Claire-Louise Mitchell

Mitchell Business and Technology Lawyers is a Sydney-based law firm specialising in all aspects of the business lifecycle, including dispute resolution. Claire-Louise Mitchell, Director of Mitchell Business and Technology Lawyers, shares her view on why she loves Smokeball Legal Practice Management Software and the powerful features that keep her efficient and on track.

Hear how Claire-Louise is running her best firm

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What do you love most about Smokeball and its features?

I decided to implement Smokeball primarily because of its automatic time tracking feature - AutoTime. While I specialise in commercial and IT law and don't have a heavy court-based practice, I was becoming tired of trying to keep track of my time manually.

With Smokeball's AutoTime feature, I can easily and accurately track the time I spend on each task. This data has allowed me to move towards a more fixed-price billing arrangement. Which not only saves me from the tedious task of manual time-tracking, but also gives my clients more certainty about the cost of my services.

When it comes to law firm billing, Smokeball works seamlessly with Xero. I found it incredibly easy to set up, and now I can issue invoices through Smokeball and see payments recorded in both systems without any duplication of effort. This integration has saved me a lot of time and hassle.

‍How would you describe Smokeball’s onboarding experience?

The onboarding experience with Smokeball was smooth and hassle-free. The software was easy to download, and there was no extensive installation or complex procedure to follow. Since Smokeball had collected all the necessary information from me at the start, the process was quick and efficient. Whenever I had a question, their client support team promptly provided me with the required assistance. However, the software runs well, so I don't find that I encounter many issues.

‍What advice would you give on switching legal practice management software?

Sometimes, starting something new can feel daunting, but it's as simple as picking a place to begin. I've tried other legal practice management software in the past, but found them to be clunky and ultimately returned to my old ways. That is, until I discovered Smokeball's feature-rich software. It was exactly what I needed to make the switch. Getting started with the system was a breeze, and within half a day I was up and running. From there, it's been easy to gradually add everything in and build up my workflow.