Law firm workflow automation for the steps between filings
For firms where matters stall in someone's inbox. We automate the hand-offs staff manage by memory: court notices to the docket, signed letters to matter setup, sent email to time entries and pre-bills to invoices, with a person approving each step.
- Court notices matched to the right matter
- Draft time from email and document activity
- Pre-bills chased before month-end
Where matters stall between people
NEF emails in a partner's inbox
Notices of electronic filing go to whoever is listed on the case. If that person is out, an order setting a hearing can sit unread while the response window runs.
Hand-offs that live in someone's head
After the engagement letter is signed, somebody has to create the matter folder, request the file from prior counsel and set the first tasks. When that person is busy, nothing starts.
Pre-bills stuck in review
Draft invoices wait weeks on partner edits, and time written from memory on Friday gets written down or written off.
Hand-offs we automate
Each is a small piece of custom code tied to your systems. People approve each docket entry, client message and billing change.
Court notice triage
NEF and court notice emails are matched to the matter by case number and turned into proposed docket entries, with the filed document attached for your docketing clerk.
Matter setup checklists
A signed engagement letter triggers folder creation, task templates for that matter type, the prior-counsel file request and a welcome email for approval.
Time entry drafts
Sent mail, document edits and calendar events become draft entries, with UTBMS task codes where you use them, for each timekeeper to edit and release.
Pre-bill chasing
Draft invoices waiting on a responsible attorney get a reminder with totals and flagged entries, so bills go out on cycle.
Client status updates
When a matter reaches a milestone you choose, a plain-language update is drafted from the matter record for staff to approve and send.
Stalled-matter alerts
Matters with no activity for a set period, past-due tasks or unanswered client mail are listed for the supervising attorney each week.
The systems these workflows move between
Clio, Filevine, PracticePanther
Tasks, matter stages, time entries and bills read and written through each vendor's official API.
Docketing tools
Proposed entries prepared for LawToolBox, CompuLaw or your calendar, where a clerk applies the court rules.
Outlook and Microsoft 365
Sent mail, calendar events and document activity feed the time drafts.
LEDES and e-billing
Invoices with UTBMS codes stay in the format your billing system and clients' e-billing portals expect.
Intake upstream
New matters arrive already screened and conflict-checked.
Workflow automation beyond legal
How we build hand-off automation for other kinds of firms.
Guardrails for deadlines and billing
Docket entries are proposals
The system reads notices and suggests entries. A docketing clerk or attorney applies the court rules and confirms each date, because a miscalculated deadline is a malpractice claim.
Time drafts are not time
Each draft shows its source email or document, and timekeepers decide what was billable. Formal Opinion 512 says hourly bills should reflect actual time spent, and the drafts are built that way.
Retainers stay with billing staff
Pre-bill reminders and status updates never apply retainer funds or post trust transactions. Those stay with the people your trust rules hold responsible.
Watched as your systems change
Practice management vendors and court e-filing systems change formats. We check each workflow monthly and fix breaks before a notice is missed.
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Common questions
What is law firm workflow automation?
Code that moves work between people and systems at the points where matters stall: court notices to the docket, signed letters to matter setup, email to time entries and pre-bills to invoices.
Does it replace our docketing software or rules-based calendaring?
No. It reads notices and drafts proposed entries. Your docketing tool and staff still apply the court rules and own the calendar.
Which court notices can it read?
Federal CM/ECF Notice of Electronic Filing emails follow a consistent format, and many state e-filing systems send similar notices. We test against your real notice emails before relying on any of them.
Will time drafts lead to padded bills?
They should do the opposite. Each draft links to the email or document it came from, and the timekeeper sets the time. Nothing is billed until a person releases it.
Can clients get status updates without staff writing them?
Staff still approve them. The draft comes from the matter record in plain language. After a few months some firms pick a few milestone types to send with lighter review.
Can we start with one practice group?
Yes, and we usually do. A litigation group might start with notice triage while the estate planning group waits for matter setup checklists.
Find the hand-off where your matters stall
Take the 2-minute AI audit to see which law firm workflow to automate first.
- Review a month of matter traffic
We go through notices, emails and task lists from a recent month and mark each place a step waited on a person.
- Choose one hand-off with a deadline
Usually court notice triage or matter setup, because a missed step there costs the most.
- Staff approve every proposed entry
Docketing and billing staff confirm each suggestion while we measure how often they change it.
- Add hand-offs as trust builds
Time drafts or pre-bill chasing come next, and we keep watching vendor and court system changes every month.