Actionstep or Zola Suite?
How I decide which partner will move the needle for a law‑firm client.
“The best platform is the one that bends, without breaking, around the way your firm really works.” — Nic Perry, Founder, Mauve Morpho
Last spring, a litigation partner called me in a panic.
Their brand-new practice‑management system looked great in demos, but come Tuesday at 4 p.m., the paralegal’s “next‑docket shuffle” routine still lived in a spreadsheet and a pile of Post‑its. Automation? Zero. Morale? Same.
That’s when it clicked (again): flashy features don’t matter if the software can’t handle the weird‑but‑critical chores that keep a file moving in the real world.
So when firms ask me, “Actionstep or Zola Suite?” I skip the marketing decks and run the Tuesday‑at‑4 p.m. test.
Quick Decision Cheat Sheet
Need out-of-the-box billing & accounting with zero fuss
Zola Suite: ✅ Native, all-in-one billing + accounting.
Actionstep (via Mauve Morpho): ✅ Native too—plus optional Billing Interest Calculator if you need tiered rates or partial-month proration.
Heavy document automation & mail-merge templates
Zola Suite: ⚠️ Limited—partners lean on Word add-ins.
Actionstep: ✅ Leverages Actionstep Builder + Field Helper pack for deep automation.
Complex, multi-practice workflows
Zola Suite: ⚠️ Can feel rigid once you leave the defaults.
Actionstep: ✅ Unlimited matter types and custom triggers.
CRM-style marketing & intake
Zola Suite: ⚠️ Basic lead-capture fields only.
Actionstep: ✅ Native CRM or seamless Lawmatics ↔ Actionstep integration.
Large data migration from a legacy system
Zola Suite: Results depend on which partner you hire.
Actionstep: In-house migration team—50k+ matters moved so far.
Ongoing tweaks & support after go-live
Zola Suite: Often time-boxed engagements.
Actionstep: We stay on retainer—“your favorite consultant’s consultant.”
Why firms call us after a “good‑enough” Zola build stalls
Eveliina (our chief Actionstep consultant) stepped into a Zola project that looked finished on paper:
“Workflows were there, but the staff still kept side spreadsheets because Zola couldn’t fire follow‑ups the way they needed.”
Duplicate entries crept in because tags wouldn’t sync to their marketing funnel.
Month‑end trust reconciliation still landed in Excel.
We rebuilt the matter flow in Actionstep, added a one‑click ‘Next Task’ view, and the firm ditched three external spreadsheets in the first week.
Case Study #1 – Lawmatics ↔ Actionstep integration
For firms who love Zola’s built‑in CRM but outgrow its triggers.
“The minute a lead converts, everything — contacts, custom fields, documents — shoots straight into the matter. No swivel‑chair data entry.” — Nic
Before
Manual CSV uploads from Lawmatics → Zola → errors
15 min average lag to open a new matter
Intake team re‑keyed data for every retainer
After
Real‑time API push into Actionstep
Matter opens in < 30 seconds, doc pack auto‑generates
Intake workload dropped 30%
Case Study #2 – Billing Interest Calculator
When “all‑in‑one” still isn’t all in one.
Zola handles flat interest well — until a partner needs tiered rates or partial‑month proration. Our Billing Interest Calculator:
Reads outstanding balances nightly
Applies custom rate rules (simple or compounding)
Posts line‑items back to Actionstep invoices
Result: consistent interest, zero spreadsheets, happier finance team.
My decision framework (steal it)
1. Map the non‑negotiables – trust accounting rules, bespoke workflows, states’ filing quirks.
2. Stress‑test integrations – if the partner says “we can Zapier that,” ask who maintains it when it breaks?
3. Plan the after‑care – migrations are messy; choose a team that sticks around.
“Any platform can look perfect in a demo. Ask to see how it handles the weird stuff your paralegal does every Thursday at 4 pm.”
— Eveliina, Actionstep Consultant
FAQs
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Yes — it’s great for solo or small firms that need built‑in accounting and don’t customize workflows.
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Happens all the time. We’ll audit your build, keep what works, migrate what doesn’t.
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Typical 10‑user firm: 6–8 weeks from data pull to go‑live (with us babysitting).
Ready to pick the right lane?
If you’re wrestling with workflow gaps — or just want a sanity‑check before you sign — drop me a note.
We’ll hash out whether Zola can stretch or Actionstep + some clever add‑ons will save you more grief.
Author:
Nic Perry, Mauve Morpho Owner
MBA | 8‑year Actionstep tinkerer | Occasional spreadsheet whisperer