# Compass by WattReach: the full text > Compass by WattReach is legal practice management software for small and mid-size law firms, with the firm's website and lead management built in. It also covers case management, court notices, a law library with cited AI answers, billing, reports and encrypted backups. The words of each page of https://rulng.com, the site of Compass by WattReach, in the order of https://rulng.com/llms.txt. Each page starts with its address. ## Compass by WattReach URL: https://rulng.com/ **Practice management that starts before the phone rings.** One complete system, from the first search to the final hearing: your online presence, every lead, deep integration with the courts [1], and secure cloud storage for every file [2]. Built so small and mid-size firms work with the reach of a large one. Set up with you, your website included. Pricing is built to order. [1] The court notices your attorneys forward, filed on the right matter as they arrive, with a step to enter each new hearing date. One state's courts today. [2] Every record and document encrypted and backed up each night, and your Google Drive too where Drive backup is on. ### Website: Built for AI answers - **Asked what your clients ask.** ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude get the questions your clients ask. - **Named, or not.** How often each one names your firm, against its usual. - **The openings.** Questions answered without you, and the page that would answer them. ### Leads: Every form, tap and message - **One inbox.** Forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages, each with where it came from. - **Spam held for review.** Never mixed in with real inquiries. - **A nudge when a lead waits.** Its owner hears once office hours start. ### Cases: Clients, matters, phases - **The whole file.** Matters, phases, tasks, documents and money. - **Your own phases.** Each matter moves through the steps your firm names. - **Owed, at a glance.** Quoted, paid and owed, on the file. ### Court: Notices read and filed - **Filed on the right matter.** Each court notice, matched by case number and court, in the court's own words. [1] - **A step for each hearing.** Someone who read the notice enters the new date. - **Nothing filed on a guess.** A notice Compass cannot place waits for a person. [1] The court notices your attorneys forward, filed on the right matter as they arrive, with a step to enter each new hearing date. One state's courts today. ### Law library: Answers with citations - **Starts from your files.** The charges you have open, most-charged first. [3] - **Every point cited.** Each number opens the source it rests on. - **Official sources only.** A repealed section is marked, never linked. [3] One state's law today. ### Billing: Payment links, recorded - **Payment links.** Where LawPay is set up, sent from the client's file or the list. - **Payments record themselves.** Paid by link lands on the file. - **Asked for, not paid.** What is owed, firm-wide, in one number. ### Backup: Drive, encrypted, kept - **Every night, encrypted.** Every record and document in Compass, backed up each night. - **Your Drive, too.** Where Drive backup is on, it copies your Drive as it changes and keeps old versions for the time your firm chooses. - **Read back every week.** The Drive copy is checked, not assumed. **Seven modules, one sign-in** The website, leads, cases, court, the law library, billing and backup, in one system. **In English and Spanish** Every staff screen is in English and Spanish, and each person chooses their own. **On a phone** Compass runs in the phone's browser, with nothing to install. **No passwords** Nobody in your firm sees anything their role does not allow, and nobody signs in with a password. ### From the first search to the final hearing. One firm's day in Compass, told by the clock. A search becomes a lead, a lead becomes a client, a court notice lands on its matter, and a quote becomes a payment. Choose a time to see its screen. ### 11:06 PM The website Someone asks Gemini what happens after an arrest. Your site is written to be the page that answer cites. ### 11:52 PM Leads The form arrives with where it came from. Spam is held for review, and the lead's owner is nudged when office hours start. ### 3:00 AM Backup Every record and document in Compass is encrypted and backed up overnight, and the firm's Drive with it where that is on. ### 6:10 AM Court A hearing notice from the court is filed on the right matter, and becomes a step for someone to enter the new date. [1] [1] The court notices your attorneys forward, filed on the right matter as they arrive, with a step to enter each new hearing date. One state's courts today. ### 9:30 AM Cases The file opens on what matters: the next hearing, the matter's phase, the tasks and what is owed. ### 10:15 AM Law library The elements of the charge, read from official sources, each point with its citation. [3] [3] One state's law today. ### 4:30 PM Billing Where LawPay is set up, the payment link goes out at noon. The payment lands and records itself on the client's file. ### Built first for criminal defense People look for a defense lawyer at night and on weekends. Compass takes every form and phone tap from your site at any hour, nudges the lead's owner once office hours start, files each court notice on the right case, and links a charge to its law library entry where the library has one. The court features and the library cover one state today. - Criminal defense - Estate planning - Family law - Elder law ### Built to order, set up with you #### Built to order. Every build includes your website, lead management and analytics, Google Business Profile tracking, and cloud backup. How pricing works. #### Set up with you. WattReach sets Compass up with your firm: your site, your practice's phases, your people and their roles, and your existing client records brought across. ### Security, in one paragraph Every record, and every document uploaded to Compass, is encrypted and backed up each night. Nobody in your firm sees anything their role does not allow, nobody signs in with a password, and each person can add two-factor sign-in. A client's file can be limited to chosen groups of your people, and every open of it is recorded. The plain-words version is on the security page. ### Questions Q: What is Compass by WattReach? A: Compass by WattReach is legal practice management software for small and mid-size law firms, with the firm's website and lead management built in. It also covers case management, court notices, a law library with cited AI answers, billing, reports and encrypted backups. Q: Which legal software includes a website? A: Compass by WattReach includes the firm's own website in every build, built and hosted by WattReach and edited from Compass. Many practice management products leave the website to a separate designer or agency, and Clio offers a website builder on its top tier. Q: Who is Compass for? A: Compass by WattReach is for small and mid-size law firms that want one system for getting clients and running their matters. It is built first for criminal defense, and it serves estate planning, family law and elder law practices too. Q: How much does Compass cost? A: Compass by WattReach is built to order: each firm gets a quote after a walkthrough, based on its sites, its users, the integrations it needs and the size of its backups. Every build includes the website, lead management and analytics, Google Business Profile tracking and cloud backup. Q: Is our client data safe in Compass? A: Compass by WattReach protects client data with encrypted nightly backups, roles that deny access by default, sign-in without passwords, and two-factor sign-in for anyone who turns it on. A client's file can also be limited to chosen groups, and every open of it is recorded. The security page sets it out in plain words. Q: How do we get started with Compass by WattReach? A: To start with Compass by WattReach, book a walkthrough: WattReach shows Compass with a sample firm like yours, then quotes a build and sets it up with you. ### A walkthrough shows Compass with a sample firm set up like yours. ## Law firm management software URL: https://rulng.com/product/ **One system, from the first search to the final hearing** How the parts of Compass by WattReach fit together: the website people find, the leads it brings, the matters they become, and the courts, library, billing, reports and backups around them. ### Practice management with the front door built in Compass by WattReach is legal practice management with the firm's website and lead management built in, one system from a stranger's first search to the client's final hearing. Leads, clients, matters and reports read the same records, so a lead becomes a client through one form, and the reports count what happened. ### One client, start to finish - 1 **Found.** Someone asks an AI assistant or searches, and finds your website or your Google profile. - 2 **Reaches out.** The form, the phone tap or, where set up, the answering-service message lands in lead management, with where it came from. - 3 **Checked and booked.** Your staff run a conflict check against every client and past lead, then book the consultation. - 4 **Retained.** One form turns the lead into a client file, with its fee and first payment (billing). - 5 **In court.** The court notices your attorneys forward are filed on the matter, each new hearing raises a step to enter its date, and the firm is reminded before each hearing on its calendar (court integration). - 6 **Researched.** The charges link to the law library, where the client's state is covered, and the file asks it about this client's own sections. - 7 **Kept informed.** Where the portal is switched on, the client sees their next date in the portal. - 8 **Counted.** The Monday report shows where the inquiry came from and how fast the firm answered. ### The parts #### AI search a website built to be read and quoted in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Google. #### Website built in, on your own domain, edited from the page. #### Lead management forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, spam held, a nudge when one waits, the source of each. #### Google profile and local search your rating, review count and place in the map results, watched. #### Case management one file per client, with phases, custom fields, tasks, documents and the calendar. #### Court integration the court notices your attorneys forward, filed on the right matter; one state's courts today. #### Law library your state's statutes, jury instructions and case law, and AI answers that power your case intelligence, every point cited; one state today. #### Billing payments recorded, payment links where LawPay is set up, and invoices in your firm's own design where switched on. #### Client portal built to show the client's case and next date; switched on per firm. #### Backup and security encrypted nightly backups, optional Drive backup, roles that deny by default. #### Reports every Monday, plus your place in Google and in AI answers. ### On a phone, and in Spanish #### On a phone. Nine screens have a phone layout, including Waypoint, leads, client files, the calendar and court notices. Compass runs in the phone's browser, with nothing to install. #### In Spanish. Every staff screen is in English and Spanish, and each person chooses their own. A lead from a Spanish page gets its confirmation in Spanish, and invoices can go out in English or Spanish. The client portal is in English only. ### Set up with you Compass is built to order. WattReach builds your website, sets up your practice's phases and fields, gives your people their roles, and brings your existing client records across. How pricing works. ### Questions Q: How do the parts of Compass by WattReach fit together? A: Compass by WattReach is one system: the website brings inquiries into lead management, a retained lead becomes a client file in case management, and court notices land on its matters. The law library, the portal and the reports work from the same records. Q: What does all-in-one law firm software include? A: All-in-one law firm software keeps intake, clients, matters, calendars, documents and billing in one system instead of several. Compass by WattReach adds the firm's website, its Google profile tracking and its search and AI reports to that list. Q: Does Compass replace our website and our case management software? A: Yes, Compass by WattReach takes the place of a separate website, intake tool and case management system, but it does not do trust accounting, court-rule deadlines, e-signatures or a running timer. Keep your accounting software for the trust account. Q: Does Compass work on a phone? A: Yes, Compass by WattReach has a phone layout for nine screens, including Waypoint, leads, client files, the calendar and court notices, and it runs in the phone's browser with nothing to install. Q: Is Compass available in Spanish? A: Yes, every staff screen of Compass by WattReach is available in English and Spanish, and each person on the team chooses their own language. The client portal is in English only. Q: How do we move our existing clients into Compass? A: WattReach loads your existing client records into Compass by WattReach during setup, by script or from your Drive folder names; there is no import button to run yourself. ### Book a walkthrough and we will follow one sample client from the first search to the next hearing. ## Law firm SEO for Google and AI answers URL: https://rulng.com/features/ai-search/ **A website built to be the answer** When someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Claude for a lawyer, or reads Google's AI answer at the top of the results, Compass by WattReach works to make your firm's pages the ones those answers read, quote and cite. ### Read, quoted and cited Compass by WattReach builds each firm's website to be read and quoted by AI answer engines as well as ranked by Google: every site publishes llms.txt, ai.txt and structured data that matches what each page shows, and new, changed and removed pages are sent to Bing and the other IndexNow engines within the hour. Compass asks the AI engines the questions set up for your practice and records whether they name your firm. It also drafts answers from your own pages to the questions people ask AI about your line of work, for an approver at your firm to add to a page and publish. ### What you get #### Files for AI tools. llms.txt lists every page in your sitemap, and the build fails if one is missing. ai.txt and robots.txt follow three switches you control: search engines, AI assistants that answer questions, and AI companies that train models. #### Structured data that matches the page. Your firm, your attorneys and your questions and answers are marked up only where the page shows them, and the build fails on markup the page does not show. The directory profiles you confirm are listed as the firm's other profiles. #### Answers to the questions people ask AI. Compass gathers the questions people put to ChatGPT and Google's AI answers about your line of work, drafts answers using only what your pages say, and checks each draft against those pages. An approver at your firm edits it and adds it to the right page, and it goes live when they publish. #### Sent to Bing within the hour. New, changed and removed pages are sent to Bing and the other IndexNow engines within the hour, and your sitemap goes to Google every night. #### Checked every night. Search health reads your site's hosts, robots file, sitemap, llms.txt and structured data, and checks every page in the sitemap against Google's index. ### What the AI engines say about you Compass asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Mode and Google's AI Overviews the questions set up for your practice, and records whether each names your firm, which of your pages it cites, and where it sends people instead. Visits that arrive from 12 AI assistants are counted, and a lead that comes from one carries that source. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass WattReach builds the site, and your team edits it in Compass (website). A lead an AI assistant sends lands in lead management with that source attached. The directory profiles you confirm in local search join the site's structured data, and what the AI engines say about you arrives in your reports. ### Questions Q: How does a law firm show up in ChatGPT and other AI answers? A: A law firm is more likely to show up in AI answers when its pages answer clients' questions plainly, carry structured data that matches the page, and are open to AI assistants. Compass by WattReach builds every site with structured data that matches the page, drafts answers for the firm to approve, and tracks which AI answers name the firm. Q: Which AI engines does Compass track? A: Compass by WattReach tracks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Mode and Google's AI Overviews for the questions set up for your practice. Q: Does every Compass site have an llms.txt file? A: Yes, every Compass by WattReach site publishes an llms.txt that lists every page in its sitemap, and the build fails if a page is missing from it. The site also publishes an ai.txt that follows your AI settings. Q: Can we let AI assistants quote our site but tell AI companies not to train on it? A: Yes, Compass by WattReach has one switch for whether AI assistants may read and quote your site and another for whether AI companies may train on it, and your site's robots.txt and ai.txt follow them. Training is allowed unless you turn it off. Q: Does Compass write content for our site? A: Compass by WattReach drafts answers to the questions people ask AI assistants, using only what your pages already say, and nothing is published until someone at your firm approves it and adds it to a page. Q: Can Compass guarantee that AI engines will recommend our firm? A: No, nobody can guarantee an AI recommendation, and Compass by WattReach does not. It makes your site easy to read and cite, and shows you where you stand. ### Before the walkthrough, ask ChatGPT or Gemini who handles your kind of case in your town. Book a walkthrough, and we will show you how Compass reads those answers, and what it would change on your site. ## Law firm website design, built in URL: https://rulng.com/features/website/ **Your firm's website, built in** Compass by WattReach builds your site and runs it, and your team edits it from the page itself. ### The site is part of the system Every Compass build includes the firm's own website, built for the firm on Astro and served as static pages on the firm's own domain. Your team changes words, photos and answers from Compass or from the live page, and every publish runs the same 18 checks, and a page that fails one does not go out. ### What you get #### 18 checks on every build. Titles and descriptions, alt text on every image, page dates that change only when the words do, links, redirects, the security policy, and more. A page that fails does not ship. #### Edits from the page itself. From any page of your site, your team opens it for editing in Compass, previews how it will look in Google, and publishes. Each page keeps its history, and any change can be undone. #### Publishing on your schedule. Set a change to go live at a date and time up to a year ahead. It goes out within five minutes of that time, never before. #### Spanish, paired page for page. Spanish pages sit beside their English ones, and the build fails if a pair stops pointing at each other. #### Static, and watched. Pages are built ahead of time and served as static files, so there is little to load, and Compass shows each site's speed for real visitors on phones and computers. The home page is checked every five minutes, and a site that fails twice in a row calls WattReach. ### Read by AI assistants too How AI assistants read, quote and cite this same site is on the AI search page. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass A form on the site files its inquiry in Compass with the first page the person saw and the site, ad or campaign that sent them (lead management). The site is where the drafted answers to people's AI questions are published (AI search), and it carries the directory profiles you confirm (local search). ### Questions Q: Does Compass by WattReach include a website? A: Yes, every Compass by WattReach build includes the firm's own website, which WattReach builds and hosts and your team edits from Compass. It is part of every build, not a separate subscription. Q: Can our staff edit the website? A: Yes, your team edits the words, images, menus and question-and-answer lists from Compass by WattReach or from the live page, and publishes when ready. Design changes are made by WattReach. Q: How is the website built and served? A: Each page of a Compass by WattReach site is built ahead of time and served as a static file, so there is little to load. Compass measures each site's speed for real visitors and shows it on the Site health screen. Q: Can the site have Spanish pages? A: Yes, a Compass by WattReach site can carry Spanish pages paired with their English ones, and a build check keeps every pair linked. Leads from a Spanish page get their confirmation email in Spanish. Q: Does the site use our own domain? A: Yes, a Compass by WattReach site runs on the firm's own domain. ### Bring your current site to the walkthrough. We will show you what WattReach would keep and fix in it, and how your team would edit it. Book a walkthrough. ## Law firm CRM and lead management URL: https://rulng.com/features/lead-management/ **Forms, phone taps and call messages in one inbox** Compass by WattReach gathers the inquiries from your site, and from your answering service where it is set up. It holds spam for review, shows where each lead came from, and nudges the lead's owner when one waits. ### One inbox for new inquiries Compass is a legal CRM built around one inbox: website forms, taps on your phone number and your answering service's messages about calls arrive there, and an inquiry from your site carries the first page the person saw and the site, ad or campaign that sent them. Your staff run the conflict check, book the consultation and turn a retained lead into a client file with one form. ### What you get #### Spam held, never deleted. Each form is checked against public block lists that refresh every night, rules for the spam law firms get, the senders your team has blocked, and an AI reading of what it says. A flagged lead is held for review, and one click releases it. Every night the filter is replayed against your team's own decisions, and WattReach is alerted if it would have held a real client. #### Speed to lead. A new lead nobody has answered after 15 office minutes nudges its owner, and at 60 office minutes the lead's backup owner is copied. The Monday report shows the firm's typical time to a first reply. #### Where your leads come from. The first page a person saw, the site, ad or campaign that sent them, a tagged link from your Google profile, the answer to "how did you hear about us", and arrivals from 12 AI assistants, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity. #### A drafted reply on every lead. Compass drafts a first reply and a one-line summary with the urgency. Compass never sends the draft itself; a person does. #### Checked every five minutes. Anything that reached the firm but did not become a lead raises an alert at WattReach within five minutes, and a failed delivery is retried on the same clock. ### From inquiry to client From the lead, run a conflict check: Compass searches the caller, the person the matter is about and any other parties against every client, archived ones too, and every past lead, and records the result. A match with a file the person running the check cannot open shows as one line, without its name, and the check cannot be recorded clear while that line stands. Book the consultation, mark the lead retained, and one form turns it into a client file. ### Lead analytics See which pages, sites and AI assistants bring your leads. Journeys shows the paths people took through your site before they reached out. The Monday report counts new inquiries, where they came from, spam held, and each attorney's leads and retained clients. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass Leads come from your website, the AI answers and searches that send people to it, and your Google profile. A retained lead becomes a client file in case management without retyping. The Monday report shows how fast the firm answered and each attorney's leads, quotes and retained clients. ### Questions Q: What should a law firm intake system do? A: A law firm intake system should catch every inquiry, answer it quickly, check for conflicts, book the consultation, and carry the details into the client's file without retyping. Compass by WattReach gathers form, phone-tap and answering-service inquiries in one inbox, nudges the owner when one waits, lets your staff run the conflict check, and turns a retained lead into a client file. Q: Is Compass a legal CRM? A: Yes, Compass by WattReach is a legal CRM: it tracks every lead from first contact to retained client, with its source, owner, conflict check and follow-up. The same system then runs the client's matters. Q: Does Compass answer leads automatically? A: Only if the firm turns automatic replies on; otherwise Compass by WattReach drafts a reply for each lead and a person decides whether to send it. Automatic replies exist for each channel and stay off until the firm turns them on. Q: How does Compass handle spam? A: Compass by WattReach holds a suspected spam inquiry for review instead of deleting it, and one click releases it. The filter combines public block lists, rules for the spam law firms get, the senders your team has blocked, and an AI reading of each form. Q: Does Compass record or track phone calls? A: No, Compass by WattReach does not record calls or use tracking numbers. It counts taps on the phone number on your site, with the page and source that led to each tap, and where set up, it files the messages your answering service sends about calls. Q: Can intake run in Spanish? A: Yes, a lead from a Spanish page of a Compass by WattReach site gets its confirmation email in Spanish, and each person on your team can use Compass in English or Spanish. ### Book a walkthrough and we will show you a sample firm's inbox, from the first inquiry to the retained client. ## Local SEO and Google reviews for lawyers URL: https://rulng.com/features/local-search/ **Your Google profile and local rank, watched for you** Compass by WattReach reads your Google rating, review count and the reviews Google shares every night, measures where you stand in the map results, and keeps track of the directory profiles that tell search engines who you are. ### What people see before they call In a local search, Google shows the map results and each firm's profile above the ordinary links, often before anyone sees a website. Compass watches your profile for you: your rating and review count every night, new reviews the night they appear, and your place in the map results against the firms around you. ### What you get #### Your rating, every night. Compass records your Google rating and review count daily and tells your team when a new review appears. #### A falling rating noticed early. A one-to-three-star review, or a rating that drops a tenth of a point within 30 days, alerts WattReach. #### Your place in the map results. Compass reads the map results for the searches set up for your practice: who holds the three places, their ratings, Google's top twenty local results, and how many reviews each rival gained. #### Fourteen directories and social profiles, tracked. Compass finds your profiles on Justia, Avvo, Super Lawyers, FindLaw, Martindale-Hubbell, Lawyers.com, LawInfo, Best Lawyers, Cornell LII, Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. You confirm each one, and Compass adds it to your site's structured data. #### A review request from the file. Ask a client for a Google review with one press from their file, or edit the message first. The file records that they were asked. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass Tagged links from your Google profile show up as the source on the leads they bring. Your website carries the profiles you confirm, so search engines and AI assistants can tie them to your firm. The reports put your map results beside your search rankings and your AI answers. ### Questions Q: Does Compass manage our Google Business Profile? A: No, Compass by WattReach watches your Google Business Profile rather than editing it: it reads your rating and reviews every night and reports your place in the map results. Your team keeps posting, replying and setting hours in Google. Q: How often does Compass check our reviews? A: Compass by WattReach reads your Google rating and review count every night and tells your team when a new review appears. It keeps the daily numbers, so you can see the trend. Q: Can Compass show all of our Google reviews? A: No, Google shares a business's rating, its total review count and up to five reviews of its own choosing, and Compass by WattReach shows what Google shares. The rating and count are recorded every day. Q: What is the local pack, and why does it matter to a law firm? A: The local pack is the three map results Google shows above the ordinary links for a local search such as "defense attorney near me", and it matters because people can call a firm straight from it. That is why Compass by WattReach measures who holds those places. Q: Which directories does Compass track? A: Compass by WattReach tracks your profiles on 14 directories and social networks, including Justia, Avvo, Super Lawyers, FindLaw, Martindale-Hubbell, Lawyers.com and Yelp. It tracks them; it does not create or edit them. ### Book a walkthrough and we will show you a sample firm's Competition page, map results and all. ## Legal case management software URL: https://rulng.com/features/case-management/ **Case management, one file per client with every matter in it** Compass by WattReach keeps each client's matters, phases, tasks, documents, dates and payments in one file, so everyone at the firm works from the same record. ### One file per client Compass gives every client one file. Every matter inside it carries its own case number, court, charges or matter type, judge, dates and tasks, and the file holds the documents. Starting a phase sets out the steps your firm follows for that kind of matter, each with an owner and a due date, and every change says who made it. ### What you get #### Phases that run the checklist. Write the steps for each kind of matter once. Starting a phase gives each step an owner and a due date, and a step can wait for another or count back from the next court date and move when that date moves. Starter checklists come ready for criminal, estate and general practices. #### Your own fields. Add text, date, number, choice and yes-or-no fields to clients and matters. A date field can go straight onto the calendar. #### One calendar for the firm. Hearings, consultations, signings, meetings and your own date fields, on one calendar. Each person can subscribe to it from Google Calendar or Outlook, and it exports to Word, PDF and CSV. #### Tasks where the work is. One task list for the firm. Type @name in a note to tell a colleague, and add a day to make it their task. #### Documents on the file. Drag documents onto the client's file, or photograph them with a phone, and every change is logged. Each client's Google Drive folders can be linked from the file. ### The rest of the file - **Couples and families** can share one file, and each person is checked for conflicts. - **A client's file** can be limited to chosen security groups, and every open of it is recorded (security). - **Appointments**: consultations, signings and meetings, with reschedules, no-shows and monthly counts. - **Email** to the client goes from the file, and replies are filed back on it. - **Money** sits on the same file: the fee, the payments recorded against it and the balance (billing). - **The court's notices** are filed on the matter they belong to (court integration). ### How it connects to the rest of Compass A retained lead from lead management becomes the client file through one form. The court's notices arrive through court integration. A charge on a matter links to its law library entry when the library has one, and the file's Ask box looks first at this case's own sections. ### Questions Q: What is legal case management software? A: Legal case management software keeps each matter's dates, tasks, documents and history in one place for the whole firm. In Compass by WattReach it sits inside one file per client, beside the lead it came from and the payments recorded on it. Q: How does Compass keep a matter's steps on schedule? A: Compass by WattReach turns each phase of a matter into steps with an owner and a due date, and a step can count back from the next court date and move when that date moves. The firm is reminded before each hearing on its calendar, and Compass does not calculate court-rule deadlines. Q: Can we add our own fields to clients and matters? A: Yes, your firm can add text, date, number, choice and yes-or-no fields to clients and matters, and a date field can appear on the firm calendar. Q: Does Compass sync with Google Calendar or Outlook? A: Yes, one way: each person can subscribe to the Compass by WattReach calendar from Google Calendar or Outlook, and changes made there do not flow back into Compass. The calendar also exports to Word, PDF and CSV. Q: Can we run a conflict check in Compass? A: Yes, a conflict check from the lead searches the caller, the person the matter is about and any other parties against every client, archived ones too, and every past lead. The result is recorded on the lead. A match with a file the person running the check cannot open shows as one line, without its name, and the check cannot be recorded clear while that line stands. Q: Where are our documents kept? A: Documents uploaded to a client's file are kept in Compass by WattReach, encrypted at rest, with an encrypted backup every night. Your Google Drive stays in your Google account, linked from each client's file. ### Book a walkthrough and we will open a sample firm's matter, from its first phase to its next hearing. ## Court integration for law firms URL: https://rulng.com/features/court-integration/ **The court's notices, filed on the right matter for you** Compass by WattReach reads the court's e-filing notices as they arrive and files each one it can match on the matter it belongs to, in the court's own words. A hearing notice becomes a step for your staff to enter the new date. ### Deep integration with the courts Your attorneys have the court's e-filing system copy its notices to the firm's Compass address, and Compass files each one it can match on its matter by case number and court, and tells the attorney. A hearing notice becomes a step for your staff to enter the new date, the firm is reminded before each hearing on its calendar, and a notice Compass cannot place waits in "Needs a look" for a person. The court features read one state's e-filing notices and case pages today, and WattReach switches them on per firm. ### What you get #### Filed on the right matter. Each notice is matched by its case number and its court, so two cases with the same number in different courts are told apart. A notice Compass cannot place waits in "Needs a look" for a person, and nothing is filed on a guess. #### A step for each hearing notice. A notice of a hearing becomes a step on the matter to enter the new date, so the date reaches the calendar through a person who has read the notice. #### The court's case page, read from one paste. Paste a supported court's public case page onto a matter, and Compass reads the events, charges, pleas, outcomes, judge, fines and next date into the file. #### The judge is asked, not overwritten. When a notice names a different judge from the file, Compass asks a person whether to take the new name or keep the one on file. #### Reminders before hearings. Compass reminds the firm of upcoming hearings as many days ahead as you choose, of hearings that move, and of plea and sentencing hearings three business days ahead. ### Who hears what The attorney on the matter is told when a notice is filed. The firm chooses who receives every notice and who hears only about the ones Compass could not file. A notice about a case the firm does not have yet can open a new client file and matter when the case is the government against one person, and anything less clear goes to a person. If a firm's notices stop arriving on a weekday when they usually would have, WattReach is alerted that day. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass The notices land on the matters in case management, where phases can count their steps back from the next court date. The charges on those matters link to the law library where it has an entry, and where the firm has switched the client portal on, the client sees their next date there. ### Questions Q: How does Compass integrate with the courts? A: Each attorney sets the court's e-filing system to copy notices to the firm's Compass by WattReach address, and Compass files each one it can match on its matter by case number and court, in the court's own words. The attorney on the matter is told when it arrives. Q: Does Compass enter court dates automatically? A: No, Compass by WattReach does not enter court dates on its own: each hearing notice it files raises a step for your staff to enter the date, and pasting a supported court's public case page onto a matter reads in its next date. The firm is then reminded before each hearing on its calendar. Q: What happens when Compass cannot match a notice? A: A notice Compass by WattReach cannot place on a matter waits in "Needs a look" for a person, and nothing is filed on a guess. Q: Which courts does Compass work with? A: Compass by WattReach reads one state's court notice formats today, and the walkthrough confirms whether your courts use them. Q: What if the court's notices stop arriving? A: If a firm's court notices stop arriving on a weekday when they usually would have, WattReach is alerted that day. ### Compass reads one state's court notices and case pages today. Book a walkthrough, and we will confirm whether your courts use them before you decide anything. ## AI legal research with cited answers URL: https://rulng.com/features/law-library/ **Your state's law, with answers you can check** Your state's statutes, jury instructions and case law, and AI answers that power your case intelligence. Every point cites the source it rests on. Today the library covers one state, and the walkthrough shows which. ### Research that shows its work The law library in Compass by WattReach holds the statutes your clients are charged under, the elements of each offense from the official jury instructions, topic guides for estate and civil matters, and the appellate decisions that cite those sections. Ask it a question and the answer comes only from those sources, with every point linked to the text it rests on. It covers one state today, and a firm in another state gets no library answers. ### What you get #### Built from official text. Each statute's entry gives the elements of the offense from the official jury instructions, or the statute's own text where no instruction exists, and links to the legislature's published text. #### Cases checked before they are kept. A decision enters the library only when a public citation search finds it and the party names agree, and each summary is checked against the opinion's own words. New appellate decisions that cite a section in the library are added too. #### Answers that cite every point. Ask the library a question and each point in the answer names the entry and the source behind it. A point that names a statute, instruction or case the library does not hold is dropped, and the answer says what the library does not cover. #### On the case in front of you. The charges on a lead or a matter link to their library entries, and the client file asks the library about that client's own sections first. #### Your firm's own library. Upload your briefs, motions and forms, and an attorney approves each one. When you ask it a question, it keeps a point only when its quote appears word for word in your document, and it can draft from your approved templates in your firm's own style, as a Word file for review. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass The library follows the work: a charge on a lead or matter opens its entry, and the library is built first for the sections your firm sees most. It sits under the same roles as the rest of Compass, and the security page says where AI requests go. ### Questions Q: Can AI answer questions about my state's statutes? A: Compass by WattReach answers from one state's statutes, jury instructions and case law today, citing every point so you can open it and check; a firm in another state gets no library answers. It answers only from its library, and says so when the library does not cover a question. Q: How does Compass keep AI from inventing citations? A: Compass by WattReach answers only from sources it has already checked, and it drops any point that names a statute, instruction or case the library does not hold. Every remaining point links to its source, so read the source before relying on the point. Q: Where does the law in the library come from? A: The library is built from the state's published statutes, its official jury instructions, the state law library's topic guides, and appellate decisions confirmed through a public citation search. Each decision's summary is checked against the opinion's own text. Q: Does the library cover my state? A: The law library covers one state's law today, and the walkthrough tells you whether that state is yours. A firm elsewhere has the rest of Compass by WattReach, without library answers. Q: Can we add our firm's own documents? A: Yes, your firm can upload its own briefs, motions and forms, and an attorney approves each one before it is used. Answers from them keep a point only when its quote appears word for word in your document. ### Book a walkthrough and bring a question. We will ask the library in front of you. ## Legal billing software URL: https://rulng.com/features/billing/ **Invoices in your firm's own design, and each matter's fee and payments on the file** Compass by WattReach sends invoices in your firm's own design, in English or Spanish, where invoicing is switched on. Each matter's fee, payments and balance sit on the client's file. ### Billing that looks like your firm Where invoicing is switched on, Compass by WattReach sends invoices, estimates and recurring plans in your firm's own design, paid by card or bank transfer into the firm's own Stripe account. Separately, each client's file records the fee agreed on each matter, the payments recorded against it and what is still owed. Payments recorded by hand are marked trust or operating, and LawPay links, where set up, can deposit into either account. ### What you get #### Your firm's own invoice. Your design, your tax rates, reminders and statements, in English or Spanish for each client. #### Estimates and payment plans. Estimates, invoices and recurring plans, with autopay from a saved card and a backup card, paid into the firm's own Stripe account. #### The fee and payments on the file. Check, cash, card in the office or transfer, recorded on the lead or the client's file against the fee, with refunds and the balance owed. Totals by attorney and case type, and a ledger you can download. #### Payment links. Where LawPay is set up, send a link that deposits into the trust or the operating account. #### Hours and expenses on the invoice. Add hours at your rate, or expenses, and they carry onto that client's next invoice. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass Invoices live in Compass's billing screens, with their own list of the clients you bill. A payment taken at the consultation can be recorded on the lead, the matter's fee and payments sit on the client file, and the Monday report shows each attorney's leads, quotes and retained clients. ### Questions Q: Can clients pay online through Compass? A: Yes, clients can pay a Compass by WattReach invoice online by card or bank transfer where invoicing is switched on, or pay through a LawPay link where it is set up. Invoice payments go into the firm's own Stripe account. Q: Does Compass do trust accounting? A: No, Compass by WattReach marks payments recorded by hand as trust or operating, and LawPay links can deposit into either account, but it does not keep client trust ledgers or reconcile the trust account. Your trust ledger stays in your accounting software. Q: Does Compass track billable hours? A: Compass by WattReach records hours and expenses entered by hand for an invoicing client, at the rate you set, and carries them onto that client's next invoice. It has no running timer. Q: Can invoices go out in Spanish? A: Yes, each Compass by WattReach invoice goes out in English or Spanish, in your firm's own design. Q: Does Compass connect to QuickBooks? A: No, Compass by WattReach does not connect to QuickBooks directly. It exports invoices and payments as CSV files for your bookkeeper. ### Book a walkthrough and we will show you an invoice in a sample firm's own design in both languages, and a matter's fee and payments. ## Client portal for law firms URL: https://rulng.com/features/client-portal/ **Their next court date, without a phone call** The client portal in Compass by WattReach shows each client their attorney, their case, the next court date and whether they must appear, signed in with a code sent by email. ### The questions clients call about, answered Where WattReach switches the portal on for a firm, each client sees the cases on their file: the attorney, the case number and court, past dates and their outcomes, the next date with its place and whether they must appear, and any fines. Clients sign in with a six-digit code sent to the email on their file, so there is no password to forget. ### What you get #### The next date, plainly. When and where, and whether the client must appear. #### Every case in one place. A client with more than one case sees each one, open or closed, with its history. #### Only their own file. A sign-in code goes only to an address on exactly one client file. Codes expire after ten minutes, and a session lasts seven days. #### One record. The portal reads the same matter your team keeps, so a date changed in Compass is the date the client sees. #### Their attorney, by name. Each case shows the attorney on it, with a link to the attorney's page on your site. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass Everything the portal shows comes from the matter, including the court dates your team enters or reads in from the court's case page. Attorney links go to the attorney pages on your website. ### Questions Q: What is a law firm client portal? A: A law firm client portal is a page where a client can see their own matter without calling the office. In Compass by WattReach it shows the attorney, the case, past dates and outcomes, the next court date and whether the client must appear. Q: How do clients sign in? A: Clients sign in with a six-digit code emailed to the address on their file, with no password to remember. Each code expires after ten minutes. Q: What can a client see in the portal? A: A client sees the cases on their file: the attorney, the case number and court, past dates with outcomes, the next date with its place and whether they must appear, and any fines. Q: Can clients upload documents or message us through the portal? A: No, the portal shows the case and its dates. Clients email the firm, and your team can write to them from the client file, where replies are filed. ### WattReach switches the portal on for a firm when it is ready to invite clients. Book a walkthrough to see a sample client's page. ## Law firm data backup and security URL: https://rulng.com/features/security/ **Backed up every night, closed by default** Compass by WattReach encrypts a backup of every record and document each night, can back up your firm's Google Drive as a paid add-on, and shows each person only what their role allows. ### What protects your files Every night Compass makes an encrypted backup of every record and every uploaded document, and keeps 90 days of them. Inside the firm, nobody sees anything their role does not allow, and nobody signs in with a password. A client's file can be limited to chosen groups of your people, and every open of a file is recorded. ### What you get #### Encrypted nightly backups. Each backup file is locked with its own AES-256 key, and the key that opens them is kept apart from both the backups and the code. Ninety days of nightly backups are kept. #### Google Drive backup, a paid add-on. For firms on Google Workspace, Compass can back up every person's Drive and every shared drive, checking for changes every five minutes. Old versions are kept from 90 days up to ten years, each firm has its own key, even file names are encrypted, and no copy can be deleted for 35 days. Browse, download and restore from Compass, with every access logged. #### Deny by default. Twelve roles built from thirty permissions. Every page, change and export is checked against the person's role, once in the app and again on the server behind it. A colleague who signs in for the first time gets only the narrow starting role your firm chooses. #### Files limited to security groups. An administrator can limit a client's file to one or more security groups, named groups of your firm's people, and only the people in them can open it. For everyone else, Compass leaves the file out of lists, search, the calendar, notices, reports and downloads, which is how a firm screens a lawyer with a conflict. #### No passwords, and two-factor sign-in. People sign in with a link sent to their work email, behind a bot check, or with a passkey that uses their phone's or computer's own lock. Each person can turn on two-factor sign-in from their profile, with an authenticator app or their passkey, and ten recovery codes. #### A record of every open and every change. Every open of a client's file is written down, who and when, before anything shows, and an administrator can read the last 200 on the file or download them all. Changes to who has access, refused actions, settings changes, and every backup download and restore are logged, and every change to a record says who made it. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass The same roles decide who sees leads, client files, payments and the law library. The plain-words version, with how your data is encrypted, is on the security page. ### Questions Q: How does Compass back up our data? A: Compass by WattReach makes an encrypted backup of every record and uploaded document every night and keeps 90 days of them. Each backup file has its own key, and the key that opens them is kept apart from both the backups and the code. Q: Can Compass back up our Google Drive? A: Yes, for firms on Google Workspace, Compass by WattReach can back up every person's Drive and every shared drive as files change, keeping old versions from 90 days up to ten years. It is a paid add-on, priced by the size of your Drive. Q: Who at our firm can see client files? A: Only the people whose roles allow it can see client files, because Compass by WattReach denies everything by default. An administrator gives each person the roles they need. An administrator can also limit a client's file to chosen security groups, and then only the people in them can open it. Q: Does Compass have two-factor sign-in? A: Yes, each person can turn on two-factor sign-in in Compass by WattReach from their profile: after the emailed link, a code from an authenticator app or their passkey. There are no passwords, and a passkey sign-in counts as both steps, because it needs the device's own lock, and it cannot be phished the way a password can. Q: Can we see who changed what? A: Yes, Compass by WattReach records every open of a client's file, who and when, and logs changes to access, refused actions, settings changes and backup downloads and restores. Every change to a record shows who made it. ### Book a walkthrough and bring your security questions. We will show you the roles, the logs and last night's backup. ## Law firm reports on search and AI answers URL: https://rulng.com/features/reports/ **Every Monday, where last week's inquiries came from** Compass by WattReach sends a report each Monday morning: new inquiries, where they came from and how fast the firm answered. It also reports your place in Google's results beside your rivals, and what the AI engines say about you. ### The Monday report The Monday report tells the firm how many people reached out last week, where they came from, and how quickly someone answered. Compass also measures the firm's place in Google's results against its closest rivals, and reads the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's own AI. ### What you get #### Each Monday new inquiries from forms and phone taps, where they came from, website visitors and arrivals from AI assistants, spam held for review, the typical time to a first reply, and each attorney's leads and retained clients. #### Rankings and rivals your share of Google's first page for the searches set up for your practice, against your five closest rivals, with the map results, who buys ads on those searches, and what moved since the last reading. #### AI answers which assistants name your firm, which of your pages they cite, and where they send people instead, question by question. #### Questions to answer next the questions people put to AI assistants in your line of work, with answers drafted only from your own pages. Nothing is published until someone on your team approves it. #### Pages that need a look the important pages longest unchanged, with a reminder each quarter to confirm they are still right. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass The report reads the same records your team works in: the leads, the website, the Google profile. ### Questions Q: What is in the Compass Monday report? A: The Monday report shows last week's new inquiries, where they came from, website visitors and arrivals from AI assistants, spam held for review, the typical time to a first reply, and each attorney's leads and retained clients. When Compass measures search rankings and AI answers, that week's report adds them, beside your rivals. Q: Which AI assistants does Compass check? A: Compass by WattReach checks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Mode and Google's AI Overviews for the questions set up for your practice. It records whether each names your firm and which pages it cites. Q: What does Compass measure besides inquiries? A: Besides inquiries, Compass by WattReach measures your share of Google's first page against your closest rivals, your place in the map results, and whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI name your firm, for the searches and questions set up for your practice. Q: Can Compass guarantee rankings or AI citations? A: No, nobody can promise a ranking or a citation, and Compass by WattReach does not. It shows where you stand, what changed, and which pages to improve next. Q: Who receives the report? A: The firm chooses the address the report goes to, and each person on the team can also receive a report of their own week. ### Book a walkthrough and we will show you a Monday report and the competition page for a sample firm. ## Law firm software pricing URL: https://rulng.com/pricing/ **How pricing works** Compass by WattReach is built to order. Every build includes your website, lead management and analytics, Google Business Profile tracking and cloud backup, and the quote follows what your firm needs beyond that. ### Priced to the firm, not to a tier Compass is built to order: after a walkthrough, WattReach quotes a build for your firm based on the sites you need, the people who will use Compass, the integrations you want and the size of your backups. There is no price list, because every build includes your own website and a setup shaped to your practice, and two firms rarely need the same one. ### What every build includes #### Your website. Built for your firm, hosted on your own domain, edited from the page, checked on every publish for search, AI readiness and alt text, and measured for speed with real visitors. #### Lead management and analytics. Website forms, phone taps and, where set up, your answering service's messages in one inbox, with the source of each, spam held for review, a nudge when a lead waits 15 office minutes, and the Monday report. #### Google Business Profile tracking. Your rating, review count and the reviews Google shares, read every night, and your place in the map results. #### Cloud backup. An encrypted backup of every record and uploaded document, every night, kept 90 days. ### What moves the price - **Sites.** One website, or several, such as one for each office or practice. - **People.** How many people at the firm use Compass. - **Integrations.** Payment links, invoicing, your answering service, your Google Drive. - **Backup size.** Google Drive backup is a paid add-on, priced by the size of your Drive. ### How a quote happens - 1 #### A walkthrough. We show you Compass with a sample firm set up like yours, and ask what you use today. - 2 #### A quote. A written price for your build: what it includes, and what moves it. - 3 #### Set up with you. WattReach builds your site, sets up your phases and roles, and brings your existing client records across. ### For comparison Practice management products that publish a price charge per person per month: $49 a user at Clio's entry tier, and $49 to $114 at PracticePanther and $50 to $130 at MyCase on annual billing, as read on each company's pricing page on 31 October 2026. Smokeball, Filevine and Lawmatics quote instead. Of the six, only Clio's pages offer a website builder, on its top tier. See the comparisons ### Questions Q: How much does Compass by WattReach cost? A: Compass by WattReach is built to order: each firm gets a quote after a walkthrough, based on its sites, its users, the integrations it needs and the size of its backups. Every build includes the website, lead management and analytics, Google Business Profile tracking and cloud backup. Q: How much does law firm practice management software cost? A: Law firm practice management software that publishes a price costs about $49 to $150 per user per month, as of October 2026, and several vendors quote instead. A website, intake and marketing tools are often extra or reserved for top tiers. Q: Why does Compass have no price list? A: Compass by WattReach has no price list because every build includes the firm's own website and a setup shaped to its practice, so two firms rarely need the same thing. The walkthrough is how the build, and the price, are worked out. Q: What changes the price of a Compass build? A: The number of sites, the number of people using Compass by WattReach, the integrations you want and the size of your backups change the price. Google Drive backup is a paid add-on, priced by the size of your Drive. Q: Is the website included in the price? A: Yes, every Compass by WattReach build includes the firm's own website, built and hosted by WattReach. ### Book a walkthrough, and the quote follows it. ## Security, in plain words URL: https://rulng.com/security/ **Security, in plain words** What Compass by WattReach does to protect your firm's data, and who to tell if something looks wrong. ### The short version Compass by WattReach encrypts your firm's data in transit and at rest, makes an encrypted backup of every record and document each night, and checks every request against the person's role in your firm. Sign-in uses no passwords: people sign in with a link to their work email or with a passkey, and each person can add two-factor sign-in. An administrator can limit a client's file to chosen groups of your people, and Compass records every time someone opens a file. ### Encrypted, in transit and at rest Every connection to Compass is encrypted with TLS 1.2 or later, and browsers are told never to use an unencrypted one. Between Compass and its databases and file storage, data travels encrypted too. At rest, your firm's records and documents are encrypted with AES-256. ### Backups Every night Compass backs up every record and uploaded document. Each backup file is locked with its own AES-256 key, the key that opens them is kept apart from both the backups and the code, and 90 days of backups are kept. Firms on Google Workspace can add Drive backup, a paid add-on. It copies every Drive as it changes, encrypted with a key of the firm's own, and keeps old versions from 90 days up to ten years. Every week a sample of the copies is read back and checked. ### How your data is kept safe Compass denies by default: every page, change and export is checked against the person's role in your firm, once in the app and again on the server behind it. Each firm sees only its own records. Firms' records sit in shared databases, each record marked with the firm it belongs to. Nobody signs in with a password, so there is none to steal or reuse, and each person can add two-factor sign-in. ### Who can see what Inside your firm, nobody sees anything their role does not allow. Someone who first signs in with your firm's email domain gets only the narrow starting role your firm chose, and an administrator adds the rest. A client's file can also be limited to security groups: named groups of your firm's people, which an administrator makes on Team. Only the people in the file's groups can open it, whatever their role. For everyone else, Compass leaves the file out of lists, search, the calendar, notices, reports, downloads and AI answers, and opening it directly gets the same answer as a file that does not exist. That is how a firm keeps a file from a lawyer with a conflict, the screen often called an ethical wall. A conflict check still finds a limited file. Someone outside its groups sees one line, that a file they cannot open matches the name, with no name, case or lawyer, and the check cannot be recorded clear while that line stands. Whoever limits a file must be in one of its groups, and the last person who can open a file cannot be taken out of its group. ### Where your data lives Your firm's records and uploaded documents are kept in cloud databases and file storage under WattReach's own account, encrypted as this page says. Your Google Drive stays in your Google account: Compass links each client's folders by name and does not open the files, unless your firm adds Drive backup, which copies them into encrypted backups. Compass sends the text each AI feature needs to Anthropic's models, including features that run on their own, such as the spam check on each web form, the drafted reply on each lead and the name match in a conflict check. Payments are taken by LawPay or by your firm's own Stripe account. ### Signing in People sign in with a one-time link sent to their work email, behind a bot check, or with a passkey, which uses the phone's or computer's own lock. Each person can turn on two-factor sign-in from their profile: after the emailed link, Compass asks for a code from an authenticator app or for their passkey. A passkey sign-in counts as both steps, because it needs the device's own lock. Each person gets ten recovery codes, an administrator can reset two-factor for a lost phone, and five wrong codes pause codes for 15 minutes. Every refused sign-in is logged. A session lasts 30 days. Removing someone ends their access, and any sign-in link they have not used stops working. ### What is recorded Every time someone opens a client's file, or a part of it, Compass writes down who, when and which part before it shows anything. If it cannot write that down, it does not show the file. An administrator who can open the file sees the last 200 opens on its Details tab and can download every one as a CSV, so a firm can show afterwards that a screen held. Compass also logs changes to who has access, security groups and file limits among them, actions it refused, settings changes, and every backup download and restore. Every change to a client's record shows who made it. ### Tell us if something looks wrong If you think you have found a security problem in Compass or on this site, email hello@wattreach.com. ### Questions Q: Is my client data safe in Compass? A: Compass by WattReach protects client data with encryption in transit and at rest, encrypted nightly backups, roles that deny access by default, sign-in without passwords, and two-factor sign-in for anyone who turns it on. A client's file can also be limited to chosen groups of your people, and every open of a file is recorded. Q: Is our data encrypted? A: Yes, Compass by WattReach encrypts your firm's data in transit, with TLS 1.2 or later, and at rest, with AES-256. Each nightly backup file is also locked with its own AES-256 key. Q: Does Compass have two-factor sign-in? A: Yes, each person can turn on two-factor sign-in in Compass by WattReach from their profile: after the emailed link, a code from an authenticator app or their passkey. There are no passwords, and a passkey sign-in counts as both steps, because it needs the device's own lock. Q: Can we keep a file from a lawyer with a conflict? A: Yes, an administrator can limit a client's file in Compass by WattReach to chosen security groups, and then only the people in those groups can open it. For everyone else, Compass leaves the file out of lists, search, the calendar, notices and reports, and it records every open of the file, so the firm can show afterwards that the screen held. Q: Can we see who opened a client's file? A: Yes, Compass by WattReach writes down every open of a client's file, who and when, before it shows anything. An administrator who can open the file sees the last 200 opens on its Details tab and can download all of them as a CSV. Q: Where is Compass data stored? A: Compass by WattReach stores your firm's records and uploaded documents in cloud databases and file storage under WattReach's own account, encrypted in transit and at rest. Google Drive files stay in your Google account unless your firm adds Drive backup. Q: Does Compass send our data to an AI company? A: Yes, Compass by WattReach sends the text each AI feature needs to Anthropic's models, including features that run on their own, such as the spam check on each web form and the drafted reply on each lead. ### Book a walkthrough and bring your security questions. ## Book a walkthrough URL: https://rulng.com/walkthrough/ **Book a walkthrough** See Compass by WattReach with a sample firm set up like yours, and get a written quote for your build afterwards. ### What a walkthrough is A walkthrough is a guided look at Compass by WattReach with a sample firm set up like yours: your practice area, your kind of matters, your kind of leads. Afterwards WattReach sends a written quote for your build. ### What we will show you - A lead arriving from the website, with its source and the conflict check. - A matter with the court's notice filed on it and the next hearing. - The law library answering a question, with its sources. - The Monday report and the competition page. - Roles, sign-in and last night's backup. ### What to bring, if you like - Your website's address. - The tools your firm uses today. - A question for the law library. - Your security questions. ### Not ready for a walkthrough? Read how pricing works, the comparisons, or the guide to choosing practice management software. ### Questions Q: What is a Compass walkthrough? A: A Compass walkthrough is a guided look at Compass by WattReach with a sample firm set up like yours, followed by a written quote for your build. Q: Is there a free trial of Compass? A: No, Compass by WattReach has no free trial; it is set up for each firm, so you see it in a walkthrough with a sample firm like yours. Q: What happens after the walkthrough? A: WattReach sends a written quote for your build. If you go ahead, WattReach builds your website, sets up your phases and roles, and brings your existing clients across. ## Practice management for small law firms URL: https://rulng.com/law-firms/ **Practice management for small and mid-size law firms** Compass by WattReach is set up for the practice each firm runs: criminal defense first, then estate planning, family law and elder law. ### One system, set up for your practice Compass by WattReach is practice management for small and mid-size law firms, set up for the practice each firm actually runs. Criminal and estate practices start with their own checklists, family and elder law firms start from the general one, and every firm writes its own, on the same website, intake and backups underneath. ### The practices #### Criminal defense . Website inquiries at any hour, the court notices your attorneys forward filed on the right case, and each charge linked to the law library. #### Estate planning . Consultations and signings on one calendar, couples in one file, and topic guides on wills, trusts, powers of attorney and probate. #### Family law . Your staff check the other side for conflicts before the first meeting, with the file in one place and guides on divorce, custody and support. #### Elder law . Families as clients, meetings and signings with reschedules, and guides on guardianship, powers of attorney and advance directives. ### What Compass covers - Your own website, built to be read and quoted in AI search. - Lead management with the source of every lead. - Case management with phases and the calendar, and court integration where your courts are covered. - The law library, with answers that cite every point, for the state it covers today. - Billing, reports and encrypted backups. ### Why small firms choose one system Few small firms have time to manage four vendors: a web designer, an intake tool, a case management system and a reporting agency. Compass is one system, set up by WattReach with your firm, so the people who practice law can spend their time practicing it. ### Questions Q: What should a small law firm look for in practice management software? A: A small law firm should look for software that replaces separate tools rather than adding one, fits its practice area, and is set up for it rather than by it. Compass by WattReach replaces a separate website, intake tool and case management system, though not trust accounting, and WattReach sets it up. Q: Which practice areas does Compass support? A: Compass by WattReach supports criminal defense, estate planning, family law and elder law practices today. Criminal and estate practices have their own starter checklists, and family and elder law firms start from the general one. Q: Can one firm use Compass for several practice areas? A: Yes, Compass by WattReach has a general-practice setup with phases and library topics across several areas, and each firm writes the checklists for its own kinds of matters. Q: Is Compass only for law firms? A: Compass by WattReach is built for law firms first, and the same platform also runs online shops today. The practice pages, the law library and the court features are for law firms. ### Book a walkthrough and we will set the sample firm up as a practice like yours. ## Criminal defense case management software URL: https://rulng.com/law-firms/criminal-defense/ **Criminal defense practice management, from the first inquiry to sentencing** Compass by WattReach takes your website's inquiries at any hour, files the court notices your attorneys forward on the right case, and links each charge to the law library. ### Built first for defense work Compass by WattReach is practice management built first for criminal defense: inquiries from your site at any hour in one inbox, the court notices your attorneys forward filed on the right case, and each charge linked to its entry in the law library. Each matter keeps its charges, judge, prosecutor, fines and court dates, and the firm is reminded before each hearing on its calendar and three business days before a plea or a sentencing. The court features and the law library cover one state today, and the walkthrough tells you whether it is yours. ### What a defense firm gets #### The midnight inquiry, ready by morning. A form sent at any hour gets its confirmation email, in English or Spanish depending on the page. By the time the office opens, the lead has a one-line summary with its urgency and a drafted reply for an attorney to send, and its owner is nudged once office hours start. #### The caller is often not the client. Record the parent or partner who called and the person charged, and your staff run one conflict check on both, plus any co-defendants, victims or witnesses you name, against every client, archived ones too, and every past lead. #### The court's notices, on the right case. Your attorneys set the court's e-filing system to copy notices to the firm's Compass address, and each one is filed on its matter by case number and court, in the court's own words, with the attorney told. Any that match no case wait in "Needs a look". A hearing notice raises a step to enter the new date, and a judge that does not match the file is raised as a question, never overwritten. #### The law on the charge. Charges link to their entries in the law library, which is built from the sections your clients are charged under: the statute, the elements from the official jury instructions, and the appellate decisions that cite it. The client's file asks the library about that client's own sections first. #### Fees and payments. The flat fee on each matter, every payment against it and the balance owed. Where invoicing is switched on, payment plans run on autopay, and LawPay links, where set up, take payments into trust or operating. Compass marks each payment trust or operating but keeps no trust ledgers. ### A matter built for a criminal case - Case number, court, charges, judge, branch and prosecutor. - Fines assessed, paid and still due. - Every past court date with its outcome, and the next one. - A starter checklist for criminal matters, whose steps count back from the next court date and move when it moves. - Paste a supported court's public case page, and the events, charges, pleas, outcomes and next date are read into the file. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass Your website carries the pages people find when they search for a defense lawyer, and every form lands in lead management. The matter lives in case management, the court's notices arrive through court integration, and the charges link to the law library. ### Questions Q: What is the best practice management software for a small criminal defense firm? A: The best practice management software for a small criminal defense firm catches inquiries at any hour, keeps every court date on the right case, and puts the law on each charge at hand. Compass by WattReach is built first for that work, with the firm's website and intake included, and its court features and law library cover one state today. Q: Does Compass track court dates for criminal cases? A: Yes, once a court date is on a matter, entered by your staff when a notice prompts it or read from the court's public case page, Compass by WattReach reminds the firm before the hearing and three business days before a plea or a sentencing. It does not pull court dates from the court on its own. Q: Can Compass check conflicts on co-defendants and witnesses? A: Yes, your staff run the conflict check from the lead, and it searches the caller, the person charged and any other parties you name, such as co-defendants, victims or witnesses, against every client, archived ones too, and every past lead. The result is recorded on the lead. Q: How does Compass handle flat fees and payment plans? A: Compass by WattReach records the flat fee agreed on each matter, every payment against it and the balance owed. Where invoicing is switched on, payment plans run on autopay, and LawPay links, where set up, take payments into trust or operating; Compass keeps no trust ledgers. Q: Does Compass manage discovery? A: No, Compass by WattReach does not manage discovery or evidence, and by design it never reads evidence. It keeps the client's own documents, up to 25 MB each, on the file. Q: Will Compass work with our courts? A: Compass by WattReach reads one state's court notice formats today, and the walkthrough confirms whether your courts use them. Matters, phases, reminders and the calendar work for any court. ### Book a walkthrough and we will follow a sample defense matter from a late-night inquiry to the sentencing reminder. ## Elder law practice management software URL: https://rulng.com/law-firms/elder-law/ **Elder law practice management, with the family in one file** Compass by WattReach keeps a parent and their children in one file, the meetings and signings on one calendar, and guides on guardianship, powers of attorney and advance directives beside the file. ### The client and the family, together Elder law work usually comes through a family, so Compass lets a parent and their children share one file, with each person checked for conflicts. Meetings and signings go on the calendar with reschedules and no-shows recorded, and the file links the guides to the law the matter touches. ### What an elder law firm gets #### Families as clients. A parent and their children, or a couple, share one file, and each person is checked for conflicts. #### Meetings and signings, counted. Your staff book meetings and signings, with reschedules and no-shows recorded and a monthly count of each. #### Guides to the law. Topic guides on guardianship, powers of attorney, advance directives, probate, trust administration and elder abuse, built from official state sources for the state the library covers today. #### A checklist for every matter. Start from the estate or general starter checklist, and your firm writes its own for each kind of matter; each step gets an owner and a due date. #### The family's language. Inquiries from a Spanish page are confirmed in Spanish, invoices can go out in Spanish where invoicing is switched on, and each person on your team can work in English or Spanish. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass Families find you through your website. The inquiry becomes a lead, and the client file holds the matters, documents and payments. ### Questions Q: What should elder law practice management software do? A: Elder law practice management software should keep the client and their family together, schedule meetings and signings, and hold each matter's documents and dates in one place. Compass by WattReach keeps the family in one file and the meetings and signings on one calendar. Q: Can a parent and their children share one file? A: Yes, a parent and their children can share one file in Compass by WattReach, and each person is checked for conflicts. Q: Does Compass cover guardianship and powers of attorney? A: Yes, for the state the library covers today: the law library has topic guides on guardianship, powers of attorney, advance directives, probate, trust administration and elder abuse, built from that state's official guides, statutes and court forms. Q: Does Compass do benefits or Medicaid planning? A: No, Compass by WattReach does not calculate benefits or plan for Medicaid. It keeps the matter, the family, the documents and the dates. Q: Does the law library cover our state? A: The law library covers one state's law today, and the walkthrough tells you whether that state is yours. A firm elsewhere has the rest of Compass by WattReach, without library answers. ### Book a walkthrough and we will open a sample family's file, from the first inquiry to the signing. ## Estate planning software for attorneys URL: https://rulng.com/law-firms/estate-planning/ **Estate planning practice management, from consultation to signing** Compass by WattReach keeps the consultations and signings on one calendar and a couple's plan in one file, with your website and intake built in. ### The client side of every plan Compass by WattReach runs the client side of an estate planning practice, from the first inquiry to the signing: consultations and signings on the calendar, couples and families in one file, and the plan's documents on the client's record. It is not a document-assembly suite, though where your firm switches it on, it drafts a first version from your own approved templates. ### What an estate planning firm gets #### Consultations and signings, counted. Your staff book consultations, signings and meetings, with reschedules and no-shows recorded and a monthly count of each. #### A couple in one file. Spouses, or a parent and children, share one file, and each person is checked for conflicts. #### A checklist for every plan. A starter checklist for estate matters gives each step an owner and a due date, and your firm writes its own for each kind of plan. #### Guides to the law, on the file. Topic guides on wills and trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, probate, trust administration and guardianship, built from official state sources for the state the library covers today. #### Drafts from your own templates, where switched on. Your firm's library can draft a first version from your approved templates, in your firm's style, as a Word file for an attorney to review. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass Families find you through your website and Google profile. The inquiry becomes a lead and then a client file, and the fee and payments sit on it (billing). ### Questions Q: What should estate planning software for attorneys do? A: Estate planning software for attorneys usually combines document drafting with client and matter management: consultations, signings and couples in one file. Compass by WattReach covers the client and matter side and can draft from your own templates, but it is not a document-assembly suite. Q: Can a married couple share one file in Compass? A: Yes, a couple, or a parent and children, can share one file, and each person is checked for conflicts. Q: Does Compass draft wills and trusts? A: Where your firm switches it on, Compass by WattReach drafts a first version from your firm's own approved templates, as a Word file for an attorney to review. It is not a document-assembly suite with its own forms. Q: Does Compass track signings? A: Yes, your staff book signings like consultations and meetings, with reschedules and no-shows recorded and a monthly count of each. Q: Does the law library cover our state? A: The law library covers one state's law today, and the walkthrough tells you whether that state is yours. A firm elsewhere has the rest of Compass by WattReach, without library answers. ### Book a walkthrough and we will show you a sample couple's file, from the first inquiry to the signing. ## Family law practice management software URL: https://rulng.com/law-firms/family-law/ **Family law practice management, with the other side checked before the first meeting** Compass by WattReach lets your staff check the other side against every client and past lead from the inquiry itself, keeps the client's file in one place, and confirms Spanish-page inquiries in Spanish. ### Intake that protects the firm In family law the person on the other side may already be in your files, so your staff check each new inquiry, and every party you name, against every client and every past lead before the first meeting. The matter then runs in one file, with its phases, documents, appointments and payments. ### What a family law firm gets #### The other side, checked. Name the spouse or other party at intake, and the conflict check searches them against every client, archived ones too, and every past lead, and records the result. #### Intake in the client's language. A form on a Spanish page sends its confirmation in Spanish, and each person on your team can work in English or Spanish. #### Consultations on the calendar. Your staff book consultations and meetings, with reschedules and no-shows recorded. #### Guides to the law. Topic guides on divorce, child custody, child support, restraining orders and adoption, built from official state sources for the state the library covers today. #### Payment plans, where switched on. The fee on each matter and every payment against it, with recurring plans on autopay where invoicing is switched on, and invoices in English or Spanish. ### How it connects to the rest of Compass People find you through your website. The inquiry becomes a lead, and the client's file holds the matter, its documents and its payments. ### Questions Q: What should family law practice management software do? A: Family law practice management software should let staff check the other side for conflicts at intake, keep each matter's documents and dates in one file, and make payment plans easy to run. In Compass by WattReach the check runs from the lead, and the matter, its documents and its payments live in one file. Q: Can Compass check the opposing party for conflicts? A: Yes, name the opposing party at intake and the conflict check searches them against every client, archived ones too, and every past lead. The result is recorded on the lead. Q: Does Compass work in Spanish for family law clients? A: Yes, an inquiry from a Spanish page gets its confirmation in Spanish, invoices can go out in Spanish, and each person on your team can use Compass by WattReach in Spanish. The client portal is in English only. Q: Does Compass calculate child support? A: No, Compass by WattReach does not calculate child support. Its topic guide on child support links the statutes and the court's forms for the state the library covers today. Q: Does the law library cover our state? A: The law library covers one state's law today, and the walkthrough tells you whether that state is yours. A firm elsewhere has the rest of Compass by WattReach, without library answers. ### Book a walkthrough and we will run a sample family-law inquiry through the conflict check and into a matter. ## Clio, MyCase and others, compared URL: https://rulng.com/compare/ **Compass by WattReach, compared** Each comparison is read from the other company's own pages on a stated date, lists those pages, and says where the other product is stronger. ### How we compare Every comparison is read from the other company's own website on a stated date, with the pages listed, and says plainly where that product is the better fit. Before we publish a change, we read their pages again and change the date. ### The comparisons #### Clio . The larger platform, with trust accounting, court-rules deadlines and a large set of integrations; its website builder is on the top tier. #### MyCase . Published prices, a trial, trust accounting and texting; no website on its current pages. #### Smokeball . Built around Word and Outlook, with automatic time capture and practice-area templates; priced by quote. #### PracticePanther . Published prices, a portal and a trust ledger on every tier, and full trust accounting on its top tier. #### Filevine . AI-led and leaning toward larger firms, with court-rules deadlines, the portal and e-signature sold separately. #### Lawmatics . An intake and marketing CRM for the front of the firm, beside a separate case management system. ### What Compass adds to the list Compass by WattReach is the one in this list whose pages show it building and running the firm's website on every build, tracking its Google profile, and reporting its place in search and AI answers, alongside intake, matters, court notices and a law library with cited answers. It has no trust accounting, timer, e-signature, court-rules deadlines or texting today, its client portal is not yet live at any firm, and each comparison says so. ### Questions Q: What are the best Clio alternatives for a small law firm? A: The best Clio alternative depends on what a firm needs most: published prices and trust accounting (MyCase, PracticePanther), Word and Outlook (Smokeball), larger-firm AI (Filevine), marketing-led intake (Lawmatics), or the website, intake and matters in one system (Compass by WattReach). Each comparison linked here sets out the details, dated and sourced. Q: How do you keep these comparisons fair? A: Each comparison is read from the other company's own pages on a stated date, lists those pages, and says where that product is stronger. When a correction is confirmed, the page changes and so does its date. Q: Which practice management software includes a website? A: Compass by WattReach includes the firm's own website in every build, and Clio's pages offer a website builder on its top tier. The other products compared here show no website of their own on their pages. ### Book a walkthrough and tell us what you use now. We will show you what Compass would replace, and what it would not. ## Clio alternative, compared URL: https://rulng.com/compare/clio/ **Compass by WattReach and Clio, side by side** What each includes, how each is priced and who each fits, from both companies' own pages, read on 31 October 2026. ### The short answer Clio is the larger platform, with trust accounting, time tracking, e-signature, court-rules calendaring, two-way calendar sync and a large set of integrations. Compass by WattReach includes what Clio sells only on its top tier or does not show on its pages: the firm's website on every build, Google profile tracking and reports on search and AI answers. Both read court notices: Clio's AI drafts calendar events from one, and Compass files the notice on the matter and raises a step to enter the date. ### At a glance "Not found" means not on Clio's pages read on 31 October 2026, not that the product lacks it. - Who it is for. Compass by WattReach: Small and mid-size law firms; built first for criminal defense. Clio: Solo practices to large firms and legal departments - The firm's website. Compass by WattReach: Included in every build: built and hosted by WattReach on your own domain, edited from Compass or the live page. Clio: A website builder on the Elite tier: three themes, hosted by Clio - Lead management and CRM. Compass by WattReach: Included: website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, with sources, spam held for review and conflict checks. Clio: Clio Grow, on the Elite tier or as an add-on - Google profile and local rank. Compass by WattReach: Included: rating and review count read nightly, your place in the map results, 14 directories and social profiles tracked. Clio: Review requests to the Google profile, on the Elite tier - Reports on search and AI answers. Compass by WattReach: Included: a Monday report, plus your Google rankings against your rivals and the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI. Clio: Not found - Court notices. Compass by WattReach: One state's e-filing notices today: forwarded by your attorneys, filed on the matter by case number, and a hearing notice raises a step to enter the date. Clio: AI drafts calendar events from a notice or order for you to confirm - Court-rules deadlines. Compass by WattReach: No. Clio: Yes: 3 jurisdictions on Core, 10 on Signature, more at $10 a month each - Legal research. Compass by WattReach: One state's law today: the statutes your clients are charged under, with elements from the jury instructions, 25 estate and civil topics, and the appellate decisions citing those sections; every point cited. Clio: Clio Work, sold separately: case law, statutes and regulations with citations; jury instructions not found - Client portal. Compass by WattReach: Built, not yet live at any firm: each case, its dates and fines; no documents, messages or invoices; English only. Clio: Core tier and up - Billing and payments. Compass by WattReach: Payments recorded on each matter and marked trust or operating; LawPay links where set up; invoices and autopay through the firm's own Stripe account where invoicing is switched on. Clio: Billing and Clio Payments - Trust accounting. Compass by WattReach: No; payments are marked trust or operating, with no trust ledgers. Clio: Yes, on every plan - Time tracking. Compass by WattReach: Hours and expenses entered by hand; no timer. Clio: Yes - E-signature. Compass by WattReach: No. Clio: Yes; capped on the two lower tiers, unlimited above - Spanish. Compass by WattReach: Every staff screen; confirmations for Spanish-page inquiries; invoices. Clio: Portal messages and case status - Security. Compass by WattReach: Encrypted nightly backups, deny-by-default roles, passkeys and two-factor sign-in; no certifications. Clio: SOC 2 Type II and SOC 1 Type II audits, ISO 27001, AES-256 encryption, geo-redundant backups - Price. Compass by WattReach: Built to order; quoted after a walkthrough. Clio: Starter from $49 a user a month; Core, Signature and Elite by quote - Trying it. Compass by WattReach: A walkthrough with a sample firm; no free trial. Clio: 7-day free trial ### Where Clio is stronger - Trust accounting on every plan, with time tracking and e-signature built in. - Court-rules deadline calculation for the jurisdictions you choose, two-way calendar sync with Google and Outlook, and e-filing in a few states. - A large set of integrations, published security audits, and a 7-day trial. - Research across case law, statutes and regulations in Clio Work, for firms that buy it. - A client portal in use at firms today. ### Where Compass is different - The website is part of every Compass build, not a top-tier feature. - Google profile tracking, directory listings and reports on your place in search and AI answers are included. - The court's e-filing notices are filed on the matter as they arrive, for the courts whose formats Compass reads today. - The law library holds jury instructions beside statutes and decisions for the state it covers today, and its answers cite every point. - Every staff screen is in English and Spanish, and so are the firm's invoices. ### Which to choose Choose Clio if trust accounting, time tracking and court-rules deadlines must live in the same system, or if you need its integrations. Choose Compass if you want the website, intake and matters in one system, set up for you, and can keep the trust ledger in your accounting software. ### Sources and corrections Read on 31 October 2026 from Clio's own pages: - https://www.clio.com/pricing/ - https://www.clio.com/features/law-firm-website-builder/ - https://www.clio.com/features/legal-calendaring-software/ - https://www.clio.com/work/ai-legal-research/ - https://www.clio.com/features/legal-client-portal-software/ - https://www.clio.com/security/ - https://www.clio.com/practice-types/criminal-law-software/ Products change. If something here about Clio is out of date, email hello@wattreach.com. When the change is confirmed, we correct the page and change the date. ### Questions Q: Is Compass a good Clio alternative? A: Compass by WattReach is a Clio alternative for small and mid-size firms that want their website, intake and case management in one system and keep trust accounting in their accounting software. Firms that need trust accounting, time tracking or court-rules deadlines in one product are better served by Clio today. Q: What does Clio have that Compass does not? A: Clio has trust accounting, a timer, e-signature, court-rules deadline calculation, two-way calendar sync, a client portal in use today and published security audits, and Compass by WattReach has none of these today. Q: What does Compass include that Clio does not? A: Compass by WattReach includes the firm's website on every build, Google profile tracking and reports on search and AI answers, none of which Clio offers below its Elite tier or shows on its pages read on 31 October 2026. Clio sells its website builder and review requests on that tier. Q: How do Clio and Compass compare on price? A: Clio publishes a starting price of $49 per user per month for its Starter tier and quotes its other tiers, while Compass by WattReach is built to order and quoted after a walkthrough. Q: Can we move from Clio to Compass? A: Yes for your client records, which WattReach loads during setup; the walkthrough settles which matters, documents and notes come across, and there is no import button to run yourself. ### Book a walkthrough and bring your questions about Clio. We will tell you where it is the better fit, too. ## Filevine alternative, compared URL: https://rulng.com/compare/filevine/ **Compass by WattReach and Filevine, side by side** What each includes, how each is priced and who each fits, from both companies' own pages, read on 31 October 2026. ### The short answer Filevine is an AI-led platform for law firms, government and in-house teams that leans toward larger firms, with case-law research, deposition tools and document assembly, and with court-rules deadlines, the client portal and e-signature sold separately. Compass by WattReach is built for small and mid-size firms, and includes what Filevine's pages do not show: the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, and court notices filed on the matter. ### At a glance "Not found" means not on Filevine's pages read on 31 October 2026, not that the product lacks it. - Who it is for. Compass by WattReach: Small and mid-size law firms; built first for criminal defense. Filevine: Law firms, government and in-house teams; leans toward larger firms - The firm's website. Compass by WattReach: Included in every build: built and hosted by WattReach on your own domain, edited from Compass or the live page. Filevine: Not found - Lead management and CRM. Compass by WattReach: Included: website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, with sources, spam held for review and conflict checks. Filevine: Lead Docket, in its Intake package - Google profile and local rank. Compass by WattReach: Included: rating and review count read nightly, your place in the map results, 14 directories and social profiles tracked. Filevine: Not found - Reports on search and AI answers. Compass by WattReach: Included: a Monday report, plus your Google rankings against your rivals and the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI. Filevine: Not found - Court notices. Compass by WattReach: One state's e-filing notices today: forwarded by your attorneys, filed on the matter by case number, and a hearing notice raises a step to enter the date. Filevine: Not found - Court-rules deadlines. Compass by WattReach: No. Filevine: Timely, sold separately - Legal research. Compass by WattReach: One state's law today: the statutes your clients are charged under, with elements from the jury instructions, 25 estate and civil topics, and the appellate decisions citing those sections; every point cited. Filevine: LOIS Legal Research: case law with verified citations; statutes and jury instructions not mentioned - Client portal. Compass by WattReach: Built, not yet live at any firm: each case, its dates and fines; no documents, messages or invoices; English only. Filevine: A paid add-on - Billing and payments. Compass by WattReach: Payments recorded on each matter and marked trust or operating; LawPay links where set up; invoices and autopay through the firm's own Stripe account where invoicing is switched on. Filevine: Billing and payments with trust accounts - Trust accounting. Compass by WattReach: No; payments are marked trust or operating, with no trust ledgers. Filevine: Full trust accounting not found - Time tracking. Compass by WattReach: Hours and expenses entered by hand; no timer. Filevine: Not found on the pages read - E-signature. Compass by WattReach: No. Filevine: Vinesign, sold separately - Spanish. Compass by WattReach: Every staff screen; confirmations for Spanish-page inquiries; invoices. Filevine: Not found - Security. Compass by WattReach: Encrypted nightly backups, deny-by-default roles, passkeys and two-factor sign-in; no certifications. Filevine: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, CJIS; backups at least every 15 minutes - Price. Compass by WattReach: Built to order; quoted after a walkthrough. Filevine: By quote on every package - Trying it. Compass by WattReach: A walkthrough with a sample firm; no free trial. Filevine: A free research tier without case management ### Where Filevine is stronger - AI tools across matters, depositions and medical chronologies, and document assembly. - Case-law research with verified citations, and court-rules deadlines through Timely. - Published security audits and compliance statements (SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, CJIS), and backups at least every 15 minutes. - A client portal in use at firms today. ### Where Compass is different - Compass is built for small and mid-size firms, and set up for them by WattReach. - The website is part of every Compass build. - Google profile tracking and reports on your place in search and AI answers are included. - The court's e-filing notices are filed on the matter as they arrive, for the courts whose formats Compass reads today. - The law library holds jury instructions and statutes beside decisions, for the state it covers today. ### Which to choose Choose Filevine if you are a larger firm that wants AI across depositions, documents and research, and is ready to buy the packages it needs. Choose Compass if you are a small or mid-size firm that wants the website, intake and matters in one system, set up for you. ### Sources and corrections Read on 31 October 2026 from Filevine's own pages: - https://www.filevine.com/pricing/ - https://www.filevine.com/lois/legal-research/ - https://www.filevine.com/features/timely-by-filevine/ - https://www.filevine.com/security/ - https://www.filevine.com/practice-types/criminal-defense/ Products change. If something here about Filevine is out of date, email hello@wattreach.com. When the change is confirmed, we correct the page and change the date. ### Questions Q: Is Compass a good Filevine alternative? A: Compass by WattReach is a Filevine alternative for small and mid-size firms that want their website, intake and case management in one system, set up for them. Larger firms that want AI across depositions, documents and research are better served by Filevine. Q: What does Filevine have that Compass does not? A: Filevine has deposition and medical-chronology tools, document assembly, court-rules deadlines, e-signature, a client portal, published security audits and backups at least every 15 minutes, and Compass by WattReach has none of these today. Q: What does Compass include that Filevine does not? A: Compass by WattReach includes the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, court notices filed on the matter and jury instructions in its law library, none of which appear on Filevine's pages read on 31 October 2026. Q: How does pricing compare? A: Filevine and Compass by WattReach both quote rather than publish a price: Filevine by package, and Compass by the build a firm needs. ### Book a walkthrough and bring your questions about Filevine. We will tell you where it is the better fit, too. ## Lawmatics alternative, compared URL: https://rulng.com/compare/lawmatics/ **Compass by WattReach and Lawmatics, side by side** What each includes, how each is priced and who each fits, from both companies' own pages, read on 31 October 2026. ### The short answer Lawmatics is an intake and marketing CRM for the front of the firm that syncs with a separate case management system, with email campaigns, texting and AI lead scoring. Compass by WattReach puts intake and case management in one system, with the firm's own website, the court's notices and a law library behind them. ### At a glance "Not found" means not on Lawmatics' pages read on 31 October 2026, not that the product lacks it. - Who it is for. Compass by WattReach: Small and mid-size law firms; built first for criminal defense. Lawmatics: Solo practices to large firms; the front of the firm only - The firm's website. Compass by WattReach: Included in every build: built and hosted by WattReach on your own domain, edited from Compass or the live page. Lawmatics: Not sold; its forms go on your own site - Lead management and CRM. Compass by WattReach: Included: website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, with sources, spam held for review and conflict checks. Lawmatics: Its core product, with pipelines, and AI lead scoring as an add-on - Google profile and local rank. Compass by WattReach: Included: rating and review count read nightly, your place in the map results, 14 directories and social profiles tracked. Lawmatics: Not found - Reports on search and AI answers. Compass by WattReach: Included: a Monday report, plus your Google rankings against your rivals and the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI. Lawmatics: Not found - Court notices. Compass by WattReach: One state's e-filing notices today: forwarded by your attorneys, filed on the matter by case number, and a hearing notice raises a step to enter the date. Lawmatics: Not found; matters stay in a separate system - Court-rules deadlines. Compass by WattReach: No. Lawmatics: Not found - Legal research. Compass by WattReach: One state's law today: the statutes your clients are charged under, with elements from the jury instructions, 25 estate and civil topics, and the appellate decisions citing those sections; every point cited. Lawmatics: Not found - Client portal. Compass by WattReach: Built, not yet live at any firm: each case, its dates and fines; no documents, messages or invoices; English only. Lawmatics: Premium tier and up - Billing and payments. Compass by WattReach: Payments recorded on each matter and marked trust or operating; LawPay links where set up; invoices and autopay through the firm's own Stripe account where invoicing is switched on. Lawmatics: Time and billing as an add-on; LMPay - Trust accounting. Compass by WattReach: No; payments are marked trust or operating, with no trust ledgers. Lawmatics: Not found - Time tracking. Compass by WattReach: Hours and expenses entered by hand; no timer. Lawmatics: In the time and billing add-on - E-signature. Compass by WattReach: No. Lawmatics: 50 e-signatures on Essential; included above - Spanish. Compass by WattReach: Every staff screen; confirmations for Spanish-page inquiries; invoices. Lawmatics: Not found - Security. Compass by WattReach: Encrypted nightly backups, deny-by-default roles, a record of who opened each file, passkeys and two-factor sign-in; no certifications. Lawmatics: SOC 2, HIPAA, AES-256 encryption, nightly backups - Price. Compass by WattReach: Built to order; quoted after a walkthrough. Lawmatics: By quote, at least 3 users - Trying it. Compass by WattReach: A walkthrough with a sample firm; no free trial. Lawmatics: A first month free, offered on its pricing page ### Where Lawmatics is stronger - Email marketing campaigns and texting with clients. - AI lead scoring and outreach as add-ons. - E-signature, and syncing with the case management system you already run. - A client portal in use at firms today. ### Where Compass is different - Compass is one system for intake and case management: no second product for clients and matters. - The website is part of every Compass build. - Google profile tracking and reports on your place in search and AI answers are included. - The court's e-filing notices are filed on the matter, for the courts whose formats Compass reads today, and the law library sits on the file. - Every staff screen is in English and Spanish. ### Which to choose Choose Lawmatics if you want marketing campaigns and texting on top of the case management system you already run. Choose Compass if you want the website, intake and matters in one system, set up for you. ### Sources and corrections Read on 31 October 2026 from Lawmatics' own pages: - https://www.lawmatics.com/pricing - https://www.lawmatics.com/ai - https://www.lawmatics.com/practice-areas/criminal-law-software - https://www.lawmatics.com/integrations - https://www.lawmatics.com/security Products change. If something here about Lawmatics is out of date, email hello@wattreach.com. When the change is confirmed, we correct the page and change the date. ### Questions Q: Is Compass a good Lawmatics alternative? A: Compass by WattReach is a Lawmatics alternative for firms that want intake and case management in one system, with the website included. Firms that want email campaigns and texting on top of another case management system are better served by Lawmatics. Q: What does Lawmatics have that Compass does not? A: Lawmatics has email marketing campaigns, texting, AI lead scoring, e-signature, a client portal in use today and published security audits, and Compass by WattReach has none of these today. Q: What does Compass include that Lawmatics does not? A: Compass by WattReach includes the firm's own website, clients and matters, court notices, a law library with cited answers, Google profile tracking and reports on search and AI answers, none of which appear on Lawmatics' pages read on 31 October 2026. Lawmatics says it covers the front of the firm and leaves matters to another system. Q: Do we need separate case management software with Compass? A: No, Compass by WattReach runs clients and matters in the same system as intake, so a retained lead becomes a client file without moving between products. ### Book a walkthrough and bring your questions about Lawmatics. We will tell you where it is the better fit, too. ## MyCase alternative, compared URL: https://rulng.com/compare/mycase/ **Compass by WattReach and MyCase, side by side** What each includes, how each is priced and who each fits, from both companies' own pages, read on 31 October 2026. ### The short answer MyCase publishes its prices, offers a 10-day trial, and includes trust accounting on every tier, with unlimited e-signature and two-way texting from its Pro tier. Compass by WattReach includes what MyCase does not show on its pages: the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, court notices filed on the matter, and a law library with jury instructions. ### At a glance "Not found" means not on MyCase's pages read on 31 October 2026, not that the product lacks it. - Who it is for. Compass by WattReach: Small and mid-size law firms; built first for criminal defense. MyCase: Solo practices to large firms - The firm's website. Compass by WattReach: Included in every build: built and hosted by WattReach on your own domain, edited from Compass or the live page. MyCase: Not found on its current pages - Lead management and CRM. Compass by WattReach: Included: website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, with sources, spam held for review and conflict checks. MyCase: Intake forms and CRM on the Pro tier and up - Google profile and local rank. Compass by WattReach: Included: rating and review count read nightly, your place in the map results, 14 directories and social profiles tracked. MyCase: Not found - Reports on search and AI answers. Compass by WattReach: Included: a Monday report, plus your Google rankings against your rivals and the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI. MyCase: Not found - Court notices. Compass by WattReach: One state's e-filing notices today: forwarded by your attorneys, filed on the matter by case number, and a hearing notice raises a step to enter the date. MyCase: Not found - Court-rules deadlines. Compass by WattReach: No. MyCase: Yes, through LawToolBox, on Pro and up with a separate subscription - Legal research. Compass by WattReach: One state's law today: the statutes your clients are charged under, with elements from the jury instructions, 25 estate and civil topics, and the appellate decisions citing those sections; every point cited. MyCase: AI answers cite the firm's own files; statutes, case law and jury instructions not found - Client portal. Compass by WattReach: Built, not yet live at any firm: each case, its dates and fines; no documents, messages or invoices; English only. MyCase: Yes; limited on the Basic tier - Billing and payments. Compass by WattReach: Payments recorded on each matter and marked trust or operating; LawPay links where set up; invoices and autopay through the firm's own Stripe account where invoicing is switched on. MyCase: Billing and LawPay payments; MyCase Accounting $39 a user a month on Pro and up - Trust accounting. Compass by WattReach: No; payments are marked trust or operating, with no trust ledgers. MyCase: Yes - Time tracking. Compass by WattReach: Hours and expenses entered by hand; no timer. MyCase: Yes - E-signature. Compass by WattReach: No. MyCase: Unlimited on Pro and up - Spanish. Compass by WattReach: Every staff screen; confirmations for Spanish-page inquiries; invoices. MyCase: Not found - Security. Compass by WattReach: Encrypted nightly backups, deny-by-default roles, passkeys and two-factor sign-in; no certifications. MyCase: AES-256 encryption at rest, nightly backups to Amazon S3 - Price. Compass by WattReach: Built to order; quoted after a walkthrough. MyCase: $50, $100 or $130 a user a month billed annually; $60, $120 or $150 monthly - Trying it. Compass by WattReach: A walkthrough with a sample firm; no free trial. MyCase: 10-day free trial, no card ### Where MyCase is stronger - Published prices, a 10-day trial and no long-term contract. - Trust accounting and time tracking, with an accounting add-on. - Two-way texting and e-signature from its Pro tier, and court-rules calendaring through LawToolBox. - A client portal in use at firms today. ### Where Compass is different - The website is part of every Compass build. - Google profile tracking and reports on your place in search and AI answers are included. - The court's e-filing notices are filed on the matter as they arrive, for the courts whose formats Compass reads today. - The law library holds statutes, jury instructions and decisions for the state it covers today, and its answers cite every point. - Every staff screen is in English and Spanish. ### Which to choose Choose MyCase if you want a published per-user price, a trial, trust accounting and texting in one product. Choose Compass if you want the website, intake and matters in one system, set up for you, with the court's notices and the law on each charge in the file. ### Sources and corrections Read on 31 October 2026 from MyCase's own pages: - https://www.mycase.com/pricing/ - https://www.mycase.com/solutions/criminal-law-software/ - https://www.mycase.com/features/legal-calendaring/ - https://www.mycase.com/features/security/ - https://www.mycase.com/products/legal-ai-software/ - https://www.mycase.com/features/client-portal/ Products change. If something here about MyCase is out of date, email hello@wattreach.com. When the change is confirmed, we correct the page and change the date. ### Questions Q: Is Compass a good MyCase alternative? A: Compass by WattReach is a MyCase alternative for firms that want their website, intake and case management in one system, set up for them. Firms that need trust accounting, texting or a published per-user price are better served by MyCase today. Q: What does MyCase have that Compass does not? A: MyCase has trust accounting, a timer, e-signature, two-way texting, a client portal in use today, published prices and a free trial, and Compass by WattReach has none of these today. Q: What does Compass include that MyCase does not? A: Compass by WattReach includes the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, court notices filed on the matter and a law library with jury instructions, none of which appear on MyCase's pages read on 31 October 2026. Q: Can we move from MyCase to Compass? A: Yes for your client records, which WattReach loads during setup; the walkthrough settles which matters, documents and notes come across, and there is no import button to run yourself. ### Book a walkthrough and bring your questions about MyCase. We will tell you where it is the better fit, too. ## PracticePanther alternative, compared URL: https://rulng.com/compare/practicepanther/ **Compass by WattReach and PracticePanther, side by side** What each includes, how each is priced and who each fits, from both companies' own pages, read on 31 October 2026. ### The short answer PracticePanther publishes its prices, offers a 7-day trial, and includes a client portal and a trust ledger on every tier, with full trust accounting and reconciliation on its top tier. Compass by WattReach includes what PracticePanther's pages do not show: the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, court notices filed on the matter, and a law library with cited answers. ### At a glance "Not found" means not on PracticePanther's pages read on 31 October 2026, not that the product lacks it. - Who it is for. Compass by WattReach: Small and mid-size law firms; built first for criminal defense. PracticePanther: Firms of all sizes - The firm's website. Compass by WattReach: Included in every build: built and hosted by WattReach on your own domain, edited from Compass or the live page. PracticePanther: Not sold; help embedding its forms in your own site - Lead management and CRM. Compass by WattReach: Included: website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, with sources, spam held for review and conflict checks. PracticePanther: Intake forms on the Business tier and up - Google profile and local rank. Compass by WattReach: Included: rating and review count read nightly, your place in the map results, 14 directories and social profiles tracked. PracticePanther: Not found - Reports on search and AI answers. Compass by WattReach: Included: a Monday report, plus your Google rankings against your rivals and the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI. PracticePanther: Not found - Court notices. Compass by WattReach: One state's e-filing notices today: forwarded by your attorneys, filed on the matter by case number, and a hearing notice raises a step to enter the date. PracticePanther: Not found - Court-rules deadlines. Compass by WattReach: No. PracticePanther: Through LawToolBox, on the Business tier with a separate subscription - Legal research. Compass by WattReach: One state's law today: the statutes your clients are charged under, with elements from the jury instructions, 25 estate and civil topics, and the appellate decisions citing those sections; every point cited. PracticePanther: Not found - Client portal. Compass by WattReach: Built, not yet live at any firm: each case, its dates and fines; no documents, messages or invoices; English only. PracticePanther: Every tier - Billing and payments. Compass by WattReach: Payments recorded on each matter and marked trust or operating; LawPay links where set up; invoices and autopay through the firm's own Stripe account where invoicing is switched on. PracticePanther: Billing and PantherPayments - Trust accounting. Compass by WattReach: No; payments are marked trust or operating, with no trust ledgers. PracticePanther: A trust ledger on every tier; full trust accounting with three-way reconciliation on Business Pro - Time tracking. Compass by WattReach: Hours and expenses entered by hand; no timer. PracticePanther: Yes - E-signature. Compass by WattReach: No. PracticePanther: Business tier and up - Spanish. Compass by WattReach: Every staff screen; confirmations for Spanish-page inquiries; invoices. PracticePanther: Not found - Security. Compass by WattReach: Encrypted nightly backups, deny-by-default roles, a record of who opened each file, passkeys and two-factor sign-in; no certifications. PracticePanther: 256-bit encryption, two-factor sign-in, backups on Azure - Price. Compass by WattReach: Built to order; quoted after a walkthrough. PracticePanther: $49, $69, $89 or $114 a user a month billed annually; $59 to $124 monthly - Trying it. Compass by WattReach: A walkthrough with a sample firm; no free trial. PracticePanther: 7-day free trial, no card ### Where PracticePanther is stronger - Published prices, a 7-day trial and a client portal on every tier. - A trust ledger on every tier and full trust accounting with three-way reconciliation on its top tier, plus time tracking and e-signature. - Email and calendar sync, two-way texting, LEDES billing and an open API on its higher tiers. ### Where Compass is different - The website is part of every Compass build. - Google profile tracking and reports on your place in search and AI answers are included. - The court's e-filing notices are filed on the matter as they arrive, for the courts whose formats Compass reads today. - The law library holds statutes, jury instructions and decisions for the state it covers today, and its answers cite every point. - Every staff screen is in English and Spanish. ### Which to choose Choose PracticePanther if you want a published per-user price, a trial, and trust accounting with reconciliation in the same product. Choose Compass if you want the website, intake and matters in one system, set up for you, with the court's notices and cited research in the file. ### Sources and corrections Read on 31 October 2026 from PracticePanther's own pages: - https://www.practicepanther.com/pricing/ - https://www.practicepanther.com/legal-calendaring/ - https://www.practicepanther.com/legal-billing/billing-pantherpayments/ - https://www.practicepanther.com/security/ - https://www.practicepanther.com/practice/criminal-defense/ Products change. If something here about PracticePanther is out of date, email hello@wattreach.com. When the change is confirmed, we correct the page and change the date. ### Questions Q: Is Compass a good PracticePanther alternative? A: Compass by WattReach is a PracticePanther alternative for firms that want their website, intake and case management in one system, set up for them. Firms that need trust accounting with reconciliation or a published per-user price are better served by PracticePanther today. Q: What does PracticePanther have that Compass does not? A: PracticePanther has trust accounting, a timer, e-signature, two-way texting, a client portal in use today, published prices and a free trial, and Compass by WattReach has none of these today. Q: What does Compass include that PracticePanther does not? A: Compass by WattReach includes the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, court notices filed on the matter and a law library with cited answers, none of which appear on PracticePanther's pages read on 31 October 2026. Q: Can we move from PracticePanther to Compass? A: Yes for your client records, which WattReach loads during setup; the walkthrough settles which matters, documents and notes come across, and there is no import button to run yourself. ### Book a walkthrough and bring your questions about PracticePanther. We will tell you where it is the better fit, too. ## Smokeball alternative, compared URL: https://rulng.com/compare/smokeball/ **Compass by WattReach and Smokeball, side by side** What each includes, how each is priced and who each fits, from both companies' own pages, read on 31 October 2026. ### The short answer Smokeball is built for consumer practices, with Word and Outlook integration, automatic time capture, practice-area templates, e-filing and trust accounting. Compass by WattReach includes what Smokeball's pages do not show: the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, court notices filed on the matter, and a law library with jury instructions. ### At a glance "Not found" means not on Smokeball's pages read on 31 October 2026, not that the product lacks it. - Who it is for. Compass by WattReach: Small and mid-size law firms; built first for criminal defense. Smokeball: Solo, small and mid-size consumer-practice firms - The firm's website. Compass by WattReach: Included in every build: built and hosted by WattReach on your own domain, edited from Compass or the live page. Smokeball: Not found; its intake forms embed in your own site - Lead management and CRM. Compass by WattReach: Included: website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, with sources, spam held for review and conflict checks. Smokeball: Intake as an add-on; lead management on the Prosper+ tier - Google profile and local rank. Compass by WattReach: Included: rating and review count read nightly, your place in the map results, 14 directories and social profiles tracked. Smokeball: Not found - Reports on search and AI answers. Compass by WattReach: Included: a Monday report, plus your Google rankings against your rivals and the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI. Smokeball: Not found - Court notices. Compass by WattReach: One state's e-filing notices today: forwarded by your attorneys, filed on the matter by case number, and a hearing notice raises a step to enter the date. Smokeball: Not found - Court-rules deadlines. Compass by WattReach: No. Smokeball: Yes, through LawToolBox - Legal research. Compass by WattReach: One state's law today: the statutes your clients are charged under, with elements from the jury instructions, 25 estate and civil topics, and the appellate decisions citing those sections; every point cited. Smokeball: Archie, an add-on; its legal answers come from a third party, LawY - Client portal. Compass by WattReach: Built, not yet live at any firm: each case, its dates and fines; no documents, messages or invoices; English only. Smokeball: Yes, with text messages - Billing and payments. Compass by WattReach: Payments recorded on each matter and marked trust or operating; LawPay links where set up; invoices and autopay through the firm's own Stripe account where invoicing is switched on. Smokeball: Invoicing and Smokeball Payments - Trust accounting. Compass by WattReach: No; payments are marked trust or operating, with no trust ledgers. Smokeball: Yes - Time tracking. Compass by WattReach: Hours and expenses entered by hand; no timer. Smokeball: Yes, with automatic time capture (AutoTime) on Prosper+ or as an add-on - E-signature. Compass by WattReach: No. Smokeball: Unlimited through InfoTrack - Spanish. Compass by WattReach: Every staff screen; confirmations for Spanish-page inquiries; invoices. Smokeball: Multilingual intake forms - Security. Compass by WattReach: Encrypted nightly backups, deny-by-default roles, a record of who opened each file, passkeys and two-factor sign-in; no certifications. Smokeball: ISO 27001, AES-256 encryption, hosted on AWS - Price. Compass by WattReach: Built to order; quoted after a walkthrough. Smokeball: By quote on every tier - Trying it. Compass by WattReach: A walkthrough with a sample firm; no free trial. Smokeball: A demo; no trial listed ### Where Smokeball is stronger - Word and Outlook integration, with a desktop app for larger teams. - Automatic time capture, trust accounting and e-signature. - Practice-area templates, forms and calculators, and e-filing. - A client portal in use at firms today. ### Where Compass is different - The website is part of every Compass build. - Google profile tracking and reports on your place in search and AI answers are included. - The court's e-filing notices are filed on the matter as they arrive, for the courts whose formats Compass reads today. - The law library holds statutes, jury instructions and decisions for the state it covers today, and its answers cite every point. - Every staff screen is in English and Spanish. ### Which to choose Choose Smokeball if your firm lives in Word and Outlook and wants automatic time capture and document templates. Choose Compass if you want the website, intake and matters in one system, set up for you, with the court's notices and the law on each charge in the file. ### Sources and corrections Read on 31 October 2026 from Smokeball's own pages: - https://www.smokeball.com/pricing - https://www.smokeball.com/solutions/practice-areas/criminal-law - https://www.smokeball.com/features/manage/calendaring - https://www.smokeball.com/archie-ai - https://www.smokeball.com/security - https://www.smokeball.com/features/get/intake Products change. If something here about Smokeball is out of date, email hello@wattreach.com. When the change is confirmed, we correct the page and change the date. ### Questions Q: Is Compass a good Smokeball alternative? A: Compass by WattReach is a Smokeball alternative for firms that want their website, intake and case management in one system, set up for them. Firms that need trust accounting or e-filing, or that work inside Word and Outlook, are better served by Smokeball today. Q: What does Smokeball have that Compass does not? A: Smokeball has Word and Outlook integration, automatic time capture, trust accounting, e-signature, e-filing, a client portal in use today and practice-area document templates, and Compass by WattReach has none of these today. Q: What does Compass include that Smokeball does not? A: Compass by WattReach includes the firm's own website, Google profile tracking, reports on search and AI answers, court notices filed on the matter and a law library with jury instructions, none of which appear on Smokeball's pages read on 31 October 2026. Q: How does pricing compare? A: Smokeball and Compass by WattReach both quote rather than publish a price: Smokeball by users, plan, contract term and add-ons, and Compass by the build a firm needs. ### Book a walkthrough and bring your questions about Smokeball. We will tell you where it is the better fit, too. ## Guides for choosing law firm software URL: https://rulng.com/resources/ **Guides for firms choosing their software** Written for the partner who has to decide, and the office manager who has to live with the decision. ### Start here Choosing practice management software comes down to three questions: what it replaces, what it costs in total, and whether your own kind of matters fit it. These guides walk through each, in plain words, with the questions to ask any vendor, including us. ### The guides #### How to choose practice management software . Ten questions to ask before you sign. #### Intake that turns inquiries into clients . What a law firm intake system should do, from the first inquiry to the signed client. #### A law firm website that ranks and gets cited by AI . What helps a firm's site show up in search results and in AI answers, and how to check it. #### The glossary . The words in law firm software, each defined in a sentence. ### Compared Dated comparisons, sourced to each company's own pages: Clio, MyCase, Smokeball, PracticePanther, Filevine and Lawmatics. ### Questions Q: How do I choose practice management software for a small law firm? A: Choose by what the software replaces, what it costs in total and whether your own kind of matters fit it, then see it run with matters like yours before you sign. Our guide lists the ten questions to ask any vendor. Q: What should a law firm intake system do? A: A law firm intake system should catch every inquiry, answer it quickly, check for conflicts, book the consultation, and carry the details into the client's file without retyping. Our intake guide takes each step in turn. Q: How does a law firm get cited in AI answers? A: A law firm is more likely to be cited in AI answers when its pages answer clients' questions directly, carry structured data that matches the page, and are open to AI assistants. Our website guide explains how to check where you stand. ### A walkthrough shows Compass by WattReach with a sample firm set up like yours. ## Choosing practice management software URL: https://rulng.com/resources/choosing-practice-management-software/ **How to choose practice management software** Ten questions to ask any vendor before you sign, including us. **The short answer** Choose practice management software by what it replaces, what it costs in total, and whether your own kind of matters fit it, then see it run with matters like yours before you sign. The ten questions below turn those three tests into things a vendor has to answer plainly. ### 1. What will it replace? List what the firm pays for and types into today: the website, the intake form, the case management system, the calendar, the billing, the backup. Software that replaces three of them is worth more than software that adds a fourth. Ask which of your tools it retires, and which it does not. ### 2. What does it cost in total? The price per user per month is only part of it. Add the payment fees, the add-ons for intake, research or e-signature, the tier a feature actually sits on, setup, and the cost of moving your data. Practice management products that publish a price charge about $49 to $150 a user a month as of October 2026, and several quote instead. ### 3. Where do court dates come from? Ask whether court dates are typed in by hand, calculated from court rules, or taken from the court's own notices, and what happens when a hearing moves. A missed notice can mean a missed date. ### 4. Does it fit your practice area? A criminal defense firm needs charges, judges, fines and court history on the matter. An estate planning firm needs couples in one file and signings on the calendar. Ask to see a matter from your own practice, not a generic demo. ### 5. Who builds and runs the website? Most practice management software leaves the website to a separate designer. Ask who builds it, who keeps it current, and whether a form on it lands in the same system as your matters. ### 6. How are leads answered, and how fast? Ask how every inquiry is caught, how spam is handled without losing a real client, how long a lead can wait before someone is reminded, and whether you can see which pages and sources bring the clients who hire you. ### 7. Who can see client files? Ask whether access is denied by default, how roles work, how people sign in, and what is logged. Ask whether a client's file can be kept from a lawyer with a conflict, and whether the system records who opened each file. Ask whether the vendor's own staff can see your data, and expect a straight answer. ### 8. How is the data backed up, and can you get it back? Ask how often backups run, whether they are encrypted, how long they are kept, and how a restore works. If you use Google Drive, ask whether it is backed up too. ### 9. Does the AI cite its sources? If the software answers legal questions, ask where its law comes from, which states it covers, and whether every point cites a source you can open. ### 10. Who sets it up? Ask who moves your existing clients in, who builds your checklists and roles, and what happens in the first week. Ask who does that work, and how long it takes. **How Compass by WattReach answers these** - **Replaces:** the website, intake, case management and backup, in one system; not trust accounting. The product. - **Cost:** built to order and quoted after a walkthrough. How pricing works. - **Court dates:** typed in by your staff when a court notice prompts it, or read from the court's public case page; reminders before each hearing; no court-rules calculation. Court integration. - **Practice fit:** criminal and estate practices have their own starter checklists; family and elder law firms start from the general one. Law firms. - **Website:** built and run by WattReach, on your own domain. Website. - **Leads:** website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox; spam held for review; a nudge at 15 office minutes and the backup owner copied at 60; the source of each. Lead management. - **Access:** deny by default, files limited to chosen groups, every open of a file recorded, sign-in by passkey or email link, two-factor for anyone who turns it on, changes logged. Security. - **Backups:** encrypted every night, kept 90 days, with Drive backup as a paid add-on. Backup and security. - **AI:** answers only from the library, every point cited; the library covers one state today. Law library. - **Setup:** WattReach sets Compass up with your firm and loads your client records. Book a walkthrough. ### Questions Q: How do I choose practice management software for a small law firm? A: Choose by what the software replaces, what it costs in total and whether your own kind of matters fit it, then see it run with matters like yours before you sign. The ten questions on this page make each test concrete. Q: How much does legal practice management software cost? A: Legal practice management software that publishes a price costs about $49 to $150 per user per month as of October 2026, before payment fees and add-ons, and several vendors quote instead. Q: What is the most important feature for a criminal defense firm? A: For a criminal defense firm, the most important feature is reliable court dates: every hearing on the right case, with reminders, and a warning when one moves. Fast intake at any hour comes a close second. Q: Should practice management software include a website? A: Yes, if it can: a firm benefits when its website and its practice management are one system, because every form becomes a lead with its source and nothing is retyped. Most products leave the website to a separate designer, so ask. ### Book a walkthrough and ask us all ten. ## Law firm software terms, defined URL: https://rulng.com/resources/glossary/ **Law firm software, in plain words** The terms you meet when you choose software for a firm, each defined in a sentence or two, with where Compass by WattReach fits when it does. **How to read this glossary** Each entry starts with a one-sentence definition you can quote. Where Compass does the thing defined, the entry says so and links to the page that shows how. ### Running the practice - **Legal practice management software**: Software that keeps a law firm's clients, matters, dates, documents, billing and client communication in one system, so the firm works from one record instead of several. Compass is practice management software that also includes the firm's website and its lead management. See the product. - **Matter**: One legal engagement for one client, such as a single criminal case, a divorce or an estate plan. A client can have several matters, and each has its own dates, documents and bills. - **Case management software**: Software that tracks matters: their phases, dates, notes and files. It is often used to mean the same as practice management software. Case management in Compass. - **Phase**: The stage a matter is in, such as intake, open, pretrial or closed. Phases let a firm see at a glance where every matter stands. - **Custom field**: A field the firm adds to its own records, such as a charge, a date of offense or a referral source, so the system holds what the practice actually tracks. - **Docket**: The court's list of a case's filings, hearings and events. To docket a date is to put it on the firm's calendar. - **Court notice**: A notice from the court about a case: a hearing set, a date moved, an order entered. A missed notice can mean a missed deadline. Court integration in Compass. - **Conflict check**: A search of the firm's past and present clients and parties before taking a new matter, to make sure the firm can ethically represent the new client. - **Discovery**: The evidence and information each side must share before trial. In a criminal case it can include police reports, recordings and lab results. ### Getting clients - **Lead**: A person who has contacted the firm about a legal problem and has not yet hired it. - **Intake**: The steps from first contact to a signed client: taking the details, checking for conflicts, booking the consultation and following up. Lead management in Compass. - **Legal CRM**: Software that tracks leads and the firm's relationships, from first contact to hire. In Compass, the leads inbox is the CRM. - **Speed to lead**: How long a new lead waits for a first reply. Shorter is better, because people often hire the first firm that calls them back. - **Lead source**: Where a lead came from: a Google search, a map listing, an AI answer, a referral or an ad. Knowing the source tells a firm which work brings clients. - **Google Business Profile**: The free listing that shows a business on Google Maps and in the map results, with its hours, reviews and photos. Google profile tracking in Compass. - **Local pack**: The three map results Google shows above the ordinary links for a local search such as "criminal defense lawyer near me". ### Money - **Retainer**: Money a client pays in advance, held for future work and drawn down as the firm earns it. - **Trust account**: A bank account for client money the firm has not yet earned. The rules on trust accounts are strict, and they come from the state that licenses the lawyer. - **IOLTA**: Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts: a pooled trust account whose interest goes to a program that funds legal aid, as each state's rules require. - **Flat fee**: One price for a defined piece of work, common in criminal defense and estate planning. - **Payment link**: A link the firm sends so a client can pay an invoice online. Billing in Compass. ### Clients and their information - **Client portal**: A secure page where a client can see their own matter, and in many products share documents and messages with the firm, instead of trading email. - **Passkey**: A way to sign in that uses the phone's or computer's own lock, such as a fingerprint or face, instead of a password. It cannot be phished the way a password can. - **Deny by default**: A security rule: nobody can see or change anything until they are given a role that allows it. Security in Compass. - **Ethical wall**: A screen inside a firm that keeps a lawyer or staff member with a conflict of interest away from one client's matter and the firm's information about it. In Compass, a client's file can be limited to chosen groups of the firm's people. Security in Compass. - **Encrypted backup**: A copy of the firm's data that is unreadable without the key, kept so the firm can recover from a mistake, an outage or an attack. ### Research - **Statute**: A law passed by a legislature, cited by its section number. - **Jury instructions**: The instructions a judge reads to the jury on the law that applies, often published as standard or pattern instructions that list the elements of each offense. - **Case law**: The decisions of appellate courts, which interpret statutes and bind lower courts. - **Citation**: The reference that lets a reader find the exact source of a statement of law. An AI answer is only as good as its citations. The law library in Compass. ### Search and AI - **SEO**: Search engine optimization: making pages that search engines can read, trust and rank. - **GEO**: Generative engine optimization: making pages that AI answer engines, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI answers, can read, quote and cite. - **AI Overview**: The AI-written answer Google shows above the ordinary search results. - **Schema markup**: Structured data in a page's code that tells search engines and AI tools exactly what the page is about: the firm, its address, its attorneys, its questions and answers. - **llms.txt**: A plain-text file at the root of a website that tells AI tools what the site is and where its important pages are. - **Share of voice**: How often a firm appears in search or AI answers for the searches that matter to it, compared with its competitors. Reports in Compass. ### Questions Q: What is legal practice management software? A: Legal practice management software keeps a law firm's clients, matters, dates, documents, billing and client communication in one system. Compass by WattReach adds the firm's website and its lead intake to that system. Q: What is the difference between a legal CRM and practice management software? A: A legal CRM tracks people before they hire the firm, and practice management software runs their matters after they do. Compass by WattReach does both in one system, so a lead becomes a client without retyping anything. Q: What is speed to lead? A: Speed to lead is how long a new lead waits for the firm's first reply. It matters because many people hire the first firm that answers. Q: What is GEO for a law firm? A: GEO, or generative engine optimization, is the work of making a firm's pages easy for AI answer engines to read, quote and cite. It builds on SEO with direct answers, honest structured data and files such as llms.txt. ### Book a walkthrough to see these words at work in a sample firm's Compass. ## What a law firm intake system should do URL: https://rulng.com/resources/law-firm-intake/ **Intake that turns inquiries into clients** What a law firm intake system should do, from the first inquiry to the signed client, and how to tell whether yours does it. **The short answer** A law firm intake system should catch every inquiry, answer it quickly, check for conflicts, book the consultation, and carry what it learned into the client's file without anyone typing it twice. It should also tell the firm where its clients come from, so the work that brings them gets more of the firm's time. ### 1. Catch every inquiry Inquiries arrive through the website's forms, the phone, an answering service, email and the firm's Google profile, often outside office hours. If they land in five places, some are found late and some are never found. One list, with as many channels in it as the firm can bring together, is the first job of intake. ### 2. Keep the spam out without losing a client Law firms attract spam, scams and vendors. A filter that deletes what it suspects will one day delete a real client. Hold suspected spam for review instead, and release it with one click. ### 3. Answer fast People in legal trouble often hire the first firm that answers. Measure the time to a first reply, remind the lead's owner when a lead waits, and copy a backup when it waits longer. A drafted reply ready for an attorney to send saves the minutes that matter. ### 4. Know who is calling, and about whom The person who reaches out is often not the client: a parent writes about an adult child, or one spouse about the other. Record both, and the other parties too, because the conflict check needs every name. ### 5. Check conflicts before the consultation Search every name against current and past clients, and against past inquiries, before anyone gives advice. Record the result, so the check is part of the file and not a memory. ### 6. Book the consultation, and count what happens Put the consultation on the calendar, mark no-shows and reschedules, and see the month's counts. A no-show rate is a number a firm can improve. ### 7. Carry it all into the file When the client hires the firm, everything intake learned (names, the matter, the source, the conflict check, the first payment) should become the client file with one action. ### 8. Know where clients come from Record the first page each person saw, the site, ad or campaign that sent them, and whether an AI assistant did. Then count which sources bring the clients who hire you, as well as the inquiries. **How Compass by WattReach does intake** Compass puts website forms, phone taps and, where set up, answering-service messages in one inbox, holds suspected spam for review, nudges a lead's owner after 15 office minutes and copies the backup owner at 60, and drafts a reply for an attorney to send. Your staff run the conflict check and book the consultation from the lead, and a retained lead becomes the client file through one form. Every lead carries its source, including arrivals from AI assistants. Phone calls themselves, and email sent straight to an attorney, do not land in Compass. Lead management in Compass. ### Questions Q: What should a law firm intake system do? A: A law firm intake system should catch every inquiry, answer it quickly, check for conflicts, book the consultation, and carry the details into the client's file without retyping. It should also show which sources bring the clients who hire the firm. Q: How fast should a law firm respond to a new lead? A: A law firm should answer a new lead within minutes during office hours, because people in legal trouble often hire the first firm that answers. Measuring the time to a first reply is the way to improve it. Q: When should a law firm run a conflict check? A: A law firm should run a conflict check before the consultation, on every name involved: the caller, the person the matter is about, and the other parties. The result belongs on the file. Q: Should spam filters delete suspicious inquiries? A: No, a law firm's spam filter should hold suspicious inquiries for review rather than delete them, because a filter that deletes will eventually delete a real client. ### Book a walkthrough and we will take a sample inquiry through every step on this page. ## Law firm websites that AI can cite URL: https://rulng.com/resources/law-firm-website-search-and-ai/ **A law firm website that ranks, and gets cited by AI** What makes a firm's site show up in Google's results and in the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI, and how to check where you stand. **The short answer** A law firm's website is more likely to rank and be cited when its pages answer clients' questions directly, say only what is true in structured data that matches the page, load fast, and stay current. AI answer engines quote pages they can read and trust, so the same work serves Google and the AI assistants. ### 1. Answer the question in the first two sentences People ask search engines and AI assistants whole questions: what happens at an arraignment, how long probate takes, what a power of attorney does. A page that answers in its first two sentences, then explains, is the page an AI answer can lift. Put the answer first. ### 2. Say who you are, the same way everywhere Your firm's name, address and phone number should match on your site, your Google Business Profile and the legal directories. Structured data (schema markup) on the site should name the firm, its attorneys and its profiles, so search engines and AI tools connect them. ### 3. Mark up only what the page shows Questions and answers, reviews and ratings in structured data must be the ones visible on the page. Hidden markup sends a false signal, and search engines can discount the sites that do it. ### 4. Be fast, especially on a phone Many people looking for a lawyer are on a phone. A page that shows its main content quickly keeps them; one that does not loses them before they read a word. ### 5. Keep dates honest A page's "updated" date should change only when its words change. A site that re-dates every page on every build tells search engines nothing they can trust. ### 6. Let the AI assistants in, on your terms Your robots.txt tells crawlers which of them may read the site. Decide separately whether AI assistants may read and quote your pages and whether AI companies may train on them. A plain-text llms.txt file tells AI tools what the site is and where its important pages are. ### 7. Check where you stand Search for your clients' questions, and ask the AI assistants the same questions. Note who is named, which pages are cited, and where people are sent instead. Do it regularly, because the answers move. **How Compass by WattReach does this for your site** Every Compass site is built on Astro and served as static pages, passes eighteen checks on every build (including structured data that must match the page), keeps its dates honest, and carries an llms.txt that lists every page in its sitemap. Three switches decide whether search engines, AI assistants and AI trainers may read it, and every page change goes to Bing and the other IndexNow engines within the hour. Compass asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI the questions set up for your practice and reports who they name. AI search, Reports. ### Questions Q: How does a law firm get cited in ChatGPT and other AI answers? A: A law firm is more likely to be cited in AI answers when its pages answer clients' questions directly, carry structured data that matches the page, and are open to AI assistants. Checking the answers regularly shows what to fix next. Q: What is GEO for law firms? A: GEO, or generative engine optimization, is the work of making a firm's pages easy for AI answer engines to read, quote and cite. It builds on SEO with direct answers, honest structured data and files such as llms.txt. Q: Does a law firm need an llms.txt file? A: A law firm does not strictly need an llms.txt file, but it is a simple, low-cost way to tell AI tools what the site is and where its important pages are. It may help them read the site; it does not guarantee a citation. Q: Can anyone guarantee that AI will recommend my firm? A: No, nobody can guarantee that an AI assistant will name a firm, and a promise to is a warning sign. What a firm can do is publish clear answers and measure the results. ### Book a walkthrough and we will show you a sample firm's AI answers page and what it would change. ## About WattReach URL: https://rulng.com/about/ **About WattReach** WattReach builds and runs Compass by WattReach, and sets it up with each of its partner firms. ### Who we are WattReach is the company that makes Compass by WattReach: the software, the firms' websites, and the checks that watch both, day and night. We set Compass up with each partner firm ourselves, and we are the people our partners reach when something needs attention. ### Twenty years with lawyers Lawyers have been our partners for twenty years, and Compass came out of that work. It began as the websites and lead system we built for our law-firm partners, and grew, one piece at a time, into the practice management our partner firms use today. Away from Compass, we keep Adventure, a journal of EV towing and overlanding: the charge stops, the camp sites and the country in between. ### How we work #### Facts before claims. Every page on this site is written to say only what Compass does today. Where a feature is not built, or covers one state, we say so, and our comparisons say where other products are stronger. #### Measured, not promised. Compass reports what happened: the leads, where they came from, how fast the firm answered, and where it stands in search and AI answers. We do not promise rankings or citations, because nobody can. #### No false signals. The sites we build carry honest dates, structured data that matches what the page shows, and AI settings the firm chooses. ### How support works - **Write to us** at hello@wattreach.com. - **We are watching too.** Every firm's home page is checked every five minutes, and a site that fails twice in a row calls WattReach. Every five minutes, anything that reached a firm but did not become a lead raises an alert with us, and every night the spam filter is replayed against the firm's own decisions. - **We set it up.** Your website, your phases and roles, and your existing clients brought across are part of every build. ### Also from WattReach - **Adventure**, a journal of EV towing and overlanding, with its range calculators. - **TapIn**, a free app that puts membership cards into Apple and Google Wallet. - **The Workshop**, printable parts for the road. ### Questions Q: Who makes Compass by WattReach? A: WattReach makes Compass by WattReach, and builds and runs it for each of its partner firms, including each firm's website. Q: How do we get support? A: Email hello@wattreach.com. WattReach is also alerted on its own when a firm's site is down or an inquiry fails to become a lead. ### Book a walkthrough to see Compass with a sample firm set up like yours.