Daniel Huestis is an estate planning attorney at The Law Offices of Bonnie M. Benson, P.A., where he helps clients navigate estate planning, probate, and long-term planning matters. After transitioning from a previous firm, he brought Smokeball case management software with him, maintaining the continuity across his existing client portfolio while preserving the systems and processes he had already built. Today, Daniel uses Smokeball it’s embedded Archie AI together to manage high-volume estate planning workflows more efficiently, giving him sufficient time to focus on personalized legal guidance for clients.

Fixing manual and fragmented estate planning workflows with a connected case management solution

Daniel formerly relied on workflows where information was scattered across systems, administrative tasks took far too much time, and consistency was lacking across matters. As his caseload grew, so did the administrative burden. Without a centralized case management system in place, routine tasks limited his availability for legal strategy and client service. Due to the repetitive documentation and detailed asset information associated with estate planning matters, Daniel  needed an integrated software to quickly access and organize all his matters.

Smokeball and Archie AI as drafting and workflow assistants

While other practitioners in his network are resistant to new technology, Daniel emphasizes his tech savvy and and process improvement . “I’ve always been interested in finding tools and systems that make the practice run more efficiently and help eliminate unnecessary administrative work,” says Daniel. He chose Smokeball for its:

• Integration with Outlook, saving time spent sorting through his inbox
• Automated forms to prevent repetitive document creation on estate planning matters
• Secure client communication that allows for large document attachment that can’t be sent through email
• Automated time tracking to improve billing accuracy and protect firm revenue
• Archie AI to assist with manual tasks

Daniel’s use of Archie AI has been crucial in scaling his caseload. He uses AI not to replace his legal expertise and knowledge, but to give him time back to devote to legal analysis and case strategy. Daniel leverages Archie to:

• Summarize lengthy estate planning and probate matter information in seconds
• Generate first drafts of motions, summaries, and client communications
• Quickly surface case details, follow-ups, and next steps

“Archie is like having a trained paralegal there with you, helping generate the first draft and organize the information you need so you can focus on the legal analysis and strategy,” mentions Daniel.

Smokeball gives 25-50% time back on administrative and clerical tasks

By using Smokeball and Archie, Daniel created a more scalable and efficient estate planning workflow that maintains continuity for both his team and clients. After moving to a new firm, he brought Smokeball into his new environment, allowing him to keep his existing client portfolio without missing a beat. With Archie, Daniel estimates he’s saved 25-50% of time on the administrative tasks that used to prevent him from taking on more cases. “Smokeball and Archie AI have become force multipliers for my practice. They’ve allowed me to scale my caseload, maintain continuity through firm transitions, and spend more time focused on client strategy instead of administrative work,” says Daniel.

He can now move with agility between legal guidance, drafting, and case management, giving him more time to focus on personalized legal guidance expected from his estate planning clients.