Established in 1988, Wechsler Becker is one of the top firms in the Seattle area. Their attorneys and associates have substantial experience in family law litigation and mediation, which allows them to handle high value divorces, parenting disputes and more. Partner Alan Funk attributes his ability to manage these complex cases to Smokeball and hasn’t looked back since signing up.
Discovering Smokeball was the best option
Before Smokeball, Wechsler Becker used outdated legal software that the provider no longer supported. Alan researched numerous legal case management software options. He sought a program that offered document management, calendaring, billing and automation features. Although there are cheaper legal softwares on the market, Alan chose the superior product that solved his technology challenges. “In two months of use, Smokeball paid for itself. It has streamlined processes, improved case scheduling, enhanced invoicing, and boosted our productivity," he says.
An efficiency powerhouse from intake to billing
Alan uses Smokeball’s LeadPro to capture new client information. “LeadPro is fantastic and has streamlined the intake process, saving my paralegal time gathering information,” he says. Alan also loves how Smokeball’s calendaring, tasks and workflows are an efficiency powerhouse, especially when used together. Before Smokeball, Alan or his paralegal Dorene would need at least 30minutes to calendar a case schedule, trial, reminders and the associated dates and deadlines. Now, they calendar the trial, apply the proper workflow and the rest of the dates are automatically applied. Associated tasks and documents are included in the workflow, so the team isn’t recreating the wheel each time. Additionally, Alan adds the client as a participant, so they receive calendar invites through Smokeball’s client portal. This all happens in less than five minutes.
Similarly, generating a letter now takes just a few mouse clicks. Alan selects the automated template, and the letter is completed from information in the Smokeball matter—no typos or find and replace. And thanks to the accompanying staff list, he emails the letter without searching Outlook for names or email addresses.
The first time Alan used Smokeball Billing was a revelation. “I realized AutoTime was like having an assistant standing over my shoulder tracking all my daily work. All the billable time entries appearing in Smokeball Billing were generated without me or my paralegal having to track or recreate our tasks.” Now Alan and Dorene focus on their work while AutoTime captures everything in the background. As a result, Alan has immaculate records and doesn’t forget to bill for valuable work.
Peace of mind thanks to Smokeball
With Smokeball, Alan benefits from high-level case overviews in addition to in-depth functionality. This also means staff can use the software to fit their specific needs. Now Alan is, “more relaxed because I know I've got what I need at my fingertips. I’m tracking my valuable time and billables, and I’m not so anxious about missing deadlines and dates because they’re all in the system.”
In addition to peace of mind and accuracy, Smokeball has significantly increased Alan’s efficiency. “It’s allowed Dorene and me to work more tightly than before.” With the administrative time they’ve gotten back, this team provide even better client care.
