ApproveThis manages your Actionstep Integration approvals.

When Legal Meets Approval Automation

Let’s cut to the chase: legal teams hate two things—paperwork limbo and playing phone tag for approvals. Actionstep keeps your matters moving, while ApproveThis slaps structure on your approval chaos. Together? They’re like caffeine for your workflow. We’re talking real-time sync between matter management and decision-making, minus the endless email chains.

Here’s the kicker: 73% of legal ops teams waste 4+ hours weekly chasing approvals*. Pair that with matter management, and you’ve got a perfect storm of inefficiency. This integration nukes that problem.

Why This Combo Doesn’t Suck

Actionstep runs your legal shop. ApproveThis runs your approvals. Zapier makes them talk. No API degrees required. Here’s why it matters:

For the Pragmatic Law Firm Owner

Your associates can’t bill hours while waiting for client sign-offs. Connect matter creation to approval workflows, and suddenly you’re getting paid faster. Every time a new client intake form hits Actionstep, ApproveThis pings the right partner for review. No more “I thought YOU approved this.”

For the Overworked Legal Ops Manager

Track matter status and approvals in one dashboard instead of seven spreadsheets. When a settlement approval hits in ApproveThis, Actionstep auto-updates the matter timeline. Bonus: external counsels approve via email without needing Actionstep logins. (We see you, $150/hr lawyers who refuse to learn new software.)

Use Cases That Actually Matter

1. Client Onboarding That Doesn’t Take 3 Weeks

Scenario: Mid-sized firm gets 20+ new clients monthly. Each requires conflict checks and engagement letter approvals.

The Fix: Zapier triggers an ApproveThis request when Actionstep creates a new client matter. Managing partners get an email with key details—approve directly from their phone. Once greenlit, Actionstep auto-generates the engagement letter. Cut approval time from 5 days to 4 hours.

Secret Sauce: Approval thresholds auto-approve standard NDAs under $50K, freeing partners for complex contracts.

2. Settlement Authority Without the Headaches

Scenario: Insurance defense firm needs multiple adjuster approvals before settling cases.

The Fix: When Actionstep matter hits “Settlement Review,” ApproveThis fires off parallel approvals to claims adjusters. Adjusters vote via email—majority rules. Approved? Matter status flips to “Settlement Processing” automatically. Denied? Escalates to senior adjuster. No more carrier vs. firm blame games.

Pro Tip: Vacation delegation ensures approvals never stall because someone’s at trial.

3. Budget Overruns That Actually Get Caught

Scenario: IP law firm blows past client budgets because case expenses aren’t monitored.

The Fix: Actionstep tracks matter expenses. When billing hits 85% of budget, ApproveThis triggers a client approval request with real-time spend analytics. Clients approve additional funds or cap spending—directly from the email. Bonus: auto-denies any vendor invoices exceeding approved thresholds.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

1. Grab a Zapier account (Free tier works)
2. Pick your trigger: “New Matter” in Actionstep or “New Request” in ApproveThis
3. Choose the corresponding action in the other app
4. Map critical fields: Matter ID → Approval ID, Client Email → Approver
5. Test with a $0.01 expense approval (trust us)

Done. Total setup time: 18 minutes. Less time than it takes to get a court clerk on the phone.

Who Actually Benefits Here?

Litigation Teams

Stop losing exhibits in email threads. Every approved doc request auto-saves to the correct Actionstep matter folder. Partners can’t “forget” to review—reminders escalate after 24hrs.

Corporate Legal Departments

Contract reviews get tagged to specific matters. GC sees approval status for all vendor agreements in one dashboard. CFO gets auto-alerts when NDAs exceed standard terms.

Client-Facing Associates

Real-time approval tracking means you can actually answer “Where’s my update?” calls without panicking. Clients see status updates in Actionstep portal the second approvals happen.

The Nuts and Bolts You Care About

No Extra Licenses: Approvers only need ApproveThis access—they don’t eat into your Actionstep seats. Perfect for clients, external counsels, or that one partner who still uses AOL.

Audit Trails That Hold Up: Every approval stamps who approved what, when, and from which device. Malpractice insurers love this. So do judges.

Conditional Logic: Auto-route approvals based on matter type. Personal injury? Needs two partners. Corporate filing? Just the GC. Stop treating all requests like brain surgery.

Bottom Line: This Isn’t “Nice to Have”

Legal workflows live or die by two things: accuracy and speed. Actionstep keeps your matters organized; ApproveThis keeps decisions moving. Together, they turn approval bottlenecks into a checkbox exercise.

Best part? You’re not building some fragile Rube Goldberg machine. It’s Zapier-connected, lawyer-approved simplicity.

Next steps:
- Grab an ApproveThis trial (Takes 3 minutes)
- See Actionstep’s legal tools
- Or book a 12-minute demo to see the integration live

*Source: 2023 Legal Ops Benchmark Report