Smokeball
Practice management software that automatically tracks billable time for small and mid-size law firms.
Independent overview by new Mantra · updated July 22, 2026
- Category
- Legal
- Pricing
- Bill, Boost, Grow and Prosper+: pricing on request (Archie AI add-on)
- Implementation
- 2-4 weeks
- Adoption risk
- Low
- Integrates with
- Microsoft Word, Outlook, QuickBooks, LawPay
What Smokeball does
Smokeball is a cloud-based practice management platform built specifically for law firms. It handles case management, legal billing, trust accounting, document assembly, and client intake from a single system. The platform integrates directly with Microsoft Word and Outlook, so lawyers work in familiar solutions without switching screens.
Its AutoTime engine runs in the background and records time spent working in Smokeball, Word, and Outlook without requiring manual timers or time-sheet entries. Billing supports multiple fee structures — hourly, fixed-fee, contingency, LEDES, and mixed arrangements — and includes built-in trust accounting designed to keep client funds separate and compliant. Smokeball also connects with QuickBooks and LawPay for accounting and payment collection.
The Archie AI assistant, available on Grow and Prosper+ plans, is embedded within matters and can summarize case information and help draft documents. Smokeball also provides a library of more than 20,000 automated legal forms across multiple jurisdictions and practice areas, which can be populated with matter details rather than filled in manually each time.
Key capabilities
Automatic Billable Time Capture
AutoTime passively records time spent in Smokeball, Microsoft Word, and Outlook, reducing reliance on manual timers. Smokeball reports that firms using this alongside billing features recover an average of an additional $135,000 in billable time per fee earner annually.
Legal Billing and Trust Accounting
Firms can build and send invoices, accept online payments, and manage trust and client retainer accounts with compliance-oriented recordkeeping built in. Multiple billing models are supported within the same platform.
Matter and Case Management
Every matter stores documents, emails, contacts, and calendar events in one cloud-based location accessible to the whole team. Workflow solutions are designed around specific practice areas rather than generic project templates.
Document Automation and Forms
A library of more than 20,000 pre-built legal forms across 250-plus matter types can be populated automatically with matter data. Firms can also add their own templates.
Archie AI Matter Assistant
Available on higher-tier plans, Archie can summarize matters and assist with document drafting from within the Smokeball interface. It is embedded in the platform rather than a separate solution.
Reporting and Firm Insights
Dashboards surface data on matter-type profitability, referral revenue, staff time, and activity so firm leaders can track goals and adjust focus areas based on actual performance data.
Best for
- Small to mid-size law firms where manual time entry is causing revenue leakage and attorneys frequently work in Word and Outlook
- Firms handling high document volume across practice areas like family law, real estate, estate planning, personal injury, or civil litigation
- Practices that need trust accounting and billing compliance built into the same system they use for case management
- Firms wanting AI-assisted drafting and matter summaries without adopting a standalone AI solution outside their practice management platform
- Teams looking to move off paper-based or disconnected systems with a structured 2–4 week implementation timeline
Worth knowing
- Archie AI is only included on Grow and Prosper+ plans, which require a custom quote — the entry-level Bill plan does not include it
- The platform is built exclusively for law firms; businesses outside the legal industry will find no relevant functionality here
- Deep integration with Microsoft Word and Outlook means teams relying on Google Workspace or other ecosystems will face friction
- Pricing scales per user, so larger firms should model total cost carefully before assuming mid-tier plans stay affordable at scale
- Firms that only need standalone billing or a single-function solution may be paying for case management and document features they won't use
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