Migrate from Best Case Bankruptcy to Mailchimp

Best Case client records (debtor name, email, phone, address) map directly to Mailchimp contacts. Each client becomes one contact profile regardless of how many cases they have on file. During import, we use the client’s email address as the primary key to avoid duplicates, and we preserve the Best Case client ID in a SOURCE_SYSTEM_ID merge field for future synchronization.

Best Case case records (Chapter 7, 11, 13) do not map to any Mailchimp object. We extract case type and create a Mailchimp tag per case and store case reference in a custom merge field. The tag naming convention follows the pattern 'Chapter-X' (e.g., Chapter-7, Chapter-13) to allow straightforward segment creation. The custom merge field holds the case number for reference.

Case status values (Active, Discharged, Dismissed, Reopened) map to Mailchimp tags. Attorneys can then segment audiences by case phase for targeted email sends. Each status also gets a corresponding merge field value so that you can filter contacts by status in reports. The tags are applied during import and can be updated via the Mailchimp API when case status changes in Best Case.

Best Case creditor records map to Mailchimp contacts with a 'Creditor' tag applied. Each creditor becomes a separate contact record for distribution-list purposes. We also capture creditor contact details (email, phone, address) as standard Mailchimp fields. If your firm needs to send bulk creditor notifications, you can segment all 'Creditor' tagged contacts into a dedicated audience for targeted messaging.

Bankruptcy schedules contain structured financial data with no Mailchimp equivalent. Schedules are exported as separate files and linked in a custom merge field pointing to document storage. The merge field (e.g., SCHEDULE_LINK) stores the URL to the schedule file in your document management system, allowing attorneys to reference the full schedule within email campaigns without storing the data inside Mailchimp.

Court hearing dates and filing events have no Mailchimp analogue. We store the next hearing date as a merge field and create a 'Hearing Scheduled' tag for case-status visibility. The hearing date merge field can be used in segment criteria to alert clients of upcoming court dates via automated emails. The tag also enables filtering of contacts with pending hearings for reporting purposes.

Best Case documents (petitions, schedules, court orders) cannot be stored in Mailchimp. We preserve the document reference as a URL merge field pointing to your document management system. When sending emails, you can embed the merge field URL to direct clients to the appropriate document. This approach keeps Mailchimp’s contact records lightweight while maintaining access to the full case file.

Best Case client portal status (active/inactive) maps to a Mailchimp tag indicating whether the contact has an active client portal session. The tag can be used to segment clients who have portal access for targeted communications about online case updates or document sharing. Future portal activity can be synced via Mailchimp’s API to keep the tag current.

Exemption analysis results are structured legal data with no Mailchimp equivalent. We preserve exemption summary values as text merge fields for attorney reference. The merge field stores the exemption amount (e.g., EXEMPT_AMOUNT) and can be used in segmentation to identify clients with high exempt assets for specialized communications. This data remains accessible within Mailchimp reports.

Best Case invoice and billing records have no Mailchimp equivalent. These records remain in Best Case or your accounting system and are not imported into Mailchimp. If you need to track billing-related communications, you can create a separate audience in Mailchimp and manually add contacts, but the billing data itself stays outside Mailchimp to avoid duplication.

Best Case user accounts are attorney staff records with no Mailchimp equivalent. Staff do not become Mailchimp contacts unless they are also clients. If a staff member also appears as a client in Best Case (e.g., an attorney who files personal bankruptcy), they will be imported as a contact with the appropriate tags. Otherwise, staff records remain solely in Best Case for user authentication and permissions.