Workflow

Two-way matter sync: practice management ↔ docketing

Open a matter once and have your practice management and docketing systems agree on it for its whole life.

Practice management and docketing systems both need to know about every matter, but they’re usually maintained separately. Matters get opened twice with slightly different names, staffing changes in one system never reach the other, and closed matters keep generating deadline reminders.

We start by agreeing which system owns each field, then build a sync that creates the docketing matter from the PMS, keeps team and status changes flowing both ways, and brings calculated deadlines back to the PMS calendar so billing and case staff see the same dates. Every change is logged with before and after values.

How it works

Clio · ProfitSolv · Centerbase
LawToolBox · CompuLaw · CalendarRules

The problem todayMatters get opened twice, team changes in one system never reach the other, and closed matters keep generating deadline reminders.

Field ownership agreedEach field gets one owner. For example, the PMS owns client, matter name and responsible attorney, and docketing owns court, case number and deadlines.
Matter opens onceA new PMS matter creates the docketing matter with the same identifiers and shares it with the assigned team.
Changes flow both waysStaffing, status and case details update in the other system within minutes, and every change is logged with before and after values.
Deadlines come backCalculated deadlines appear on the PMS calendar and matter record, so billing and case staff see the same dates.
Closing is cleanClosing a matter in the PMS closes it in docketing and stops future reminders, after checking for open deadlines first.

One matter, identical in every system, without anyone keying it twice.

Before we start

What you’ll need

API access to your practice management system and your docketing system (some vendors require a plan tier or partner access, which we check first).
A matter numbering scheme both systems can share, or a crosswalk we build during setup.
A decision on who owns each field: we bring a starting template.

Systems

Systems this connects

Using something else? If it has an API, a database or a reliable export, we can usually work with it.

Common questions

What happens if someone edits the same field in both systems?

Each field has one owner. Edits to a field in the system that doesn’t own it are flagged for review rather than silently overwriting the source of truth.

Does the sync calculate deadlines itself?

No. Deadlines are calculated by your docketing system’s rules engine. The sync only carries the results to where people look, so there is one calculation and one source of truth.

What about existing matters?

We run a matching pass first, linking matters that already exist in both systems by number and name, with anything uncertain sent to a review list before the ongoing sync starts.

Want this in your firm?

It starts with a 30-minute call about how your firm works today. Your version is designed with your team, rule by rule.

Start the conversation