SmartAdvocate Pricing: SmartAdvocate Cost Per User, Cloud vs Server, and the Contract Terms
SmartAdvocate does not publish a price. Its own FAQ says pricing is based on your firm's needs and sends you to a sales call. The $109 per user per month you will see on software directories cites no source. What SmartAdvocate does publish is its Terms of Service, and those set the real costs around the seat: a 30 day notice to leave, early exit recharged at the full monthly rate, and a data export fee of at least $500.
Put the numbers from your Work Order into the checker to see the first year, what leaving early would cost under those terms, and what the same team pays at PI platforms that print a price.
SmartAdvocate quote checker
Your first year, and the cost of leaving early
The $109 default is the unsourced directory figure and the 10% discount is a placeholder: SmartAdvocate prints neither. One-time fees are startup, data conversion and training. Replace all of them with your quote.
Year one, prepaid
Leaving after months
What the early exit clause costs you
Same team for a year, at published prices
Seat prices only, before setup and add-ons. Exhibit E lists what each plan includes.
SmartAdvocate cost is a quoted per user rate plus fees its terms describe but do not price
SmartAdvocate is personal injury case management software from a Long Island, New York company, sold as SmartAdvocate Cloud (hosted) or SmartAdvocate Server (installed on your own hardware). There is no pricing page: smartadvocate.com/pricing returns a 404, the Wayback Machine has never captured one, and the FAQ entry "How Much Does SmartAdvocate Cost?" answers with a phone number and a demo link.
The Terms of Service fill in the rest. You pay per user, in advance, at the service level on your Work Order. Training, integrations and data conversion are sold separately. Either side can end the agreement on 30 days notice, but leaving a prepaid year early recharges the months you used at the full rate, and the SQL export of your data costs at least $500 and must be requested in writing when you give notice. For comparison, CasePeer publishes $90, $130 and $160 per user per month with no long-term contract.
smartadvocate.com FAQ and the archived cloud launch post
What SmartAdvocate itself says about price and packaging
Everything below is on SmartAdvocate's own pages. None of it is a dollar figure for the subscription, but it tells you what the quote will be built from.
| Topic | What SmartAdvocate says | What it means for your budget |
|---|---|---|
| Price | "SmartAdvocate pricing is based on your firm's needs. To receive a tailored quote, contact a Business Development Specialist" | No list price exists to hold them to. Ask for the per user rate, the service level and every one-time fee on one Work Order |
| Cloud or Server | Server: "You own the software and maintain it on your own server. Backups and maintenance are handled by you and your IT personnel." Cloud: a hosted version so "you avoid the trouble and expense of purchasing and maintaining a server" | Server moves cost onto your hardware and IT time. Cloud is the subscription the Terms of Service describe |
| Cloud levels | 2024 launch post (archived): "Cloud Gold contains all of the features of SmartAdvocate Server, while Cloud Silver is a more affordable system with fewer features, dashboards and reports" | Two service levels, so ask which one the quote is for and which dashboards and reports Silver drops |
| Storage | Firms are not required to pay for storage; "SmartAdvocate has unlimited storage" | No per gigabyte line, subject to the fair use clause in Exhibit C |
| Training | An online Learning Management System, weekly condensed webinars, and full user training "customized for your firm" at your office, on Long Island or on the web | The FAQ does not say training is included, and the Terms price it separately. Get the training days on the Work Order |
| Trial | "Book a Free Demo." No trial is offered on the site | You evaluate on a sales demo, so bring a closed file of your own and script it |
The unit
A user, at a service level
The Terms grant access "for the number of users, and at the level of service specified on your original Work Order". Headcount drives the bill, so count paralegals and case managers, not only lawyers.
Sold separately
Texting, e-signature and AI
The fair use clause covers "Texting, e-Signature and Built-In AI Tools" as things you use "if purchased". Price each module you expect to use, because the demo will show all of them.
Paid up front
In advance, card on file
"All subscription payments are due in advance." A valid credit card must be on file at all times, and promotional pricing "must be paid annually".
Every third party figure we found, and its stated source
Where the $109 and $1,995 SmartAdvocate prices come from
Almost every page that ranks for SmartAdvocate pricing prints the same number, $109 per user per month. We traced each one. None names a source, and the vendor's own site contradicts the idea that a standard rate exists.
| Figure in circulation | Who prints it | What we could verify |
|---|---|---|
| $109 per user per month | Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice (all one Gartner directory network), then copied by review blogs | No source given, no date, no service level. It matches no SmartAdvocate page, current or archived. Treat it as a directory listing, not a price |
| "Hosted" from $109, "Enterprise" from $1,995 | A software review marketplace pricing page | No unit or period attached to the $1,995, and no source. SmartAdvocate uses Cloud and Server, and Gold and Silver, not Hosted and Enterprise |
| Implementation $2,000 to $10,000+, data migration $1,500 to $15,000, training $500 to $5,000 | A software comparison site | No source. The Terms confirm these are separate charges but print no amounts, so these ranges are estimates at best |
| $1,308 to $23,940 a year for one user | A pricing aggregator | Attributed to "provider or public materials" without naming either. A range that wide does not help a budget |
One coincidence worth knowing: $109 per user per month billed yearly is also the only price Assembly Neos publishes, for its Essentials tier. If you are comparing the two on a spreadsheet, only one of those $109 figures comes from the vendor. Our Neos pricing page covers that one.
smartadvocate.com/terms-of-service, read in full
The SmartAdvocate Terms of Service clauses that carry a price
SmartAdvocate is one of the few PI case management vendors that posts its subscription terms publicly. That makes it possible to price the parts of the deal the sales call rarely covers: changing seats, leaving, and getting your data out.
| Clause | The wording | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Ending the agreement | "Either party may terminate their Agreement at any time by giving notice of termination at least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of termination." | No lock-in beyond the notice, and no auto-renewal clause appears in the Terms. Still, one more month is paid after you decide to go |
| Leaving a prepaid year early | A refund of "all amounts for full months following the effective date of termination, less any prepayment discounts. In addition, the months remaining forfeit the discount for paying annually and the months used will be charged at the full rate." | The annual discount only survives if you stay the year. Leave early and the months you used cost what monthly billing would have |
| Reducing users | A reduction in user subscriptions "shall be effective no earlier than the beginning of the next billing cycle." | On annual billing, a seat you stop needing in month two is paid for the rest of the year |
| Extras | Additional products or services "such as training, software integrations, data conversion" are priced "at the prices and rates in effect at the time" on a separate Work Order. | The go-live cost is outside the seat price. Get it quoted with the subscription, not after signing |
| Support hours | Basic support is included, "between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time, excluding weekends and holidays". After hours support "may be available" for an additional fee. | A West Coast firm gets included support until 2 pm Pacific. Training through support is billed hourly, "portions of an hour" rounded up |
| Getting your data out | An SQL data file on written request made "at the time Subscriber gives notice of termination", for a fee "in no event less than Five Hundred ($500.00) Dollars". No obligation to keep data "for more than seven (7) days following termination". | At least $500, and a one week window. Miss the request in your notice letter and the data can be gone |
| Late payment and restart | Interest at "one and one-half (1.5%) percent per month". After six or more unpaid months, restoring service takes the balance, the next twelve months up front and "a $1,000 service cost". Re-subscribing after termination takes "a new startup fee". | Confirms a startup fee exists even though no page prints it. Ask for the amount |
| Cloud to Server credit | A firm that moves to the server version gets a credit "equal to fifty (50%) percent of the subscription fees paid" in the prior twelve months. | Useful if you may bring the system in house later: half a year of cloud fees counts toward the license |
| Disputes | Final and binding arbitration administered by JAMS, in New York. | No court option on a billing dispute. Settle the numbers in the Work Order |
The early termination clause, worked through
What leaving a prepaid SmartAdvocate year early costs
The clause is friendlier than most in this category. Assembly Neos says no refunds will be paid at any time, and Rocket Matter's terms say it does not refund the unused part of an annual subscription. SmartAdvocate refunds the unused months. The price of that flexibility is the discount: the months you used are recharged at the full monthly rate.
So the real question on a prepaid quote is how big the annual discount is, because that is exactly what you give back if the system does not work out. A 10% discount on a five user team is a few hundred dollars. A 25% discount is real money you only keep by staying the full year.
Then add the exit costs that sit outside the refund: the 30 day notice month and the export fee of at least $500. The checker at the top does this with your numbers.
Worked example with placeholder numbers
- 5 users at $109 a month, prepaid with a 10% discount: $5,886 for the year.
- You leave after 6 months. Those 6 months are recharged at the full $109: $3,270.
- Refund: $5,886 minus $3,270 is $2,616.
- Export fee of at least $500, so the six months cost you at least $3,770 in total.
$109 and 10% are placeholders, not SmartAdvocate prices. This is our reading of the clause; confirm the refund math with SmartAdvocate before relying on it.
Each vendor's own pricing page or listing
SmartAdvocate vs the PI case management platforms that publish a price
Without a SmartAdvocate rate card, the honest comparison is your written quote against vendors that print theirs. The last column matters as much as the price, because the exit terms differ more than the seat rates do.
| Platform | Published price | Minimum and setup | Leaving |
|---|---|---|---|
| SmartAdvocate | Quote only | No minimum published; training, integrations and data conversion priced separately; a startup fee exists | 30 days notice, unused prepaid months refunded, used months at full rate, export at least $500 |
| CasePeer | $90, $130 or $160 per user a month (Basic, Pro, Advanced) | "No long-term contract or setup fee required" | No long-term contract per its pricing page |
| Assembly Neos | Essentials $109 per user a month billed yearly; Premium and Platinum by quote | Built for firms with 3 or more users | No refunds; auto-renews at active users; $250 data retrieval fee |
| Filevine | Quote only; "All packages are custom built" | Implementation usually through a certified partner with its own rate card | Set in your order form |
| Litify | From $200 per user a month on its Salesforce AppExchange listing | 10 license minimum and setup fees, per its archived pricing FAQ | Fees non-refundable; 30 day data export window |
| MyCase | $50, $100 or $130 per user a month billed yearly | No setup fee; general practice, not PI specific | Fees non-refundable; no stated export window |
| CaseAgent | Solo $149, Firm $399 for up to 5 users, Practice $899 for up to 15 ($119, $319, $719 a month billed yearly) | Flat per firm, no setup fee | An AI agent inside each matter rather than a system of record; runs next to your case management |
The honest reading: if you want a PI system with the workflows already decided and you are willing to price training and conversion on a Work Order, SmartAdvocate and Neos are the pair to quote side by side, and SmartAdvocate's exit terms are the more forgiving of the two. If you want to see a price before the first call, CasePeer is the only PI specialist that prints one. For how the two biggest quote-only platforms differ in practice, read SmartAdvocate vs Filevine.
Drawn from what the Terms of Service leave to the Work Order
Six things to get on the SmartAdvocate Work Order before you sign
01
Rate, level and discount
The per user rate, whether it is Cloud Gold or Silver, and the monthly rate the prepaid discount is measured from, since that is what early exit recharges.
02
Every one-time fee
Startup, data conversion from your current system, training days and integrations, each with a number, on the same Work Order as the subscription.
03
Module prices
Texting, e-signature and the built-in AI tools are "if purchased". Price the ones you saw in the demo, and ask where the fair use limit sits.
04
Renewal pricing
The Terms price extras "at the prices and rates in effect at the time". Ask for a cap on the seat rate at the next term, in writing.
05
The export fee and window
A fixed export fee instead of "no less than $500", documents included with the SQL file, and 30 days instead of seven to download it.
06
Support for your time zone
Included support ends at 5 pm Eastern. If your team works Pacific hours, get the after-hours rate or extended hours written in.
Whatever you choose as the system of record, the slow part of a PI file stays the same: reading the medical records and turning them into a chronology and a demand. Our medical chronology software comparison prices that work separately, and the page on personal injury case management shows where an agent fits beside it.
Answered first, then explained
SmartAdvocate pricing questions buyers actually ask
How much does SmartAdvocate cost?
SmartAdvocate does not publish a price. Its own FAQ answers this exact question with: pricing is based on your firm needs, call a Business Development Specialist or book a demo. The $109 per user per month figure on software directories has no stated source. Your real cost is the per user rate, service level and one-time fees on your Work Order.
Is SmartAdvocate priced per user?
Yes. The SmartAdvocate Terms of Service give you access for the number of users and the level of service on your original Work Order, and let you add or remove users. Removing users only takes effect at the start of the next billing cycle, so budget for the seat count you sign for, not the one you hope to reach.
Is SmartAdvocate cloud based?
Both. SmartAdvocate Server is licensed software you install and maintain on your own server, with backups handled by your IT staff. SmartAdvocate Cloud is the hosted subscription. At its 2024 cloud launch the company described two levels: Cloud Gold with all Server features and Cloud Silver, cheaper, with fewer features, dashboards and reports.
Does SmartAdvocate offer a free trial?
No trial is offered on smartadvocate.com. What it offers is a free demo with a sales specialist, and software directories list the free trial as not available. Plan the evaluation as a scripted demo using one of your own closed PI files, then ask for sandbox access in writing before you sign a Work Order.
Can I cancel SmartAdvocate at any time?
Yes, with notice. The Terms of Service let either party terminate at any time with at least 30 days notice. If you prepaid a year and leave early, you are refunded the full months after termination, but the months you used are recharged at the full rate and the annual prepayment discount is forfeited.
What happens to my data if I cancel SmartAdvocate?
On request, SmartAdvocate makes an SQL data file of your data available for download, for a service fee of no less than $500. The request must be made in writing when you give notice of termination. The Terms say SmartAdvocate has no obligation to keep your data more than seven days after termination, after which it is deleted.
Does SmartAdvocate charge for storage?
No. The SmartAdvocate FAQ states that firms do not pay for storage and that storage is unlimited. The Terms of Service add a fair use monitoring clause covering unlimited document storage, texting, e-signature and the built-in AI tools, and say a usage based charge can be instituted, so ask what the fair use threshold is.
Does SmartAdvocate charge for training and data conversion?
Yes, separately. The Terms of Service list training, software integrations and data conversion as extra products or services priced at the rates in effect at the time on a separate Work Order. Training requested through support is billed at the standard hourly rate, with portions of an hour rounded up. Get each fee quoted before signing.
Is SmartAdvocate cheaper than CasePeer?
Only a quote can say. CasePeer publishes $90, $130 and $160 per user per month with no long-term contract or setup fee. SmartAdvocate publishes nothing, and the unsourced $109 directory figure sits between CasePeer Basic and Pro. Compare the full year including data conversion, training and the exit fee, not the headline seat rate.
Is SmartAdvocate cheaper than Filevine?
Neither vendor prints a price, so compare two written quotes. The cost drivers differ: Filevine is usually implemented by a certified partner with its own published setup rates, while SmartAdvocate sells training and data conversion directly on a Work Order. Price the first year in total, including setup, and the cost of leaving.
The record reading and drafting on every PI file, at one flat price for the firm
CaseAgent puts an AI agent inside each matter: it reads the medical records, builds the treatment timeline with citations back to the page, drafts the demand and later the discovery responses from the same record, and keeps the deadlines current when a date moves. Plans are flat per firm, Solo $149 a month, Firm $399 for up to 5 users and Practice $899 for up to 15, with no setup fee, no conversion project and no export fee.
See every plan on the pricing page.