Is your Clio history worth money?
In this article
What is in a Clio and practice management exportWhy buyers want itHow to export itWhat is removedWhat it pairs withWhich buyers name itWhat is actually in a Clio and practice management export
- Matters with tasks, time entries, notes and billing
- Documents and versions, if stored in Clio or linked
- Communications logged to the matter
- Intake and conflict check records
Why buyers want it
A matter is a documented piece of knowledge work from intake to final bill. Buyers want the process: how work was staffed, how long it took, how drafts moved. Client identity and privileged content are excluded or handled under a written protocol that your firm controls.
- The buyer built for small operators
- publishes an offer band of $250,000 to $750,000 for a law firm in Maryland (published, October 2026).
- One enterprise buyer
- lists contracts, case files and discovery documents (published, 2026).
- Another enterprise buyer
- lists contract workflows and review processes (published, October 2026).
How to export it
You do not have to do this before talking to a buyer. The buyer walks your admin through it once a deal is scoped. For reference, as of October 6, 2026:
- Clio Manage: Settings, then Data Export, creates a ZIP of CSV files for matters, contacts, activities, bills and more.
- Documents stored in Clio export from the Documents tab or through the API.
- NetDocuments or iManage, if used, export separately with version history.
- Your ethics counsel sets the scope before any export.
Vendors move menus. Check the vendor's help center for the current path.
See what your company's records could get.
Ten questions, under five minutes, built from the buyers' own published ranges.
Get my estimate →What is removed before anyone sees it
- Client identities and matter identifiers
- Privileged communications, excluded or protocol-handled
- Sealed and protected-order material
- Trust account details
How scrubbing works, and what every buyer commits to.
What it pairs with
One system is a record. Two linked systems are a story. This is where the number moves most.
- Outlook and SharePoint
- The negotiation threads.
- QuickBooks and Xero
- The billing and collections.
Which buyer types name it
Every buyer type, what it publishes, and who it wants.
Industries that run on it
In short
- Clio and practice management: high demand among buyers. 2 of the 6 buyer types name this kind of record.
- Years of history and links to other systems drive the number. A snapshot is worth little.
- Names, credentials and anything under a restrictive contract are removed or excluded before use.
- You do not export anything before a deal is scoped. The buyer handles it with your admin.
Questions owners ask.
Is this ethical?
Firms do it with ethics counsel involved, client consent where required, and privilege excluded. Ask your counsel before the first call.
Which practice areas?
Transactional work moves fastest. Litigation is slower to clear.
Small firm?
One buyer is built for small firms. The enterprise buyers start around 30 staff. Everyone gets checked.
Is the time entry data useful?
Yes. It shows how work was staffed and how long each step took.
