Migrate from LawPracticeZA to Pipedrive

LawPracticeZA client records map directly to Pipedrive People. The client name splits into first_name and last_name in Pipedrive; if no split exists the full name lands as the display name and a Name__c custom field holds the original. Primary matter count surfaces as a custom field on the Person record for practice management context.

LawPracticeZA does not separate contacts from organizations, but Pipedrive requires Organizations for company-level records. We create an Organization for each client where the client represents a company entity (e.g., corporate law clients) and link the Person record to it via the org_id field. Sole-practitioner clients receive no separate Organization record.

Each LawPracticeZA matter maps to one Pipedrive Deal. The matter name becomes the deal name, and the matter reference number is preserved as a custom field (Matter_Reference__c). Matter open/closed status maps to deal open/closed in Pipedrive. The responsible fee earner resolves to a Pipedrive user by email match.

Fee earners in LawPracticeZA are mapped to Pipedrive Users by matching email address. If a fee earner email has no corresponding Pipedrive user, the deal is assigned to a fallback owner specified by the firm. Zone-based permissions (Fee Earner, Cashier, Administrator) cannot map to Pipedrive's permission model and are noted as a post-migration administration task.

LawPracticeZA time entries are not native Pipedrive objects. We aggregate total recorded time per matter and store it as a numeric custom field (Total_Time_Billed__c) on the associated Deal. Individual time-entry line items are preserved as a JSON-encoded custom field (Time_Entries__c) for audit purposes if the firm requires granular history.

LawPracticeZA invoices have no Pipedrive equivalent. Invoice number, total amount, and status (draft, sent, paid, overdue) are stored as custom fields on the associated Deal (Invoice_Number__c, Invoice_Amount__c, Invoice_Status__c). LEDES billing format flags are preserved as a text field if present in the source data.

Trust account balances are law-firm-specific accounting records with no Pipedrive equivalent. We create a Trust_Balance__c custom field on the associated Deal and a Trust_Account_Holder__c field on the Organization for reference. Trust transfers between matters cannot be modeled in Pipedrive and are flagged for manual reconciliation post-migration.

Activities logged against LawPracticeZA matters map to Pipedrive Activities linked to the corresponding Deal or Person. Activity type (call, email, meeting, task) maps to Pipedrive's activity_type field. Original timestamps and fee-earner attribution are preserved as custom fields (Original_Date__c, Assigned_Fee_Earner__c) for audit and reporting purposes.

LawPracticeZA documents attached to matters have no direct Pipedrive equivalent. We preserve file names, download URLs, and attachment references as a custom text field (Document_Manifest__c) on the Deal. Files must be re-hosted in Pipedrive's supported storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive integration) or attached manually after migration.

LawPracticeZA departments (Corporate, Conveyancing, Litigation, etc.) map to separate Pipedrive Pipelines. Each department's matters land in its own pipeline so stage values are scoped correctly. Within each pipeline, stages correspond to matter-status values from LawPracticeZA (New, In Progress, Awaiting Payment, Closed).

Potential clients captured in LawPracticeZA's intake workflow that have not yet opened a matter map to Pipedrive Leads. Once a matter is opened, the Lead converts to a Person linked to the new Deal. Marketing source information from LawPracticeZA intake forms is preserved as custom fields on the Lead record.