The Challenge

Tony Ficek had already built a strong, process-driven SSD firm, but behind the scenes, his team was burning time and energy on manual operations. Despite steady annual growth, the infrastructure was starting to buckle.

Manual ERE checks were routine. Staff were frequently locked out of the SSA portal due to credential errors. Hearing updates and appeal deadlines required constant vigilance.

"We were spending far too much time on phone calls with the local field office despite having a case management system."

He was running Hona for triggered status updates and juggling both MyCase and a partial Clio transition, but none of them fully solved the intake bottlenecks or SSA credential pain. Worse still, staff couldn’t rely on accurate association between the firm and the client in SSA systems. This put fees and appeals at risk.

"If Social Security hasn’t linked your firm’s credentials to the client, you're susceptible to getting locked out which involves a call to Baltimore to unblock your credentials."

The inefficiencies weren’t just a nuisance. They were draining the team’s energy and mental bandwidth, slowing the firm’s momentum and growth.

The Tipping Point

The decision to explore Chronicle came at a legal technology seminar hosted by NOSSCR. What ultimately swayed him was hearing firsthand from other solo SSD practitioners who had been in the same boat.

One story stood out: a fellow solo from Hawaii, Danielle Beaver, who had scaled her practice with Chronicle after running into the same early bottlenecks. That proof of success made the possibility real.

"It was someone out of Hawaii, another solo with volume, and she managed to make her firm grow; she was using Chronicle."

Seeing peers adopt Chronicle successfully gave Tony the confidence to make the switch. The tool wasn’t just a promising product; it was already solving the right problems for others like him.

Why Chronicle: From Pain to Progress

Chronicle didn’t replace Ficek Law’s old systems; rather, it reoriented the entire rhythm of the firm. Every morning, Tony and his staff launch Chronicle alongside their calendars and email. It's the firm’s control tower for urgent and meaningful updates.

"Chronicle is one of the first three browsers I open to begin the day. We can proactively communicate with clients much more than when we used competitor products.

Being able to provide clients with instantaneous feedback and status updates has been tremendous."

The real-time alerts immediately improved visibility into SSA activity. Tony’s team could confirm client representation status instantly, avoiding missed approvals and fee denials.

The submission receipts and audit trail added reassurance and clarity.

"Chronicle gives you a receipt when your ERE documentation is filed. It's automated and goes instantly to your email. That to me, made it worth  switching from a competitor’s product."

Chronicle also proved valuable for training. One paralegal unfamiliar with SSD workflows was able to learn the ropes just by using Chronicle. That same staffer now tests beta features for the firm.

"It’s intuitive to the point where I had a staff member not very familiar with SSD, but she learned the process through Chronicle. Chronicle inspired staff to look at more efficient ways of doing things."'

Transformation & Results

Chronicle immediately removed hours of redundant work. No more chasing credential errors or manually checking for SSA updates. Tony estimates the firm saves 10 to 20 hours of staff time per week, equating to thousands of dollars in productivity reclaimed.

It also relieved a persistent mental load. With automated alerts and a single dashboard view, the team no longer worried about missed deadlines or surprises. Their focus shifted from reactive work to proactive planning.

The medical chronology feature became core to hearing prep. Tony starts with Chronicle’s high-level summary before diving into specific records. This structure helps him prep faster and with more confidence, especially on borderline cases.

The firm’s growth followed suit. From a consistent 20–25% annual increase, Ficek Law, PC. is now on track for 67% year-over-year revenue growth.

Approval rates also climbed. Tony reports a hearing approval rate of 70 to 75%, up from the low 60s.

The team takes on last-minute cases with greater ease. Chronicle’s fast OCR and document access help them assess and act, sometimes saving clients from multi-year delays.

And for appeals, Chronicle’s transcription tools shaved hours off hearing review. What once involved downloads and rewinds now takes minutes.

"If Chronicle took away the hearing features, I’d be hurting. It would be a step backward. I’ve been spoiled with Chronicle. It makes my practice a lot more enjoyable. I might be looking at a different career if it weren’t for Chronicle, certainly less volume; that’s how good it is."

The Takeaway

Chronicle didn’t just help Ficek Law scale. It created space to grow, to train, and to serve better. It replaced outdated workflows with real-time visibility and gave Tony room to think clearly again.

"Chronicle is the dashboard that case management systems should have, and don’t. It has improved all aspects of our practice.

Client numbers are up, approval rates at hearing are up, our approval rates across the board are up. It’s just a great tool for attorneys who care about their clients to utilize."

To any solo still stuck refreshing the ERE manually:

"Why do you torture yourself? It's like using a manual drill instead of an electric one. There’s simpler ways of doing it; other firms are using this. Get off the typewriter and use a keyboard and a computer."