From Manual to Automated Intake
“Freeman|Wine LLC” Journey to Better Practice Management with Lawmatics
“Above and beyond. Truly, it’s been a phenomenal experience.“
Dana R. Wine
Partner at Freeman|Wine, LLC
Firm Profile
Freeman|Wine, LLC, established in 2013 in Charleston, South Carolina, has grown into a respected firm specializing in estate planning, estate administration, bankruptcy, and family law. Under the leadership of Wendi M. Freeman and Dana R. Wine, the firm has expanded to include 3 attorneys and 3 staff members.
The firm was using modern legal tools, using a CRM and Clio Manage for case management, Calendly for appointment scheduling, and Mailchimp for marketing communications. However, while these tools were powerful on their own, the lack of seamless integration between them created efficiency challenges as the firm continued to grow.
The Challenge: Managing Success Without Sacrificing Quality
Despite building a thriving practice, Freeman|Wine faced a common challenge among growing law firms: their success was overwhelming their existing systems. “In the early days, it was getting clients and making sure I had enough business coming in. Then more recently, it was handling the growth that had come from years of efforts to attract more clients,” explains Dana. “I found myself in a place where I had all of the business and more that I ever wanted, but hadn’t really properly put the systems, technology, and processes into place to handle that growth.”
- Follow-up with prospective clients was inconsistent, especially for estate planning where there aren't pressing deadlines
- Human error in data entry and email communications created inefficiencies
- Manual processes required extensive after-hours monitoring by the partners
- Previous automation attempts had failed to deliver real efficiency gains and dragged on for too long
The situation was particularly challenging because:
Dana R. Wine
Law Firm
Freeman|Wine, LLC
Based in
South Carolina
Practice Area
Estate Planning, Probate, and Bankruptcy
Firm Size
1-10
The Solution: A Comprehensive Client Relationship Management System (CRM)
Swans transformed Freeman|Wine’s client management process by implementing a fully automated client intake system built on Lawmatics, moving away from their previous CRM to leverage more sophisticated automation capabilities.
The foundation of the new system lies in intelligent intake processing that unifies all client entry points into a single, streamlined workflow. Whether a potential client submits an inquiry through the firm’s website, calls the office directly, or comes through a referral, the information flows into one centralized system. Web forms on the firm’s site automatically create new matters, while staff members use the same standardized forms when taking information over the phone, ensuring consistent data collection regardless of the entry point. The following form is the one used by attorneys after a consultation with a potential client to automatically generate their engagement agreement.
This unified approach immediately triggers an automated workflow: the system performs an automatic conflict check across all parties involved, sends a personalized welcome email to the potential client, and notifies the appropriate staff member for follow-up. From there, the system manages the entire engagement process, from managing initial consultations through Calendly to gathering detailed client information through dynamic intake forms. As illustrated in the picture down below, this complex workflow accommodates multiple decision points and parallel processes, ensuring smooth handling of various client needs. This automation eliminates the manual generation and sending of contracts, that previously consumed hours of staff time each week.
At the heart of the solution is a document automation system that includes:
- Dynamic generation of engagement agreements customized to consultation outcomes
- Automated adaptation for 2-client scenarios
- Built-in e-signature workflows with automated follow-up sequences
- Smart reminder system with escalating notifications for unsigned documents
What sets this solution apart is its ability to reduce manual intervention while maintaining high-touch client service. The system includes comprehensive monitoring capabilities and built-in safeguards, ensuring no client or matter falls through the cracks. This allows the firm to scale its practice efficiently while maintaining the personal attention that clients expect from a law firm.
The implementation of Swans’ solution has delivered measurable improvements across Freeman|Wine’s operations, with impact equivalent to adding a full-time staff member through automation alone. “Automation can save many human hours a week, both at the staff level and at the more managerial supervisory level,” explains Dana.
The system has eliminated the need for after-hours work that previously consumed partners’ evenings and weekends, particularly the time spent checking email follow-ups and monitoring client communications. As Dana explains,”My life is impacted in a positive way by automating processes because it means that I am not going to be spending the time at night, on the weekends, checking on everything.”
Results: Enhanced Efficiency and Peace of Mind
Operational Improvements
- Significant reduction in manual administrative tasks
- Better client retention through consistent follow-up
- Seamless integration between key practice management tools
Quality of Life Impact
- Reduced anxiety about missed follow-ups or overlooked tasks
- More time for strategic work and client service
- Elimination of night and weekend monitoring
- Greater confidence in their practice management systems
Future Growth
Dana now maintains an exciting list of future automation projects, feeling confident about the firm’s ability to scale. “I feel a lot more enthusiastic about the future than I did when I felt like I was stuck in the hamster wheel of the daily grind of making it all work without that help,” she shares. The transformation has positioned Freeman|Wine, LLC for sustainable growth while maintaining their high standards of client service. Most importantly, it has given the firm’s leadership the confidence to continue innovating and expanding their practice.
“All of my communication is answered not just timely, but fast.
I feel like if I bring up something that I have a concern about or a question, it’s heard and it’s considered and it’s responded to with thoughtfulness.
It has been nothing but a positive experience, and everything has been done quickly.”
Dana R. Wine
Partner at Freeman|Wine, LLC