Best Case
Best Case is a specialized bankruptcy software solution designed to help legal professionals prepare and file Chapter 7, 11, 12, 13, and 15 petitions with automated forms and electronic filing.
Smokeball
Smokeball is a cloud-based legal practice management software that helps small to mid-sized law firms manage matters, track time automatically, and generate documents to increase overall firm productivity.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Best Case | Smokeball |
|---|---|---|
| Website | bestcase.com | smokeball.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | $39/month |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 1993 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Evanston, USA | Chicago, USA |
Overview
Best Case
Best Case is a dedicated bankruptcy petition preparation and filing platform built specifically for legal professionals. You can streamline the entire bankruptcy lifecycle, from initial client intake to the final discharge, by using automated workflows that populate official forms and schedules. The software simplifies complex calculations for the Means Test and ensures your filings comply with local court requirements across the United States.
You can manage your entire caseload through a centralized dashboard that tracks deadlines and court notices automatically. By integrating with credit reporting services and court systems, the platform reduces manual data entry and minimizes the risk of clerical errors. Whether you are a solo practitioner or part of a large multi-office firm, you can customize the tool to fit your specific jurisdictional needs and filing volume.
Smokeball
Smokeball is a cloud-based legal practice management platform designed to help you run a more productive and profitable law firm. It centralizes your entire practice by combining matter management, automated document creation, and lead tracking in one interface. You can manage every detail of a case from initial intake to final billing without jumping between different applications or manual spreadsheets.
The platform solves the common headache of manual time entry by automatically recording every minute you spend working on documents and emails. This ensures you never miss a billable hour and provides deep insights into your firm's profitability. Whether you practice family law, estate planning, or personal injury, you can use pre-built matter types and automated forms to slash the time spent on administrative tasks.
Overview
Best Case Features
- One-Touch Electronic Filing File your petitions, schedules, and motions directly to ECF systems with a single click to save hours of manual uploading.
- Automated Means Test Calculate complex Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 means tests automatically using the most current IRS standards and median income data.
- Credit Report Integration Import liabilities and creditor addresses directly into your bankruptcy schedules to eliminate manual typing and ensure data accuracy.
- Best Case Cloud Access your client files and work on petitions from any location using a secure, web-based environment that keeps your data synced.
- Court Notice Sync Download and organize court notices automatically so you never miss a deadline or a change in a case's status.
- Client Intake Portal Gather essential financial information from your clients through a digital portal that feeds data directly into your bankruptcy forms.
Smokeball Features
- Automatic Time Tracking. Capture every billable second automatically as you work on documents and emails so you never miss a minute of revenue.
- Document Automation. Generate complex legal documents in seconds using a library of over 20,000 automated forms that pull data directly from your matters.
- Matter Management. Organize all your files, contacts, and deadlines in one digital location to keep your entire team synchronized on every case.
- Legal Billing. Create professional invoices and manage trust accounting effortlessly with built-in tools that sync directly with your tracked time and expenses.
- Lead Management. Track potential new clients from the first phone call through the intake process to ensure no new business falls through the cracks.
- Mobile App. Access your entire law firm from your pocket to view matter details, call clients, and track time while you are on the go.
Pricing Comparison
Best Case Pricing
Smokeball Pricing
- Time and expense tracking
- Legal billing and invoicing
- Trust accounting
- Smokeball Payments integration
- Basic reporting
- Mobile app access
- Everything in Bill, plus:
- Full matter management
- Document management
- Email management with Outlook
- Tasks and workflows
- Shared firm calendar
Pros & Cons
Best Case
Pros
- Industry standard for bankruptcy filings in the US
- Reliable automated calculations for the Means Test
- Excellent integration with the CM/ECF court systems
- Frequent updates to maintain compliance with local forms
Cons
- Higher price point compared to generic legal tools
- Desktop version requires manual updates and maintenance
- Learning curve for navigating deep configuration settings
Smokeball
Pros
- Automatic time tracking captures revenue you might otherwise miss
- Extensive library of automated legal forms saves hours of drafting
- Deep integration with Microsoft Word and Outlook streamlines workflows
- Excellent customer support and personalized onboarding experience
Cons
- Higher price point compared to some basic competitors
- Steep learning curve due to the vast feature set
- Full automation features require the desktop version