How Astrid connects to Smokeball and files notes after every call
Short answer: Smokeball is a fixed-fee legal practice management system with real adoption among plaintiff firms, known for automatic time tracking and document automation. Astrid connects directly: a firm administrator links a Smokeball account once, calls get matched to the right matter, and once an attorney approves a note, it files to Smokeball along with any follow-up tasks.
Why Smokeball specifically
Smokeball's pitch is automation: automatic time capture, document assembly, and a fixed monthly fee rather than per-user tiers that scale unpredictably. Firms that pick it tend to want less manual data entry across the board, which makes an automatic call-to-note-to-matter pipeline a natural fit rather than an add-on, the same reasoning behind why we built phone capture, not just meeting capture into Astrid in the first place.
How the connection works
A firm administrator connects Smokeball from Settings, the same way they'd connect Clio, CasePeer, or MyCase. From there:
- Matters can be searched for and linked directly from Astrid, so a call gets tied to the right Smokeball matter rather than living as an orphaned recording.
- Calls get matched automatically where possible, using the caller's phone number and the matter's contact information; anything ambiguous queues for a one-click human confirmation instead of a guess.
- An approved note files to the matter, written in the firm's own format, without a paralegal copying it over by hand.
- Follow-up tasks file directly into Smokeball, assigned the same way a person would assign them inside Smokeball itself.
What stays a human decision
Nothing files anywhere automatically before a licensed attorney approves it. A draft note or recap is not the firm's record and does not reach the client or the matter file until that approval happens, and the approval itself is recorded permanently: who approved it, their seat role at the time, and when.
What this doesn't do
Astrid doesn't replace Smokeball. It doesn't manage time entries, document automation, or billing inside Smokeball, and it isn't a general case management system on its own. It's the capture and documentation layer that feeds into the system your firm already runs. If your firm runs Clio, CasePeer, or MyCase instead, the connection works the same way, see our Clio, CasePeer, or MyCase guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is Smokeball?
A legal practice management system known for its automatic time-tracking and document-automation approach, with real adoption among plaintiff and personal injury firms alongside general practices.
Does Astrid replace Smokeball?
No. Astrid captures and documents calls and files the result into Smokeball; it doesn't replace Smokeball's own time tracking, document automation, or billing.
Does an attorney have to approve a note before it's filed to Smokeball?
Yes, always. A draft note or recap doesn't become part of the record, and doesn't get filed anywhere, until a licensed attorney reviews and approves it.
What happens if a call can't be matched to a Smokeball matter automatically?
It's queued for a one-click confirmation instead of being filed to the wrong matter or silently dropped.