# Page 2 | CARET Legal Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 2 - Is CARET Legal the right Law Practice Management solution for you? Explore 155 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/144573/CARET-Legal/reviews --- CARET Legal 4.5 (155) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/144573/CARET-Legal/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 6th, 2026 # Page 2 - Reviews of CARET Legal ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 26-50 of 155 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use SM Samantha M. Paralegal Law Practice Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Streamlined Service" April 2, 2026 5.0 It has been so helpful to have Caret and to streamline our Case management, billing and invoicing, and document management …all in one system, so you don’t need multiple tools stitched together. Pros Caret Legal has been a game-changer for our firm. From the moment we implemented it, we noticed a significant improvement in how efficiently we manage cases, billing, and client communication. The interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for our entire team to get up to speed quickly without a steep learning curve. One of the standout features is its seamless integration of case management and accounting tools. Having everything in one place has saved us countless hours and reduced the risk of errors. The billing system is especially impressive. It is customizable, accurate, and easy to use, which has helped us streamline invoicing and improve cash flow. Customer support has also been excellent. Whenever we’ve had questions or needed assistance, their team has been responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful. Overall, Caret Legal delivers exactly what modern law firms need: reliability, efficiency, and smart organization. It’s a powerful tool that has made a noticeable difference in our day to day operations, and I would highly recommend it to any firm looking to upgrade their legal practice management software. Cons There are times the program will lag and the calendar will be delayed in reflecting the entries we add. Alternatives considered [Smokeball](https://www.capterra.com/p/133656/Smokeball/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal Caret was more streamlined for case management and billing all in one place Switched from [Amicus Attorney](https://www.capterra.com/p/80199/Amicus-Attorney/) Amicus was outdated and no longer being updated. It also is not cloud based Review Source Response from CARET April 6, 2026 Samantha, thank you so much for sharing your experience working with CARET Legal! We're thrilled to hear that our platform has made such a positive impact on your firm and helps you efficiently manage your cases, billing, and client communication. DD Donna D. Managing Partner Law Practice Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Caret Legal was a very successful transition for our office." December 31, 2025 5.0 Excellent. Much better than anticipated. The team was responsive and handled the anticipated glitches well, Pros I love the fact that it is cloud-based and accessible from any computer, smart phone or tablet. I like that we can use ONE system to manage our files including emails and time entries as well as billing. Cons I do not like that it does not have the auto correction features that will automatically correct to capitalize the first letter of the first word of a sentence. I do not like that it does not have the ability to expand text as in Amicus and that Caret does NOT sync People with Outlook contacts and does not have the ability to mark emails sent from Caret as Important (or Confidential etc). Alternatives considered [Amicus Attorney](https://www.capterra.com/p/80199/Amicus-Attorney/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal Our plan had just been to put up with Amicus Attorney (what we have) rather than go through a switch, but we are so glad that we did (and our IT folks are REALLY happy). Support for Amicus had dwindled significantly. Switched from [Amicus Attorney](https://www.capterra.com/p/80199/Amicus-Attorney/) We had looked into going to the "cloud" with Amicus in the past but they could not guarantee the migration of our system (18 years worth of data) and it would be costly. Then Caret Legal offered to migrate it for free and was great with the migration. We also got rid of our PC Law we used for billing but because they did not respond to our numerous requests to go month to month (rather than annual) and when they did, would NOT permit it at all, we had to move up our timetable. It ended up being LESS expensive overall and they did not charge at all for the migration. There were some glitches, but all were handled. Review Source Response from CARET January 8, 2026 Donna, thank you so much for sharing your experience working with CARET Legal. We're thrilled to hear that our platform is helping your firm stay organized by keeping documents, emails, time entries, and billing all in one easily accessible place. We appreciate your feedback and are committed to implementing improvements that create a better experience for our customers. We have forwarded your suggestions to our product team and look forward to continuing to support your firm. Todd E. Managing Partner Law Practice Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "CaretLegal is an overall unwise investment" February 19, 2026 2.0 After years of mediocre product performance and consistently poor communication, our firm decided not to renew with CaretLegal (formerly Zola Suite/Abacus Law). Our experience during the off-boarding process only confirmed that we made the right choice. Due to a complex data migration, we requested a one-month extension. Our account representative explicitly confirmed in writing that this month would be granted free of charge. Despite this written guarantee, CaretLegal billed our credit card for that month plus an additional one. When I raised the issue, providing the email evidence of the 'free month' agreement, I was met with total silence. My account rep stopped responding, and despite opening a formal ticket and being told the matter was 'elevated to a supervisor,' I have received zero reimbursement and zero follow-up. It is disappointing that a company serving the legal industry demonstrates such a lack of transparency and disregard for written agreements. If you are looking for a reliable partner for your firm's data, look elsewhere. Pros Decent all-in-one solution for law practice management, though the email, even with Office 365, was slow and clunky. Cons Poor communication. Poor customer service. Poor management. Lots of employee turnover. Overall unreliable. Review Source Response from CARET February 24, 2026 Todd, we’re sorry to hear that your experience with CARET fell short of your expectations. Our team is actively working with your firm to address these concerns and will continue to resolve them with your team directly. KR Kayla R. Office Manager and Paralegal Law Practice Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "An All-in-One Solution That Delivers" December 17, 2025 5.0 Overall, my experience with Caret Legal has been very positive. The platform keeps everything organized in one intuitive place, saves time through helpful automation, and makes billing simple. With reliable performance and consistently excellent customer support, it truly streamlines my day-to-day workflow. Pros Caret Legal makes managing my practice incredibly easy. Everything—from matters and documents to billing and email—is organized in one clean, intuitive platform. The automation tools save time, the billing features are straightforward, and the customer support is consistently excellent. It’s efficient, reliable, and genuinely improves my day-to-day workflow. Cons Caret Legal has a clean interface and helpful support, but creating custom reports can be frustrating. You can’t build them on your own and have to rely on their team to compile everything, which limits flexibility and can slow down access to the insights you need. Review Source Response from CARET December 19, 2025 Kayla, thank you for sharing your experience with CARET Legal. We're thrilled to hear that our platform keeps your practice organized, and our automation, billing tools, and customer support make your workflow easier. We’re sorry for the frustration you’ve experienced with custom reports. Our team is working on improvements to make the process smoother and more intuitive. JY Jacob Y. Shareholder Law Practice Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "CARET is a good product" November 19, 2025 4.0 CARET Legal is a powerful system, and if your firm is committed to building standardized workflows and operating mostly in one platform, it can absolutely help. But it’s not plug-and-play software. It takes time, patience, and training to get the most out of it. I’d recommend it for mid-size firms that want automation and advanced reporting. For solos or small teams, or anyone wanting a very streamlined or modern UI, it might feel like overkill. Pros ⭐ What I Liked • It really is an all-in-one platform. Once we got set up, I appreciated that CARET handled matter management, billing, trust accounting, email, and documents in one place. I didn’t have to bounce between programs nearly as much as I used to. • The workflow automation is genuinely helpful. When you invest the initial time to build task flows—especially for intake, litigation steps, and document follow-ups—the system runs smoothly. It cut down on a lot of “who is doing what” confusion. • Email integration is one of its best features. Being able to tag emails directly to matters without relying on Outlook plug-ins was a big plus. It kept communication organized automatically. • Reporting is strong. The dashboards helped me keep track of time entries, productivity, and where matters were getting bottlenecked. Their financial reporting is better than what I’ve seen with lighter practice management tools. Cons ⚠️ What I Didn’t Love • The learning curve is steep. CARET is not something you pick up in an afternoon. Training staff took time, and even then everyone had moments of frustration. It’s powerful, but definitely not simple. • The interface feels dated and cluttered. Compared to other platforms, the UI isn’t the most intuitive. Sometimes it felt like too many clicks to get basic things done. • Pricing is on the higher side. I understood the value, but it still felt pricey—especially for features we didn’t end up using daily. • Occasional bugs after updates. When CARET pushes out new features, things occasionally break or slow down. Nothing catastrophic, but enough to interrupt workflow. • Support can be hit-or-miss. Our dedicated rep was helpful, but routine tickets sometimes took longer than they should have. Review Source Response from CARET December 3, 2025 Jacob, thank you for sharing your experience with CARET Legal. We’re thrilled to hear that our email, reporting, and workflow capabilities have been beneficial to your firm. We’re sorry to hear about your frustrations. Our team has met with you to address your concerns, and we’ll continue working to improve your experience. CD Crissy D. Accounting Manager Legal Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Streamlined Billing with Top Notch Support" November 28, 2025 4.0 My overall experience with CARET Legal has been very positive. It’s reliable, easy to use, and helps streamline our day-to-day workflow. Pros I really like the seamless workflow in CARET Legal that extends from time tracking to prebilling and then to finalized billing. This process cuts down on manual administrative work, which had been a considerable burden before. The automation in billing provides an efficiency that I truly appreciate, as it lets me focus on more critical tasks rather than be bogged down by tedious manual processes. Furthermore, setting up CARET Legal was fairly easy, and the team's responsiveness and support have been integral in helping us adjust and tweak the system to meet our specific needs. This assistance has been invaluable as we transition and figure out how to best utilize the software for our requirements. Cons I would say the way the trust accounts work. I would like for it to be more customizable for a trust balance to be applied across all matters for each client as well as there be an option to apply partial trust payments to prebills at a more bulk level vs. one by one. Switched from [CaseFox](https://www.capterra.com/p/121682/CaseFox/) We needed a more streamlined workflow product. Review Source Response from CARET December 15, 2025 Crissy, thank you for sharing your experience working with CARET Legal. We’re thrilled to hear that our billing processes have reduced manual work, and our team has been supportive as you've made the transition. Thank you for your note on trust accounts. We'll be sure to share this feedback with our product team. KH Kate H. Bookkeeper Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "practical experience in using CARET Legal" December 9, 2025 5.0 I have been using this program for more than two years. It is quite simple and convenient, and also easy to learn. Pros We are a law firm. I am completely used to using this program. It is convenient both for accounting and for managing clients' legal cases. Cons The only thing I don't use this program for is payroll. My employees clock in and out using QuickBooks, and that program is the one that handles paying my employees. Switched from [AbacusLaw](https://www.capterra.com/p/18374/AbacusLaw/) Because Caret did not leave us a choice, Abacus would not be able to update their software. Review Source Response from CARET December 10, 2025 Kate, thank you for sharing your experience with CARET Legal. We’re thrilled to hear the platform has been easy for your team to learn and simple to use. We're also happy to know it’s helping with both accounting and managing client cases. JH Jennifer H. Paralegal Legal Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great software for Law firms" November 20, 2025 5.0 We have always had a great experience with Caret Legal. We have no complaints and are always able to obtain help if we need it in a timely manner. Pros Caret Legal is very user friendly. It allows all of our documents, billing, calendaring and notes to be captured in one place. Cons I do not have any complaints about Caret Legal. We are able to use it for every aspect of our law firm. Alternatives considered [Time Matters](https://www.capterra.com/p/228265/Time-Matters/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal Caret Legal was better priced and had better software for our law firm. Review Source Response from CARET December 2, 2025 Jennifer, thank you for sharing your experience with CARET Legal! We’re thrilled to hear the platform’s ease of use has supported every aspect of your firm and made managing documents, billing, and calendaring simple. We’re honored to be your partner and look forward to continuing to support your success. IK Irene K. Managing Partner Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Amazing all in one solution" November 25, 2025 5.0 It has revolutionized the law firm and allowed for a more steady and effective way to scale the growth of the law firm. Pros All in one solution including billing, document management, e-mail integration, and task management that you cannot find in other softwares. Cons Since everything is in one place, any glitches have effects on the whole firm and may slow down processes until repaired. Alternatives considered [8am MyCase](https://www.capterra.com/p/115613/MyCase/)[Clio](https://www.capterra.com/p/105428/Clio/)[Panther](https://www.capterra.com/p/205377/Panther/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal This product had all in one solutions that were not previously found on the market. Switched from [Lawcus](https://www.capterra.com/p/143375/Lawcus/) This product had all in one solutions that were not previously found on the market. Review Source Response from CARET December 2, 2025 Irene, thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that CARET Legal has revolutionized your firm and provided an effective way to scale growth. We're honored to be your partner and look forward to your continued success. VB Vanessa B. Office Manager Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Caret user for 6 years" November 25, 2025 5.0 I have been using Care for 6 years and I have found it to work very well for our firm. We can easily keep all of our matters in one place and can access them from any device which is very helpful. We can input all case related information into one place which helps us work more efficiently. Pros I would say that Caret is very user friendly and easy to navigate. You can search for any matter by inputting just a few letters of the matter name. Cons Sometimes it freezes up but not often. When this happens, I can either contact support or just close out and wait for a few minutes and try again. Review Source Response from CARET December 2, 2025 Vanessa, thank you for sharing your thoughts on CARET Legal! We’re thrilled the platform has helped keep your firm organized and work more efficiently. We’re proud to be part of your success and look forward to continuing our partnership. SB Syretha B. Firm Administrator Legal Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "User-Friendly Platform & Responsive Customer Service" November 4, 2025 4.0 CARET is fairly user friendly, the customer service team is generally responsive with consistent updates. Pros CARET's consistently responsive customer service team is one of the things I appreciate most. The customer service team is typically committed to resolving the issues. Cons There are times when we experience random glitching, super-slow periods and downtime. This can be very frustrating for our team. Review Source Response from CARET November 21, 2025 Syretha, thank you for sharing your experience working with CARET Legal. We're thrilled to hear that your experience with our customer service team has reflected our commitment to excellence and that your team finds our platform intuitive and easy to use. AY Alisha Y. Solicitor Legal Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "CARET 10/10 would recommend " January 10, 2025 4.0 Great experience thus far from myself and the team with this app. Would recommend if you are doing large project work with multiple fee earners. Pros Caret is a cloud based software meaning we could use it seamlessly across different global offices. We use the mobile function instead of desktop frequently as the layout is great. Cons Sometimes it is a bit slow to load documents, but once loaded there are many capabilities. Review Source Response from CARET January 22, 2025 Alisha, thank you for sharing your experience working with CARET Legal. We love hearing from happy customers like you! DF Daymaris F. COO Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Caret - Not true accounting side" February 4, 2025 1.0 Customer service is really bad, they don't have people with accounting knowledge in customer support that can help with all the issues that their accounting side has. It really has affect our daily workload. Pros I like that everything is all in one place. Cons Accounting side is a total disaster. Is missing a lot of components of accounting that are needed. Alternatives considered [PracticePanther Legal Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/140231/PracticePanther-Legal-Software/)[LeanLaw](https://www.capterra.com/p/157188/LeanLaw/)[Clio](https://www.capterra.com/p/105428/Clio/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal They sold it to me as it has full accounting side integrated. Which has been my disappointment since the very first date Switched from [Juris Origination](https://www.capterra.com/p/181017/Juris-Origination/) Juris was too outdated. Needed a software with more integrations and easy billing Review Source Response from CARET February 14, 2025 Daymaris, we’re sorry to hear that your experience with CARET is falling short of your expectations. Our team is actively working with your firm to address these concerns and will continue to resolve with your team directly. MM Mary M. Attorney Legal Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Too many issues and bugs with the program " September 13, 2023 2.0 It has been a nightmare having this program. The amount of stress caused, plus time and money lost when simple program tasks such as billing for your time cannot be achieved or the invoicing function doesn’t work is insurmountable. Pros Theoretically the program is supposed to ease the billing process for clients, keep track of billable time and allow a central location wherein documents, emails and case notes can be accessed as well as accounting records and reports. Cons The program does not function correctly. There are errors constantly and productivity is impacted because of all the issues we face daily with the program. Review Source Response from CARET September 20, 2023 Hi, Mary. We're truly sorry to hear about your experience with CARET Legal. We'd love to help you with the issues you're facing regarding billing, invoicing and overall performance. Please reach out to our support team at support@zolasuite.com and we'd be happy to speak with you further to resolve the issues you're experiencing. AD Austin D. Owner and Founding Attorney Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Unmatched Practice Management Software with Crucial Features not Offered by Competitors " May 18, 2022 5.0 After extensive research and use of other practice management software at other firms, when I hung my own shingle I decided that ZolaSuite was the software my firm needed. I've never regretted my choice and have been a happy customer now for over two years. Pros The best features of ZolaSuite for my firm is it's integration with Google Business for email, the fact that it has full-accounting including three-way reconciliation, its time keeping and billing features, and integration with law firm specific merchant services. I've tried Clio, which may be the closest competitor, and ZolaSuite beats their software, hands down. Cons The color scheme for read/unread emails in the Gmail integration could use different colors to more easily tell what emails are read or not read. Alternatives considered [Clio](https://www.capterra.com/p/105428/Clio/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal ZolaSuite is superior to Clio in many ways and is the only practice management software with full law firm accounting. Review Source Response from CARET May 23, 2022 Austin, thank you so much for taking the time to review Zola Suite! We love hearing from happy customers like you. EA Eva A. P.A. Legal Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Zola Helps Greatly with Productivity" May 19, 2021 5.0 Zola has definitely made billing and invoicing much more efficient. Not just for us, but also for the client. Being able to easily pay their invoices has been very helpful. Also, Zola has a variety of reports you can run to see all aspects of your firm's financial and billing records. There are so many reports which you can create to determine how your company is being run. Pros The customer service is excellent. Sometimes a software can be good, but if the customer service is not as good or better, it can make working with it more difficult. I have always had great customer support whenever calling Zola, and I called a lot at the beginning of the software implementation. I don't call as often now, but I know when I do call, I will get the same customer support as I did when I called more often. The Customer Support team is very good! Cons In the Documents section, there is no way to easily blackline documents and keep newer versions. Zola's software does not recognize the newer versions of documents. I'm hoping they will change this in the future. Alternatives considered [Clio](https://www.capterra.com/p/105428/Clio/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal The reports aspect of Zola played a big part in making the determination to switch to Zola. Switched from [8am MyCase](https://www.capterra.com/p/115613/MyCase/) MyCase was extremely inefficient, and the lack of reports made it difficult to work with. Review Source Response from CARET May 27, 2021 Hi, Eva. Thank you for your feedback. We're thrilled to hear that Zola Suite has helped your practice become more productive. Within Zola's document management section, you can upload new versions of documents and the current version number will appear on the right of the document's name (example: "Ver 5"). By simply clicking on the version number, you will see every version that was uploaded along with which team member made the update to the document, when it was updated and if it was indexed. You also have the ability to make a past version of the document the most "current" version. We understand that you'd like the ability to blackline documents. This isn't currently available in Zola Suite but a document comparison feature is on our development roadmap. We'll be sure to update you when it is released. Joseph M. Associate Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Agrxis Review on CARET Legal" May 19, 2023 5.0 I've been using CARET Legal for a while, and I must say that overall, I've had an excellent experience. It was clear to me as soon as I began using the program that CARET Legal was developed with the requirements of legal practitioners in mind. It is quite simple to navigate and use all of the functionalities it offers because to the user-friendly features and straightforward interface. The wide variety of features, including case management, document organization, time tracking, and billing, have significantly increased my practice's effectiveness and organization. There is no longer a need for various software programs, and the likelihood of mistakes and inconsistencies has decreased thanks to the smooth integration of these elements into a single platform. Additionally, whenever I've needed advice or had issues, the quick and helpful customer care staff has been a great help. Overall, CARET Legal has surpassed my expectations by giving me a complete and dependable solution to efficiently run my law firm. Any legal professional looking to improve efficiency and optimize their process should definitely consider using it. Pros I'm over the moon with CARET Legal! The way I run my law firm has been completely revolutionized by this all-encompassing software. The software's straightforward and user-friendly layout, which has made navigating and using it a breeze, is one of its major characteristics in my opinion. My efficiency and production have greatly increased as a result of the wide variety of tools and features it provides. CARET Legal can handle everything, from case management and document organization to time tracking and billing. I'm not forced to manage several platforms or struggle with manual tasks anymore. My process has been streamlined, and I have gained valuable time thanks to the smooth integration of all these functions into a single, coherent system. Cons So far I have no complains about CARET Legal Review Source Response from CARET May 23, 2023 Joseph, thank you so much for your wonderful review of CARET Legal! We love hearing from happy customers like you and we're thrilled to see that our platform has helped your firm become more efficient and organized. Kit C. Managing Partner Legal Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Best overall in case management software, but has minor UI annoyances" September 15, 2019 5.0 After using Clio, MyCase, and PracticePanther at various points in my career (and testing CosmoLex and RocketMatters most recently when opening a new firm), none of the CMS programs on the market have come close to ZolaSuite's comprehensive functionality. Having the ability to do not just case management and billing, but complete firm accounting/reconciliation is a godsend. The integrated CRM in the Enterprise Plus tier is fantastic - no need to have an outside CRM that may or may not fully integrate with your CMS. The email feature is the clencher - having an actual, FULL email inbox that syncs with Gsuite email makes keeping case-related correspondence a snap. Pros Robust program that covers everything from case management to client lead intake to comprehensive firm accounting. Easy to use and navigate for the most part. Integrated CRM and FULL accounting of all operating and trust accounts with triple reconciliation keeps the entire process streamlined and accessible without having to utilize a dozen different programs and hoping nothing falls through the cracks. Cons Has minor UI issues that can be annoying, particularly the inability to active a full subscription without going through a multi-step process involving both the sales department and support team at Zola. This should be a "click here, pick your plan, enter your payment method" process with no need to have it "activated" by the company before being able to use it. That being said, there are some additional features that I would love to see Zola add/integrate/improve ASAP (which I am sending to Zola as suggestions for future improvements). If these features were incorporated, ZolaSuite would certainly be a category killer and rapidly take over the entire market, but they are not "dealbreaker" items as far as I'm concerned for overall ratings. Alternatives considered [PracticePanther Legal Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/140231/PracticePanther-Legal-Software/)[CosmoLex](https://www.capterra.com/p/18931/CosmoLex/)[8am MyCase](https://www.capterra.com/p/115613/MyCase/)[Rocket Matter](https://www.capterra.com/p/82112/Rocket-Matter/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal After using Clio, MyCase, and PracticePanther at various points in my career (and testing CosmoLex and RocketMatters most recently when opening a new firm), none of the CMS programs on the market have come close to ZolaSuite's comprehensive functionality. Having the ability to do not just case management and billing, but complete firm accounting/reconciliation is a godsend. The integrated CRM in the Enterprise Plus tier is fantastic - no need to have an outside CRM that may or may not fully integrate with your CMS. The email feature is the clencher - having an actual, FULL email inbox that syncs wtih Gsuite email makes keeping case-related correspondence a snap. Switched from [Clio](https://www.capterra.com/p/105428/Clio/) Clio, despite dominating the market, is clunky and lacking in some incredibly basic functionality, plus they have basically stopped making internal feature additions and now rely upon third-party integrations almost completely, making the overall cost to have a truly full-spectrum software solution cost-prohibitive. Review Source CO Christian O. Partner Law Practice Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Cloud-based practice management" May 18, 2022 5.0 Pros Built-in accounting was important and Zola's accounting features are excellent, though we'd occasionally like to be able to customize reports. Even so, we can get the info we need. Time entry is easy and set up to facilitate completeness. The automatic time entry windows help us not to lose time. Matters management is simple and flexible. Document upload and management is good, with features to avoid duplication, track versions, view documents easily, automatic OCR, integration with Word. Email handling and the ability to associate emails with matters is good. but the change from server-based management comes with Cons Some of the issues are simply the result of being a web-based program, so navigating and using requires people to change habits, and some features of local server-based management are not available. OCR is not always consistent - some documents that OCR in a local pdf editing app do not seem to OCR on Zola. Wish list: a plug-in to permit creation of a spreadsheet in Excel and direct upload to Zola like the Word plug-in; Outlook shared calendar integration so the entire firm calendar would synch with the shared Microsoft Exchange Outlook calendar; an invite mechanism like Outlook; the ability to save all email attachments at once to a matter folder; the ability to move documents from a matter to another matter subfolder; the ability to change the document menu from white lettering on grey to black lettering on white; the ability to import V-cards; icon notification of email receipt; document searching by date created/modified Reason for choosing CARET Legal Integrated accounting; cost; ease of time-keeping; cloud-based Switched from [PCLaw](https://www.capterra.com/p/228264/PCLaw/) PCLaw is cumbersome and the accounting is a nightmare Review Source Response from CARET May 31, 2022 Christian, thank you for taking the time to share your experience with Zola Suite as well as your wish list. We always welcome feature requests and enhancements that will greatly improve our platform. We're working on some enhancements to OCR and we're discussing the ability to customize reports with our product team. Stay tuned! KG Katherine G. Attorney Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Intuitive and useful software for managing a law practice" May 10, 2021 5.0 We are solving matters falling through the cracks. We are able to save all emails to the file and organize documents in a centralized spot. Documents can be organized into specific categories. The accounting feature allows employees and supervisors to track progress and productivity. Invoices are sent directly from the platform to the email address on file for the client. The client portal allows clients to upload files directly. Payments made by clients are reconciled immediately. Matters are managed and tracked from a single place. The time keeping functions are helpful, i.e. tracking phone call and email lengths, with the option to auto-create a tyime entry. This is great product for solo and small firms. Pros The support staff is incredibly knowledgeable and quick to respond to any inquiries. If a feature is missing, they are quick to fix or add it. Billing is quick and easy, as is jumping to various matters. The calendar syncs to other calendar apps, making scheduling accurate. The reporting feature shows many different metrics of productivity. You can email directly from a matter and create a time entry, making accurate billing easy. Client demographics are saved and can be imported into new matters. The software detects email from case related contacts. Form documents can be added as templates that are auto-filled. The interface is nice looking and intuitive. Their customer service is unmatched. Client and admin functions are outstanding. It also integrates with Law Pay. You get exactly what they tell you you're doing to get. There are so many features, I'm sure we are actually underutilizing the platform. The mobile app is very easy to use and has all of the relevant features. Cons The task feature is helpful for remembering deadlines and setting reminders, but does not send alerts when a task becomes due or overdue. Sometimes there is a delay between an email being received in my inbox and showing in Zola. Email glitches happen with some regularity. There is no ability to pop emails out in a separate window. When we have had an issue in the past, Zola has been fast to respond and resolve the issue. They have added functions and features based on our requests. There are bugs, but they work hard to correct them. Alternatives considered [Clio](https://www.capterra.com/p/105428/Clio/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal The customer service on Zola is unmatched. Review Source Response from CARET May 17, 2021 Hi Katherine, we're glad to hear that Zola Suite helps you manage your practice in a more efficient way. In regards to Zola's task feature, users who assign a task to another member of their team have the ability to receive an alert when the task is completed or overdue. Those who were assigned the task will receive an email with the task description and due date, and if the assignee doesn't complete the task in time, it will display in the "Overdue" tab of the assignee's task list. In addition, Zola's email client supports the ability to pop emails out into a separate window when viewing and composing emails. Please reach out to our Support team if you have any questions. AM Andrew M. Controller Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The accountant's viewpoint." May 19, 2022 5.0 Intuitive and easy to use. Easy to onboard a new user. Very accommodating of accountant users as well as non-accountant users. Pros The most outstanding features are the ease of customizing the Chart of Accounts and the ability to make journal entries. "Forms-based" software packages tend to force the users into vendor-by-vendor expense entries, whereas there is a need to be able to turn a bank statement and a credit card statement into journal entries which greatly streamlines entry and and ensures reconciliation. Zola allows use of both the forms-based approach and the journal entry approach. Cons I am desperate for a journal entry identifier. The thing I am trying to accomplish is being able to look up a transaction, not the j/e identifier and then look up the j/e to see both sides of the entry. Reason for choosing CARET Legal This firm moved from a paper-based system to Zola. Review Source Response from CARET May 31, 2022 Hi, Andrew. Thank you so much for providing your feedback on Zola Suite. We're thrilled to hear how Zola has helped your firm become paperless. Regarding your note about journal entry identifiers, we have passed this request to our product team. Thank you for this recommendation. Jeffrey K. Member Attorney Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Practice Management System with Integrated Features " May 18, 2022 5.0 We've been with them for 4 years and Zola management is always working with us on solutions to make the system work better for our needs. Pros Everything you need for a matter is integrated into one fantastic page, which allows you to stay on top of everything. Cons I wish you could customize a home page for each matter to provide a smattering of information from other tabs. Alternatives considered [Clio](https://www.capterra.com/p/105428/Clio/) Reason for choosing CARET Legal We really liked the cloud based features and the email integration. Review Source Response from CARET May 23, 2022 Jeffrey, thank you so much for taking the time to review Zola Suite. We really appreciate your feedback. In regards to your comment about customizing a homepage for each matter, we do have Matterscapes, which allows you to create a customized view of all your matter records. You can filter matters by practice area, responsible attorney, open date or custom fields. You can also save these filters so you can efficiently manage your caseload at the click of a button. If you'd like to learn more about setting up Matterscapes for your firm, please reach out to our Support Team at support@zolasuite.com. AF Alex F. Attorney Legal Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Unreliable and slow but easy to navigate and has many features." April 14, 2023 1.0 Zola was acquired by another company a few months ago. It was rebranded into CaRET and turned into complete garbage - it simply doesn't work. Salespeople send messages trying to upsell their credit card processing services and new subscription plans. Email on desktop software or mobile app has not been working for over a week! Customer service is useless and sends generic messages asking to perform various steps - none of which work. They ruined a good practice management program. I will not renew and do not recommend anyone else who cares about their practice and profitability. Pros Easy to navigate and intuitive. Have lots of features and functions, such as bi-directional email integration, trust accounting, CRM, billing, time tracking, etc. Cons Overall, the program is very slow and takes time to perform most tasks. Limits the number of credit cards you can sync with your bank; limits the billing/bulk options under certain plans; accounting module is very basic and light ages behind QuickBooks; CRM lacks depth and functionality of other CRMs. Reason for choosing CARET Legal I initially selected Zola for its price and ease of use. The software was relatively slow, but at least it worked. Review Source Response from CARET April 21, 2023 Hi Alex. We're truly sorry to hear about your experience with CARET Legal. We'd love to help you with the issues you're facing regarding email, billing and accounting and overall performance. Please reach out to our support team at support@zolasuite.com and we'd be happy to speak with you further to resolve the issues you're experiencing. GN Gary N. Lawyer Law Practice Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Caret should not be in this space" January 9, 2024 3.0 Over the years, the software utility has declined. Pros It was a good product when there was customer support. They no longer offer decent customer support. Taking 5 days to add a new employee is inexcusable. It impedes my buisness Cons Customer support has been outsourced to offshore. They also started using a VoIP solution, but a cheap one making it very difficult to hear and understand that tech on the line. Moreover, they make it difficult to even reach a tech person and when you do, they are lazy and sometimes, just plain defiant. For example, I asked them to add a new employee recently, and was directed to watch videos. I replied that if I could have done it myself, I would have. They should not be in this space and I dont plan to stay with them after this. Reason for choosing CARET Legal When I purchased it years ago, they provided really good customer support. Switched from [Amicus Attorney](https://www.capterra.com/p/80199/Amicus-Attorney/) Amicus was not cloud based. When they attempted to go cloud based, it was a disaster. Review Source Response from CARET January 10, 2024 Hi Gary, we're very sorry to hear that your experience with CARET Legal is not living up to your expectations. We will be sure to pass along this feedback to our team and use it to continuously improve our customer experience. JA Jennifer A. Attorney - Solo Law Practice Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Problems Never Seem to End" May 25, 2021 3.0 Overall - Be very careful before going Zola Suite. It's not a panacea. I'm currently looking into other programs that may be a bit more expensive, simply because Zolasuite has made me lose too much client chargeable time dealing with all their random quirks. I'm a solo practitioner and, literally, time is money for me. I don't have an IT department to deal with the growing pains that Zola Suite is making their users experience. Pros Robust all-in-one package, which makes it very unique in the law practice management sphere. Very reasonably priced for the functionality. Relatively easy to use once you get past the learning curve. US-based support that is very responsive (more on that below). Cons Where do I begin?! I have had nothing but problems since the beginning - and I've only been using it for about 4 months. I prepaid for a year and now I regret it. I wanted an all-in-one reasonably priced software that includes CRM, accounting/billing, and time tracking without having to integrate with other apps. However, the program is a bit slow and clunky (I have a new laptop, so it's not the specs of the laptop). At one point I could not access Ad--be pdf files, and I was on with support for about 3 hours trying to get it fixed. Turns out - they never saw this before. They fixed it, but it cost me 3 hours of client chargeable time. Next issue was billing. Apparently, I had to SET UP bulk billing (which is free), if I wanted bulk billing. No one actually told me that through the whirlwind of training I initially received. First month I sent manual bills - no biggie. Next month, I had my web developer set it up on the back end as instructed. Turns out we ran into problems. BIG PROBLEMS. First, emails wouldn't go out b/c ONE client didn't have an email address. Their response - just add a dummy email. So I put in a dummy address - result: emails with invoices were sent to the clients, BUT they had NO ACCESS TO PAY ONLINE via email link. I spent hours with them to deal with the various billing matters. Again - their response - we've never had this issue before. FINALLY - they removed Enterprise access to edit documents within Zola WITHOUT notifying me. Review Source Response from CARET June 1, 2021 Hi Jennifer. Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're very sorry to hear about your negative experiences. We recognize that transitioning to a new platform can be challenging but we strive to make the process efficient and seamless whether you're a solo practitioner or a member of a 200-user firm. In reviewing your feedback, it seems that many of these issues could have been resolved with more comprehensive training and better communication during the onboarding process. We have shared this feedback with our dedicated onboarding and training team, and a member of our senior leadership team will be in touch to make sure you are configured for success with Zola moving forward. Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Law Practice Management](https://www.capterra.com/law-practice-management-software/)[Trust Accounting](https://www.capterra.com/trust-accounting-software/)[Legal Billing](https://www.capterra.com/legal-billing-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.