Migrate from MerusCase to Zoho CRM

MerusCase case files map to Zoho Deals as the primary record, with a parallel Zoho Custom Module named 'Legal Case' storing MerusCase metadata (case type, status, statute dates, practice area). The Deal name uses the case caption; the Legal Case module holds everything else.

MerusCase party contacts (plaintiffs, defendants, witnesses, attorneys) migrate directly to Zoho Contacts. Each contact retains party type as a custom pick-list field (Party_Type__c) since Zoho Contacts have no native party-role concept. Role labels are preserved in the Legal Case module.

MerusCase organization parties (insurance carriers, opposing firms, employers) map to Zoho Accounts. Firm name becomes Account Name; address and phone carry over directly. N:N party-to-case associations become Zoho Account Contact Relations. If an organization has multiple locations in MerusCase, each location is represented as a separate Zoho Account with a shared parent Account to preserve hierarchical reporting.

MerusCase firm users resolve to Zoho Users by email match. Staff members who are MerusCase users but not Zoho users are flagged before migration; firms either create Zoho user accounts first or assign those records to a designated fallback user in Zoho.

MerusCase Case Activities with type 'Telephone Call' migrate to Zoho Tasks with Type='Call'. Email-type activities map to Tasks with Type='Email'. Meeting-type activities map to Zoho Events with original start/end times preserved. Owner, date, and linked contact are carried forward. Any attachments linked to the activity are also migrated as Zoho Notes attached to the Task or Event, maintaining a complete record of communications.

MerusCase UTBMS L/A/E codes are not native to Zoho Tasks. We create a UTMBS_L_Code__c pick-list field and UTBMS_A_Code__c / UTBMS_E_Code__c fields on the Task module. Each MerusCase activity's UTBMS code is mapped value-by-value into the corresponding custom field. During migration, the pick-list values are imported first to ensure the fields are populated correctly, and any inactive codes are archived for future reference.

MerusCase Case Ledgers (time entries, expenses, damages, settlements) have no Zoho native equivalent. We create a Zoho Custom Module named 'Billing Entries' with fields: Entry_Date, Bill_To_Contact, UTBMS_L_Code, UTBMS_A_Code, Amount, Expense_Code, Status, and a lookup to the parent Legal Case Deal.

MerusCase custom fields (Date, Currency, Text, Numeric, Yes/No) are recreated as Zoho custom fields on the appropriate module — Legal Case module for case-level fields, Contacts for party-level fields. Field type is matched exactly. Yes/No becomes a Zoho checkbox; Currency becomes a currency field.

MerusCase Document Archives (ZIP downloads per case) are re-uploaded to the corresponding Zoho Deal as Zoho Attachments. File size limits of the Zoho edition apply (25MB per file). Inline document links in case notes are re-hosted in Zoho's file storage.

MerusCase special handling flags and comments on cases migrate as Zoho Notes attached to the corresponding Deal. The note body preserves the original comment text and timestamp. These are distinct from activity history. If a flag indicates a compliance requirement, a custom field on the Deal records the flag status for quick filtering and reporting.

MerusCase Workflows triggered by Activity Tag or description text do not have a Zoho equivalent that carries over automatically. FlitStack exports workflow definitions as a reference document. Zoho Blueprint diagrams and Workflow rules must be rebuilt by the firm's admin using the exported definitions as a rebuild guide.

MerusCase Statute rules auto-generate deadline tasks from calendar entries. Zoho Tasks can be created manually or via Blueprint to recreate statute deadlines, but the rule logic does not migrate. We provide a statute-date export so Zoho tasks can be created from the date data.

MerusPay transaction records and payment history are a billing-system artifact, not a CRM record. Zoho Books is a separate product with its own invoice and payment data model. MerusPay records are not migrated; firms needing payment history migrate to Zoho Books separately.

MerusCase case types (personal injury, workers' comp, criminal, employment) are firm-specific values. These map to a custom pick-list (Case_Type__c) on the Legal Case module. We export the full firm-defined case type list and recreate it as a Zoho pick-list with identical values.