Overview
Clio Draft, formerly Lawyaw, is a legal document automation platform acquired and rebranded by Clio in February 2024. It specializes in state court forms and standardized legal documents, giving firms two complementary automation paths: building reusable templates from their own Word documents or accessing Clio Draft's library of court-approved forms across multiple US jurisdictions. The court forms library is a standout feature, covering tens of thousands of state and local court forms organized by jurisdiction and practice area. For family law, probate, landlord-tenant, and criminal defense practices that regularly complete state-specific court forms, this eliminates the manual form-hunting that paralegals typically spend significant time on. The interview-driven workflow lets paralegals and attorneys fill in client information once, then auto-populate it across all related documents in a matter. A single intake answers questions that populate retainer agreements, court filings, client letters, and internal tracking documents simultaneously. Clio Draft integrates directly with Clio Manage, so completed documents flow automatically into the matter's document folder. It also connects to other practice management systems via API. Pricing is available on the Clio website and varies by plan tier. Best for family law, estate planning, immigration, criminal defense, and other form-intensive practice areas.
Key features
Court Form Automation
Pre-built templates for hundreds of court forms across immigration, family law, probate, estate planning, and other practice areas. Complete forms from matter data without manual entry on each field.
Template Builder
Build custom document templates with variable fields that populate from client and matter data. Create firm-specific forms for letters, agreements, and standard documents.
Matter Data Merge
Client and matter information entered once populates across all generated documents — no re-typing party names, addresses, or case numbers.
Clio Manage Integration
For Clio firms, Clio Draft pulls matter data directly from Clio Manage for document generation. Generated documents save back to the matter record.
Document Sharing and E-Signature
Share generated documents with clients for review and collect e-signatures on retainer agreements and other client-facing documents.
Form Library Management
Search and manage available forms by practice area and jurisdiction. Updates to standard court forms roll out automatically.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Generates completed court forms and legal documents from matter data — eliminates repetitive form filling
- Pre-built form library for immigration, family law, estate planning, and probate practice areas
- Works standalone — non-Clio firms can use it without switching PM platforms
- Significant time savings for document-heavy practice areas that file standard forms repeatedly
- Integration with Clio Manage for firms in the Clio ecosystem
Cons
- Form library is not comprehensive for all states and practice areas — verify coverage before committing
- Clio acquisition creates uncertainty about standalone product roadmap
- $70/month is a meaningful cost for solos who only occasionally use document automation
- Custom template creation requires setup time
- Less capable than Smokeball's document automation for Windows-based practices
Pricing
7-day free trial — no credit card required.
Pricing current as of May 2026; verify with vendor before purchasing.
Who it's best for
Best fit for
- Immigration, family law, estate planning, and probate attorneys who file standard court forms repeatedly
- Clio Manage customers wanting integrated document automation without switching PM platforms
- Solo attorneys and small firms that spend significant time on repetitive form completion
- Practices wanting cloud-based document automation without Windows dependency
Not a fit for
- Windows-based practices wanting deeply embedded Office automation (use Smokeball)
- Firms in practice areas or states not covered in the form library — verify coverage first
- Attorneys who primarily draft custom documents rather than complete standard forms
Frequently asked questions
The base tier starts at approximately $70/month. Contact Clio for current pricing — pricing has evolved since the acquisition.
Yes. Clio acquired Lawyaw and rebranded it as Clio Draft. The product continues to operate under the Clio Draft name.
No. Clio Draft works as a standalone document automation tool for non-Clio firms. Clio Manage integration is available for Clio customers but not required.
Form coverage varies by state and practice area. Strongest coverage is in immigration, family law, and estate planning. Check the Clio Draft form library for specific jurisdiction coverage before purchasing.
Smokeball's document automation is embedded in Microsoft Word with deeper Office integration and a larger real estate and estate planning form library, but requires Windows. Clio Draft is cloud-based and more accessible for non-Windows firms.
About Themis Solutions (Clio)
Cloud-based practice management for solo and small firms.
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