5
Sources reviewed
Systems and record types inventoried
01
A migration with clear boundaries
Define exactly which systems, records, periods and attachments are included before data starts moving.
Move the data. Keep the record intact.
Move clients, matters, documents and financial history between practice management, accounting and operational systems with mapping, validation and a clear record of every exception.
PracticePanther to Smokeball
Test run 03 · validation complete
PracticePanther source
Clients8,416
Matters12,783
Documents64,209
Smokeball destination
85,408 records prepared
Required fields100%
Financial totalsMatched
Exceptions for review17
99.7%
Mapped
85,391
Validated
17
Held for review
146
Mapping rules
Fields linked to destination records
02
Records that remain usable
Map fields, statuses, users and custom structures so the destination reflects how the firm actually works.
38 / 38
Checks passed
Counts and balances reconciled
03
Evidence before cutover
Reconcile totals, sample source records and retain an exception register before the firm signs off.
Ready
Cutover plan
Owners and first day checks assigned
04
A controlled handover
Plan the freeze, final transfer, access change and first working day so the move does not become an open ended project.
A migration is complete when the records reconcile, the exceptions are understood and the firm can work from day one.
A controlled route from source system to signed handover.
Move data between Clio Manage, Smokeball, PracticePanther and the other legal, accounting, document or operational systems your firm uses — with the mapping and evidence needed to trust the result.
- 01
Step 01: Discover
Know what exists before moving it.
- 02
Step 02: Map
Decide where every record belongs.
- 03
Step 03: Validate
Prove the transfer before cutover.
- 04
Step 04: Cut over
Move once, verify and hand over.
Know what exists before moving it.
We identify every system, export, record type, date range, owner and dependency in scope. The firm receives a clear inventory of what can move, what should stay archived and what requires a business decision before mapping begins.
Decide where every record belongs.
Clients, contacts, matters, users, statuses, custom fields, documents and financial records rarely align perfectly between systems. We define the destination for each field, the rules for duplicates and the treatment of incomplete or conflicting records.
Prove the transfer before cutover.
A test migration exposes missing values, invalid formats, duplicate records and destination constraints while there is still time to correct them. Record counts, financial totals and representative matters are checked against the source.
Move once, verify and hand over.
The final run follows an agreed freeze and cutover plan. Access, outstanding exceptions and first day checks are assigned to named owners, then the mapping and reconciliation evidence is handed to the firm for future reference.
PracticePanther records moved into a usable Smokeball workspace.
Each engagement is configured around the firm’s systems, controls, reporting needs and operating requirements.
Reconciliation report
Source compared with test destination
Client records
8,416 / 8,416
Matched
Matter records
12,783 / 12,783
Matched
Trust balances
$2.84M / $2.84M
Matched
Records requiring a decision
17
Review
01 / The situation
A growing firm needed to move client, matter, document and financial history from PracticePanther into Smokeball, alongside records held in maintained spreadsheets.
02 / What we implement
dashboardWISE inventoried each source, agreed the record rules with the firm, removed duplicates, mapped custom fields and ran a test migration. Counts, balances and sampled records were reconciled before the final cutover.
03 / The operating result
The new system opened with usable client and matter records, preserved history and a signed exception register. Staff knew which records had changed and where to verify the original source.
A working system your firm can own and improve.
A controlled transfer with the source, mapping decisions, exceptions and validation results documented throughout. The firm can see what moved, what changed and what still needs a decision.
- Source system and data inventory
- Source access through API, export or controlled database extract
- Migration scope and field mapping
- Client and contact deduplication
- Matter and relationship mapping
- User, team and permission mapping
- Custom field conversion
- Document and folder migration
- Activity, note and communication history
- Billing, payment and trust validation
- Exception and rejected record register
- Test migration and reconciliation report
- Final cutover and change freeze plan
- User acceptance support
- Migration record and handover pack
Move the firm’s records without losing the history behind them.
Bring the systems, exports and records in scope. We will establish what can move, define how it should map and build a migration plan the firm can verify before cutover.