Let’s be honest — how many potential clients have you lost because your intake process is “a little behind” on following up with potential clients?

I’m talking about the ones who called, left a voicemail, and never heard back because you were in court all day. Or the ones who filled out your contact form and waited a week for a response. Or — my personal favorite — the ones who wanted to hire you but gave up because scheduling a consultation felt like solving a puzzle.

If you’re cringing right now, you’re not alone. Most law firms lose 30-40% of potential clients during intake. That’s not because they’re not good lawyers — it’s because their intake process is broken.

The Real Cost of Slow Intake

Let’s do some math. If your average client is worth $5,000 to your firm, and you lose just two potential clients per month due to slow intake, that’s $120,000 per year walking out the door.

Ouch, right?

The Three Biggest Intake Killers

1. Phone Tag Forever — They call, you’re busy, they call back, you’re in court, repeat until they give up.

    

2. The Information Black Hole — They submit a form and hear nothing for days (or weeks).

    

3. Scheduling Gymnastics — “Let me check my calendar and get back to you” never actually happens.

    

Your Homework (This Will Take 30 Minutes)

This week, I want you to pretend you’re a potential client and go through your own intake process:

• Call your office during business hours
• Fill out your contact form
• Try to schedule a consultation

Time each step. How long does it take? How many steps are there? How frustrated would you be as a potential client?

Be brutally honest.

The Fix is Simpler Than You Think

Here’s what your intake should look like:

1. Potential client finds you online
2. They book a consultation instantly (no phone tag)
3. They get immediate confirmation with clear next steps
4. You get all their information before the meeting
5. You show up prepared and ready to help

Making It Happen

Tools like Clio Grow can automate this entire process. Potential clients can schedule consultations 24/7, submit their information securely, and get immediate responses — even when you’re sleeping.

But here’s the best part: you show up to every consultation with all their information already organized. No more “tell me about your case” conversations. You can dive straight into helping them.

Ready to Stop Losing Clients?

Your intake process should bring in clients, not chase them away. Every day you wait to fix this is money walking out the door.

What would an extra $120,000 per year mean for your firm?

Want to see how streamlined intake actually works? Check out Streamlined Legal Plus for the exact systems we use. And use promo code CCC-STREAMLINED to sign up for Clio and get 3 months of Streamlined Legal Plus FREE! (That’s a $1,500 value!)

Let’s be honest—when was the last time you clicked on the bell icon in the top-right corner of Clio and didn’t see 99+ notifications? Yeah, same here.

That’s because when Clio rolled out its notification feature a couple of years ago, everything was turned on by default. And unless you’ve gone in to adjust your settings, you’re probably drowning in a flood of alerts you don’t actually need.

Let’s fix that.

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How to Access Your Notification Settings in Clio

Start by clicking the little bell icon at the top right of your Clio screen, then find the gear icon labeled Notification Settings. That will take you to a page where you can review all the different types of alerts Clio sends.

It’s a long list—so don’t be afraid to click through the categories on the side to speed things up.

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Our Recommendations: What to Turn Off (And Why)

You should customize your notifications based on what actually helps you stay on top of your practice—not what distracts you. Here’s what we recommend:

🗓 Calendar

Unless you want to see everytime someone makes an edit to your calendar, turn these off. If something is on your calendar, you’ll see it. If it’s not, you won’t—simple as that.

📄 Clio for Clients 

Useful if you’re directly involved in sending or receiving signed documents. But keep in mind: these already come via email, so you might not need extra in-app or mobile alerts.

📁 Matters

Turn off:

• Notifications when someone subscribes you to a matter

• Matter status updates

Consider keeping on:

• Alerts for when a matter is deleted (since that’s rare and possibly an error)

💰 Matter Budgets & Trust Funds

You’re getting emails about these anyway. Unless you want multiple reminders, we’d turn off the in-app and mobile options.

📝 Notes & Phone Logs

Generally, we treat these as reference-only. We’ll read them when we’re actively working on a matter—not when they’re created, updated, or deleted. No need for real-time notifications here.

💬 Internal Messages & Texts

We do like to be notified of internal messages, but we rely on the red badge indicator in the communications tab—not an extra email or mobile ping.

✅ Tasks

This is where most of the notification overwhelm comes from. Here’s the truth: you don’t need to be notified every time you’re assigned, updated on, or completed a task.

Best practice: Check your task list daily—you don’t need extra clutter in your inbox telling you to do it.

🔌 Integrations & Exporting Data

One exception: We like to know if Outlook fails to log an email, so I can handle it manually. But notifications for data exports? Not needed. We can get the info directly from Clio.

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Clean It Up and Start Fresh

Once you’ve updated your settings, go ahead and mark all your current notifications as read or clear them out completely. That way, you’re starting fresh—only getting the alerts that matter.

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Final Thoughts

Notifications are meant to help you, not overwhelm you. By being intentional with what you allow through, you can stay focused on what actually needs your attention—and stop wasting time digging through a cluttered notification list.

Looking for more ways to streamline your law firm? Check out Streamlined Legal Plus, or talk to us about how Clio can transform your practice.  AND Use promo code CCC-STREAMLINED to sign up for Clio and get 3 months of streamlined.legal Plus FREE!  (That’s a $1,500 value!)

Today, we’re talking about a super practical topic—using stored credit cards in Clio Payments, especially when two clients are splitting a bill.

Let’s say you have a matter where two clients are sharing the cost 50/50. Sounds simple, right? But if you’ve ever tried to do this in Clio, you know it can get a little tricky.

First, a Quick Overview of Stored Payment Methods in Clio

Clio Payments has a fantastic feature that allows you to securely store your clients’ credit card information. Here’s how it works:

1. Go to your client’s contact record in Clio.
2. Click on the Billing Information tab.
3. Select Request Payment Method.
4. Clio generates a secure link that you can send to your client.
5. The client inputs their credit card details, which are securely stored in Clio (you can’t see them, but you can charge them against future bills).

✅ It’s secure, simple, and ideal for recurring payments or reducing manual entry.

The Challenge: When Two Clients Are Splitting the Bill

Now here’s where things get complicated: Clio only allows you to store a payment method under one client per matter. So if you’ve got Client A and Client B splitting a $10,000 bill, you can only charge the stored credit card of the primary client listed on the matter.

Even if Client B is listed as a Related Contact on the matter, Clio doesn’t see their payment method when you go to charge the bill.

The Workaround (Until Clio Adds Multi-Client Support)

1. Here’s a quick and easy trick to make this work:
2. Charge Client A’s stored credit card for their half (e.g., $5,000).
3. Then go into the matter settings and temporarily make Client B the primary client.
4. Now when you go to charge the bill again, Clio will recognize Client B’s stored credit card, and you can charge the remaining $5,000.
5. After charging, don’t forget to switch the original client back to avoid confusion later!

🚨 Pro Tip: This only works if both clients have their credit cards stored via the Request Payment Method link. Make sure that step is complete before you begin.

Not Ideal, But Totally Worth It

I’ll be the first to admit—this isn’t the most elegant solution. But the ability to store and use credit card info securely within Clio is a game-changer.

✅ It helps eliminate risky practices like storing PDFs of credit cards in Dropbox.
✅ It keeps your clients’ information more secure.
✅ And it simplifies billing for everyone involved.

Clio has already announced that support for multiple clients per matter is coming, so hopefully this workaround won’t be needed forever. But in the meantime, it’s a simple way to keep your billing streamlined and your firm secure.

If you haven’t started requesting stored credit cards from clients yet, I highly recommend it. And now—you know how to handle shared bills, too!

Looking for more ways to streamline your law firm? Check out Streamlined Legal Plus, or talk to us about how Clio can transform your practice.  AND Use promo code CCC-STREAMLINED to sign up for Clio and get 3 months of streamlined.legal Plus FREE!  (That’s a $1,500 value!)

The Initial Challenge: Team Resistance

If you’re implementing custom fields in Clio, you might run into some pushback. Why? Because at first, it feels like extra work without an immediate payoff.

For example, if you ask your team to input a complete list of all domestic court judges, their assistants, and contact details, it’s going to take time—possibly an entire day. Even if you suggest adding details gradually, as new cases come up, it will slow their workflow initially.

So, how do you get your team excited about custom fields rather than dreading them? By highlighting the long-term benefits!

1. Say Goodbye to Searching for Information

One of the biggest time-wasters in any law firm is searching for information—digging through emails, notes, or the internet just to find basic details like a judge’s phone number.

🚀 With custom fields, your team only needs to enter information once—then it’s stored in a central, easy-to-find location.

Instead of:
❌ Wasting time hunting down contact details.
❌ Asking colleagues for information they might have.
❌ Manually searching for courthouse addresses repeatedly.

Your team can:
✅ Look up key details instantly in Clio.
✅ Eliminate duplicate work by centralizing information.
✅ Be more efficient, saving valuable time every day.

2. Always Have the Latest Case Information

Have you ever worked with a team member who “protects” a file—meaning, they don’t want others touching it because they fear losing track of important updates?

🚀 With custom fields, case updates become visible to the entire team—without endless emails or interruptions.

Instead of:
❌ Constantly asking colleagues for case updates.
❌ Feeling out of the loop on what’s happening.
❌ Worrying about lost or outdated information.

Your team can:
✅ Quickly see case progress without chasing answers.
✅ Keep everyone informed in real time.
✅ Improve collaboration across the firm.

3. The Biggest Benefit: Document Automation

This is where the real magic happens! Once custom fields are in place, Clio can pull information directly into automated document templates.

🚀 That means less data entry, fewer mistakes, and massive time savings.

Instead of:
❌ Re-typing a judge’s name or client address multiple times.
❌ Copying and pasting the same details across documents.
❌ Manually entering information every time you generate paperwork.

Your team can:
✅ Auto-populate court forms, contracts, and letters.
✅ Reduce human error by eliminating duplicate data entry.
✅ Speed up document generation, allowing for more billable work.

Helping Your Team See the Value

The challenge? If your team hasn’t used document templates yet, they might not see how much time they’ll save.

What’s Your Experience?

Have you tried custom fields in your firm? What’s working well—and what isn’t? Drop a comment and let’s discuss how to make them even more efficient for your team!

Looking for more ways to streamline your law firm? Check out Streamlined Legal Plus, or talk to us about how Clio can transform your practice.  AND Use promo code CCC-STREAMLINED to sign up for Clio and get 3 months of streamlined.legal Plus FREE!  (That’s a $1,500 value!)

Are you overwhelmed by payment notification emails?  Can’t find the email from your clients with so many payment notifications?  Now you can solve that with Clio’s new feature!

The Problem: Too Many Payment Notifications

For a long time, Clio users faced a frustrating issue:

✅ If someone had billing permissions, they automatically received payment notification emails whenever a client made an online payment.
✅ While having billing permissions is great for efficiency (so anyone who answers the phone can take a payment and apply it properly), not everyone needs to get bombarded with emails about payments.
✅ Unfortunately, there was no way to separate billing permissions from payment notifications—until now!

The Solution: Customizing Payment Notifications in Clio

Without much announcement, Clio made a game-changing update that now allows you to assign payment notifications to specific users or groups—without affecting billing permissions. Here’s how to set it up.

Step 1: Create a Payment Notifications Group

1. Go to Settings in Clio.
2. Click on Groups, Permissions, and Job Titles under Settings.
3. Click New Group in the upper right corner.
4. Name the group something clear, like Payment Notifications.
5. Add only the people who need to receive payment notification emails.
6. Click Save to create the group.

Step 2: Assign the Group to Receive Payment Notifications

1. Go back to Settings in Clio.
2. Select Online Payments from the menu.
3. Click the Payment Notifications tab.
4. By default, Clio still assigns notifications to anyone with billing permissions—but now you can change that!
5. Select the Payment Notifications group you just created.
6. Click Save to finalize your settings.

That’s it! Now, instead of everyone with billing permissions getting payment emails, only the selected users in the Payment Notifications group will receive them.

Bonus Tip: Organize Your Inbox

Even if you need payment notifications, you don’t want them cluttering your inbox. Consider setting up email filters so that:
✔️ Notifications skip your inbox and go to a folder for easy reference.
✔️ You only receive alerts when needed.

Final Thoughts

This small but powerful change makes Clio’s notification system much more efficient. If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to set this up—it will streamline your workflow and keep your inbox organized.

Looking for more ways to streamline your law firm? Check out Streamlined Legal Plus, or talk to us about how Clio can transform your practice.  AND Use promo code CCC-STREAMLINED to sign up for Clio and get 3 months of streamlined.legal Plus FREE!  (That’s a $1,500 value!)

How many times have you been frustrated by having to enter a code when logging into your favorite website?  And keeping track of those ever changing codes is no easy process!  Today, I want to talk about Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and why your firm should be using it—especially with the latest updates from 1Password & Clio.

Why Two-Factor Authentication Matters

If you’re not using 2FA for your practice management software, you’re taking an unnecessary risk. A recent report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (part of Homeland Security) states that using multi-factor authentication makes you 99% less likely to be hacked. That’s a huge deal when protecting sensitive client information.

So why don’t more firms use it? The biggest challenges I hear are:
✅ It’s inconvenient to receive text message codes on a single phone.
✅ Authenticator apps can only be installed on one device.
✅ Sharing credentials securely across a team can be difficult.

But here’s the good news: 1Password solves all these problems!

How 1Password Simplifies Two-Factor Authentication

Most of you know 1Password as a password manager, but did you know it also functions as an authenticator app? Clio recently added 1Password as an authentication option, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Why It’s a Game-Changer:

✔️ No More Text Codes – Instead of receiving codes via text (which can be inconvenient), 1Password generates authentication codes for you.
✔️ Easy Team Access – Your firm’s login credentials, including 2FA codes, can be securely shared with your team—without compromising security.
✔️ Auto-Fill Your Codes – 1Password not only fills in your username and password but also automatically enters the 2FA code when you log in.

How to Set It Up:

1. Enable 2FA in Clio (or any software).
2. When prompted, scan the QR code provided using 1Password instead of a phone app.
3. 1Password will store and auto-generate your one-time authentication codes every time you log in.

It’s that easy! Instead of juggling multiple devices or waiting for codes, you can securely log in with just a few clicks.

Secure Your Law Firm Today

If you’re not using Two-Factor Authentication, now is the time to start. And with 1Password, it’s never been easier or more practical— it’s a smart and reasonable investment in security.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Enable 2FA in your Clio Manage account today and protect your firm’s data!

Looking for more ways to streamline your law firm? Check out Streamlined Legal Plus, or talk to us about how Clio can transform your practice.  AND Use promo code CCC-STREAMLINED to sign up for Clio and get 3 months of streamlined.legal Plus FREE!  (That’s a $1,500 value!)

Are you constantly frustrated by typos in your time entries and invoices? You’re not alone! Many law firms struggle with this issue, but the good news is that there’s an easy fix.

This tip actually comes from one of our clients who was tired of seeing mistakes in every invoice. She knew her team was doing a great job tracking their time, but they were moving so fast that accuracy was taking a hit. After bringing up the issue at the Clio Conference, she learned a game-changing trick—and I’ve got an extra tip to share as well!

Tip #1: Enable Spell Check in Your Browser

Most case management software, including Clio, doesn’t have a built-in spell checker. But your web browser does!

How to Turn on Spell Check in Google Chrome:

1. Open Chrome Settings (click the three dots in the top right corner).
2. Scroll down to Languages or search for “Spell Check” in the Settings menu.
3. Toggle on Basic Spell Check (Avoid Enhanced Spell Check for confidentiality reasons).
4. Return to Clio (or any software) and watch for the red squiggly lines that flag typos.

By ensuring your team has spell check enabled in their browsers, you can catch errors before they ever make it onto an invoice.

Tip #2: Use Clio’s Text Snippets

Clio offers a Text Snippets feature that allows you to create pre-set phrases that automatically expand when typed. Not only does this save time, but it also ensures key legal terms are always spelled correctly.

How to Use Text Snippets in Clio:

1. Go to Settings > Text Snippets in Clio.
2. Add commonly used phrases (e.g., typing “ach” automatically expands to “attend court hearing”).
3. Keep snippets under 255 characters for best results.

By using text snippets, you’ll never have to worry about misspelling legal terms like “dissolution” or “summons” again!

Say Goodbye to Typos for Good

By combining browser spell check and Clio’s Text Snippets, you’ll drastically reduce typos in your time entries and invoices—saving you time and preventing embarrassing billing errors.

Looking for more ways to streamline your law firm? Check out Streamlined Legal Plus, or talk to us about how Clio can transform your practice.  AND Use promo code CCC-STREAMLINED to sign up for Clio and get 3 months of streamlined.legal Plus FREE!  (That’s a $1,500 value!)

Are You Using Photos in Your CRM or Case Management Software?

Hey, law firm professionals! Have you ever noticed the option to upload a client’s photo in your case management or CRM software? Some platforms even pull images from social media automatically. But here’s the thing—most law firms don’t use this feature.

Many see it as unnecessary, but today, I want to share three key reasons why adding client photos can actually improve efficiency, client relationships, and even security.

1. Humanizing Your Clients and Contacts

Law firms handle countless cases, and it’s easy to become detached from the people behind them. When your team sees a client’s photo, it serves as a reminder that this is a real person, not just another case file.

Each client has a unique situation, and their case matters deeply to them. Adding a face to a name helps staff approach interactions with empathy and a personal touch.

2. Recognizing Clients at Critical Moments

Think about this—when was the last time you met a client months after an initial consultation and struggled to recognize them? Having a photo in your case management system makes it easy to refresh your memory before a court appearance, closing, or client meeting.

When you recognize a client immediately, it reassures them that they matter to you. That small moment can go a long way in strengthening trust and confidence in your firm.

3. Enhancing Office Security

For law firms handling sensitive cases, security is a top priority. Having photos of clients, referral sources, or other key contacts allows your team to verify identities before granting access to your office. This simple measure can help protect your staff and clients.

How to Start Adding Photos to Your System

Not sure how to begin? Here are a few easy ways to incorporate client photos into your workflow:

• Take a Photo at the Office: Ask for permission and explain it’s for security and efficiency. A quick snapshot with a phone or digital camera works perfectly.
• Use Social Media: Many people have public profile pictures that can be added to your records. A simple search can help you find an image.

Give It a Try!

Adding photos to your case management software is a simple step that can improve efficiency, client interactions, and office security. Try it out, and let us know how it works for your firm!

Would you like more strategies to streamline your law practice? Reach out to us at Streamlined Legal—we’re here to help you work smarter and more efficiently!

The Problem: Risky Credit Card Practices

Let’s face it: the way many law firms handle credit card information makes me nervous. I’ve seen too many firms write down credit card numbers on paper, save them as PDFs, or store them in other insecure ways. These methods create unnecessary risks that could lead to breaches of client trust and even compliance issues.

We all know how important it is to keep client data secure, and that includes payment information. Thankfully, Clio Payments has introduced a feature that solves many of these challenges and makes payment handling easier and safer for law firms.

A Safer, Streamlined Payment Process with Clio Payments

Let me walk you through Clio Payments’ new functionality and why it’s a game-changer for law firms:

Secure Storage of Credit Card Information

Clio Payments allows you to securely store clients’ credit card information within the platform. Unlike some systems where credit card numbers are accessible to your team, Clio encrypts and stores this information securely. You can’t see the card numbers, and neither can your team.

Simple Client-Payment Requests

Need to collect a client’s payment information? Clio Payments lets you send a secure link directly to the client, allowing them to input their credit card details themselves. This eliminates the need for storing sensitive information in insecure ways, like PDFs or written notes.

Seamless Payment Workflows
Once a credit card is stored in Clio, using it is a breeze. You can charge invoices directly from Clio without needing to jump between platforms or manually record payments. For example:

1. • Navigate to a client’s contact in Clio.
   • Under the Billing Information section, manage or add a payment method.
   • Charge the stored credit card directly to pay invoices.

This streamlined workflow saves time and reduces the potential for errors.

A Bonus for Potential Clients

One of my favorite features is how Clio Payments works for prospective clients, not just existing ones. For instance:

• You can store payment information for a consultation fee before someone becomes a client.
• If the prospect later hires you, you don’t need to collect their payment details again. Their credit card is already stored securely in Clio, ready to use.

This is particularly helpful when combined with engagement letters. You can revise your engagement letter templates to include payment authorizations without needing to collect credit card numbers manually.

Why Clio Payments Stands Out

Previously, features like Card Vault from LawPay were a great step forward, allowing secure storage of credit card information. However, they didn’t integrate seamlessly with Clio’s practice management system. That meant additional manual steps, like charging the card in LawPay and then recording the payment in Clio.

Clio Payments eliminates this friction. By integrating payment processing directly into Clio, it’s now possible to manage client payment methods and process payments without leaving the platform. This saves time, reduces errors, and simplifies your workflow.

Conclusion: A Smarter Way to Handle Payments

Whether you’re managing payments for current clients or onboarding new ones, Clio Payments offers a secure, efficient solution that minimizes risk and improves your workflow.

If you’re looking for a payment system that keeps client data secure while saving your team time, I highly recommend checking out Clio Payments. If you have any questions about setting it up or optimizing your payment processes, feel free to reach out—we’d love to help!

Thanks for reading, and here’s to making your payment workflows easier and more secure!

In the competitive world of legal practice, efficiency is key to staying ahead. Law firm owners often seek ways to optimize their processes and make data-driven decisions that improve client service and profitability. One often-overlooked area is time tracking, especially when it comes to potential new clients. By effectively tracking this time, law firms can gain valuable insights that lead to more strategic decision-making.

Why Tracking Time with Potential Clients Matters

For many law firms, time tracking is primarily associated with billable hours and active clients. However, tracking the time spent with potential new clients—whether they hire your firm or not—can provide crucial data. This information helps law firm owners understand where their time is going and whether that time is translating into new business.

Accurate time tracking for potential clients allows you to assess the efficiency of your consultation process. Are you spending too much time on consultations that don’t result in new clients? Are certain attorneys more effective in converting potential clients into paying ones? These are the kinds of questions that detailed time tracking can help answer.

Leveraging Clio for Time Tracking

One of the most effective tools for law firms to track time with potential clients is Clio, a popular practice management software. If you’re using Clio Grow or another intake software that lacks time-tracking capabilities, don’t worry. You can still track this vital information using Clio Manage.

Start by creating a dedicated matter in Clio Manage, labeled “Potential New Clients” or something similar. This matter will serve as a central hub for all time entries related to potential clients. Whether you’re conducting a consultation, doing pre-consultation research, or following up afterward, log all these activities under this matter. This approach ensures that you capture every minute spent on potential business opportunities.

Best Practices for Time Entries: Include Client Names

To maximize the usefulness of your time tracking, it’s essential to include the names of the potential clients in the description of each time entry. This small detail makes it much easier to later identify how much time was spent on a specific potential client. For example, if you need to analyze the time spent on consultations that didn’t result in new clients, you can quickly pull up all entries related to those specific individuals.

Including client names also helps if you decide to analyze patterns or trends in your firm’s intake process. Are certain types of clients requiring more time? Is there a particular stage in the consultation process where clients decide not to move forward? By having detailed time entries, you can answer these questions with confidence.

Managing Time Entries for Clients Who Hire

When a potential client decides to hire your firm, it’s important to transfer their time entries from the “Potential New Clients” matter to the new matter created for their ongoing legal work. This process allows you to maintain a clear distinction between time spent on clients who hire your firm and those who do not.

For law firm owners, this method of managing time entries provides two significant benefits: it keeps your records organized and ensures that the data you’re analyzing is accurate. By isolating time entries for clients who didn’t hire you, you can perform a more focused analysis on why certain consultations aren’t converting, helping you refine your intake process.

Using Data to Drive Decisions

The ultimate goal of tracking time with potential clients is to gather actionable data that can inform your business decisions. For instance, if you discover that a significant amount of time is being spent on consultations that don’t result in new business, you might consider implementing a consultation fee. Alternatively, you might decide to allocate consultations to attorneys who have higher conversion rates.

This data can also inform decisions about your staffing and resource allocation. Should one attorney handle all consultations, or would it be more effective to spread them across multiple attorneys? The answers to these questions lie in the data you gather through diligent time tracking.

For law firm owners focused on maximizing efficiency and improving their firm’s profitability, tracking time with potential clients is a powerful yet often underutilized strategy. By using tools like Clio and following best practices for time tracking, you can gather valuable data that informs better business decisions. Whether it’s optimizing your consultation process, deciding whether to charge for consultations, or improving client conversion rates, the insights you gain from effective time tracking can give your law firm a competitive edge.

Start implementing these strategies today and watch your firm’s efficiency—and bottom line—improve. If you need help setting up time tracking in your practice management software, reach out to us at streamlined.legal. We specialize in helping law firms like yours get the most out of their practice management tools.