Migrate from BackDocket to Nutshell

BackDocket client matter records contain both client identity and case details. We split these into Nutshell Lead (for intake and prospect matters) and Nutshell Opportunity (for matters with active revenue or settlement tracking). The mapping rule applies a configurable split: matters with a billed-amount field route to Opportunity; pre-intake records route to Lead. Original BackDocket matter ID is stored as a custom field on both records for traceability.

BackDocket contact records map 1:1 to Nutshell People. Name fields, email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses transfer directly. Primary matter associations on a BackDocket contact become Nutshell Person notes or a linked Opportunity reference, since Nutshell People do not have a native many-to-many matter link. Owner resolution matches BackDocket assigned-user email to a Nutshell user by email.

BackDocket company records map to Nutshell Companies. Company name, domain, industry classification, employee count, and address fields migrate directly. Nutshell's single-account model for company data means BackDocket company hierarchies (parent/branch) collapse to a flat company record with the parent relationship noted in a custom field if the relationship is business-critical.

BackDocket tasks map to Nutshell Tasks with subject, due date, assigned user, and completion status preserved. Tasks linked to a specific matter carry the migrated BackDocket matter ID as a custom field reference so the relationship is recoverable in Nutshell.

BackDocket calendar entries—court dates, client appointments, filing deadlines—migrate as Nutshell Activity records of type Event. Start time, end time, location, and assigned user transfer directly. The original event type (court date, client meeting) is stored as a custom field on the Nutshell Activity since Nutshell's native activity types are limited to Call, Email, and Meeting.

Free-form notes attached to BackDocket matters or contacts migrate as Nutshell Notes. Body text, create date, and creating user transfer directly. Notes exceeding Nutshell's character display limit are preserved in full; the Nutshell UI truncates long notes at display but the complete text is stored and retrievable via API.

BackDocket file attachments (PDFs, Word documents, images) are downloaded and re-uploaded as Nutshell attachments linked to the corresponding Person, Company, or Lead record. File names, sizes, and upload timestamps are preserved as metadata. BackDocket's version history on files is summarized in a Note on the attachment record since Nutshell does not have native version control.

BackDocket allows firm-defined custom fields on matter records. We create equivalent Nutshell custom fields on Lead and Opportunity objects before migration. Field type mapping: text fields become Nutshell Text custom fields; date fields become Nutshell Date fields; pick-list fields become Nutshell Choice fields with the same options. BackDocket's internal custom field IDs are stored as metadata for post-migration reconciliation.

BackDocket workflow definitions—automated task sequences, approval chains, deadline escalation rules—have no Nutshell equivalent. Nutshell's automation model relies on third-party tools (Zapier, Make) or manual task management. We export BackDocket workflow definitions as a structured JSON document and human-readable PDF so your team can rebuild them in Nutshell using your preferred automation platform.

BackDocket custom dashboards and saved searches aggregate case KPIs across matter types. Nutshell's reporting uses a different schema (Opportunity stage, Pipeline, Activity count) that does not map directly to BackDocket matter metrics. We export dashboard definitions as a reference document; your Nutshell admin rebuilds charts using Nutshell's built-in reporting or Nutshell Analytics Pro.

BackDocket assigns matters and tasks to named users. We resolve each BackDocket user by email against Nutshell user accounts. Unmatched users—accounts that exist in BackDocket but not in Nutshell—are flagged before migration; your team either creates the Nutshell user first or assigns those records to a fallback owner. Owner history is preserved as a custom text field on each migrated record.