ApproveThis manages your PracticePanther Legal Software Integration approvals.

Why Your Law Firm Needs This Integration Yesterday

Let's be real – legal work has enough drama without adding "approval purgatory" to the list. Between client billing approvals, expense sign-offs, and matter-related decisions, most law firms operate like they're still using fax machines for workflow management. Enter the ApproveThis and PracticePanther integration via Zapier – where legal process management finally joins the 21st century.

PracticePanther handles the heavy lifting of matter management, time tracking, and invoicing. ApproveThis does one thing brutally well: making approval decisions happen faster than you can say "objection sustained." Together, they create an airtight system where:

• Time entries automatically route for partner review
• Invoices get client sign-off before anyone realizes there's a discrepancy
• Expense approvals happen before your paralegal finishes their coffee

The kicker? Approvers only need email access – no extra PracticePanther licenses required. Perfect for client-side counsel who still think "cloud storage" refers to rainy day file cabinets.

Four Ways This Combo Saves Your Firm Time (And Your Sanity)

1. Invoice Approvals That Don't Kill Cash Flow

Scenario: A family law firm creates a $15k invoice in PracticePanther for a high-net-worth divorce case. The moment it's generated, ApproveThis:

• Routes it to both the managing partner and client's CFO via email
• Applies approval thresholds – anything under $20k skips partner review
• Auto-logs approved invoices back to PracticePanther as billable events

Result: Clients can't claim they "didn't see the invoice" when approval happens through their preferred communication channel (yes, email).

2. Time Entry Audits That Actually Work

Mid-sized firms waste 22 hours/month chasing down unapproved time entries. Our integration flips the script:

PracticePanther triggers an ApproveThis workflow whenever associates log time. Senior partners get digest emails every Friday at 3 PM with all entries requiring approval. They click "Approve" or request revisions directly from their inbox – no login required. Approved entries auto-lock in PracticePanther to prevent "retroactive adjustments."

3. Expense Management Without the Spreadsheet Hell

Corporate law teams handling client expenses love this bit: ApproveThis creates PracticePanther expense records before approval. Why? So you can:

• Attach matter-specific documentation during review
• Flag expenses exceeding client-agreed thresholds
• Auto-approve recurring costs under $500

Bonus: When approvers are OOO (summer associates, am I right?), requests automatically reroute to their designee.

4. Matter Opening That Doesn't Require a Committee

New client onboarding often gets stuck in "who signs off?" limbo. With our integration:

PracticePanther matter creation → ApproveThis checks for conflicts via integrated tools → Routes for partner approval if needed → Auto-populates engagement letters upon green light. All while the intake team focuses on actual client work instead of playing approval tag.

Setting This Up Without Calling IT

If you can order lunch through an app, you can configure this integration:

1. Connect both apps to Zapier (takes 2 minutes each)
2. Choose your trigger – like "New Invoice in PracticePanther"
3. Set approval rules in ApproveThis (thresholds, approvers, escalation paths)
4. Map data fields so approved items reflect correctly in both systems

Pro Tip: Start with time entry approvals – they deliver ROI fastest. Expand to other workflows once the team sees how much less they're hassling each other for sign-offs.

Who Wins Besides Your Bottom Line?

Managing Partners:

Finally get visibility into approval bottlenecks. Real-time dashboards show which matters are stuck waiting on whom. Plus, automatic delegation during vacations means work doesn't pile up.

Finance Teams:

Watch days sales outstanding drop when invoice approvals happen in hours, not weeks. Approval thresholds prevent junior staff from rubber-stamping five-figure bills.

Associates:

Spend less time writing "Gentle reminder" emails and more on billable work. Plus, they'll actually get feedback when time entries get rejected instead of radio silence.

Clients:

Corporate legal departments love the audit trail. Every approval decision is timestamped and logged with comments – no more "he said/she said" during billing disputes.

The Nuts and Bolts You Care About

While we're not here to drown you in feature lists, these details matter:

Approval Thresholds That Make Sense

Set conditional rules like:

• Auto-approve client expenses under $1k if matter is under budget
• Require two partner sign-offs on any contingency fee agreement
• Escalate invoices unpaid after 45 days to your collections team

Email Approvals That Don't Suck

Approvers get clean, mobile-friendly emails with:

• One-click approve/reject buttons
• Links to supporting docs in PracticePanther
• Custom fields showing how this impacts matter budgets

Real Talk: When This Isn't Magic

We won't blow smoke – this integration won't fix:

• Partners who ignore emails (try enabling SMS notifications)
• Clients who refuse to pay regardless of systems (that's what collections are for)
• Your associate's 0.1 hour "quick email" entries (set minimum time increments)

But for the 83% of approval delays caused by process flaws? Consider that problem served.

Getting Started (Before Another Invoice Goes Unapproved)

Ready to stop herding cats for approvals?

Grab your ApproveThis trial here – no credit card needed. Already use PracticePanther? The Zapier integration takes less time to set up than it does to schedule your next partners' meeting.

Or if you'd rather see it in action, book a 15-minute demo. We'll show how midsize firms are slashing approval times by 60%+ while actually reducing missed deadlines. Your choice – but maybe don't let your accounting team hear you're considering waiting.