Migrate from PCLaw(r) to Freshsales

PCLaw client records map to Freshsales Accounts. Client name maps to Account Name, address and phone fields map directly. Annual revenue and industry fields from PCLaw map as text fields or are skipped if blank. Client records must be migrated before matter records to satisfy Freshsales AccountId foreign key requirements on Deals.

PCLaw matters map to Freshsales Deals. Matter name becomes Deal Name, matter number maps to a custom legal_matter_number field, and matter description becomes the Deal Notes field. Freshsales Deals have a standard sales pipeline — we create a legal pipeline with stages that reflect matter lifecycle (Opened, Active, Pending, Closed) or map to Freshsales standard stages depending on your reporting needs.

Client-level contact records in PCLaw (attorney, paralegal, billing contact) map to Freshsales Leads. Fields transfer directly: first name, last name, email, phone, mobile, job title, and address fields. We set the Lead source field to 'Migration — PCLaw' for traceability. Leads that match existing Contact emails are flagged for manual merge decision.

Matter-specific contacts in PCLaw (client party, opposing counsel, witness) require two-step mapping. The contact record migrates to Freshsales Contact, then is linked to the corresponding Deal via Opportunity Contact Role. The contact role label (Attorney, Client, Witness) from PCLaw maps to the Opportunity Contact Role Role field or a custom contact_role field on the Deal if no standard role matches.

PCLaw calendar events, tasks, and reminders attached to a matter migrate to Freshsales Tasks and Events linked to the target Deal. Event subject, start time, end time, and description map directly. Tasks receive Type = 'Other' and are linked by DealId. Original matter context is preserved in the task description for audit continuity.

PCLaw notes on matters migrate to Freshsales Notes linked to the target Deal. Note subject maps to Note Title, note body maps to Note Body. Plain-text formatting transfers as-is; rich-text notes are preserved in HTML format where PCLaw supports it. Notes without a parent matter are linked to the client-level Account record.

PCLaw time entries (hours, date, description, billing status) do not have a native Freshsales equivalent. We migrate time entries as Tasks on the target Deal with Type = 'Time Entry', with hours recorded in the task description and billing status stored in a custom time_entry_billing_status field. For full billing continuity, time tracking should remain in dedicated billing software.

PCLaw file attachments linked to matters are downloaded and re-uploaded to Freshsales Files associated with the target Deal. File names and original upload dates are preserved. Freshsales file size limits (25MB per file) apply — files exceeding this are split or flagged for manual download. Document folder hierarchy is flattened and stored as part of the file name for reference.

PCLaw trust account records — balances, deposits, withdrawals, and full ledgers — have no native Freshsales equivalent. Freshsales does not support trust accounting. We export trust ledger data as a CSV attachment on the target Account and flag it for your team to reconcile in dedicated legal accounting software. This is the most critical manual-rebuild item.

PCLaw invoices and billing records do not map to Freshsales. Freshsales has no accounts-receivable or invoice feature in its base CRM tier. We export invoice records as CSV and attach them to the target Deal for reference. Full billing history should be maintained in dedicated billing software or migrated separately to Freshsales Suite's invoicing module if you upgrade tiers.

PCLaw staff records map to Freshsales Users by email address match. Unmatched staff members are flagged as inactive users in Freshsales — your admin either invites them before migration or assigns their matters to a fallback owner. PCLaw permission roles (Attorney, Paralegal, Admin) do not translate to Freshsales profiles and must be reconfigured in Freshsales Admin Settings.