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How Spurling Legal Built a Connected, Technology-Led Litigation Practice

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Spurling Legal

  • 2025

    Year Founded

  • Solo

    Number of Staff

  • 2025

    Started Using Clio

  • Perth WA, Australia

    Location

  • Hourly

    Fee Types

  • Commercial

    Practice Areas

When establishing Spurling Legal, Dicky Abraham reviewed several practice management options before choosing Clio for its flexibility, intuitive interface and integrations. With Clio at the centre of its technology ecosystem, the firm can manage complex matters efficiently while maintaining close principal involvement.

Dicky Abraham founded Spurling Legal in 2025. An Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation, Dicky acts in complex, high-value commercial disputes across Australia. He built the firm around a connected technology ecosystem from day one, with Clio at its centre.

“Part of the reason why I’m able to operate the way I am, and still provide cost savings to the clients, is because of Clio. Clio is the overarching software that sits on top of everything else and integrates with everything else.”

1. Choosing Clio

Dicky first came across Clio before Spurling Legal existed. At his previous firm, he reviewed the various practice management options on the market, and trialled Clio himself.

“I looked at ActionStep, I looked at Clio, I looked at iManage and I looked at Leap, I looked at various other software… I had a trial with Clio, and once I started using it, I didn’t have any issues with it. So here I am.”
Having worked through the market, Dicky came away with a clear view of what separates the good platforms from the rest. One thing stood out above everything else.
“The biggest advantage Clio has, I think, is the fact that it has a really simple user interface. And you don’t get that with a lot of practice management software, and I’ve tried a few. That is something that Clio offers that I think a lot of practice management software do not.”

Clio has been the firm’s platform ever since. Here is what it does for Spurling Legal day to day.

2. A complete matter picture in one place

Dicky drafts constantly, from letters of demand to pleadings. That work is more efficient when the relevant documents, correspondence and file notes are organised in one place.

“They have access to the files in Clio and all the documents in Clio. So it has context.”

That is why he keeps documents, file notes and correspondence together in Clio. Maintaining a complete electronic file means the relevant matter history does not have to be reconstructed from multiple systems before work begins.

“If I was to use ActionStep, it wouldn’t necessarily integrate with all my AI, which means that I’m going to have to upload files onto my AI manually.”

3. Integrations that connect the firm’s technology

InfoTrack, VXT, Quillio and Parachute AI are some of the integrations Dicky uses with Clio. Because they connect directly into the platform, the tools he relies on every day work as part of one system rather than sitting apart from it.

“It’s the integrations. I really like that. It allows my tech ecosystem to work as a whole, as opposed to separate components, even though they are made of separate components. That leads to incredible efficiencies.”

4. Simplifying trust accounting and compliance

As a solo practitioner, Dicky handles every part of the business himself: the accounts, the filing, the marketing. Trust accounting is a significant part of the practice, with substantial funds arriving in trust every week. Dicky manages all of it himself, so it needed to be simple enough to stay on top of between matters. It was one of the main reasons he looked so closely at practice management software in the first place. Clio makes routine trust accounting processes straightforward.

“I’m getting substantial funds into trust on a weekly basis. I like the fact that it is so easy to maintain compliance. Trust receipts can be done by virtue of a single button, and then reconciliations are the same. So I find that really handy.”

5. An overwhelmingly paperless practice, accessible from anywhere

Working across locations requires the firm’s files to be securely accessible wherever Dicky is working. Because Clio is cloud-based, he can access the information he needs without relying on a filing cabinet or local drive.

“I operate essentially a paperless office. The only time we print something is if I want to send it by post. So everything is stored on Clio, which means I can access it from anywhere.”

6. A system designed to support the firm as it grows

For all the technology used in the practice, the feature Dicky likes the most is Clio’s user interface. He believes ease of use is one of the most important considerations when a firm chooses software. An intuitive platform encourages users to explore it and become comfortable with its features.

“If the user interface is not simple and easy to use, people are hesitant to explore.”

Clio did not create that barrier for Dicky. He learned the platform by working through it intuitively, with little need to consult a manual.

“I rarely use the Clio manuals. I just go through and work it out, and that’s how I learned Clio. It didn’t make me feel like I could get into trouble. I always knew how to get back to where I was.”

That ease of use will become increasingly important as the firm grows. Dicky wants new team members to be able to become comfortable with the firm’s systems quickly while receiving appropriate training in its processes.

“The biggest capital in your firm is your people. Natural curiosity will allow the practitioners to explore and get across the software organically. They will naturally learn… I think Clio does that really well.”

Interested in learning more about what Clio can do for your firm?

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