Frequently Asked Questions

Both the Server and the Cloud versions of SmartAdvocate are fully browser based. As a result, your data is available anywhere you have an internet connection, from your laptop, iPad, iPhone, or Android device.

Apps are available for iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. The apps allow you to search your cases, send texts and emails, view the calendar and add appointments, view and attach documents, track your time, and much more. You can even create new cases from almost anywhere using the Investigator’s App on an iPad or Android tablet.

SmartAdvocate has two calendars. The Case Calendar can display all events (appointments, tasks, and critical deadlines) relevant to the particular case you are in.  You can easily filter the calendar by date range, event type, people involved, etc.

The Office Calendar provides an overall view of the calendar for the entire office. You can quickly see anyone’s availability, who will be where when, and limit the calendar to specific people or groups. It is a true comprehensive Office Calendar. 

And, of course, all appointments and Critical Deadlines can be easily synched with your Outlook calendar.

SmartAdvocate was designed with these types of cases in mind. You can easily relate a Master Case to its Member Cases and share information between them. Project Details are available for many common types of these cases and you can create Plaintiff Fact Sheets to track the relevant information or Court ordered requirements for each type of case.

SmartAdvocate makes it easy for your staff to determine whether a particular prospective client fits the criteria for a specific type of Mass Tort, Class Action, or MDL.

Unlike many other case management systems, SmartAdvocate doesn’t just have a document management feature; SmartAdvocate is a full featured document management system. You can create templates from your own Word, Excel, or PDF forms, and over 4,000 SmartAdvocate merge codes allow virtually all information in the case to be inserted into the final documents. Other documents can be easily attached to the case, either from your computer or directly from an email in Outlook. All documents in a case can be viewed on the dedicated Documents page and can be sorted into various folder views. With just a few clicks, you can even search all of the documents in your system.

SmartAdvocate has many license options for both the Cloud and Server versions. Please contact a Business Development Specialist at 1-877-GET-SMART (1-877-438-7627) to discuss which choice would be best suited for your particular firm.

SmartAdvocate comes with a wealth of Dashboards and Reports to help you keep track of critical case information, as well as vital firm financial and operational details. Track firm income, staff performance, intake statistics, medical records requests, upcoming SOLs and Critical Deadlines, and so much more. With the Subscribe feature, you can even have Reports automatically emailed to you on any schedule you choose. 

Of course! The SmartAdvocate Case Browse feature allows you to create custom reports based on hundreds of criteria and have them automatically emailed to you or anyone else on any schedule you choose. Need specialized information? We can create custom reports to meet your needs.

You can create document templates from virtually any Word, Excel, or PDF form. As a result, virtually any form your firm currently uses can converted into a SmartAdvocate template. Of course, you can also create a template from scratch. Over 2,500 merge codes allow for virtually any information in a case to be inserted into a document. Specialized table merge codes let you insert lists of information, such as expenses, liens, medical providers and bills, tracked time, and much more. You can even create your own customized merge codes.

Once the template is saved in SmartAdvocate, creating a document that includes practically any data from the case is easy. Simply choose the template you want to use and tell SmartAdvocate to generate the document. The case data merges into the document, which then opens on your screen. It really is that easy!

SmartAdvocate WorkPlans function as a checklist, but also automate some of your routine processes, streamlining the operation of your firm. Automated Procedures allow you to create repeating tasks, send automated text messages or emails to clients, create multiple reminders, or automatically generate documents, all triggered by various events in the case. Taken together, these exclusive SmartAdvocate features guide your staff to ensure that each stage of your cases is handled in an appropriate and consistent way.

SmartAdvocate’s Case Browse and Contact Search features make it simple to generate mass communications (letters, texts, or emails) to your clients, defense attorneys, adjusters, or any other contacts in your system.

SmartAdvocate integrates with numerous texting services, which allow you to send and receive texts from within the system. Notes are automatically created when texts are sent or received, so you can easily track your text messages within the case.

Have a different texting service you would like to use? Ask us. We can!

SmartAdvocate partners with AssureSign to provide you with the best state-of-the-art eSignature solution. You can create your eSignature documents using SmartAdvocate’s Template Editor and send documents for eSignature via email or text directly from the case. Once documents are signed and returned, they are automatically uploaded to the appropriate case in SmartAdvocate.

SmartAdvocate currently integrates with numerous intake services, including the three mentioned above. Have a different intake service you would like to use? Ask us. We can integrate it with SmartAdvocate!

It certainly can. SmartAdvocate will automatically calculate multiple Statutes of Limitations based on the type and jurisdiction of the matter being created. Other Critical Deadlines can also be created based on the requirements of the jurisdiction and the procedures utilized by your firm. Both SOLs and Critical Deadlines can even be added to your Outlook calendar for an additional layer of safety.

SmartAdvocate integrates seamlessly with numerous intake services, including web chat, call centers, and more. You can quickly and easily create new cases internally using Intake Wizard, which runs an automatic conflict-of-interest check. The Investigator’s App allows your staff to input new cases on their iPad or Android tablet from almost anywhere. The SmartAdvocate Case Monitor Widget provides a list, right on your desktop, of all new cases externally entered into your system, to ensure appropriate follow-up. Cases remain on the list until a staff member enters a Note into the case.

SmartAdvocate WorkPlans and Automated Procedures can be set up to automatically generate Documents, Tasks, Email and Text Messages that are triggered based on the status of a matter (such as Intake or Investigation). Communication can then be sent automatically to a lead or potential client and the staff can be assigned a Task to do a follow up if necessary.

At SmartAdvocate, we recognize that in order to utilize the full depth of features available, your staff must understand what the system can do and how best to do it. Used properly, the SmartAdvocate legal case and document management software can reduce workflow, make employees more efficient, and give you better control over your practice. Increased efficiency and improved productivity mean greater profitability.

We therefore provide multiple training options, so you can decide the best fit for your firm. Our on-line Learning Management System (LMS) familiarizes your staff with the system and prepares them for detailed training. Weekly condensed training webinars are a great alternative for new employees or as a staff refresher. And, of course, our full user training, customized for your firm, can be conducted at your office, our location on Long Island, NY, or on the web. As always, SmartAdvocate  endeavors to provide you with alternatives to let you decide what works best for your firm.

Yes! We currently have an Open API that can be used to create integrations with many different programs. We also offer more than 135 standard integrations, with more being added all the time, based on our clients’ needs. These include accounting, intake, chat, texting, e-signature, phone, court docket and reporting, medical record retrieval, lean negotiations and more. SmartAdvocate can also create custom integrations with third party applications, or assist third parties in creating their integrations with SmartAdvocate.