Migrate from MerusCase to Mailchimp

MerusCase contacts with email addresses map directly to Mailchimp subscribers via the POST /lists/{list_id}/members endpoint. Contacts without email addresses are flagged for exclusion — they cannot become Mailchimp subscribers. MerusCase contact_type values (Client, Opposing Counsel, Witness, etc.) become Mailchimp tags applied to the subscriber record, enabling segment-based campaign targeting. Duplicate email addresses are resolved using a de‑duplication rule that retains the most recent contact update.

MerusCase Party records define a contact's role on a case (Plaintiff, Defendant, Attorney, etc.). Each unique party role becomes a Mailchimp tag applied to the subscriber, allowing segmentation by role across all cases. Contacts with multiple roles receive multiple tags, and tags are normalized to lowercase with spaces replaced by underscores for consistency. This enables targeted email campaigns that address recipients by their specific case involvement.

MerusCase cases do not map to a native Mailchimp object. Each case becomes a Mailchimp tag on the contacts linked to it, using the case number as the tag value (e.g., CASE_2023-001). For firms with separate practice-area audiences, the case_type field (Immigration, Personal Injury, etc.) can seed separate Mailchimp audiences, while case status (Open, Closed, Pending) is added as a secondary tag for further segmentation. This structure allows granular targeting based on case lifecycle.

MerusCase practice-area case types (Criminal, Personal Injury, Workers' Comp, Immigration, etc.) map to either separate Mailchimp audiences or tags, based on your Mailchimp plan tier and isolation of lists. If your plan supports multiple audiences, each practice-area can become its own audience, providing counts and per‑audience reporting. If you need a unified view, case types are applied as tags within a single audience, preserving segmentation without splitting the contact pool.

MerusCase Date-type custom fields migrate to Mailchimp date-type merge fields. Each date value is transferred as an MM/DD/YYYY string, matching Mailchimp's date merge tag format for conditional personalization and automation triggers. Empty or null dates are stored as blank values and can be excluded from date‑based campaigns. Timezone information is not transferred; dates are treated in the firm's local time zone as stored in MerusCase.

MerusCase Currency-type custom fields migrate to Mailchimp number-type merge fields. The currency symbol is stripped during transformation, preserving the numeric value with two decimal places as stored in MerusCase. Mailchimp does not natively support currency formatting, so display formatting (e.g., $1,234.56) is handled via Mailchimp template markup using the currency symbol and thousands separator. Zero or blank values are imported as empty strings and can be omitted from financial‑focused campaigns.

MerusCase Text-type custom fields up to 250 characters migrate to Mailchimp text-type merge fields. Content is transferred verbatim, preserving characters. Mailchimp merge fields default to a 255‑character limit, covering the full range of MerusCase text values. If any field exceeds 255 characters, it is truncated and flagged for review. Text merge fields can be used in email subject lines, body copy, and dynamic content blocks for personalized client communication.

MerusCase Numeric-type custom fields migrate directly to Mailchimp number-type merge fields. Both integer and decimal values transfer without transformation, preserving the exact numeric precision stored in MerusCase. Negative numbers, zero, and blank fields are handled as numeric zeros or empty strings, depending on the merge field configuration. Number merge fields can be used in Mailchimp calculations, conditional content, and personalized metrics within email campaigns.

MerusCase Yes/No dropdown fields migrate to Mailchimp dropdown or radio merge fields with two options: 'Yes' and 'No'. The dropdown type is selected because it mirrors the source UI most closely. If a contact has no selection, the merge field is populated with a blank value and can be excluded from segmentation. These fields enable conditional email content based on client preferences, such as sending targeted follow‑ups for affirmative responses.

MerusCase billing ledgers, invoice records, and UTBMS task/activity codes have no Mailchimp equivalent and cannot be stored as subscriber data. These records are exported as CSV files for reference and reconciliation in your firm's accounting system. Mailchimp's platform is designed for audience and campaign management, not financial record-keeping, so any financial analysis should be performed outside Mailchimp. The export includes all ledger fields, amounts, dates, and UTBMS codes for processing.

MerusCase document archives (PDFs, case files, scanned paperwork) are downloaded and rehosted as a separate file bundle — not imported into Mailchimp. Email marketing campaigns cannot host legal documents; a document management system is the appropriate destination for these files.

MerusCase activity logs (calls, emails, meetings, notes with timestamps) have no Mailchimp equivalent. The activity history is preserved in a MerusCase export. Mailchimp tracks email engagement (opens, clicks, unsubscribes) independently as the engagement record once the contact is in the audience.

MerusCase workflows trigger on activity tags and auto-create tasks and calendar events. Mailchimp automations are email drip sequences triggered by subscriber actions — the logic is entirely different. Workflow definitions are exported as a rebuild reference for your Mailchimp automations.

MerusCase does not expose an explicit email subscription flag per contact. We map contacts with valid email addresses to Mailchimp status 'subscribed' by default. If your MerusCase data includes a source-system unsubscribed flag, we honor it and set the Mailchimp status to 'unsubscribed' at import time.