# CRM Development for Law Firms

> Law firms track matters, not generic deals, yet most CRMs force pipeline stages designed for SaaS sales. Custom CRM development maps conflicts checks, matter intake, billing milestones, and document links into one system your partners actually open.

## Matters are not opportunities

A law firm CRM must respect matter confidentiality, partner ownership, and ethical walls. Client "deals" are matters with opposing parties, jurisdictions, fee arrangements, and document stores, not arbitrary funnel stages.

## Core workflows

**Intake to matter opening.** Lead from web or referral → conflict check checklist → partner approval → matter record with fee type (fixed, hourly, hybrid) and responsible team.

**Activity and deadline tracking.** Court dates, filing deadlines, and client touchpoints visible per matter, integrated with Outlook/Google Calendar where possible.

**Time and billing handoff.** CRM matter links to billing system (Clio, etc.) so partners see WIP status without duplicate matter IDs.

**Referral partner tracking.** Source of matter, referral fee rules, and thank-you workflow, without exposing matter details across ethical boundaries.

## Tools we integrate

Clio, PracticePanther, Microsoft 365, SharePoint matter folders, DocuSign engagement letters. Access control by matter role.

## What we avoid

Marketing automation that blasts confidential matter details. Client-facing portals without partner approval gates. CRM fields that encourage storing privileged content in searchable LLM indexes.

## Delivery

Discovery with managing partner: 1–2 weeks. First slice: intake + conflict workflow in Clio or custom Postgres CRM in 8–12 weeks for mid-size firms. InfoWebPlus, remote across Europe.

This complements our broader [custom software](/services/custom-software) service, and pairs naturally with [AI integrations for law firms](/topics/ai-integrations/law-firms) when the same intake workflows need automation beyond the CRM itself.

## FAQ

### Do you replace Clio?

Usually no, we extend Clio or similar with custom intake portals, referral tracking, or dashboards Clio does not provide out of the box.

### How do ethical walls work in CRM?

Matter-level permissions: users only see matters they are assigned to; referral metadata visible without privileged documents unless cleared.