Migrate your Clio data

Matters are the central object in Clio, grouping client data, billing preferences, documents, tasks, and time entries. We migrate all standard matter fields including status, practice area, responsible attorney, and billing arrangement. Matter custom fields require explicit mapping against the destination schema before import.

Clients hold primary contact information, billing addresses, and default rates. We import client records with their associated matter links preserved. Conflict-check data (adverse parties) migrates as custom fields where the destination supports them.

Contacts include attorneys, staff, and third parties associated with matters. Clio supports both individual and company contacts. We deduplicate against existing records using email as the primary key and flag duplicate candidates for manual review.

Time entries carry the full rate hierarchy: custom rate overrides fixed rate, which overrides matter-based and client-based rates, down to user defaults. We preserve the entered rate and let the destination recalculate if its own rate rules differ. We do not merge billable versus non-billable split entries automatically.

Billed invoices migrate as closed financial records; open balances and accounts receivable require reconciliation against the destination's ledger. Clio supports multiple invoice templates and tax codes — we map tax codes explicitly and flag jurisdiction mismatches.

Trust account balances and transaction history require special handling. We separate trust ledger rows from operating account rows during migration scoping. Trust reconciliation depends on the destination's trust accounting compliance rules, which vary by state bar; we flag this upfront rather than assume a direct transfer.

Documents attached to matters are stored as file links or native Clio documents. We migrate document metadata (filename, matter association, author, date) and export file blobs where available. Some document formats may require re-upload at the destination.

Calendar events including hearings, deadlines, and internal meetings migrate with date, time, assigned user, and matter association. We preserve the event type and invitee list. External calendar sync settings (e.g., Google Calendar, Outlook integration) must be reconfigured at the destination independently.

Tasks migrate with assignee, due date, matter association, and completion status. Custom task fields (e.g., practice-area-specific checklists) map explicitly against the destination's task schema. Open and completed task history is preserved.

The client portal is a Clio-specific access layer giving clients read access to their matter status, documents, and invoices. This feature has no direct equivalent in most destination systems and does not migrate. We warn clients to re-establish portal access and communication preferences at the destination.

Clio supports custom fields on matters, contacts, and time entries. Custom field definitions must be reviewed before migration: we map field names and data types to the destination and flag any unsupported field types (e.g., formula fields, dependent picklists) that require workarounds.

Activity categories define billing groupings for time entries (e.g., 'Court Appearance', 'Research'). We migrate activity category assignments and preserve the billing connection. Where the destination lacks an equivalent category, we map to a default and note the gap.