means monthly. Your state bar publishes the rule and usually a sample form. Check yours rather than adopting your last firm's habit. What is the difference between a two-way and a three-way reconciliation?A two-way matches your bank statement to your ledger. It tells you the account total is right. It cannot tell you whether one client's money paid another client's disbursement, because the total is unchanged either way. The third leg, the sum of individual client balances, is the one that catches that, which is why it is the leg regulators care about. Can a client balance be negative for a day or two?No. A negative client balance means you disbursed money that client did not have, which means you spent somebody else's. It is a shortfall on the day it happens whether or not a deposit fixes it that afternoon. Software that blocks the entry is worth more here than software that reports it later. Who at the firm should perform the reconciliation?Whoever does it, an attorney has to review and sign it. Delegating the arithmetic is fine and normal. Delegating responsibility is not, and "my bookkeeper handled it" has never once worked as a defense. What do I do about IOLTA interest?On a pooled IOLTA account the interest goes to your state's bar foundation rather than to you or your clients, and the bank usually remits it directly. It should appear and disappear on the statement without touching any client ledger. If interest is accumulating in the account, ask the bank whether it is set up as an IOLTA account at all. How long do I keep the reconciliations?Five years in most states, seven in some, and the clock often runs from the end of the representation rather than the date of the reconciliation. Keep the supporting statements and client ledgers with it. A reconciliation without the records behind it proves very little. Related ### Keep reading. GuideFlat fees and trust →GuideDisbursing a settlement →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureReporting & analytics → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Flat fees and trust URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/flat-fee-trust-account/ Summary: Take the fee today and sleep tonight. Whether a flat fee belongs in your IOLTA trust account or operating, what "earned on receipt" really requires, how to draw it down in stages, and what the refund looks like if the client leaves early. ================================================================ Guides/Flat fees and trust Criminal defense ### Does a flat fee go in the trust account or straight into operating? You take $3,500 up front to handle a case through trial. Whether that money is yours on the day it clears depends on your state rule, and getting it wrong is the most common trust violation in a flat-fee practice. A client hands you $3,500 to take a case through trial. The work will happen over the next eight months. The question is whether that money is yours today, and the answer decides which account it goes into, what happens if the client fires you in week three, and whether a fee dispute stays a fee dispute. The default answer in most states is that the fee is unearned when you receive it, which makes it your client's property and puts it in the trust account until you earn it. A minority of jurisdictions let you deposit a flat fee straight into operating if you meet specific written conditions. Both positions come with obligations, and the label on your fee agreement does not decide which one applies to you. The two positions ### Where your state probably lands. Read your own rule before you set up the account. These are the three patterns you will find. ### Trust until earned, the majority rule An advance fee is client property. It goes to the trust account and moves to operating in the amounts you earn. This is the safe default, and it is what most bars expect when they open a file on you. ### Operating, with written consent Some states let a flat fee go to operating if the client agrees in writing after you disclose that unearned amounts are refundable. California, for one, permits it under Rule 1.15 with that disclosure, and requires the agreement in writing once the fee reaches a set threshold. ### The true retainer, which is rare A payment purely for your availability, earned when paid because it buys the right to call on you. Courts read this narrowly. If the money is really a prepayment for work, calling it a true retainer in the engagement letter does not convert it into one. The word "nonrefundable" does less than firms think. ABA Formal Opinion 505, issued in 2023, took the position that fees paid in advance are refundable to the extent they are unearned, and that describing them as nonrefundable in an engagement letter is improper. Whatever your state does about which account the money sits in, a client who terminates you early is generally entitled to the part you have not yet earned. That is the obligation the account choice does not remove. Drawing it down ### How to earn a flat fee in stages. 01 ### Define what earns what Split the fee across the stages of the matter in the engagement letter: arraignment, preliminary hearing, motions, trial preparation, trial. A client reading it should know what they are buying and what a refund would look like at each point. 02 ### Deposit to trust Unless your state and your written agreement clearly permit otherwise, the fee goes to the client trust account. Record it against that client's ledger, not as a lump sum in the account. 03 ### Transfer as each stage completes Mark the stage done, then move that portion from trust to operating as its own transaction with its own date and reason. Moving money in round numbers when cash is tight is the pattern that draws attention. 04 ### Tell the client what moved Many states require notice when you take funds from trust. A short statement showing the stage completed and the amount transferred satisfies it and heads off the argument about what you actually did for the money. 05 ### Refund the balance if it ends early If the client leaves after the preliminary hearing, the unearned portion goes back. Because you defined the stages up front, the figure is arithmetic rather than a negotiation about the value of your time. A flat fee received against the matter and held in trust. What the software has to do ### The fee is one number. The ledger is five. Doing this by hand means a trust deposit in one system, a fee agreement in a folder, a note about which stage you reached, and a transfer somebody remembers to make. CaseFuze holds the stages against the matter, moves the earned portion when you mark a stage complete, and records the transfer with its date and reason on the client's own ledger. - The unearned balance is always visible. Open the matter and see what is still your client's money, without adding up transfers. - Refunds calculate themselves. The client who leaves in week three gets a figure that came from the ledger, with the working shown. - No transfer without a record. Every movement from trust to operating carries who moved it, when, and against which stage. Set up in an afternoon ### Take the fee today. Sleep tonight. Define your stages once and every flat fee after that draws down on its own, with the trust ledger, the client notice, and the refund figure all falling out of the same record. Trust accounting is in the $49 plan rather than a compliance tier, and we move your existing balances across at no charge. Start nowBuilt for criminal defense Questions ### Common questions about flat fees and trust. Can I write "nonrefundable" in the engagement letter?You can write it. Whether it holds is another matter, and ABA Formal Opinion 505 says it generally does not, because an unearned fee remains the client's. Several states have disciplined lawyers over the phrase itself. Describing how the fee is earned in stages accomplishes what firms actually want from the word, and survives review. My state lets me deposit flat fees into operating. Should I?You still owe a refund of anything unearned, so the obligation follows the money whichever account holds it. Depositing to trust and drawing down gives you a contemporaneous record of what you earned and when, which is exactly what you need if the fee is ever challenged. Firms that take the operating route should keep an equivalent record anyway. What if the case resolves faster than expected?A flat fee that covered trial and settled at arraignment leaves a large unearned balance. Refund it. A fee that is unreasonable in hindsight is a separate violation from a trust violation, and Rule 1.5 does not stop applying because the client agreed to the number in advance. Can I take a flat fee and a costs deposit together?Yes, and keep them apart on the ledger. Costs are the client's money held for a specific purpose, and spending a costs deposit on your fee is a shortfall even when the total you hold looks right. Do I have to notify the client every time I move money?Most jurisdictions require notice on withdrawal from trust, and the practical version is a short statement at each stage. It takes a minute, and it converts the eventual "what did you actually do" conversation into a document the client already received. Related ### Keep reading. PracticeCriminal defense →GuideThree-way reconciliation →GuidePayment plans →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureBilling & invoicing → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Payment plans URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-payment-plans/ Summary: Turn a $4,500 fee nobody can pay into $300 a month that collects itself. How to size the installments, take a method on file, keep the unearned part in trust, and handle a law firm payment plan that has gone quiet. ================================================================ Guides/Payment plans Immigration ### How to set up a law firm payment plan that actually collects Your client can pay $4,500, just not this month. A payment plan turns a fee they cannot afford into one they can, and turns your firm into a lender unless the schedule runs itself. Your client can pay $4,500. They cannot pay it in August. A payment plan is what turns a fee somebody cannot afford into one they can, and in immigration, criminal defense, and family work it is the difference between taking the case and watching it go to the firm down the street. It also turns your firm into a lender. Someone has to notice that installment nine of fifteen did not arrive, work out whether the client is struggling or gone, and decide what happens to a case that is half paid and fully open. Firms that run plans well are not more diligent than firms that run them badly. They have set the plan up so the collecting happens without anybody remembering to do it. Structuring the plan ### Six decisions, made once. 01 ### Take a real deposit up front The first payment should cover the work you will do before the second one arrives. A plan that starts at zero means the file is open, the deadline is running, and nothing has been paid for the work already done. 02 ### Size the installment to their month, not your fee Fifteen payments of $300 collect where five of $900 default. Ask what they can pay monthly and build the schedule from that answer. A plan the client can actually meet is worth more than a shorter one they cannot. 03 ### Put a payment method on file A plan that relies on a client remembering to send money each month collects at a fraction of the rate of one that charges a saved card or bank account on a date they agreed to. Get written authorization for the schedule when they sign. 04 ### Tie the schedule to the work, not the calendar Where the fee is flat and unearned, each installment lands in trust and is earned as you complete stages. Set the stages so the money you have earned roughly tracks the money you have received, which keeps a mid-case exit from turning into an argument. 05 ### Say what happens if a payment fails The engagement letter should state when you follow up, when you pause work, and what has to happen before you would move to withdraw. Deciding this in advance is far easier than deciding it about a specific client in month seven. 06 ### Skip the finance charge Most firms charge no interest, which keeps the arrangement simple. Adding a finance charge can pull you into consumer credit regulation and disclosure obligations that are not worth the recovery on a $4,500 fee. If you want to charge one, ask someone who does that work. Plans across the caseload, with what has been collected and what is scheduled next. The ones that have gone quiet surface here rather than at year end. Set the schedule once at intake. Where the money lands ### Each installment still has to reach the right account. A payment plan does not change the character of the money. If the fee is unearned, every installment is client property when it arrives, which means it belongs in trust and moves to operating as you earn it. Firms get this wrong at exactly the point automation helps most, because a recurring charge that deposits straight to operating quietly commingles twelve times a year instead of once. - Trust and operating routing by rule. Each charge lands in the account its character requires, rather than wherever the processor was pointed on setup day. - Processing fees debit operating. A processor that nets its fee out of the deposit is taking it from your client. Legal-specific processing keeps the fee off the trust account. - Retries and reminders run themselves. A declined card gets retried and the client gets told, without it becoming somebody's Friday afternoon. See payment processing → Collecting by next month ### Get paid on the 1st without asking anyone. Set the schedule at intake, take the authorization with the engagement letter, and the charges run themselves into the right account for the rest of the matter. You find out about a failed payment the day it fails, not in a year-end review. All of it is in the $49 plan, with no per-matter fee no matter how many plans you run. Start nowBuilt for immigration firms When it goes quiet ### The plan stopped paying. Now what? ### First, check it is not the card A meaningful share of failed installments are expired cards and address mismatches rather than clients who cannot pay. An automatic retry and a message asking them to update the method resolves most of them without a conversation. ### Talk before you pause A client who has stopped paying usually knows and is avoiding you. Reaching out with a revised schedule collects more than a demand letter, and it is cheaper than the alternative for both of you. ### Nonpayment is not automatic withdrawal You may be permitted to withdraw for nonpayment, and you may not be, depending on where the matter stands and what a court or agency would allow. A pending deadline does not pause because a fee did. Check the rule and the tribunal before you stop work. ### Watch the pattern, not the case If a quarter of your plans stall at the same installment, the schedule is wrong rather than the clients. Look at where plans break and move the deposit or the installment size before you take on more of them. Questions ### Common questions about law firm payment plans. Do payment plan installments go into trust or operating?It depends on whether the money is earned when it arrives. An installment against an unearned flat fee is client property and belongs in trust in most states. An installment paying an invoice for work you have already done is yours and goes to operating. The plan does not change the answer, the character of the fee does. Can I charge a fee for setting up a payment plan?Any charge has to be reasonable and disclosed under Rule 1.5, and a setup fee on a client who is paying in installments because money is tight is a poor look in front of a fee committee. Most firms fold the cost into the fee rather than itemizing it. What happens to the plan if the matter ends early?Stop the schedule and settle up. If you hold unearned money, refund it. If you have earned more than has been collected, the remaining balance is a debt you can invoice, and how aggressively you pursue it is a business decision rather than an ethics one. Should I take a card or a bank debit?Bank debit costs less and fails less often on recurring schedules. Cards are what most clients have and what most will agree to on the spot. Offering both and defaulting to the bank debit for longer plans is the arrangement that tends to collect best. How many installments is too many?The practical limit is how long you are willing to carry the case. Beyond about twelve months the default rate climbs and the administrative cost stops being worth it on a mid-sized fee. Front-load the deposit instead of extending the tail. Related ### Keep reading. PracticeImmigration →GuideFlat fees and trust →FeaturePayment processing →FeatureBilling & invoicing →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # AI and medical records URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/chatgpt-hipaa-law-firms/ Summary: Read 214 pages of medical records in a minute without breaching anything. When HIPAA actually applies to a law firm, why a business associate agreement matters, what ABA Formal Opinion 512 requires, and the six terms to check before you upload. ================================================================ Guides/AI and medical records Personal injury ### Is ChatGPT HIPAA compliant for law firms? You have 214 pages of medical records and an AI that could summarize them in a minute. Before you paste them in, two separate rules apply, and only one of them is HIPAA. You have 214 pages of medical records and a tool that could summarize them in ninety seconds. Before you paste anything in, two separate sets of rules apply to what you are about to do, and most of the advice circulating about this only addresses one of them. The short answer on the HIPAA question: consumer ChatGPT is not offered under a business associate agreement, so it is not a HIPAA-compliant destination for protected health information. The longer and more useful answer is that HIPAA may not be the rule binding your firm at all, while a rule that definitely does bind you gets almost no attention. Two rules, one question ### Work out which one applies to you. ### Are you even covered by HIPAA? HIPAA binds covered entities and their business associates. A law firm is rarely a covered entity. A plaintiff's firm that receives its own client's records under an authorization is usually holding them as the client's representative rather than as a business associate, which means HIPAA is not what governs your handling of them. ### Unless you work for a covered entity Defense counsel for a hospital, a health plan, or a provider group is doing legal work that involves protected health information on that client's behalf. That is the classic business associate relationship, it requires a signed BAA, and everything downstream of you needs one too. ### Your ethics rules always apply Whether or not HIPAA reaches you, Rule 1.6 does. Client medical records are confidential information, and putting them into a third-party tool is a disclosure you have to make reasonable efforts to protect. This is the rule most firms skip past on the way to arguing about HIPAA. The ABA addressed this directly. Formal Opinion 512, issued in July 2024, takes up generative AI and lawyers' duties. It covers competence in understanding what the tool does with your input, confidentiality including whether client consent is needed before entering information into a self-learning system, communication with the client about how you are using it, and the effect on fees when a task that used to take four hours now takes ten minutes. Read it before you set firm policy. Your state bar may have issued its own opinion on top of it. The agent runs against the matter you already have open, so records never leave for a separate chat window. What to look for instead ### The question is retention, not branding. "Is it HIPAA compliant" is a question about paperwork. What actually protects your client is what the vendor does with the data after the answer comes back. CaseFuze runs its agent on models offered under HIPAA-compliant terms, does not retain your prompts, uploads, or matter data on those models, and does not permit them to be used for training. The agent reads the case out of the database you are already working in, which removes the copy-and-paste step where most exposure happens. - Nothing retained, nothing trained on. The records you upload are used to answer your question and are not kept afterwards. - Your choice of model, all under the same terms. Switch providers per task without the compliance position changing underneath you. - No pasting into a browser tab. The agent already has the matter, the parties, the documents, and the ledger, so the records stay inside the system holding the file. See the AI agent → Before you upload ### Six things to check in the vendor's terms. 01 ### Will they sign a BAA? Only relevant if you are a business associate, but if you are, this is not optional and a marketing page claiming compliance is not a substitute for the signed agreement. 02 ### How long is input retained? Look for a stated retention period in the contract rather than a blog post. "We do not train on your data" and "we do not keep your data" are different promises, and vendors often make only the first. 03 ### Is your input used for training? Consumer tiers frequently default to yes with an opt-out buried in settings. Business tiers usually default to no. Find the sentence that says so and keep a copy of it. 04 ### Who else touches the data? Subprocessors, hosting regions, and human reviewers. A vendor that reviews a sample of prompts for quality is reviewing your client's medical history unless it has excluded you from that. 05 ### Can you control it at firm level? Individual attorneys choosing their own settings is not a policy. You want administrative control over which tools are available and what they are permitted to do with a file. 06 ### Do you need to tell the client? Opinion 512 discusses when informed consent is required. At minimum, know what your engagement letter says about how you use technology on the matter, and consider whether it should say more. 214 pages in about a minute ### Read the whole record before lunch. Upload the medical records, the deposition, or the file the adjuster sent, and get back a summary, a chronology, or the demand letter draft, on models that keep nothing and train on nothing. The agent already knows the matter, so there is no context to paste and nothing to leak in the pasting. In the $49 plan. Start nowBuilt for personal injury Questions ### Common questions about AI and medical records. Is ChatGPT HIPAA compliant?The consumer product is not offered under a business associate agreement, so it is not an appropriate destination for protected health information where HIPAA applies to you. Some providers offer business or API tiers with different contractual terms, including BAAs for eligible customers. Terms change, so read the current agreement rather than a summary of it, and get the BAA signed rather than assumed. My client signed an authorization. Does that cover putting the records into AI?An authorization governs the provider releasing records to you. It says nothing about what you then do with them, which is governed by your duty of confidentiality to that client. Treat the two questions separately. Can I use AI on records if I redact the name first?De-identification under HIPAA has a specific meaning and removing the name does not achieve it, since dates, treatment details, and provider names can re-identify a person. It also does not resolve the confidentiality question, because the information is still your client's. Redaction is a reasonable extra precaution, not a workaround. Do I have to tell my client I used AI on their case?Opinion 512 treats this as fact-dependent, turning on how the tool is used and what your client would reasonably expect. Using AI to summarize records you would have read anyway sits differently from using it to make a strategic judgment. Many firms now address it in the engagement letter, which resolves the question before it arises. Can I bill for the time the AI saved me?No, and Opinion 512 is direct about it. You bill for time actually spent. A task that now takes ten minutes is billed as ten minutes. On contingency work this cuts the other way and simply improves your margin, which is one reason plaintiff firms have adopted these tools faster. Related ### Keep reading. PracticePersonal injury →GuideOnline mock juries →FeatureAI agent →FeatureDocument management → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Online mock juries URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/online-mock-jury/ Summary: Know the verdict before you send the demand. How to run an online mock jury: sizing the panel, recruiting to your venire, presenting deposition video and exhibits, and reading the split without being fooled by the average. ================================================================ Guides/Online mock juries Personal injury ### How to run an online mock jury You have lived with this case for two years. A mock jury tells you how it sounds to twelve people hearing it for the first time, while you can still change how you tell it. You have lived with this case for two years. You know why the defendant is liable, you know which document proves it, and you cannot hear the story the way twelve strangers will hear it in an afternoon. That gap is what a mock jury closes, and it closes it while you can still change how you tell it. The traditional version costs enough that most cases never get tested. An online panel changes the arithmetic, which means the question stops being whether the case justifies a focus group and becomes what you want to learn from one. Running one ### Five steps, start to finish. 01 ### Decide what you are testing "Is my case good" produces nothing usable. "Does the jury blame my client for not wearing a seatbelt" produces a number you can act on. Pick one or two questions the case actually turns on, and build everything around them. 02 ### Size the panel to the question A dozen participants with long-answer questions tells you how people reason about your facts. Two hundred with structured questions tells you how often they land on each conclusion. The first is a conversation, the second is a measurement, and confusing them is the most common mistake. 03 ### Recruit to look like the venire Your panel should resemble the jury pool in the county where the case will be tried, not the general population and not your contacts list. If the venire skews older and more rural than your panel, your result is about a jury you will never face. 04 ### Present it the way you would try it Show the opening as you would deliver it, play the deposition clip, put the exhibit on screen. A summary of your evidence tests your summary. The point is to test the thing the jury will actually see. 05 ### Ask before you argue Open-ended questions first, while they are still forming a view, then the structured ones. Ask what they would need to see to change their mind, which is the answer that tells you what to put in the case in chief. Setting it up ### What a panel looks like before it runs. Everything above becomes four decisions you make once: how many people, who they look like, what they see, and what you ask. The defense case belongs in there too. A panel that only hears your side gives you a number you cannot take into mediation. - Recruit to the county, not the country. Match the venire where the case will actually be tried. - Field it asynchronously. Nobody has to be in a room at 9am on a Tuesday, which is most of why the traditional version costs what it does. app.casefuze.com/focus-groups/rivera/setup Panel setupDraft Panel size · recruited to venire profile 312 Evidence · dashcam clip, 3 exhibits attached Questions · 4 structured, 2 long answer 6 Defence case · put as opposing counsel would included Fielding closes · Friday 3 days app.casefuze.com/focus-groups/rivera Panel results312 participants Found defendant liable 71% Assigned some fault to plaintiff 38% Median damages awarded $210,000 Reacted to dashcam footage · 0:42 248 Changed view after cross 19% Reading the result ### The median matters more than the average. One participant who awards four million pulls your average somewhere no real jury will go. Read the median, then read the spread, because a case where answers cluster tightly is a different negotiating position from one where the same facts produce wildly different numbers. A wide spread is itself a finding: it usually means the jury is filling a gap in your story with whatever they brought with them. - Watch where reactions cluster. Timestamped responses against video show the second the story lands or loses them, which is more useful than knowing they disliked the witness overall. - Read the long answers yourself. The percentages tell you what they concluded. The written answers tell you why, and the why is what you can change. - Look for the objection you did not anticipate. The value is rarely confirmation that your good facts are good. It is the concern that half the panel raised and you had never considered. See online focus groups → Getting it wrong ### Four ways a mock jury misleads you. ### Presenting only your side A panel that hears the plaintiff's case and no defense will find for the plaintiff, and you will walk into mediation with a number built on nothing. Put the other side's best argument in, made as well as opposing counsel would make it. ### Testing in the trial county without thinking Recruiting locally gets you a realistic panel and risks reaching people who could end up in your venire, particularly in a small county. Know your jurisdiction's position on this before you recruit, and keep records of who participated. ### Treating twelve people as a statistic A small panel gives you reasoning, not frequencies. Reporting "67% found for the plaintiff" from a group of twelve is eight people, and eight people is an anecdote with a decimal point on it. ### Running it too late to matter A focus group two weeks before trial tells you what you are stuck with. The same panel run before the demand goes out changes the demand, the discovery you take, and whether you try the case at all. Results back this week ### Know the verdict before you file the demand. Build a panel from one reviewer to several thousand, show them the deposition video and the exhibits, and get the split, the damages range, and the AI's reading of where they broke, without booking a room or hiring a consultant. Focus groups are in the $49 plan alongside everything else. Start nowWhat a focus group costs Questions ### Common questions about mock juries. How many participants do I need?For reasoning, ten to twenty with long-answer questions. For reliable frequencies, a few hundred. Most firms want both and run the small qualitative panel first to find out what to ask the large one. Are focus group results discoverable?Consultant and attorney work product protections generally apply, but the analysis is fact-specific and jurisdictions differ, particularly where participants were shown materials that were not otherwise privileged. Structure it as work product from the start and take advice if the case is one where you would hate to be wrong about this. Can I use my own contacts as participants?For an early gut check, yes, and it is fast and free. Do not build a settlement position on it. People who know you or your firm are not neutral, and they will tell you your case is strong because that is what people do. When in the case should I run one?Before the number goes out. The most expensive mistake is anchoring a demand at a figure a jury will not reach, then negotiating down from a position you invented. Testing before the demand also gives you time to take the discovery the panel says is missing. Does an online panel really substitute for an in-person one?For deliberation dynamics, watching a room argue is still the richest thing you can do, and an in-person group has an advantage there. For everything else, including scale, geographic reach, and cost per participant, online wins by enough that most firms now run online first and reserve the room for the cases that justify it. Related ### Keep reading. PracticePersonal injury →GuideWhat a focus group costs →GuideAI and medical records →FeatureOnline focus groups →FeatureAI agent → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # What a focus group costs URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/focus-group-cost/ Summary: Test the $180,000 case, not just the big one. What a trial focus group costs line by line, which items are fixed and which scale with panel size, and how running it online removes four of the five. ================================================================ Guides/What a focus group costs Personal injury ### What a trial focus group costs, and what drives the number A traditional focus group prices most cases out of testing. Here is where the money goes, which line items are the real ones, and how to test a case when the budget is a fraction of the usual quote. Ask three jury consultants what a focus group costs and you will get three answers separated by an order of magnitude. The spread is real, and it comes from a single structural fact: the traditional model puts people in a room, and every line item follows from that. Below is where the money actually goes, which line items are fixed and which scale, and what changes when the room is the thing you remove. Where the money goes ### Five line items on a traditional quote. Figures below are the ranges firms commonly see quoted. Yours will vary by market and by consultant. ### The consultant Usually the largest single item, billed as a day rate or a project fee, and it covers designing the exercise, moderating, and writing the report. Experienced trial consultants price like expert witnesses because that is effectively what they are. ### Recruiting A screening firm finds people who match your venire profile and confirms they show up. Priced per recruited participant, higher when the profile is narrow, and higher again when you need them on a specific date. ### Participant stipends People give up half a day, so they are paid for it. This is the line that makes panel size expensive: doubling the panel doubles the stipends, doubles the recruiting, and often requires a second session. ### Facility A room with an observation area and recording equipment, rented by the day, plus catering because you are keeping people there through lunch. In larger markets this alone can exceed what an entire online panel costs. ### Video and transcription Recording the session, then producing clips and a transcript you can actually use afterwards. Optional in theory. In practice nobody remembers what participant seven said by the following week. The result is that a full mock trial with a professional consultant runs into five figures, and a scaled-down single-panel focus group still typically lands in the low thousands before anybody has looked at your case. For a catastrophic injury case that is straightforward arithmetic. For the mid-value case that makes up most of a personal injury docket, it means the case never gets tested, and the demand goes out on instinct. app.casefuze.com/focus-groups/new What changes onlineSame case Facility and catering · no room removed Moderator day rate · asynchronous removed Panel size · 12 or 1,200 your call Analysis · AI reads the responses included Platform cost · in the plan $49.00 The other model ### Take away the room and four line items disappear. An online panel removes the facility, the catering, the travel, and the scheduled day everyone has to attend at once. What remains is recruiting, if you need recruited participants rather than your own contacts, and the analysis. CaseFuze puts the platform and the analysis in the same $49 plan as the rest of the software, so the marginal cost of testing one more case is close to nothing. - Scale stops being a budget decision. Twelve participants or twelve hundred is a setting rather than a quote. - The analysis is included. The AI reads the structured answers and the long ones and tells you where the panel split, instead of handing you a spreadsheet to interpret. - Test the mid-value cases too. The ones that never justified a consultant are exactly the ones where a surprise at trial hurts most. Whether a case justifies testing is a question about what it returns. Matter profitability reporting is in the same plan, so the answer is on hand before you commit spend. Panel running today ### Test every case, not just the big one. Stop deciding which cases can afford a focus group. Run a panel on the $180,000 case the same afternoon you thought of it, get the split and the damages range back, and send a demand built on what strangers actually said. The platform is included in the $49 plan with no per-panel software charge. Paying the panel is separate, whether you recruit your own participants or have CaseFuze supply them. Start nowHow to run one Questions ### Common questions about focus group cost. Is a focus group a recoverable case cost?In many contingency agreements case-testing expenses are recoverable as costs, but it depends on how your fee agreement defines costs and on what your jurisdiction permits. If you intend to charge it back, say so in the agreement in terms a client would understand before the case settles rather than after. What is the cheapest useful version?A dozen participants, three open-ended questions, and your opening statement. It costs almost nothing, takes an afternoon, and still surfaces the objection you had not considered, which is most of the value. Scale up only when you need frequencies rather than reasoning. Do I still need a jury consultant?For a catastrophic case going to trial, a good one earns their fee several times over, particularly on voir dire strategy. For the routine case, the choice is not consultant versus platform, it is testing versus not testing, and untested is the option most firms currently pick. How much does recruiting add?It is the main variable cost once the room is gone, and it scales with how specific your profile is. Recruiting a county-matched panel costs more than a general one. Testing with your own contacts costs nothing and is fine for early gut checks, but do not build a number on it. Related ### Keep reading. PracticePersonal injury →GuideOnline mock juries →FeatureOnline focus groups →FeatureReporting & analytics → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Switching software URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/switch-case-management-software/ Summary: Move firms in about two weeks with every client balance intact. How to switch case management software: what to export, how to verify trust balances before go-live, running in parallel, and the records you must keep from the old system. ================================================================ Guides/Switching software Guide ### How to switch case management software without breaking your trust ledger Firms stay on software they have outgrown because the move looks dangerous. The risky part is not the matters or the documents. It is the trust balances, and there is a right way to move those. Firms stay on software they have outgrown for one reason, and it is not loyalty. It is that the move looks like it could go badly in a way that ends up in front of the bar. Matters and documents are a logistics problem. Trust balances are a compliance problem, and that is the part worth being careful about. Done in the right order, a migration is boring. The sequence below is the one that keeps it boring. The sequence ### Seven steps, in this order. 01 ### Confirm you can get your data out Before you sign with anyone new, find out what the current vendor will export and in what format. A full export including documents and transaction history is what you want. A CSV of matter names is not a migration. Ask this while you are still a paying customer with leverage. 02 ### Inventory what actually has to move Open matters, closed matters, contacts, documents with their version history, calendar and deadlines, time and expense entries, invoices and payment history, templates, and trust ledgers. Decide which of these you need live in the new system and which you only need to be able to produce later. The two answers have different costs. 03 ### Clean up before you move, not after Duplicate contacts, matters opened twice, and clients who left in 2019 all cost the same to migrate as real records, and they are far easier to deal with before they exist in two systems. Deduplicate at the source. 04 ### Reconcile the trust account on a cutoff date Pick the cutoff, run a full three-way reconciliation in the old system, and print it. That reconciliation is the number the new system has to match. Migrating trust balances that were never reconciled just moves an unexplained difference into a new database. 05 ### Verify balances client by client The account total matching is not enough. Every individual client ledger has to arrive intact, because a total can be right while two clients are wrong in opposite directions. Check the list, not the sum. 06 ### Run both systems in parallel Keep the old system readable while the new one takes live work, for at least one full billing cycle and one full reconciliation. You want to have closed a month in the new system before you rely on it alone. 07 ### Do not cancel until you can produce the records Trust records must be retained for years after the representation ends, and "the old vendor deleted our account" is not a defence. Either the history came across in usable form or you have an export you can actually read. Confirm which, then cancel. Balances arrive per client with their transaction history, not as a single opening figure. The difference matters the first time somebody asks how a balance got to where it is. What gets lost ### Five things that quietly do not come across. ### Trust transaction history Many migrations move an opening balance per client and nothing behind it. You are then holding money whose history lives in a system you are about to cancel. Insist on the transactions, not the totals. ### Document versions and dates Files usually arrive. Version history, the original upload dates, and who edited what frequently do not, and they flatten into a folder of current versions all stamped with the migration date. ### Custom fields The fields your firm added to model its own practice are the least standard part of the data and the first thing a generic importer drops. List them before the move and check them after. ### Unbilled work in progress Time entered but not yet invoiced sits in an awkward state and is easy to leave behind. It is also money. Bill it out before the cutoff if you can, and check it if you cannot. ### Calendared deadlines Dates that were calculated by the old system's court-rules engine may migrate as plain events, losing the rule that generated them. Re-verify anything with a statute or a filing deadline attached rather than trusting the import. Live in about two weeks ### Move without a single balance out of place. A CaseFuze specialist runs the migration with you: matters, contacts, documents, and trust ledgers mapped across, every client balance verified against your last reconciliation before go-live, and your old system left running until you have closed a month on the new one. It costs nothing. Start nowWhat free migration covers Questions ### Common questions about switching software. How long does a migration take?For a small firm with clean data, one to three weeks from export to go-live, most of which is verification rather than transfer. Large document sets and messy custom fields extend it. The parallel period afterwards should cover at least one billing cycle regardless of firm size. When in the year should we switch?Right after a completed reconciliation, at a month end, and not in the middle of a trial or a filing season. Firms often aim for the start of a quarter so the financial reporting has a clean break in it. Do we have to move closed matters?Not necessarily into live use, but you do have to be able to produce their records for as long as your retention obligations run. Moving them is usually simpler than maintaining a read-only subscription to the old system for six years. What if the old vendor will not export our documents?Check the contract, then ask again in writing. Firms have found their data hostage to a support ticket. Your files are your files and your client's, and a vendor that makes them hard to retrieve has told you something useful about staying. Who should verify the trust balances?Whoever signs your reconciliations, which should be an attorney. The vendor can do the work and produce the comparison. Signing off that the numbers are right is not something to delegate to the person migrating them. Related ### Keep reading. GuideFree migration →GuideThree-way reconciliation →FeatureData migration →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureIntegrations → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Free migration URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/free-data-migration/ Summary: Bring six years of files and pay nothing to move them. What free data migration really covers when you switch case management software, and the nine questions that reveal it: documents, trust history, custom fields, and what it costs to leave. ================================================================ Guides/Free migration Guide ### Which case management software offers free migration, and what "free" covers Migration is quoted as free by most vendors and means something different at each one. These are the questions that tell you what you are actually getting before you sign. Most legal software vendors will tell you migration is free. The word covers everything from a specialist who moves your entire history and verifies it against your last reconciliation, to a CSV template you fill in yourself with a help article for company. Both are accurately described as free. Only one of them saves you the three weeks. These are the questions that tell you which one you are being offered, and they are worth asking before the demo ends rather than after the contract starts. Before you sign ### Nine questions to ask any vendor. ### Free at what size? Free migration often has a ceiling: a number of users, matters, or gigabytes, above which it becomes a quoted project. Ask where the line is and whether your firm is under it today and in a year. ### Does it include documents? Records are rows in a database and cheap to move. Documents are the bulk of the work and the bulk of the storage. A migration that covers matters but leaves you to drag folders across is most of the job left undone. ### Trust history, or just balances? The single most important question on this list. An opening balance per client with no transactions behind it leaves the history in the system you are cancelling, and you are required to be able to produce it for years. ### Are custom fields mapped? The fields you added to fit your practice are what a standard importer drops. Ask whether mapping them is included or billable, and get the answer about your fields rather than about fields in general. ### How far back does financial history go? Invoices, payments, and time entries have a habit of arriving for the last twelve months only. If you need three years of billing history for a fee dispute or a partner buyout, find out now. ### Who actually does the work? A named specialist who runs it with you, or a self-serve importer and a support queue. Both get called free migration. Ask how many hours of your staff's time the vendor expects it to take. ### Is there a verification step? You want a comparison you can check: client balances against your last reconciliation, matter counts, document counts. If verification is not part of the offer, the migration is not finished when they say it is. ### How many passes do you get? First attempts have problems. Ask whether re-running the import after you find an issue is included, or whether the free migration was a single shot and the fix is a project. ### What does it cost to leave? The question almost nobody asks at signing. Free to get in and expensive to get out is a real pricing model. Ask what a full export looks like, including documents, and whether it costs anything. Duplicates found at import rather than discovered a year later. What we mean by it ### Our answers to our own nine questions. Migration into CaseFuze is run by a specialist, not a template. Matters, contacts, documents, and trust ledgers move with their history. Custom fields are mapped to fields we create for them. Balances are verified client by client against the reconciliation you print on your cutoff date, and nothing goes live until that comparison is clean. There is no size threshold and no charge at any firm size. - Transactions, not opening balances. Trust history arrives intact so your retention obligation does not depend on your old vendor's goodwill. - Keep the old system running. Nothing is switched off until you have closed a full cycle here. - Free to leave as well. Your data exports whole, documents included, at no charge, whenever you want it. See how migration works → Nothing to pay, either direction ### Bring six years of files. Pay nothing to move them. A specialist moves your matters, contacts, documents, and trust ledgers with their full history, verifies every client balance against your own reconciliation, and leaves your old system running until you are ready. No migration fee, no size limit, no charge to export it all back out again. Start nowHow to plan the switch Questions ### Common questions about free migration. Why would a vendor migrate my data for free?Because migration is the single largest reason firms stay where they are, so removing it removes the main objection to switching. It is a customer acquisition cost, which is also why it is worth asking what happens on the way out, where that incentive runs the other way. Is free migration lower quality than paid?Not inherently. What matters is whether a person runs it and whether it is verified. A paid migration with no verification step is worse than a free one with a specialist and a balance comparison. Judge the process, not the price. What do we have to do ourselves?Expect to produce the export from your current system, list your custom fields, name someone who can answer questions about how your data is organized, and reconcile the trust account on the cutoff date. On a clean migration that is a few hours of your time spread over a couple of weeks. Can we migrate from more than one system?Usually yes, and firms often are: matters in one place, documents in a shared drive, trust records in accounting software. Say so at the start, because a three-source migration is a different piece of work from a one-source migration even when both are free. Related ### Keep reading. GuideSwitching software →FeatureData migration →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Do you need it at all? URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/do-i-need-case-management-software/ Summary: An honest answer to whether a solo or new firm needs case management software: the five conditions that decide it, what a spreadsheet still handles fine, and the point at which staying manual starts costing more than switching. ================================================================ Guides/Do you need it at all? Guide ### Does a solo law firm actually need case management software? Sometimes the honest answer is no. Here is how to tell which side of the line your practice is on, and what it costs you to get the answer wrong in either direction. Sometimes the answer is no, and you will not hear that from anyone selling this software. A new solo with eight matters, no staff, no client funds and a flat-fee practice can run on a calendar, a folder structure and a spreadsheet for a year without anything going wrong. Buying a platform to manage eight files is buying a filing system for a filing cabinet you have not filled. The question is not whether software is better in the abstract. It is whether your practice has crossed any of the five lines below, because each one turns a manual system from inefficient into risky, and they arrive at different times for different practices. The five lines ### Cross any one of these and the answer changes. 01 ### You hold client money This is the hard line and it arrives first. The moment you have an IOLTA account with other people's funds in it, you owe per-client ledgers, monthly three-way reconciliation, and a record you can produce years later. A spreadsheet can technically do the arithmetic. What it cannot do is stop you disbursing more than a client holds, and it will not tell you the day your book and your bank stop agreeing. 02 ### A missed date has legal consequences A transactional practice that misses a date has an awkward call. A litigation practice that misses a statute has a malpractice claim. If your practice runs on dates counted out from a triggering event, you want that arithmetic done once, written on the matter, and warned about by something that does not get distracted. 03 ### Somebody else touches the file Everything works while it is all in your head. The first paralegal, contract attorney, or virtual assistant is the moment your head stops being a shared system. If two people cannot see the same current state of a matter, you will spend the difference on phone calls. 04 ### You bill hourly and cannot say what your realization is If you bill time and do not know what percentage of recorded hours you actually collect, you are running a business on a number you have never seen. Reconstructed time is where most of it goes, and reconstruction is a habit that only forms when capture is hard. 05 ### You have stopped being able to hold it all in your head There is no universal number, but most solos describe hitting this somewhere between fifteen and thirty open matters. The symptom is not disorganisation. It is that you have started checking things you used to just know. Why line one is different ### Four of these are efficiency. The first one is exposure. Missing a deadline, losing time, duplicating work: those cost money and you can decide how much you are willing to lose before you act. Holding client funds is not on that scale. A shortfall is a shortfall on the day it happens, whether it lasted an hour or a month, and the defence is a contemporaneous record you either kept or did not. That is why volume does not enter into this line and does for the other four. - A spreadsheet will let you type it. Software that checks the client's own balance first refuses the entry instead of recording the problem. - One client, one ledger. The account total being right tells you nothing about whether one client's money paid another's disbursement. app.casefuze.com/trust/okafor/disburse Disbursement blockedStopped at entry Client balance held · Okafor $2,400.00 Disbursement requested $3,150.00 Would overdraw client by $750.00 Account total · looks fine either way $242,950.00 None of that applies to you? Then wait. A practice with a handful of flat-fee matters, no trust balance and nobody else on the file is not being reckless by running on Google Workspace. You will know when it changes, and switching later is cheap if you keep your data somewhere structured rather than scattered across email. Open matters by stage. The view you start wanting somewhere around the twentieth file. Getting it wrong the other way ### Buying too early has a cost too. Firms that buy at matter number three configure a system around a practice they do not have yet, then rebuild it a year later when the practice turns out to be something else. They also pay for two years of a subscription while the honest alternative was free. If a vendor cannot tell you when you would be better off waiting, that tells you what the conversation is. - Keep your data structured while you wait. Consistent matter names, one folder per file, and a contacts list with real fields migrate cleanly later. Email threads do not. - Trust is the exception to "wait". If you are holding client funds, do not wait for volume. That risk does not scale with matter count. - Try before the pressure arrives. Learning a system during a trial month is a different experience from learning it the week you get busy. Compare it against the spreadsheet stack → Try it before you decide ### Find out on your own files, not in a demo. If you are somewhere near one of those five lines, the cheapest way to answer this is to run your actual practice on it for a while. CaseFuze switches everything on, and we migrate what you have at no charge. If you conclude you did not need it yet, you have lost nothing but the export. Start nowSee pricing Questions ### Common questions from new solos. I have four matters. Do I need this?Almost certainly not, unless one of them involves holding client funds. Spend the money on malpractice cover and a decent scanner. Revisit when you take on staff or pass roughly twenty open files. Can I just use a project management tool like Notion, Asana or Trello?For tasks and workflow, yes, and some firms are happy on one for years. What they will not do is warn your whole team about a limitation date, run a conflict check across every party the firm has ever touched, or keep a trust ledger that reconciles. If you need none of those three, a general tool is a reasonable answer. What about building my own?People do, usually on Airtable or a low-code tool, and for a single-practitioner workflow it can fit better than anything you can buy. The two things that catch firms out are trust accounting, where you are building a compliance system with a bar complaint at the end of it, and succession, where the system only one person understands becomes a liability the moment they are unavailable. Is the free tier of anything good enough?Free tiers usually cap matters or hold back trust accounting, which is the part you most need if you need anything. Read what is excluded rather than what is included. A free plan without a client ledger is a contact list. How do I know I have crossed the line?You start checking things you used to know, you find yourself reconstructing time at the end of the week, or somebody asks you a question about a file and you have to open three tools to answer it. Those are the practical signals. The trust one is not a signal, it is a rule. Related ### Keep reading. GuideSoftware vs spreadsheets →GuideSwitching software →FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Software vs spreadsheets URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-vs-spreadsheets/ Summary: A straight comparison of case management software against a spreadsheet, Google Drive and a shared calendar: what the DIY stack handles fine, the three jobs it cannot do, and what trust accounting in a spreadsheet actually risks. ================================================================ Guides/Software vs spreadsheets Guide ### Case management software vs a spreadsheet, Google Drive and a shared calendar Plenty of firms run on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 and do fine. Here is exactly where that stack holds, exactly where it breaks, and the one failure mode that should end the debate for you. A spreadsheet, a Drive folder per client and a shared calendar is a real system. It is free, everyone already knows how to use it, it never has an outage you cannot work around, and plenty of profitable firms have run on it for a decade. Anyone who tells you it is unprofessional is selling something. It also has three specific jobs it cannot do, and one of them is the reason this comparison usually ends. Below is where the DIY stack genuinely holds up, where it starts costing you quietly, and where it stops being a question of efficiency. Give it its due ### What the spreadsheet stack does well. ### A matter list Client, matter, stage, next date, responsible attorney. A sheet does this perfectly and sorts and filters better than some software. If your practice is thirty rows, a sheet is genuinely fine. ### Document storage One folder per matter in Drive or SharePoint, with version history and full-text search that is honestly very good. Storage is not the weak point people assume it is. ### A calendar you already check Deadlines land on the calendar your phone already alerts you from. Adoption is the hardest part of any system and this one has it solved. ### Flat-fee billing If you charge flat fees and invoice from a template, you do not need a billing engine. The complexity in legal billing comes from hourly work and trust draws. app.casefuze.com/trust/reconciliation What a sheet cannot assertBalanced Adjusted bank balance $242,950.00 Trust ledger balance $242,950.00 Sum of 34 client balances $242,950.00 Client balances below zero · blocked at entry 0 Edits without an audit record 0 Job one it cannot do ### A trust ledger that proves it was never wrong. A spreadsheet will calculate a three-way reconciliation. What it will not do is prevent the disbursement that overdraws one client using another client's money, and it will not tell you who changed a figure or when. Every cell is silently editable by anyone with the link, and a corrected mistake looks identical to a covered one. That distinction is the entire point of a trust record. - No overdraft prevention. The sheet lets you type any number. The bar treats a momentary shortfall as a shortfall. - No audit trail. Version history in Drive is not a ledger audit trail, and reconstructing it under scrutiny is not a position you want. - Retention is on you. Most states want these records for five to seven years, in a form you can produce on demand. How a three-way reconciliation works → Jobs two and three ### The other two it cannot do. ### A conflict check that covers everyone Searching a matter sheet finds clients. A conflict check has to cover opposing parties, spouses, corporate affiliates, witnesses and every person named on every matter you have ever opened, including the consultations that never became files. That is a different data model, not a better search box. Family law generates these constantly. ### Dates that live on the matter A date in a personal calendar is one person's arithmetic, kept where only that person sees it. Count the interval once in a date calculator, in calendar or business days, and save it to the matter instead: the date sits with the file, the warnings reach whoever is covering it, and it survives the attorney who worked it out being on holiday the week it falls due. If you hold medical records ### The Drive question has a second layer for injury work. A personal injury, medical malpractice, workers' compensation or disability practice keeps thousands of pages of somebody's health history. Two separate rules govern where that sits, and firms tend to argue about the wrong one. Whether HIPAA reaches you depends on your role: a plaintiff firm receiving its own client's records under an authorization is generally holding them as that client's representative rather than as a business associate, while a firm doing work for a hospital, plan or provider usually is a business associate and needs a signed agreement covering every service the records touch. - A BAA exists, but not on the account you probably have. Google and Microsoft will both sign one for eligible paid editions, covering designated core services only. Free and personal accounts get no agreement at all, and a marketplace add-on you connect to the folder sits outside the scope of the one you do have. - The real exposure is link sharing, not the platform. Both are secure enough. Neither stops somebody setting a folder of medical records to anyone-with-the-link to get a file to an expert quickly, and nothing in the interface treats that folder differently from a folder of stationery. - One spreadsheet is a bigger blast radius than one file. A tracker with every client's name, injuries, treating providers and settlement posture is the single most sensitive object the firm owns, and it shares in one click like anything else in the drive. When HIPAA actually applies to a law firm → app.casefuze.com/matters/rivera/access Who can see this matterRecords attached Assigned team · attorney, 2 paralegals 3 Public or link-based access none Records opened this week · logged 14 Shared outside the firm · expiring link 1, expires Fri What actually happens is not a failure, it is a drift. The sheet stays accurate and everything around it stops matching: an email with a key agreement that lives in one inbox, a document saved to a desktop and never uploaded, a date changed on the calendar but not in the sheet. Nobody notices, because each gap is small and the system still looks right. Then someone leaves, or you are ill for a week, and the practice turns out to have been running on one person's memory with a spreadsheet attached. Import the sheet in an afternoon ### Keep the sheet. Stop betting the trust account on it. Your matter list, contacts and folders come across as they are, so nothing you have built is wasted. What you gain on day one is a client ledger that refuses to go negative, a conflict check across every party, and deadlines calculated rather than typed. Migration is included, and your data exports whole if you decide the sheet was right after all. Start nowDo you need it yet? Questions ### Common questions about the DIY stack. Is Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 compliant enough for client data?Both offer encryption, access controls and audit logging adequate for confidential client information, and many firms use them under their ethics rules. Compliance is not the weak point. The weak point is that neither one knows what a matter, a conflict or a trust balance is, so the legal-specific obligations sit entirely on your process. Can I do trust accounting in QuickBooks instead?Better than a spreadsheet, and many firms do. You will still be maintaining per-client sub-ledgers by hand through classes or sub-accounts, and QuickBooks will not stop you overdrawing one. If you go this route, reconcile monthly without fail and keep the client ledgers where you can produce them. What about Airtable or a low-code build?It fits a single workflow better than anything you can buy, which is why capable solos keep building them. Two things bite later: trust accounting means you are building a compliance system, and a tool only one person understands becomes a problem the week that person is unavailable. Will my spreadsheet import cleanly?Usually, if the columns are consistent and one row is one matter. The parts that need attention are contacts split across columns, dates in mixed formats, and any trust figures, which should be reconciled at a cutoff date before they move rather than after. Is it worth it if I only bill flat fees?Weaker case, honestly. Flat-fee work without trust balances gets less from a billing engine than hourly work does. Judge it on conflicts, deadlines and whether anyone else needs to see the file, rather than on billing. Related ### Keep reading. GuideDo you need it at all? →GuideSwitching software →FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureDocument management →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # LEDES billing URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/ledes-billing/ Summary: What LEDES 1998B is, the UTBMS task and activity codes carriers expect, the format errors that bounce a whole invoice, the guideline violations that quietly reduce lines, and how to appeal a reduction worth appealing. ================================================================ Guides/LEDES billing Insurance defense ### Why the carrier rejected your LEDES invoice, and how to stop it happening An e-billing system can bounce a whole invoice for one malformed field, and a reviewer can reduce a line for a habit you did not know was a violation. The two problems are different and neither is about the quality of your work. Two different things happen to a defense invoice, and firms routinely treat them as one problem. The first is a rejection: the e-billing system refuses the file outright, usually within minutes, because a field is malformed or a code is not recognised. Nobody read it. The second is a reduction: a human or an automated rule accepted the invoice and then cut lines out of it, citing the billing guidelines you agreed to when you joined the panel. Rejections are a data problem and are entirely preventable. Reductions are a habit problem and are mostly preventable. Neither is a judgement about your work, which is worth remembering when the remittance arrives. What LEDES is ### A pipe-delimited file with opinions. 01 ### LEDES 1998B is still the standard Despite the name, the 1998B format remains what most carrier e-billing platforms want: a plain ASCII file, fields separated by pipes, one row per line item, with a header row naming the fields and a terminator at the end. Newer formats exist. Most panels have not moved. 02 ### UTBMS task codes say what the work was Litigation codes run in phases: L100 case assessment, L200 pleadings and motions, L300 discovery, L400 trial preparation and trial. Inside those, L120 is analysis and strategy, L310 written discovery, L330 depositions. The code has to match what the narrative actually describes. 03 ### Activity codes say what you did A103 draft or revise, A104 review or analyse, A105 communicate within the firm, A106 communicate with the client. Every fee line carries both a task code and an activity code. Expense lines use E codes instead, and putting an expense code on a fee line is a common cause of rejection. 04 ### Timekeepers must already exist Each timekeeper has an ID, a name and a classification, and most platforms require them registered and rate-approved before an invoice referencing them will load. A new associate billing before they are set up will bounce the whole file. app.casefuze.com/billing/ledes/validate Pre-submission check4 to fix Invoice total vs sum of lines · off by $12.50 fail Timekeeper 4471 · not registered on panel fail Line 38 · expense code on a fee line fail Line 12 · block billed, 4 tasks warn Dates, codes, matter ID · 214 lines pass Rejections ### Six format errors that bounce the whole file. A rejection is binary and it takes the invoice with it, so one bad line delays payment on all two hundred. These are the ones that come back most often, and every one of them is checkable before you submit. - The total does not equal the lines. Rounding on a discount or an adjustment applied at invoice level rather than line level. - Dates in the wrong format. These files want YYYYMMDD, and a regional export will happily give you something else. - A client matter ID that is not theirs. The carrier's ID for the matter, not yours. They differ more often than you would think. - An unregistered timekeeper or an unapproved rate. Both fail at load rather than at review. - Non-ASCII characters in a narrative. A curly quote or an em dash pasted from a word processor is enough. - Task codes that do not fit the matter type. Litigation L codes on a counselling matter, or a bankruptcy code on a liability file. Reductions ### Six habits that get lines cut. These pass validation. A reviewer takes them out afterwards, and most firms never find out which habit cost the most. ### Block billing One entry covering four tasks over 3.4 hours. Almost every set of guidelines prohibits it, and it is the single most reduced line in defense billing. Split at entry, because splitting it two months later is guesswork you will lose. ### Narratives that say nothing "Review file." "Attention to case." A reviewer cannot connect that to the task code or the phase, so it goes. Name the document and the purpose: review of plaintiff's supplemental responses to interrogatories 7 to 14. ### Clerical work billed as legal work Filing, calendaring, organising a binder, converting documents. Guidelines treat these as overhead regardless of who did them, and a paralegal rate does not make them billable. ### Two timekeepers at one event Both attorneys attended the deposition, both billed it. Many panels pay one. If the second attendance was genuinely necessary, get it approved in advance rather than explaining it afterwards. ### Travel billed at full rate Barred outright on some panels, allowed at half on others. This is a per-carrier rule, which is exactly why it should live on the matter rather than in somebody's memory. ### Quietly exceeding the budget Most panel agreements require a phase budget and an amendment before you exceed it. Blowing through and invoicing the difference invites a reduction you have already agreed to in writing. Appeals ### Which reductions are worth fighting. Appealing costs time you cannot bill, so most firms appeal nothing and absorb the lot. That is the wrong equilibrium in both directions. Appeal the ones that are wrong on the facts and let the rest inform how you bill next month. - Worth appealing: a reduction citing a guideline that does not say what the reviewer says it does, work that was expressly pre-approved, or a duplicate cut where the two entries were genuinely different tasks. - Not worth appealing: block billing, vague narratives, and clerical time. Those are your habits and the reviewer is right. Fix the entry standard instead. - Appeal fast and from the record. Most platforms impose a window. Quote the original narrative, the code, and the approval, then keep it to a paragraph. app.casefuze.com/reports/reductions What reductions cost, by reasonLast 4 quarters Block billing · 214 lines $16,440.00 Vague narrative · 189 lines $9,120.00 Clerical tasks · 96 lines $4,380.00 Travel at full rate · 41 lines $3,010.00 Recovered on appeal $6,905.00 Accepted on the first submission ### Submit once. Get paid in full. Task and activity codes captured when the time is written, panel rate caps and travel rules held against the matter, block billing flagged before anyone submits, and a validated LEDES 1998B file out the other end. Then a report that tells you which habit is costing the most, so next quarter's invoice is cleaner than this one. $49 per user per month, everything included. Start nowBuilt for insurance defense Questions ### Common questions about LEDES and e-billing. What is the difference between LEDES 1998B and LEDES 2000 or XML?1998B is the flat pipe-delimited file and remains the most widely accepted. The later formats carry more structure, including budgets and timekeeper detail in the file itself. Send what the carrier's platform asks for; supporting a newer format you have not been asked for gains you nothing. Do I need to code time as I enter it, or can I code it later?Code at entry. Batch-coding a month of narratives means someone who did not do the work is guessing at the task code, and guessed codes are exactly what a reviewer catches. It also makes block billing invisible until it is too late to split. The carrier reduced a line without citing a guideline. What now?Ask which guideline applies, in writing, through the platform. A reduction with no cited basis is the easiest kind to get reversed, and asking politely also tells you whether the cut was a rule or a reviewer's discretion. How long do carriers take to pay a clean invoice?Varies by panel and is often set in the agreement, commonly in the thirty to ninety day range once accepted. The number that hurts is not the terms, it is the rejection that resets the clock, which is why validating before submission is worth more than chasing afterwards. Can I bill for preparing the invoice or dealing with the e-billing system?Essentially never. Billing administration is treated as overhead in virtually all panel guidelines, including the time spent fixing a rejected file. That is the real cost of a rejection, and it is why it belongs in the prevention column. Related ### Keep reading. PracticeInsurance defense →GuideSwitching software →FeatureBilling & invoicing →FeatureTime tracking →FeatureReporting & analytics → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Building an intake process URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-intake-process/ Summary: A seven-step client intake process for a law firm: capturing the inquiry, running the conflict check, qualifying the case, quoting the fee, signing the engagement letter, and opening the matter without rekeying a thing. ================================================================ Guides/Building an intake process Guide ### How to build a law firm client intake process Most firms lose more revenue at intake than anywhere else in the matter, and almost none of them can say where. Here is the sequence, what to capture, and the two places every leak happens. Intake is the only part of a matter where money is lost before any work is done. A caller who does not get through, a promising inquiry that sits for two days, a consultation booked and never confirmed: each one is a case that never existed, which is why almost no firm can tell you how many they had. The work you did not take leaves no trace in the system that tracks the work you did. The sequence below is the same in every practice. What changes is what you capture at step two and how fast step three has to happen. The sequence ### Seven steps, first contact to open matter. 01 ### Capture the inquiry wherever it lands Phone, web form, referral email, the contact form nobody checks. Every route has to end in the same place, because a pipeline that only covers the web form measures the channel you already understand and misses the referrals that pay better. 02 ### Take the facts that decide the case This is practice-specific and it is the step firms get wrong by asking too little. Injury work needs the incident date, injuries, treatment so far and available coverage. Criminal needs the charge, the court and the next appearance. Immigration needs the case type, entry date and history. Ask them on the first call and you can decline in ten minutes rather than three weeks. 03 ### Run the conflict check before anything else Before the consultation, not before the engagement letter. A prospective client who tells you confidential information can disqualify you from acting against them even though you never took the matter, so the check has to run ahead of the conversation that creates the problem. 04 ### Qualify against what you actually want Write down the criteria: case types you take, minimum value, jurisdictions you are admitted in, conflicts of interest with existing clients. A documented standard is how intake staff decline without checking with you, and how you find out later that your rule was wrong. 05 ### Quote the fee while they are still on the phone The gap between the consultation and the quote is where firms lose signed cases to whoever answered second. If the fee is a range at this stage, say the range. 06 ### Send the engagement letter the same day Momentum is the whole game. Send it for electronic signature while the conversation is fresh, with the scope, the fee, and what you are not doing spelled out. A letter that waits for someone to draft it from a template on Monday loses cases that were won on Friday. 07 ### Convert without retyping anything Everything captured at intake becomes the matter: parties, dates, the facts, the fee arrangement. If somebody rekeys it, two things happen. It gets typed wrong, and the intake data stops being worth analysing because nobody trusts it. app.casefuze.com/intake/pipeline Intake pipeline2 stalled New inquiries · this week 23 Conflict cleared · consult booked 14 Engagement sent · awaiting signature 6 No contact in 48 hrs · unassigned 2 Converted to matter 9 Where it leaks ### Two places, and they are always the same two. The first is the gap between inquiry and first human contact. A lead that waits two days has usually called somebody else, and nobody at the firm experiences this as a loss because the caller simply never rings back. The second is the gap between consultation and signature, where a case you have already won sits waiting for a letter. - Every lead needs one named owner. Round-robin or assigned, but never "the team", because the inquiry everyone can see is the one nobody calls. - Put a clock on each stage. An inquiry with no contact in 48 hours should surface on its own rather than waiting to be noticed. - Track the source, not just the count. Which referrer, which campaign, which former client. It is the only way to know which relationships are worth your time. See client intake → Signed the same day they call ### Turn the first call into an open matter before lunch. Capture the inquiry from any channel, run the conflict check while they are still talking, quote the fee, send the engagement letter for signature, and open the matter with every answer already in it. No rekeying, no per-lead fee, and a report at the end of the month that finally tells you where your cases come from. $49 per user per month. Start nowHow to run the conflict check Questions ### Common questions about law firm intake. How fast do I actually have to respond?Faster than you want to hear. A legal problem is urgent to the person who has it, and most people call more than one firm. The firms that win are not the best ones, they are the ones that answered. If you cannot answer live, an acknowledgement within the hour and a real conversation the same day is the realistic standard. Should a lawyer or a paralegal do intake?Non-lawyer staff can gather facts and schedule, and most firms should let them, but they cannot give legal advice or decide whether to take a case. Draw that line explicitly in writing, because the pressure to cross it comes from a caller who wants an answer now. What do I do with the inquiries I decline?Send a non-engagement letter, and keep the record. It states clearly that you are not acting, which protects you from a caller who believed otherwise, and the record matters because that person may still be a conflict later. Do I need a separate CRM for this?Not if your practice management system has a pipeline, and a separate CRM creates the rekeying problem this whole process is trying to avoid. The reason firms end up with one is usually that their case management tool treats a lead as a client, which forces you to open a matter for someone who has not hired you. How do I measure whether intake is working?Three numbers: inquiries received, time to first contact, and conversion by source. The third one is where the surprises live, and it is the reason capturing the source at step one matters more than it looks. Related ### Keep reading. GuideConflict checks →GuideDo you need it at all? →FeatureClient intake →FeatureE-signature →FeatureReporting & analytics → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Conflict checks URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-conflict-check/ Summary: What a proper law firm conflict check covers: every party, opposing party, spouse, corporate affiliate and prospective client, when to run it, how to screen a lateral hire, and the record to keep if the check is ever questioned. ================================================================ Guides/Conflict checks Guide ### How to run a conflict check that would survive a bar complaint Searching your client list is not a conflict check. Here is who actually has to be in the search, when it has to run, and why the consultation you never took can still disqualify the firm. Searching your client list is not a conflict check. It finds the people who paid you, which is the one group least likely to create the problem. The conflicts that disqualify firms come from the other side of the matter: an opposing party from four years ago, a company you did not realise was a subsidiary of your client, a spouse, a witness, or a consultation somebody took over the phone and never wrote down. The rules here are Rule 1.7 for current clients, Rule 1.9 for former ones, Rule 1.10 for how a conflict spreads to everyone else at the firm, and Rule 1.18 for the prospective client who never became one. That last rule is the one that catches people. Who is in the search ### Everyone with a name on a matter. If your search covers only the first row of this list, it is a client list lookup wearing a conflict check's name. ### Clients, current and former Including matters that closed years ago. A former client conflict turns on whether the new matter is substantially related to the old one, so the file has to be findable long after it closed. ### Opposing parties Every person or company you have ever acted against. This is the single largest source of real conflicts and the one a client-list search misses entirely. ### Spouses and family members Family law generates these constantly, and so does estate work where you acted for a parent and are now asked to act for one child against another. ### Corporate affiliates Parents, subsidiaries and sister companies trading under names that look unrelated. Record the group, not just the entity that signed the engagement letter, or you will find out from opposing counsel. ### Prospective clients you turned away Rule 1.18. Someone who consulted you and shared confidential information can bar you from acting against them even though you never took the matter and never sent a bill. If the only record of that call is in somebody's memory, you have no check at all. ### Everyone your staff brought with them A lateral attorney or paralegal carries their old firm's conflicts to yours under Rule 1.10. Screen at hiring, before they touch a file, not when somebody notices. app.casefuze.com/intake/conflict-check Conflict check · Marchetti2 hits Marchetti, D. · opposing party, closed 2023 review Marchetti Holdings · affiliate of a client review Prior consultation · none on record clear Searched · parties, affiliates, prospects 4,812 Run by · K. Rivera, before consult logged When to run it ### Before the conversation, not before the invoice. The check has to happen before anyone at the firm hears confidential information, which means before the consultation rather than before the engagement letter. Run it again when a new party joins the matter, because the case you cleared in March acquires a third-party defendant in September and nobody re-checks. - At first contact. Before the consult, on the names you have, even if that is only two. - Again at engagement. By then you know the real party names and the corporate structure. - Every time a party is added. New defendants, intervenors, insurers and experts all re-open the question. - On every new hire. Before their first day on a matter, not after. See conflict checking at intake → Afterwards ### The record is half the protection. 01 ### Record that it ran, not just the result Who ran it, when, against which names, and what came back. "We always check" is not evidence. A dated record naming the search terms is. 02 ### Write down why a hit was cleared Most hits are not conflicts. A common surname, a company with a similar name, a matter that closed and is unrelated. The reasoning is what you will need years later, and it takes one sentence at the time. 03 ### Get waivers in writing, informed Some conflicts are waivable with informed consent confirmed in writing, and some are not. Informed means the client actually understood what they gave up, which is a longer letter than most firms send. 04 ### Screen properly when you screen An ethical screen is access control plus written notice, not a promise not to discuss it. If the screened person can still open the file in your system, the screen is decorative. Cleared before the call ends ### Know it is clean before you hear a word. One search across every party, opposing party, affiliate and prior consultation the firm has ever recorded, run while the caller is still on the line, with the result logged against the matter and the reasoning saved next to it. Permissions enforce a screen when you need one. In the $49 plan. Start nowBuild the intake process Questions ### Common questions about conflict checks. Do I have to check conflicts for a free consultation?Yes, and this is the most common gap. Rule 1.18 protects prospective clients, so information shared in a consultation you were never paid for can still disqualify you. Run the check before the consultation and keep a record of the ones you declined. What if the conflict is with a matter that closed ten years ago?Former client duties do not expire. The test under Rule 1.9 is whether the new matter is the same or substantially related and whether the interests are materially adverse. Time makes it less likely, not irrelevant, which is why closed matters have to stay searchable. Does one lawyer's conflict really disqualify the whole firm?Generally yes under Rule 1.10, with limited exceptions, and some jurisdictions allow screening for lateral hires where the arriving lawyer is screened and written notice is given. The rules on that vary by state, so check yours before relying on a screen. Can I just search my email instead?It will find some things and miss the ones that matter. Email search does not know that a name is an opposing party rather than a copied assistant, does not cover matters that predate the current inbox, and produces no record that a check was performed. It is better than nothing and it is not a system. How do I handle a hit I am not sure about?Do not resolve it alone and do not resolve it quickly. Write down the facts, get a second opinion inside the firm, and if it is genuinely unclear most state bars run an ethics hotline that will talk it through. Then record the reasoning either way. Related ### Keep reading. GuideBuilding an intake process →FeatureClient intake →FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureStaff management → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Building your own URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/build-your-own-case-management-system/ Summary: Airtable plus Make plus AI fits your practice better than any vendor. The honest maintenance cost, the two jobs a homemade system cannot do, and where to draw the line between building and buying. $49 per user per month. ================================================================ Guides/Building your own Guide ### Building your own case management system, and the two jobs it cannot do Airtable, Make and an AI model will get you something that fits your practice better than the software you are paying for. Here is what it really costs to keep running, and the point where a homemade system becomes a liability with your name on it. The build usually starts the same way. You are paying for software you fight with, you ask it to do something that feels simple, and it will not. So you open Airtable, wire it to Make, point an AI model at the messy parts, and within a fortnight you have something that fits your practice better than the thing you were paying for. That is not a fantasy. Capable solos do it every year and some of them never go back. This page is not going to tell you it cannot be done. It is going to tell you what it costs, which parts hold up, and the two jobs where a homemade system stops being a productivity project and starts being a liability you are personally on the hook for. Give it its due ### What a homemade stack genuinely does better. ### It fits your workflow exactly No vendor models your practice the way you do. A build you control matches your intake questions, your stages and your naming, with none of the fields you will never use. This is the real advantage and it is a big one. ### Automations you can actually change When a step changes you edit the scenario yourself that afternoon, instead of filing a feature request and waiting two release cycles for an answer that may be no. ### The monthly cost looks tiny A few base subscriptions and some API credits. On a spreadsheet of line items it beats per-seat legal software comfortably, and that comparison is the one most people run. ### You understand every part of it Nothing is a black box. When something goes wrong you know precisely where to look, which is more than most people can say about the software they license. The part nobody prices ### The subscriptions are not the cost. The build is a weekend. The maintenance is forever, and it lands on the person with the highest hourly rate in the building. Count it honestly for one year. A fortnight of evenings to get to something usable. Then a few hours most months when a form changes, an API deprecates, an automation silently stops firing and you find out three weeks later from a client. Say four hours a month once it settles, which is conservative for anything touching billing. At a $300 hourly rate that is roughly $14,400 of your time a year, and it is time billed to nobody. Then there is the part that does not show up until it matters. A system only you understand is a system only you can fix. The week you are in trial, or in hospital, or simply on holiday, your firm's intake and billing sit behind a set of scenarios nobody else can read. Every solo who has built one knows this feeling and most of them describe it the same way, as the thing they think about at two in the morning. app.casefuze.com/trust/reconciliation What a build has to proveBalanced Adjusted bank balance $186,400.00 Trust ledger balance $186,400.00 Sum of 22 client balances $186,400.00 Client balances below zero · blocked at entry 0 Edits without an audit record 0 Job one: stop here ### The moment it touches trust, you are building a compliance system. Everything above is a productivity project. A client ledger is not. The obligation is not to keep good records, it is to be able to prove the records were never wrong, on a day someone else chooses, about a period you may not remember. That is a different kind of software and a different kind of risk, and it is yours personally rather than your vendor's. - Nothing stops the overdraw. A base will accept any number you type. Paying one client with another client's money is a shortfall the moment it happens, however briefly, and however quickly you fix it. - Revision history is not an audit trail. It shows a cell changed. It does not show who moved money, against which matter, and why, in a form you can hand to an auditor. - You are the vendor now. When the reconciliation is questioned, "my automation had a bug" is your problem, not a third party's. There is nobody to escalate to. What a three-way reconciliation has to prove → Job two ### The other one that does not survive a homemade build. ### A conflict check across every party Searching your matter table finds clients. A real check covers opposing parties, spouses, corporate affiliates, witnesses and the consultation that never opened a file. That is a data model, not a search box, and retrofitting it into a base you already built is harder than starting from one that assumed it. ### Answering the security questionnaire Corporate and insurer clients ask who is hosting their data, under what certification, and what happens when someone leaves. SOC 2 Type II and a signed BAA are answers. A personal Make account is not, and that conversation tends to arrive with the client you most want to keep. The honest split ### Where to draw the line. The firms that get this right rarely build everything or buy everything. They put the regulated core on software that carries the obligation, and they build the parts that are genuinely theirs. Worth building: the referral tracker your practice depends on, the intake questionnaire nobody else asks, the report you look at every Monday, the odd integration between two things only you use. These change often, break harmlessly, and are exactly where a vendor will never serve you well. Not worth building: the client ledger, the conflict database, the audit trail, and anything a regulator can ask you to produce. Not because you could not, but because the day it is questioned you want the answer to be a system of record rather than a scenario you wrote at midnight eighteen months ago. CaseFuze has an open API for exactly this reason. Keep your build for the parts that make you different, and let the ledger be something you can point at. Time to compare properly ### Run it against your build. Not against a demo. You already know what your system does well, which makes you the best possible judge of what a platform has to beat. CaseFuze is $49 per user per month with everything included, no tiers and no compliance add-on. Run it alongside what you built, through a real reconciliation and a real month-end, and decide on evidence rather than a sales call. One seat is a fine place to start, and your data exports whole if you go back. Start nowSee the open API Questions ### Common questions about building your own. Can I do trust accounting in Airtable if I am careful?Carefully is the problem. The requirement is not that your figures are right, it is that you can demonstrate they were never wrong, including for the months you were not being careful. A base cannot refuse a disbursement that overdraws a client, and its revision history records that a cell changed rather than who moved money and why. Keep the build for the workflow around the matter and put the ledger somewhere that enforces it. What actually breaks first in a homemade system?Almost always a silent automation failure. A scenario stops firing after an API change, nothing errors visibly, and you notice weeks later when an invoice never went out or an intake never landed. Monitoring your own automations is a job in itself, and it is the piece people skip when they estimate the cost. Is it cheaper than case management software?On subscriptions, comfortably. On total cost, only if your time is free. Four maintenance hours a month at a real hourly rate exceeds per-seat legal software for most firms before you count the hours you spent building it, and it is unbilled time rather than money. Can I keep the parts of my build I like?Yes, and you should. CaseFuze has an open API, so the reports, trackers and integrations that make your practice yours can keep running against real matter data. The parts worth handing over are the ledger, the conflict database and the audit trail. What happens to my build if I hire someone?This is usually when the decision arrives. A system one person holds in their head does not onboard, and the cost stops being your evenings and starts being everyone's confusion. It is worth deciding before the hire rather than during. How hard is it to move what I built into CaseFuze?Exports from Airtable or a similar base are structured, which puts you ahead of most firms migrating. Matters, contacts and documents map cleanly. Trust balances should be reconciled at a cutoff date before they move rather than after, and migration is free. Related ### Keep reading. GuideSoftware vs spreadsheets →GuideDo you need it at all? →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureIntegrations →FeatureCase & matter management → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # QuickBooks and trust URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/quickbooks-law-firm-trust-accounting/ Summary: QuickBooks has no client sub-ledger, so law firm trust accounting runs on sub-accounts, classes or a spreadsheet, and none of them block an overdraw. What the manual month-end costs, why personal injury is worst, and how built-in bookkeeping reconciles three ways. ================================================================ Guides/QuickBooks and trust Guide ### Why QuickBooks cannot do law firm trust accounting on its own QuickBooks has no concept of a matter or a client sub-ledger, so every firm using it builds one by hand. Here is what that workaround costs each month, and what changes when the books and the matters are the same records. QuickBooks is good accounting software that does not know what a matter is. That single gap is behind almost every complaint firms have about it, and no amount of setup discipline closes it. It will happily produce a clean profit and loss for your firm while being structurally unable to tell you what one client's money is doing. Plenty of firms run on it anyway and stay compliant through sheer process. This page is about where that process gets expensive, what the workarounds actually cost you each month, and what changes when the ledger and the matter live in the same system. Be fair about it ### What QuickBooks does perfectly well. ### Your firm's books Operating income, payroll, rent, a profit and loss your accountant recognises at year end. This is what it was built for and it does it better than most legal software attempts to. ### Bank feeds and operating reconciliation Transactions arrive, you categorise them, the operating account reconciles. For the non-trust side of a firm this is genuinely fine. ### Your accountant already uses it Real and worth something. Handover at year end is frictionless, and that convenience is why most firms started here in the first place. The structural gap ### There is no client sub-ledger, so you build one by hand. Trust accounting needs a running balance per client, provable at any moment, that can never go below zero. QuickBooks has no such object. So firms improvise one, and every improvisation has the same flaw. Sub-accounts per client gives you a balance, and a chart of accounts that grows by one line per matter until it is unusable and year-end cleanup becomes its own project. Classes keeps the chart tidy and gives you no enforcement at all, since nothing stops a transaction being posted to the wrong class or to none. A spreadsheet alongside is the most common answer and the most fragile, because now two systems have to agree and only one of them is the bank. None of the three will refuse a disbursement that overdraws one client. That refusal is the whole point of a trust system, and it is the thing QuickBooks structurally cannot do. Where the hours go ### Month end is manual, and it stays manual. A three-way reconciliation needs the bank statement, the trust ledger and the sum of every client balance to agree. QuickBooks can give you the first two. The third has to be assembled by whoever maintains the workaround, every month, by hand, and it is the number that matters most. - Client balances are compiled, not read. Exporting sub-accounts or filtering classes into a total is a task, and a task done under time pressure is where errors enter. - A difference has no obvious home. When the three numbers disagree you are hunting across a ledger that does not know which matter anything belongs to. - Earned fees move twice. Once in the case file where the work was done, once again in the books, with nothing connecting them but the person doing the typing. - Case costs live somewhere else. Filing fees and expert invoices sit in the accounting system while the fee that pays for them is calculated in the case file. How a three-way reconciliation works → app.casefuze.com/trust/reconciliation The same three numbers, read not builtBalanced Adjusted bank balance $318,275.00 Trust ledger balance $318,275.00 Sum of 41 client balances $318,275.00 Client balances below zero · blocked at entry 0 Manual compilation required None Personal injury especially ### Contingency work is where it gives up. A personal injury matter is the hardest thing you can ask a general ledger to hold. One settlement arrives as a single deposit and leaves as a dozen payments: the contingency fee, provider liens at negotiated reductions, subrogation, case costs advanced over two years, and the net to the client. Every figure has to reconcile to one matter and appear on one statement the client signs. In QuickBooks that settlement is a deposit and a series of unrelated cheques, tied together only by a memo field and the person who remembers. The settlement statement gets rebuilt in a spreadsheet, the case costs get chased across two systems, and the arithmetic that has to survive scrutiny came from a typist rather than the ledger. When the costs accrue on the matter as you incur them, the statement is a report rather than a reconstruction. The order settlement funds have to move in → The different approach ### Why CaseFuze has no QuickBooks integration. ### Bookkeeping is built in Not a sync to a second system that can drift, and not a legal veneer over a general ledger. The books and the matters are the same records, so a fee earned in the case file is already in the accounts. ### Bank transactions come in through Plaid Read-only. Transactions arrive, get split, get applied to matters, and reconcile three ways against the bank, the app and the case trust ledger. ### Fees never touch client money The client's full payment deposits to IOLTA and processing fees debit from operating, so trust never funds a firm expense. That is a plumbing decision, not a setting you have to remember. ### The overdraw is blocked, not noticed A disbursement that would take one client's balance below zero is refused at entry rather than discovered at month end, which is the difference between a stopped mistake and a reportable one. Your accountant still gets what they need at year end. What changes is that nobody spends the first week of every month assembling client balances by hand to prove a number the system should already know. Reconcile before you commit ### Stop keeping two systems in agreement. Everything here is in the one plan. $49 per user per month, trust accounting and bookkeeping included rather than sold as a compliance tier. Run a real reconciliation against the way you do it now. We move your existing balances across at no charge, from one solo attorney to a firm of a thousand users and more, and there is no minimum beyond a single seat. Start nowSee trust accounting Questions ### Common questions about QuickBooks and trust. Is it against the rules to use QuickBooks for an IOLTA account?No. No jurisdiction mandates particular software. What the rules require is a per-client ledger, a reconciliation you can produce, and no client's funds used for another's. QuickBooks can be made to satisfy that with disciplined process, which is exactly why firms who do it describe the process as the expensive part. Should I use sub-accounts or classes for client trust balances?Sub-accounts give you a real balance per client at the cost of a chart of accounts that becomes unmanageable as matters accumulate. Classes keep the chart clean and enforce nothing. If you stay in QuickBooks, most firms end up on sub-accounts with a hard rule about closing them, and reconcile monthly without exception. Do I still need an accountant if bookkeeping is built in?Yes, for tax, planning and advice. What changes is what you hand them. Instead of a year of categorisation and a spreadsheet of client balances to sanity-check, they get books that were already reconciled against the matters each month. Can I keep QuickBooks for the operating side and use CaseFuze for trust?Firms do run that way during a transition and it works, though you are maintaining two systems and the double entry is the cost you were trying to remove. Most people who try it consolidate once they see a month-end close without the manual compilation step. How do my existing trust balances move across?Reconcile at a cutoff date first, then move balances as of that date with the supporting statement, rather than importing history and reconciling afterwards. Migration is included at no charge and this is the part we take care over, because a balance that arrives unreconciled is worse than no balance at all. What about Xero, or another accounting package?The same gap applies. The issue is not the quality of the accounting software, it is that a general ledger has no concept of a matter or a client sub-ledger that refuses to go negative. Anything general-purpose leaves you building the legal-specific layer by hand. Related ### Keep reading. GuideThree-way reconciliation →GuideDisbursing a settlement →GuideFlat fees and trust →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeaturePayment processing →FeatureBilling & invoicing →FeatureIntegrations → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # By firm size URL: https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-by-firm-size/ Summary: What changes as a law firm grows, and what case management software has to do at each size: the solo who holds it in their head, the handoffs at two to ten, the reporting gap past ten, and the seat-count cost at fifty and up. One plan at $49 per user per month at every size. ================================================================ Guides/By firm size Guide ### Case management software by firm size, from one attorney to a thousand Firm size does not change what you need. It changes what breaks first. What actually goes wrong at each point on the range, from a solo holding it all in their head to a multi-state firm where the seat count is the expensive part. Firm size does not change what you need. It changes what breaks first. A solo and a two-hundred-attorney firm both need matters, deadlines, billing and a trust ledger that reconciles. What differs is which of those fails soonest when it is done by hand, and how expensive the failure is by the time anyone notices. Most software in this market is sold to one band and priced for another. Here is what actually changes at each point on the range, so you can work out which problem you are solving now and which one arrives next. One attorney ### Solo: the risk is that everything lives in your head. At one seat the system works, because you are the system. You know which matters are moving, which client paid, and what is due next week. Software rarely makes a solo faster in the first month, and anyone claiming otherwise has not run a practice. What it changes is what survives you being unavailable. The week you are in trial or unwell, a practice held in one person's memory stops. The specific failures solos report are a missed limitation date nobody else was watching, a trust balance reconstructed at year end rather than reconciled monthly, and a conflict check that searched the client list and missed an opposing party. If you are weighing whether it is worth it at all, that question has its own page: does a solo law firm really need case management software. Two to ten ### Small firm: the risk moves to handoffs. ### Two people, one matter The moment a second person touches a file, "where are we on this" becomes a question somebody has to answer out loud. A matter with its own timeline answers it without an interruption. ### Unbilled time appears Solos remember what they did. A team does not, and the gap between work done and work billed opens quietly. This is usually the first thing that pays for the software. ### Conflicts get real More attorneys means more prior parties, more consultations that never opened, and a check that has to cover all of them rather than the matters you personally remember. ### Someone else can move money A trust account with one signatory is a discipline problem. With three it is a controls problem, and the ledger has to record who moved what against which matter. app.casefuze.com/firm/staff Eleven users, one planAll included Attorneys · full matter access 6 Paralegals · assigned matters only 3 Billing · ledger, no case files 1 Bookkeeper · trust read-only 1 Monthly cost · 11 × $49 $539.00 Ten to fifty ### Mid-size: the risk is that nobody owns the number. Past roughly ten people, the firm stops being visible from any one desk. Partners ask what realisation looks like this quarter and the answer takes three days to assemble. Meanwhile the work is fine, which is what makes this the easiest band to leave too long. - Roles stop being a formality. A bookkeeper needs the ledger and not the case files. A paralegal needs their matters and not the firm's finances. Permissions become the point rather than a settings page. - Reporting becomes a job. Utilisation, realisation and matter profitability get asked for regularly, and assembling them by hand is a person's week every month. - Reconciliation cannot be one person's habit. At this size a three-way reconciliation has to be a process the firm runs, not something the office manager does well. - Onboarding starts costing. Every new hire learns the system. If the system is tribal knowledge, every hire costs a senior person a fortnight. How a three-way reconciliation works → Fifty to a thousand and more ### Large and multi-state: the risk is the seat count itself. At this size the operational questions are mostly solved and the expensive one is commercial. Per-seat pricing with tiers means every hire is a negotiation, and the features you actually need have a habit of sitting one tier above wherever you are. Firms at this end routinely pay for capability twice, once in the platform and once in the add-on that makes it usable. The other thing that changes is who asks questions about your infrastructure. Corporate clients and insurers send security questionnaires, and the answers have to be certifications rather than assurances. CaseFuze is SOC 2 Type II with a signed HIPAA BAA available, hosted in the United States end to end. Multi-state adds jurisdictional trust rules, which is a recordkeeping obligation rather than a software feature. What the ledger has to do is keep each matter's client funds separate, refuse the overdraw, and produce the record on demand, whichever state is asking. The part that does not change ### One plan, at every size on this page. ### $49 per user per month The list price at one seat and at twenty-five. Volume pricing applies above that, so it goes down rather than up. What never changes is the feature set: no tiers, no per-feature upgrade, no separate compliance edition holding the trust accounting. ### One seat is a real plan No minimum bundle, no five-user floor. A solo pays for one and gets what the thousand-user firm gets, which is the whole argument. ### Free access Contact us to see how you can use our app for free, conditions apply. Long enough to run real month-ends at whatever size you are, rather than judging on a fortnight and a demo. ### Migration at no charge MyCase imports directly and Clio is next. Everything else is hand-mapped by us, which takes longer and still costs nothing. Straight about the limits ### Two things to know before a large firm commits. Both of these matter more the bigger you are, and you would find them in week one anyway. There is no SSO. Multi-factor authentication is email confirmation. For a firm with an identity provider and a policy requiring SAML, that is a genuine gap and it is worth raising with us before you plan a rollout rather than after. CaseFuze is a progressive web app. It installs to the home screen from the browser and there is no App Store or Play Store download. Mobile works and it is not yet as polished as the desktop experience, so if your attorneys live on phones, test that specifically before you commit. Everything else on this page is in the plan today. One plan at any size ### Start at the size you are. Stay on the same plan. From one solo attorney to a multi-state firm running a thousand users and more, it is one plan with everything included, $49 per user per month with volume pricing above 25 seats. Add seats when you hire, remove them when you do not need them, month to month with no contract. We move your existing data across at no charge. Start nowSee pricing Questions ### Common questions about firm size. At what size does case management software start paying for itself?Usually at the second person, because that is when unbilled time and handoffs appear. Solos get value too, but it is insurance against a missed date or an unreconciled trust account rather than recovered hours, so the case is different rather than weaker. Is there a minimum number of users?One. There is no bundle to buy into and no five-seat floor, and a solo gets the same platform as a thousand-user firm at the same per-user price. Does the price change as we grow?$49 per user per month is the list price, and volume pricing applies over 25 users, so the per-seat figure goes down as you grow rather than up. The feature set never changes and nothing is held back for a higher plan. Payment processing runs at 2.75%, dropping to 2.25% for higher-volume firms, with Amex at the same rate rather than surcharged. Can we add and remove seats as we hire?Yes. It is month to month and you can cancel at any time, so seats follow headcount rather than a commitment made at signup. Do you support SSO or SAML for a large firm?Not today. Multi-factor authentication is email confirmation only. If your firm requires an identity provider integration, raise it with us before planning a rollout so you are not discovering it during onboarding. We are multi-state. How does that affect trust accounting?Each jurisdiction sets its own trust recordkeeping and reporting rules, and those obligations stay yours. What the software does is keep every client's funds separate on the matter, refuse a disbursement that would overdraw one, reconcile three ways, and produce the ledger and the audit trail whenever a regulator asks. How long does migration take for a larger firm?It depends on where you are coming from. MyCase imports directly and Clio is next. Everything else is hand-mapped by us, which takes longer for a bigger data set and still costs nothing. Trust balances should be reconciled at a cutoff date before they move. Related ### Keep reading. GuideDo you need it at all? →GuideSoftware vs spreadsheets →GuideSwitching software →FeatureCase & matter management →FeatureStaff management →FeatureIOLTA trust accounting →FeatureData migration → ### The software that does this for you. CaseFuze handles the ledger, the statement, and the checks. $49 per user per month. Use our app for free · contact us to see how · conditions apply Start nowSee pricing ================================================================ # Appendix — every question and answer on the site ================================================================ 123 question and answer pairs, deduped, in the wording used on the site. Q: What is CaseFuze, and how does it help my firm? A: CaseFuze is all-in-one legal practice management: case tracking, billing, IOLTA trust accounting, document management, staff tools, and workflow automation in one platform. It runs firms of every size, from one solo attorney to a multi-state practice with a thousand users and more, on the same plan. One system means more billable hours captured, fewer missed deadlines, and compliance you don't have to chase, all at $49 per user. Source: Home — https://casefuze.com/ Q: What does CaseFuze connect to today? A: Read-only Plaid bank feeds, card and ACH payment processing, and an open API for anything custom. Bookkeeping is built in rather than integrated: bank transactions are split and applied to matters inside CaseFuze, so there is no separate ledger to keep in agreement. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 email and calendar are in build, with cloud storage after them. Source: Home — https://casefuze.com/ Q: What's included in the $49 per user plan? A: Everything: matter management, automated workflows, IOLTA trust accounting with three-way reconciliation, billing and invoicing, document management with e-signatures, and HR and staff management. Matters and storage are unlimited, and the app installs on every device your firm uses. No add-ons, no tiers, and no per-matter or per-client fee. Card and ACH payment processing is billed separately at 2.75%, or 2.25% at volume. Source: Home — https://casefuze.com/ Q: Is there a free trial? A: There can be. Contact us to see how you can use our app for free. Conditions apply. Otherwise it is $49 per user, per month, with every feature on and migration and onboarding included. Source: Home — https://casefuze.com/ Q: How secure is my data? A: Your data is protected with bank-grade security and encryption in transit and at rest, with access controlled and logged. See our Security page for the full detail. Source: Home — https://casefuze.com/ Q: How hard is it to switch from another system? A: Not hard. Migration is free, with a dedicated onboarding specialist and import tools for your matters, contacts, invoices, and trust balances, and zero downtime during the move. Source: Home — https://casefuze.com/ Q: Can I use CaseFuze on my phone? A: Yes. CaseFuze is a progressive web app: open it in the browser on your phone and install it to the home screen, where it opens and behaves like any other app. There is nothing to download from an app store and nothing for your IT person to deploy, and it installs the same way on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and Mac. The whole platform is reachable from a phone, though the heavier work like a billing run or a month-end reconciliation is still easier on a full screen. Source: Home — https://casefuze.com/ Q: Is the AI safe to use with client files? A: Yes. You choose from models across several providers, and every one of them runs under HIPAA-compliant terms with no data retention. Your prompts, uploads, and matter data are not stored by the models and are never used to train them. See the AI agent page for detail. Source: Home — https://casefuze.com/ Q: What can I do with online focus groups? A: Build a group of one participant or several thousand, present video, documents, and photos, and ask true/false, multiple choice, and long-answer questions. Video responses collect timestamped emoji reactions, and the AI helps you pick participants, write the questions, and interpret what came back. The software is included at $49 per user, with no per-study fee for the platform itself. Paying the panel is separate: you compensate the participants, whether you recruit them from your own contacts or have CaseFuze supply them for an additional fee. Source: Home — https://casefuze.com/ Q: Does this work as criminal defense intake software? A: Yes, and the shape of the call is different, so it matters. Criminal defense intake happens fast and often from a family member rather than the defendant: you need the charge, the court, the next appearance date and a fee quote before the call ends, plus a conflict check against co-defendants and complaining witnesses. Capture those on the form, run the check, and open the matter without retyping any of it. More on the criminal defense page. Source: Client intake — https://casefuze.com/features/client-intake/ Q: Can I use it for family law client intake? A: Family law is the practice where intake conflicts bite hardest, because a consultation you take by accident can disqualify the firm. The screening runs across every matter, party and opposing spouse before you take the meeting, not after. Intake also captures the financial picture you will need for temporary orders, so the disclosure list starts populated. See the family law page. Source: Client intake — https://casefuze.com/features/client-intake/ Q: What about client intake software for large law firms? A: The parts that change at scale are ownership and measurement rather than the form. Leads route to a named intake person or distribute round-robin so nothing sits unclaimed, permissions control who sees which pipeline, and lead source reporting shows which referral relationships actually produce signed matters. There is no per-matter or per-lead fee, so volume does not change what you pay. Source: Client intake — https://casefuze.com/features/client-intake/ Q: Is case intake the same thing as client intake? A: Attorneys use both, usually interchangeably. If there is a distinction in practice, client intake covers the person and the engagement, and case intake covers the facts of the matter. CaseFuze treats them as one flow, because everything captured on the inquiry becomes the matter record the moment you convert. Source: Client intake — https://casefuze.com/features/client-intake/ Q: Do intake answers carry into the matter, or is it rekeyed? A: They carry. The answers on the form become fields on the matter, the contact becomes a contact, and the engagement letter goes out for signature from the same record. Rekeying is where intake data quietly dies, and it is the main reason firms cannot report on their own lead sources. Source: Client intake — https://casefuze.com/features/client-intake/ Q: Can I take intake for a practice area that needs custom questions? A: Yes. Add the fields your practice needs, whether that is an incident date and treating providers, a receipt number and priority date, or a charge and a court department. They become part of the matter record rather than a note attached to it. Source: Client intake — https://casefuze.com/features/client-intake/ Q: Do you give refunds? A: No. Every fee paid to CaseFuze is non-refundable, including part-months and seats you stopped using. What you control is when you cancel: the plan is month to month, cancelling takes effect at the end of the billing cycle, and nothing bills after that. The full position is on the Refund policy page. Source: Pricing — https://casefuze.com/pricing/ Q: Am I locked into a contract? A: No. CaseFuze is month to month and you cancel whenever you want. There is nothing to sign for a year. Source: Pricing — https://casefuze.com/pricing/ Q: Can a solo firm buy a single seat? A: Yes. One user is a normal order. CaseFuze runs firms from a single solo attorney up to multi-state practices with a thousand users and more, on the same $49 plan and the same feature set. A solo gets IOLTA trust accounting, the AI agent and online focus groups on day one, and nothing has to be repurchased at a bigger tier when the firm grows. Source: Pricing — https://casefuze.com/pricing/ Q: Do you charge per matter or per client? A: No. The $49 is per user, per month, and that is the only number. Open three hundred matters and the bill does not move, because there is no per-matter fee, no per-client fee, and no usage metering. Source: Pricing — https://casefuze.com/pricing/ Q: What happens above 25 users? A: Volume pricing applies over 25 users. The plan is the same one — every feature, unlimited matters and storage — with a per-seat figure worked out for your headcount. Tell us your seat count and we will quote it. Source: Pricing — https://casefuze.com/pricing/ Q: Will you move my data off my old system? A: Yes, and it is free. MyCase imports directly, Clio is next, and everything else we map by hand. That covers matters, contacts, documents and trust balances. The migration guide explains what we need from you. Source: Support — https://casefuze.com/support/ Q: How long does setup take? A: A firm can be configured, imported and inviting its team inside a day. Trust balances are the part worth slowing down for, because they have to reconcile against your bank before you start billing out of the new ledger. Source: Support — https://casefuze.com/support/ Q: Is there a CaseFuze app for my phone? A: CaseFuze is a progressive web app. You install it to your home screen from the browser, and there is no App Store or Play Store download. It works on a phone, though it is not yet at parity with the desktop experience. Source: Support — https://casefuze.com/support/ Q: Do you support single sign-on? A: Not yet. There is no SSO or SAML today. Multi-factor authentication is by email confirmation. Source: Support — https://casefuze.com/support/ Q: Where is our data held? A: In the United States, end to end. CaseFuze is SOC 2 Type II, and a HIPAA business associate agreement is available where your matters involve protected health information. The security page has the detail. Source: Support — https://casefuze.com/support/ Q: What happens if we want to leave? A: Billing is month to month and you can cancel at any time. Talk to support before you go and we will sort out getting your data out with you. Source: Support — https://casefuze.com/support/ Q: Is CaseFuze only for these five practice areas? A: No. Nothing in the platform is locked to a practice type. These five have the sharpest differences in how money moves, so they get their own pages. Every other practice runs on the same matter record, trust accounting and billing. Source: Practice Areas — https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/ Q: Does a practice-specific setup cost more? A: No. There is one plan at $49 per user per month with everything in it. Volume pricing applies above 25 seats, and the feature set is identical at every size. Source: Practice Areas — https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/ Q: Can one firm run several practice areas at once? A: Yes. The fee arrangement is set on the matter, not on the firm, so a practice doing criminal defense on flat fees and family law on evergreen retainers runs both out of one system. Source: Practice Areas — https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/ Q: Does CaseFuze calculate court deadlines for my jurisdiction? A: No, and be careful with anyone who says they do. CaseFuze gives you a date calculator: count a filing date, statute or completion date in calendar or business days, save it to the matter, and the reminders warn the whole team rather than one attorney. It does not hold a jurisdiction rules database. Source: Practice Areas — https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/ Q: I am switching from another system. What happens to my open matters? A: They come with you. MyCase imports directly, Clio is next, and anything else we map by hand, including matters, contacts, documents and trust balances. Migration is free. There is a guide to switching if you want the detail first. Source: Practice Areas — https://casefuze.com/practice-areas/ Q: How long do I have to hold settlement funds before disbursing? A: Until the deposit has actually cleared, which depends on the check and your bank rather than on a fixed number of days. Ask your bank to confirm cleared funds rather than reading an available balance. Separately, most jurisdictions require you to disburse promptly once funds clear and the claims are resolved, so holding money longer than the work requires creates its own problem. Source: Disbursing a settlement — https://casefuze.com/guides/disburse-personal-injury-settlement/ Q: Can I take my fee out of the trust account directly to pay a firm expense? A: No. Move the fee from trust to your operating account as its own transaction, then pay firm expenses from operating. Paying a vendor straight out of the trust account breaks the line between client money and firm money even when the arithmetic is correct. Source: Disbursing a settlement — https://casefuze.com/guides/disburse-personal-injury-settlement/ Q: What if a lien is still unresolved when everything else is ready? A: Disburse the undisputed portions and hold back enough in trust to cover the disputed claim at its full asserted value. Your client gets most of their money now, and the disputed amount stays in trust until it settles. Document why you held it back. Source: Disbursing a settlement — https://casefuze.com/guides/disburse-personal-injury-settlement/ Q: Does the client have to sign the settlement statement? A: Rules vary by jurisdiction, but a signed written accounting is standard practice everywhere and is the single best protection against a later dispute about what your client agreed to. Get it signed before the checks go out, not after. Source: Disbursing a settlement — https://casefuze.com/guides/disburse-personal-injury-settlement/ Q: What happens to a small residual balance on the matter? A: Track it down rather than leaving it. It is usually a lien that came in lower than reserved or interest posted after your final disbursement. Refund it to the client, and if you genuinely cannot locate them, your state's unclaimed property rules govern what happens next. Source: Disbursing a settlement — https://casefuze.com/guides/disburse-personal-injury-settlement/ Q: Is the fee calculated before or after costs come off? A: Whichever your fee agreement says, which is why the statement has to state the basis rather than only the amount. On a $185,000 settlement with $3,905 in costs, a one-third fee on gross is $61,605 and a one-third fee on the net after costs is $60,365. Your client can tell those apart, and so can a disciplinary panel. Source: Settlement statements — https://casefuze.com/guides/personal-injury-settlement-statement/ Q: Do I have to show lien reductions I negotiated? A: Show them. The reduction is money you put back in your client's pocket, and hiding it inside a single net figure means they never learn you did it. Displaying the asserted balance next to the final payoff also documents why the disbursement differs from the lien letter in the file. Source: Settlement statements — https://casefuze.com/guides/personal-injury-settlement-statement/ Q: What if a cost is disputed at signing? A: Resolve it before the client signs rather than after. If you cannot, hold the disputed amount in trust, note the holdback on the statement, and disburse the rest. A statement your client signs under protest is worth less than one they agree with. Source: Settlement statements — https://casefuze.com/guides/personal-injury-settlement-statement/ Q: How long should I keep the signed statement? A: As long as your jurisdiction requires you to keep trust records, which is commonly five to seven years after the matter closes, and often longer than you would keep the rest of the file. Store it with the trust ledger for the matter, not loose in the case folder. Source: Settlement statements — https://casefuze.com/guides/personal-injury-settlement-statement/ Q: How often do I have to reconcile? A: Monthly in most states, quarterly in a few, and some set no interval but require records adequate to prove the account is in order, which in practice means monthly. Your state bar publishes the rule and usually a sample form. Check yours rather than adopting your last firm's habit. Source: Three-way reconciliation — https://casefuze.com/guides/three-way-reconciliation/ Q: What is the difference between a two-way and a three-way reconciliation? A: A two-way matches your bank statement to your ledger. It tells you the account total is right. It cannot tell you whether one client's money paid another client's disbursement, because the total is unchanged either way. The third leg, the sum of individual client balances, is the one that catches that, which is why it is the leg regulators care about. Source: Three-way reconciliation — https://casefuze.com/guides/three-way-reconciliation/ Q: Can a client balance be negative for a day or two? A: No. A negative client balance means you disbursed money that client did not have, which means you spent somebody else's. It is a shortfall on the day it happens whether or not a deposit fixes it that afternoon. Software that blocks the entry is worth more here than software that reports it later. Source: Three-way reconciliation — https://casefuze.com/guides/three-way-reconciliation/ Q: Who at the firm should perform the reconciliation? A: Whoever does it, an attorney has to review and sign it. Delegating the arithmetic is fine and normal. Delegating responsibility is not, and "my bookkeeper handled it" has never once worked as a defense. Source: Three-way reconciliation — https://casefuze.com/guides/three-way-reconciliation/ Q: What do I do about IOLTA interest? A: On a pooled IOLTA account the interest goes to your state's bar foundation rather than to you or your clients, and the bank usually remits it directly. It should appear and disappear on the statement without touching any client ledger. If interest is accumulating in the account, ask the bank whether it is set up as an IOLTA account at all. Source: Three-way reconciliation — https://casefuze.com/guides/three-way-reconciliation/ Q: How long do I keep the reconciliations? A: Five years in most states, seven in some, and the clock often runs from the end of the representation rather than the date of the reconciliation. Keep the supporting statements and client ledgers with it. A reconciliation without the records behind it proves very little. Source: Three-way reconciliation — https://casefuze.com/guides/three-way-reconciliation/ Q: Can I write "nonrefundable" in the engagement letter? A: You can write it. Whether it holds is another matter, and ABA Formal Opinion 505 says it generally does not, because an unearned fee remains the client's. Several states have disciplined lawyers over the phrase itself. Describing how the fee is earned in stages accomplishes what firms actually want from the word, and survives review. Source: Flat fees and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/flat-fee-trust-account/ Q: My state lets me deposit flat fees into operating. Should I? A: You still owe a refund of anything unearned, so the obligation follows the money whichever account holds it. Depositing to trust and drawing down gives you a contemporaneous record of what you earned and when, which is exactly what you need if the fee is ever challenged. Firms that take the operating route should keep an equivalent record anyway. Source: Flat fees and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/flat-fee-trust-account/ Q: What if the case resolves faster than expected? A: A flat fee that covered trial and settled at arraignment leaves a large unearned balance. Refund it. A fee that is unreasonable in hindsight is a separate violation from a trust violation, and Rule 1.5 does not stop applying because the client agreed to the number in advance. Source: Flat fees and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/flat-fee-trust-account/ Q: Can I take a flat fee and a costs deposit together? A: Yes, and keep them apart on the ledger. Costs are the client's money held for a specific purpose, and spending a costs deposit on your fee is a shortfall even when the total you hold looks right. Source: Flat fees and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/flat-fee-trust-account/ Q: Do I have to notify the client every time I move money? A: Most jurisdictions require notice on withdrawal from trust, and the practical version is a short statement at each stage. It takes a minute, and it converts the eventual "what did you actually do" conversation into a document the client already received. Source: Flat fees and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/flat-fee-trust-account/ Q: Do payment plan installments go into trust or operating? A: It depends on whether the money is earned when it arrives. An installment against an unearned flat fee is client property and belongs in trust in most states. An installment paying an invoice for work you have already done is yours and goes to operating. The plan does not change the answer, the character of the fee does. Source: Payment plans — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-payment-plans/ Q: Can I charge a fee for setting up a payment plan? A: Any charge has to be reasonable and disclosed under Rule 1.5, and a setup fee on a client who is paying in installments because money is tight is a poor look in front of a fee committee. Most firms fold the cost into the fee rather than itemizing it. Source: Payment plans — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-payment-plans/ Q: What happens to the plan if the matter ends early? A: Stop the schedule and settle up. If you hold unearned money, refund it. If you have earned more than has been collected, the remaining balance is a debt you can invoice, and how aggressively you pursue it is a business decision rather than an ethics one. Source: Payment plans — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-payment-plans/ Q: Should I take a card or a bank debit? A: Bank debit costs less and fails less often on recurring schedules. Cards are what most clients have and what most will agree to on the spot. Offering both and defaulting to the bank debit for longer plans is the arrangement that tends to collect best. Source: Payment plans — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-payment-plans/ Q: How many installments is too many? A: The practical limit is how long you are willing to carry the case. Beyond about twelve months the default rate climbs and the administrative cost stops being worth it on a mid-sized fee. Front-load the deposit instead of extending the tail. Source: Payment plans — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-payment-plans/ Q: Is ChatGPT HIPAA compliant? A: The consumer product is not offered under a business associate agreement, so it is not an appropriate destination for protected health information where HIPAA applies to you. Some providers offer business or API tiers with different contractual terms, including BAAs for eligible customers. Terms change, so read the current agreement rather than a summary of it, and get the BAA signed rather than assumed. Source: AI and medical records — https://casefuze.com/guides/chatgpt-hipaa-law-firms/ Q: My client signed an authorization. Does that cover putting the records into AI? A: An authorization governs the provider releasing records to you. It says nothing about what you then do with them, which is governed by your duty of confidentiality to that client. Treat the two questions separately. Source: AI and medical records — https://casefuze.com/guides/chatgpt-hipaa-law-firms/ Q: Can I use AI on records if I redact the name first? A: De-identification under HIPAA has a specific meaning and removing the name does not achieve it, since dates, treatment details, and provider names can re-identify a person. It also does not resolve the confidentiality question, because the information is still your client's. Redaction is a reasonable extra precaution, not a workaround. Source: AI and medical records — https://casefuze.com/guides/chatgpt-hipaa-law-firms/ Q: Do I have to tell my client I used AI on their case? A: Opinion 512 treats this as fact-dependent, turning on how the tool is used and what your client would reasonably expect. Using AI to summarize records you would have read anyway sits differently from using it to make a strategic judgment. Many firms now address it in the engagement letter, which resolves the question before it arises. Source: AI and medical records — https://casefuze.com/guides/chatgpt-hipaa-law-firms/ Q: Can I bill for the time the AI saved me? A: No, and Opinion 512 is direct about it. You bill for time actually spent. A task that now takes ten minutes is billed as ten minutes. On contingency work this cuts the other way and simply improves your margin, which is one reason plaintiff firms have adopted these tools faster. Source: AI and medical records — https://casefuze.com/guides/chatgpt-hipaa-law-firms/ Q: How many participants do I need? A: For reasoning, ten to twenty with long-answer questions. For reliable frequencies, a few hundred. Most firms want both and run the small qualitative panel first to find out what to ask the large one. Source: Online mock juries — https://casefuze.com/guides/online-mock-jury/ Q: Are focus group results discoverable? A: Consultant and attorney work product protections generally apply, but the analysis is fact-specific and jurisdictions differ, particularly where participants were shown materials that were not otherwise privileged. Structure it as work product from the start and take advice if the case is one where you would hate to be wrong about this. Source: Online mock juries — https://casefuze.com/guides/online-mock-jury/ Q: Can I use my own contacts as participants? A: For an early gut check, yes, and it is fast and free. Do not build a settlement position on it. People who know you or your firm are not neutral, and they will tell you your case is strong because that is what people do. Source: Online mock juries — https://casefuze.com/guides/online-mock-jury/ Q: When in the case should I run one? A: Before the number goes out. The most expensive mistake is anchoring a demand at a figure a jury will not reach, then negotiating down from a position you invented. Testing before the demand also gives you time to take the discovery the panel says is missing. Source: Online mock juries — https://casefuze.com/guides/online-mock-jury/ Q: Does an online panel really substitute for an in-person one? A: For deliberation dynamics, watching a room argue is still the richest thing you can do, and an in-person group has an advantage there. For everything else, including scale, geographic reach, and cost per participant, online wins by enough that most firms now run online first and reserve the room for the cases that justify it. Source: Online mock juries — https://casefuze.com/guides/online-mock-jury/ Q: Is a focus group a recoverable case cost? A: In many contingency agreements case-testing expenses are recoverable as costs, but it depends on how your fee agreement defines costs and on what your jurisdiction permits. If you intend to charge it back, say so in the agreement in terms a client would understand before the case settles rather than after. Source: What a focus group costs — https://casefuze.com/guides/focus-group-cost/ Q: What is the cheapest useful version? A: A dozen participants, three open-ended questions, and your opening statement. It costs almost nothing, takes an afternoon, and still surfaces the objection you had not considered, which is most of the value. Scale up only when you need frequencies rather than reasoning. Source: What a focus group costs — https://casefuze.com/guides/focus-group-cost/ Q: Do I still need a jury consultant? A: For a catastrophic case going to trial, a good one earns their fee several times over, particularly on voir dire strategy. For the routine case, the choice is not consultant versus platform, it is testing versus not testing, and untested is the option most firms currently pick. Source: What a focus group costs — https://casefuze.com/guides/focus-group-cost/ Q: How much does recruiting add? A: It is the main variable cost once the room is gone, and it scales with how specific your profile is. Recruiting a county-matched panel costs more than a general one. Testing with your own contacts costs nothing and is fine for early gut checks, but do not build a number on it. Source: What a focus group costs — https://casefuze.com/guides/focus-group-cost/ Q: How long does a migration take? A: For a small firm with clean data, one to three weeks from export to go-live, most of which is verification rather than transfer. Large document sets and messy custom fields extend it. The parallel period afterwards should cover at least one billing cycle regardless of firm size. Source: Switching software — https://casefuze.com/guides/switch-case-management-software/ Q: When in the year should we switch? A: Right after a completed reconciliation, at a month end, and not in the middle of a trial or a filing season. Firms often aim for the start of a quarter so the financial reporting has a clean break in it. Source: Switching software — https://casefuze.com/guides/switch-case-management-software/ Q: Do we have to move closed matters? A: Not necessarily into live use, but you do have to be able to produce their records for as long as your retention obligations run. Moving them is usually simpler than maintaining a read-only subscription to the old system for six years. Source: Switching software — https://casefuze.com/guides/switch-case-management-software/ Q: What if the old vendor will not export our documents? A: Check the contract, then ask again in writing. Firms have found their data hostage to a support ticket. Your files are your files and your client's, and a vendor that makes them hard to retrieve has told you something useful about staying. Source: Switching software — https://casefuze.com/guides/switch-case-management-software/ Q: Who should verify the trust balances? A: Whoever signs your reconciliations, which should be an attorney. The vendor can do the work and produce the comparison. Signing off that the numbers are right is not something to delegate to the person migrating them. Source: Switching software — https://casefuze.com/guides/switch-case-management-software/ Q: Why would a vendor migrate my data for free? A: Because migration is the single largest reason firms stay where they are, so removing it removes the main objection to switching. It is a customer acquisition cost, which is also why it is worth asking what happens on the way out, where that incentive runs the other way. Source: Free migration — https://casefuze.com/guides/free-data-migration/ Q: Is free migration lower quality than paid? A: Not inherently. What matters is whether a person runs it and whether it is verified. A paid migration with no verification step is worse than a free one with a specialist and a balance comparison. Judge the process, not the price. Source: Free migration — https://casefuze.com/guides/free-data-migration/ Q: What do we have to do ourselves? A: Expect to produce the export from your current system, list your custom fields, name someone who can answer questions about how your data is organized, and reconcile the trust account on the cutoff date. On a clean migration that is a few hours of your time spread over a couple of weeks. Source: Free migration — https://casefuze.com/guides/free-data-migration/ Q: Can we migrate from more than one system? A: Usually yes, and firms often are: matters in one place, documents in a shared drive, trust records in accounting software. Say so at the start, because a three-source migration is a different piece of work from a one-source migration even when both are free. Source: Free migration — https://casefuze.com/guides/free-data-migration/ Q: I have four matters. Do I need this? A: Almost certainly not, unless one of them involves holding client funds. Spend the money on malpractice cover and a decent scanner. Revisit when you take on staff or pass roughly twenty open files. Source: Do you need it at all? — https://casefuze.com/guides/do-i-need-case-management-software/ Q: Can I just use a project management tool like Notion, Asana or Trello? A: For tasks and workflow, yes, and some firms are happy on one for years. What they will not do is warn your whole team about a limitation date, run a conflict check across every party the firm has ever touched, or keep a trust ledger that reconciles. If you need none of those three, a general tool is a reasonable answer. Source: Do you need it at all? — https://casefuze.com/guides/do-i-need-case-management-software/ Q: What about building my own? A: People do, usually on Airtable or a low-code tool, and for a single-practitioner workflow it can fit better than anything you can buy. The two things that catch firms out are trust accounting, where you are building a compliance system with a bar complaint at the end of it, and succession, where the system only one person understands becomes a liability the moment they are unavailable. Source: Do you need it at all? — https://casefuze.com/guides/do-i-need-case-management-software/ Q: Is the free tier of anything good enough? A: Free tiers usually cap matters or hold back trust accounting, which is the part you most need if you need anything. Read what is excluded rather than what is included. A free plan without a client ledger is a contact list. Source: Do you need it at all? — https://casefuze.com/guides/do-i-need-case-management-software/ Q: How do I know I have crossed the line? A: You start checking things you used to know, you find yourself reconstructing time at the end of the week, or somebody asks you a question about a file and you have to open three tools to answer it. Those are the practical signals. The trust one is not a signal, it is a rule. Source: Do you need it at all? — https://casefuze.com/guides/do-i-need-case-management-software/ Q: Is Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 compliant enough for client data? A: Both offer encryption, access controls and audit logging adequate for confidential client information, and many firms use them under their ethics rules. Compliance is not the weak point. The weak point is that neither one knows what a matter, a conflict or a trust balance is, so the legal-specific obligations sit entirely on your process. Source: Software vs spreadsheets — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-vs-spreadsheets/ Q: Can I do trust accounting in QuickBooks instead? A: Better than a spreadsheet, and many firms do. You will still be maintaining per-client sub-ledgers by hand through classes or sub-accounts, and QuickBooks will not stop you overdrawing one. If you go this route, reconcile monthly without fail and keep the client ledgers where you can produce them. Source: Software vs spreadsheets — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-vs-spreadsheets/ Q: What about Airtable or a low-code build? A: It fits a single workflow better than anything you can buy, which is why capable solos keep building them. Two things bite later: trust accounting means you are building a compliance system, and a tool only one person understands becomes a problem the week that person is unavailable. Source: Software vs spreadsheets — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-vs-spreadsheets/ Q: Will my spreadsheet import cleanly? A: Usually, if the columns are consistent and one row is one matter. The parts that need attention are contacts split across columns, dates in mixed formats, and any trust figures, which should be reconciled at a cutoff date before they move rather than after. Source: Software vs spreadsheets — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-vs-spreadsheets/ Q: Is it worth it if I only bill flat fees? A: Weaker case, honestly. Flat-fee work without trust balances gets less from a billing engine than hourly work does. Judge it on conflicts, deadlines and whether anyone else needs to see the file, rather than on billing. Source: Software vs spreadsheets — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-vs-spreadsheets/ Q: What is the difference between LEDES 1998B and LEDES 2000 or XML? A: 1998B is the flat pipe-delimited file and remains the most widely accepted. The later formats carry more structure, including budgets and timekeeper detail in the file itself. Send what the carrier's platform asks for; supporting a newer format you have not been asked for gains you nothing. Source: LEDES billing — https://casefuze.com/guides/ledes-billing/ Q: Do I need to code time as I enter it, or can I code it later? A: Code at entry. Batch-coding a month of narratives means someone who did not do the work is guessing at the task code, and guessed codes are exactly what a reviewer catches. It also makes block billing invisible until it is too late to split. Source: LEDES billing — https://casefuze.com/guides/ledes-billing/ Q: The carrier reduced a line without citing a guideline. What now? A: Ask which guideline applies, in writing, through the platform. A reduction with no cited basis is the easiest kind to get reversed, and asking politely also tells you whether the cut was a rule or a reviewer's discretion. Source: LEDES billing — https://casefuze.com/guides/ledes-billing/ Q: How long do carriers take to pay a clean invoice? A: Varies by panel and is often set in the agreement, commonly in the thirty to ninety day range once accepted. The number that hurts is not the terms, it is the rejection that resets the clock, which is why validating before submission is worth more than chasing afterwards. Source: LEDES billing — https://casefuze.com/guides/ledes-billing/ Q: Can I bill for preparing the invoice or dealing with the e-billing system? A: Essentially never. Billing administration is treated as overhead in virtually all panel guidelines, including the time spent fixing a rejected file. That is the real cost of a rejection, and it is why it belongs in the prevention column. Source: LEDES billing — https://casefuze.com/guides/ledes-billing/ Q: How fast do I actually have to respond? A: Faster than you want to hear. A legal problem is urgent to the person who has it, and most people call more than one firm. The firms that win are not the best ones, they are the ones that answered. If you cannot answer live, an acknowledgement within the hour and a real conversation the same day is the realistic standard. Source: Building an intake process — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-intake-process/ Q: Should a lawyer or a paralegal do intake? A: Non-lawyer staff can gather facts and schedule, and most firms should let them, but they cannot give legal advice or decide whether to take a case. Draw that line explicitly in writing, because the pressure to cross it comes from a caller who wants an answer now. Source: Building an intake process — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-intake-process/ Q: What do I do with the inquiries I decline? A: Send a non-engagement letter, and keep the record. It states clearly that you are not acting, which protects you from a caller who believed otherwise, and the record matters because that person may still be a conflict later. Source: Building an intake process — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-intake-process/ Q: Do I need a separate CRM for this? A: Not if your practice management system has a pipeline, and a separate CRM creates the rekeying problem this whole process is trying to avoid. The reason firms end up with one is usually that their case management tool treats a lead as a client, which forces you to open a matter for someone who has not hired you. Source: Building an intake process — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-intake-process/ Q: How do I measure whether intake is working? A: Three numbers: inquiries received, time to first contact, and conversion by source. The third one is where the surprises live, and it is the reason capturing the source at step one matters more than it looks. Source: Building an intake process — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-intake-process/ Q: Do I have to check conflicts for a free consultation? A: Yes, and this is the most common gap. Rule 1.18 protects prospective clients, so information shared in a consultation you were never paid for can still disqualify you. Run the check before the consultation and keep a record of the ones you declined. Source: Conflict checks — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-conflict-check/ Q: What if the conflict is with a matter that closed ten years ago? A: Former client duties do not expire. The test under Rule 1.9 is whether the new matter is the same or substantially related and whether the interests are materially adverse. Time makes it less likely, not irrelevant, which is why closed matters have to stay searchable. Source: Conflict checks — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-conflict-check/ Q: Does one lawyer's conflict really disqualify the whole firm? A: Generally yes under Rule 1.10, with limited exceptions, and some jurisdictions allow screening for lateral hires where the arriving lawyer is screened and written notice is given. The rules on that vary by state, so check yours before relying on a screen. Source: Conflict checks — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-conflict-check/ Q: Can I just search my email instead? A: It will find some things and miss the ones that matter. Email search does not know that a name is an opposing party rather than a copied assistant, does not cover matters that predate the current inbox, and produces no record that a check was performed. It is better than nothing and it is not a system. Source: Conflict checks — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-conflict-check/ Q: How do I handle a hit I am not sure about? A: Do not resolve it alone and do not resolve it quickly. Write down the facts, get a second opinion inside the firm, and if it is genuinely unclear most state bars run an ethics hotline that will talk it through. Then record the reasoning either way. Source: Conflict checks — https://casefuze.com/guides/law-firm-conflict-check/ Q: Can I do trust accounting in Airtable if I am careful? A: Carefully is the problem. The requirement is not that your figures are right, it is that you can demonstrate they were never wrong, including for the months you were not being careful. A base cannot refuse a disbursement that overdraws a client, and its revision history records that a cell changed rather than who moved money and why. Keep the build for the workflow around the matter and put the ledger somewhere that enforces it. Source: Building your own — https://casefuze.com/guides/build-your-own-case-management-system/ Q: What actually breaks first in a homemade system? A: Almost always a silent automation failure. A scenario stops firing after an API change, nothing errors visibly, and you notice weeks later when an invoice never went out or an intake never landed. Monitoring your own automations is a job in itself, and it is the piece people skip when they estimate the cost. Source: Building your own — https://casefuze.com/guides/build-your-own-case-management-system/ Q: Is it cheaper than case management software? A: On subscriptions, comfortably. On total cost, only if your time is free. Four maintenance hours a month at a real hourly rate exceeds per-seat legal software for most firms before you count the hours you spent building it, and it is unbilled time rather than money. Source: Building your own — https://casefuze.com/guides/build-your-own-case-management-system/ Q: Can I keep the parts of my build I like? A: Yes, and you should. CaseFuze has an open API, so the reports, trackers and integrations that make your practice yours can keep running against real matter data. The parts worth handing over are the ledger, the conflict database and the audit trail. Source: Building your own — https://casefuze.com/guides/build-your-own-case-management-system/ Q: What happens to my build if I hire someone? A: This is usually when the decision arrives. A system one person holds in their head does not onboard, and the cost stops being your evenings and starts being everyone's confusion. It is worth deciding before the hire rather than during. Source: Building your own — https://casefuze.com/guides/build-your-own-case-management-system/ Q: How hard is it to move what I built into CaseFuze? A: Exports from Airtable or a similar base are structured, which puts you ahead of most firms migrating. Matters, contacts and documents map cleanly. Trust balances should be reconciled at a cutoff date before they move rather than after, and migration is free. Source: Building your own — https://casefuze.com/guides/build-your-own-case-management-system/ Q: Is it against the rules to use QuickBooks for an IOLTA account? A: No. No jurisdiction mandates particular software. What the rules require is a per-client ledger, a reconciliation you can produce, and no client's funds used for another's. QuickBooks can be made to satisfy that with disciplined process, which is exactly why firms who do it describe the process as the expensive part. Source: QuickBooks and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/quickbooks-law-firm-trust-accounting/ Q: Should I use sub-accounts or classes for client trust balances? A: Sub-accounts give you a real balance per client at the cost of a chart of accounts that becomes unmanageable as matters accumulate. Classes keep the chart clean and enforce nothing. If you stay in QuickBooks, most firms end up on sub-accounts with a hard rule about closing them, and reconcile monthly without exception. Source: QuickBooks and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/quickbooks-law-firm-trust-accounting/ Q: Do I still need an accountant if bookkeeping is built in? A: Yes, for tax, planning and advice. What changes is what you hand them. Instead of a year of categorisation and a spreadsheet of client balances to sanity-check, they get books that were already reconciled against the matters each month. Source: QuickBooks and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/quickbooks-law-firm-trust-accounting/ Q: Can I keep QuickBooks for the operating side and use CaseFuze for trust? A: Firms do run that way during a transition and it works, though you are maintaining two systems and the double entry is the cost you were trying to remove. Most people who try it consolidate once they see a month-end close without the manual compilation step. Source: QuickBooks and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/quickbooks-law-firm-trust-accounting/ Q: How do my existing trust balances move across? A: Reconcile at a cutoff date first, then move balances as of that date with the supporting statement, rather than importing history and reconciling afterwards. Migration is included at no charge and this is the part we take care over, because a balance that arrives unreconciled is worse than no balance at all. Source: QuickBooks and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/quickbooks-law-firm-trust-accounting/ Q: What about Xero, or another accounting package? A: The same gap applies. The issue is not the quality of the accounting software, it is that a general ledger has no concept of a matter or a client sub-ledger that refuses to go negative. Anything general-purpose leaves you building the legal-specific layer by hand. Source: QuickBooks and trust — https://casefuze.com/guides/quickbooks-law-firm-trust-accounting/ Q: At what size does case management software start paying for itself? A: Usually at the second person, because that is when unbilled time and handoffs appear. Solos get value too, but it is insurance against a missed date or an unreconciled trust account rather than recovered hours, so the case is different rather than weaker. Source: By firm size — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-by-firm-size/ Q: Is there a minimum number of users? A: One. There is no bundle to buy into and no five-seat floor, and a solo gets the same platform as a thousand-user firm at the same per-user price. Source: By firm size — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-by-firm-size/ Q: Does the price change as we grow? A: $49 per user per month is the list price, and volume pricing applies over 25 users, so the per-seat figure goes down as you grow rather than up. The feature set never changes and nothing is held back for a higher plan. Payment processing runs at 2.75%, dropping to 2.25% for higher-volume firms, with Amex at the same rate rather than surcharged. Source: By firm size — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-by-firm-size/ Q: Can we add and remove seats as we hire? A: Yes. It is month to month and you can cancel at any time, so seats follow headcount rather than a commitment made at signup. Source: By firm size — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-by-firm-size/ Q: Do you support SSO or SAML for a large firm? A: Not today. Multi-factor authentication is email confirmation only. If your firm requires an identity provider integration, raise it with us before planning a rollout so you are not discovering it during onboarding. Source: By firm size — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-by-firm-size/ Q: We are multi-state. How does that affect trust accounting? A: Each jurisdiction sets its own trust recordkeeping and reporting rules, and those obligations stay yours. What the software does is keep every client's funds separate on the matter, refuse a disbursement that would overdraw one, reconcile three ways, and produce the ledger and the audit trail whenever a regulator asks. Source: By firm size — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-by-firm-size/ Q: How long does migration take for a larger firm? A: It depends on where you are coming from. MyCase imports directly and Clio is next. Everything else is hand-mapped by us, which takes longer for a bigger data set and still costs nothing. Trust balances should be reconciled at a cutoff date before they move. Source: By firm size — https://casefuze.com/guides/case-management-software-by-firm-size/