If you’re a law firm owner using (or considering) Lawmatics CRM to automate client intake, case workflows, or follow-ups, you’ve likely reached a crossroads:
“Do I need a CRM audit… or do I need to start from scratch?”
It’s a smart question—because the right decision can save you dozens of hours, thousands of dollars, and a whole lot of frustration.
In this post, we’ll break down the difference between an Audit and a Build, when each one makes sense, and how to decide what’s right for your firm.
Law Firm CRM Audit vs. Build: What’s the Difference?
A CRM Audit is ideal when you already have Lawmatics running, but you’re not sure it’s optimized.
We review your setup, spot inefficiencies, and recommend fixes—without tearing everything down. The audit is an opportunity to understand your system from an outside perspective, with a team that is skilled in Law Firm workflows AND business fundamentals. We will identify what data is missing to help you achieve your goals and give you a list of recommendations that your firm could benefit from in terms of CRM development and workflow updates that support your firm.
A Full Build is for law firms starting fresh or reimagining their intake and service delivery workflows from the ground up.
We start with a clean slate and custom-build your CRM system based on your business goals. Even if you have an existing system, we will build in parallel to the existing system and then activate everything when its ready. This allows us to keep your firm operating without interruption to your staff and/or attorneys and the work they all do.
Which One Do You Actually Need?
I like to talk about Audits and Builds as different things, because they technically are. However, it is difficult to build for a law firm that we don’t know enough about. The audit is therefore the best way we have developed to fully understand your firm and the way you work.
Once we understand what is needed to help you close the gap between what you desire and where you are now, we can THEN build for you to achieve your goals.
Here’s a breakdown based on real client scenarios:
| Scenario | AUDIT | BUILD |
| You already using a CRM like Lawmatics daily but have unclear knowledge of how it works for you | ✅ | |
| You signed up for a CRM but never really got it off the ground | ✅ | ✅ |
| You’ve DIY’d your system and things “mostly work” but feel clunky or messy | ✅ | |
| You’re switching CRMs or starting from scratch | ✅ | ✅ |
| You have a team using your CRM inconsistently (or not at all) | ✅ | |
| You’re scaling and want systems to support future growth goals | ✅ | ✅ |
The Case for a CRM Audit
A CRM audit is a great first step when:
- You’ve already invested time into your system and want to make the most of your investment
- Your workflows are built but lack structure or automation logic and nobody knows how it works
- You want faster wins without the cost and time of a full rebuild
💡 Think of it like a home inspection. You know that you have the bones of what you need, but you want to be sure everything runs the way you expect it to.
When a Custom CRM Build for Law Firms Makes Sense
A full build is right for firms if you paid for an audit and you see the value OR:
- You are starting from zero (no CRM) or switching from another system
- The firm has grown and you want to scale with a well developed foundational system
- You want to rethink your entire intake-to-service delivery process with a team that has seen the inner workings of 60+ firms and can offer real world fixes.
💡 It’s like building a custom home. You choose the layout, materials, and systems that match how your firm actually works.
Real-World Examples
Estate Planning Firm A had a Lawmatics CRM setup created by a former staff member. Automations were patchy, data was messy, and follow-up was inconsistent.
👉 We ran an audit, identified 7 key fixes, and implemented updates that improved their consult show-up rate by 40%—without a full rebuild.
Personal Injury Firm B came to us after signing up for Lawmatics and doing nothing for 6 months. They needed everything—pipelines, forms, email nurture sequences, the works.
👉 We started with a full build, customized for their specific practice areas, and trained their team from day one.
Still Not Sure?
That’s exactly why we created our free resource:
“Do I Need a CRM Audit? A Self-Check for Law Firm Owners.”
Perfect for firms evaluating their current Lawmatics intake system or planning a custom CRM build.
Run through a simple checklist to see if you’re ready for an audit—or if it’s time to build from scratch.
👉 Or book a free call with our team and we’ll help you figure it out.
🚀 Your CRM Should Work for You—Not Confuse You
Whether you’re optimizing what you already have or starting fresh, the goal is the same:
An intake and service delivery system that saves time, delights clients, and drives growth.
Let’s figure out your best next step—together.
