Robert Ray is founding attorney of Texas Inheritance Disputes, which focuses exclusively on contested inheritance and complex probate litigation across the Lone Star State.

Since implementing Smokeball, Robert has moved beyond cumbersome billing workflows and manual trust accounting. Now, he uses its integrated time-tracking, invoicing, and trust accounting features to streamline the back-office side of his practice. This shift means he spends far less time on administrative work and more time on the parts of his practice he enjoys most, like research and client communication.

Clunky billing and trust accounting slowed down a solo practitioner

Robert used to leverage QuickBooks for his time tracking and accounting. He found the software cumbersome error-prone, and difficult to generate client invoices in a timely matter. This manual workflow felt tedious and inconsistent, so when Robert found Smokeball’s free billing software offered through the State Bar of Texas, he saw an opportunity to modernize his solo practice.

A simple billing tool designed for small firms

Smokeball replaces the manual time-consuming process Robert faced with QuickBooks. What used to be a four-step process to create client invoices is now an automated process that save Robert time and headaches. Additionally, Smokeball’s automatic time tracking captures all of Robert’s time. “Smokeball makes it incredibly easy to keep up with my time. It’s straightforward and always right where I need it,” says Robert. He enjoys Smokeball because of the:

• Integrated time tracking that is easy to use
• Streamlined billing that eliminates multi-step processes
• Built-in trust accounting that is simple and accurate

Faster billing, accurate trust accounting, and more time for legal work

Thanks to Smokeball, Robert saves hours on all time-tracking and invoices. Not only is he working faster, but he has more confidence in the accuracy of the time that is captured. “Without Smokeball I’d have to go back to QuickBooks and hope I didn’t miss a step in the process,” mentions Robert. Now that Smokeball has taken the frustration out of billing, Robert can turn his attention back to the work he loves. Instead of managing invoices and trust account entries, he spends his day focused on legal research and meaningful client contact.

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