As the Clio Cloud Conference kicked off in Nashville this morning – the conference’s 10th anniversary and its first time live since 2019 – Clio founder and CEO Jack Newton took to the stage to deliver a keynote address, during which he announced several new products and product enhancements.
New products he announced were Clio Grow websites to help lawyers easily create a web presence, text messaging to send and receive client text messages from within Clio, advanced integrations that allow lawyers to use and manage some third-party apps from within Clio, new billing and payment features, and expanded customer support with a new self-serve help center.
Clio Grow Websites
As part of its Clio Grow product, Clio now offers lawyers the ability to create simple, no-code, one-page websites. Users can create sites by filling out their information on a form and selecting a design.
Once launched, the sites connect to other tools within Clio to enable online appointment scheduling, client intake, electronic payments and Google Analytics.
Newton told me that the sites are intended for individual lawyers only, not as a full law firm site. He analogized them to LinkedIn profiles, but with the added benefit of integration with features and tools within the Clio platform.
Clio Now Includes Text Messaging
Both Clio’s desktop and mobile apps now let legal professionals exchange text messages with clients without having to use their personal phone numbers. The feature includes the ability to automate text messages for important events, Clio says.
The feature also enables clients to directly text videos and images with their lawyers.
All interactions are securely stored in Clio, alongside email, call, and client portal messages, so all associated firm members have the context of what’s been communicated.
Enhancements to Payments and Billing
Last year, at the 2021 Clio Cloud Conference, Clio launched Clio Payments for accepting electronic payments natively within the Clio platform.
Now, Clio says it has added a suite of new functionality to Clio Payments to make it easier for lawyers to bill for their services and for clients to pay:
- Firms can securely request and store client payment methods in Clio.
- Firms can use new bill personalization options to replace generic messages that typically support client invoices.
- Firms can streamline month-end invoicing with new flexibility in bill preparation and invoice review.
- Firms can use QR codes to facilitate in-person payment collection.
- Clients can manage and pay their bills right from Clio for Clients, a mobile app built to facilitate end-to-end client case management.
Clio has also changed the way payment processing fees are deducted. Clio says it is now the only legal payments provider that gives law firms the ability to choose how their payment processing fees are deducted, giving them the flexibility to manage their costs and cash flow, as well as their reconciliation process.
Expanded Self-Serve Support and Tutorials
Clio says it has enhanced its help center, combining technical help with training for legal professionals looking to try a new feature or enable a workflow specific to their practice.
The redesigned self-serve support center includes:
- An expanded library of video tutorials.
- Easier navigation, both in search and within individual support articles.
- More intuitive content that facilitates continued product exploration.
Better Integrations Among Apps
Also introduced today is advanced integration of third-party apps as well as between its own products Clio Grow and Clio Manage.
This includes the ability to toggle between Clio’s Grow and Manage products and quick exporting and importing of contacts between products. It also includes the ability to use selected apps directly within Clio.
With these changes, Clio users can now:
- Browse the library of app integrations and sign up for select apps while in the Clio platform.
- Use Clio log-in credentials to sign in to select apps.
- Use and interact with selected apps directly within Clio, including Fidu, LegalBoards, and Proof.
- Actions recorded in the Fidu app are tracked directly in Clio Manage.
Lawyaw Courtforms in all 50 States
Last year, Clio acquired the document automation platform Lawyaw, which includes standard court forms to automatically populate these forms.
Effective Oct. 15, Lawyaw’s court forms library will expand to cover all 50 states and federal immigration forms.
“At the heart of these platform-wide updates is one common practice: listening to the needs of our customers,” said Newton. “Innovation is happening in law firms every day, and we’re constantly working to ensure the tools lawyers need to work faster, accurately and centered on the needs of their clients are available.
“Today’s legal professionals seek remote access, seamless connections between the technologies they use most, built-in billing and payments systems, and above all, the convenience afforded to their clients when legal technology works brilliantly to support them.”
