ApproveThis manages your Clio Integration approvals.

Why Law Firms Care About Approval Automation

Let’s cut through the jargon: legal teams using Clio don’t have time to chase down signatures or play email tennis with external counsel. ApproveThis fixes that by adding guardrails to Clio workflows without slowing things down. Think of it as giving your legal ops team a veto button that everyone actually uses.

When you connect Clio and ApproveThis through Zapier, you’re not just linking software - you’re fixing the three things that make legal teams hate Mondays:

• Missed client communications needing sign-off
• Unlogged changes to matter statuses
• Approval delays holding up billing cycles

The Nuts and Bolts of Clio + ApproveThis

ApproveThis acts as Clio’s decision-making layer. While Clio tracks time and manages matters, we handle the “should we do this?” conversations. Our secret sauce? Approvers don’t need Clio licenses. External counsel, clients, or finance teams can greenlight requests directly from their inbox while you keep Clio as the source of truth.

Key Integration Points

Four ways this combo actually gets used in real law firms:

1. Client Communication Approvals

When a new client email gets logged in Clio, ApproveThis can:

• Require partner review before sending sensitive replies
• Auto-approve routine updates under $5k liability
• CC finance teams on settlement-related comms

Real impact: A 15-attorney IP firm reduced response delays by 62% by setting approval thresholds based on case phase.

2. Matter Status Paper Trails

Every time a Clio matter changes status (e.g., "Discovery" → "Settlement Negotiation"), ApproveThis can:

- Require justification from assigning attorney
- Notify conflict check teams
- Update client portals after approval

Why it matters: Malpractice carriers love audit trails showing systematic review.

3. Billing Escalations

ApproveThis’ calculated fields automatically flag invoices exceeding matter budgets. When integrated with Clio:

- Bills over $50k get CFO review
- Phase completions trigger client payment reminders
- Write-offs require two partner approvals

4. External Counsel Coordination

Here’s where the no-license-required magic happens. When co-counsel needs to approve:

- Shared exhibit lists
- Settlement authority limits
- Expert witness contracts

They get an email, click approve/reject, and it logs back into Clio as a matter note. No guest logins, no PDF attachments, no “I didn’t see the update” excuses.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

If you can set an out-of-office reply, you can connect these systems:

1. Create a Zapier account (free tier works)
2. Choose your trigger: New Clio communication, matter update, etc.
3. Map fields to ApproveThis’ request form
4. Set approval rules (thresholds, groups, etc.)
5. Test with a $0.01 expense report (trust us)

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ vacation delegation from day one. Law runs on deadlines - approvers get hit by buses (or more likely, depositions).

Why This Isn’t Just for Big Law

Mid-sized firms benefit most from Clio+ApproveThis combos. Here’s how different roles use it:

Managing Partners

Finally get visibility into which matters get stuck in approval limbo. Real-time dashboards show bottlenecks - like that one senior associate who sits on requests for days.

Paralegals

Stop playing phone tag with external vendors. When you order court transcripts through Clio, ApproveThis automatically routes the invoice to the right budget holder based on matter codes.

Finance Teams

AR days drop when client payment plans require approval before being logged in Clio. Set rules like “Payment extensions >30 days need CFO review” to avoid write-downs.

The Quietly Radical Feature No One Talks About

ApproveThis’ email approvals actually work. Seriously. Approvers can:

- View key Clio context inline
- Approve/deny in one click
- Add comments that sync back to matter notes

This isn’t those broken “review PDF attached to email” systems. We’ve seen 78% faster approvals compared to generic e-sign tools.

When Not to Use This Integration

We’ll save you time - this combo isn’t for:

- Solos who approve everything themselves anyway
- Firms using Clio solely as a time tracker
- Teams married to paper files (bless your heart)

Getting Started Without the Sales Dance

Try this today:

1. Grab a free ApproveThis trial
2. Connect to Clio via Zapier (takes 9 minutes)
3. Clone our pre-built Clio approval templates

Or book a 12-minute demo where we’ll show how 27 other law firms use this to stop approval chaos. Either way, stop letting client matters get delayed by decision traffic jams.