In Clio Manage, you can consolidate two records for the same client by moving data from one contact to the other and then deleting the record you no longer need. A manual merge lets you bring matters, communications, notes, and documents onto a single contact. The record you keep holds the full history, which keeps your billing accurate and your conflict check results reliable.
Work through the four sections below in order. Throughout the procedure, the two records are referred to as follows.
- Primary contact
The record you keep. All data moves onto this contact.
- Secondary contact
The record you move data from and then delete. Choose the contact holding less data, so you move fewer items.
Rename the secondary contact
Renaming the secondary contact keeps the two records distinguishable while you move data between them.
Note: Bills and payment transactions link to the matter rather than the contact, so they automatically follow the matter. Once you change the client on a matter, its bills and payments link to the primary contact.
- In Clio Manage, click Contacts, then click Edit beside the secondary contact name.
- In the Last name field, add the number 2 to the end of the name.
- Click Save contact.
Reassign the secondary contact's matters
- In Clio Manage, click Contacts, then click the secondary contact name.
- In the Client's matters section, click Edit beside a matter name.
- Under Client, select the primary contact.
- Optional: Select Update matter name/number when saving changes to refresh the matter numbering scheme.
- Click Save matter.
- Repeat steps 2 through 5 for each remaining matter.
Reassign the secondary contact's associated matters
Associated matters hold a relationship rather than a client assignment, so you end the relationship on the secondary contact and create it again on the primary contact.
- In Clio Manage, click Contacts, then click the secondary contact name.
- In the Associated matters section, click Edit beside an associated matter name.
- Click Delete, then click Delete relationship.
- Open the primary contact.
- In the Associated matters section, click Link matter.
- Select the matter, enter the relationship, then click Save.
- Repeat steps 1 through 6 for each remaining associated matter.
Move remaining data to the primary contact
Communications, notes, and documents each move a different way.
- In Clio Manage, click Contacts, click the secondary contact name, then select Communications.
- Click Logs, then select All, Phone, or Email.
- Click Edit beside a log.
- Replace the secondary contact in the To and From fields with the primary contact.
- Click Save email log or Save phone log.
- Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each remaining log.
Tip: For a large number of notes, export the notes from the secondary contact and import them with Clio's migration template for notes. Refer to Import Contacts with Migration Templates.
- In Clio Manage, click Contacts, click the secondary contact name, then select Notes.
- Click Edit beside a note.
- Copy the Subject, Note, and Date fields.
- Click Cancel.
- Open the primary contact, select Notes, then paste the copied content into a new note.
- Repeat steps 2 through 5 for each remaining note.
- In Clio Manage, click Contacts, click the secondary contact name, then select Documents.
- Select the checkbox next to each document you want to move.
- Click Move.
- Find the primary contact, then select the folder for the documents.
- Click Move to this folder.
- Once the primary contact holds everything you need, delete the secondary contact.
Up next
- Edit and Delete Contacts: Remove the secondary contact now that its data has moved.
- Recover Deleted Contacts: Restore a contact deleted in error during the merge.