Pro Law Accounting's Journey to Simple, Reliable Payroll With Powerpay

Jiong and Nicole’s Journey to Simple, Reliable Payroll With Powerpay

When Jiong first started supporting payroll for a growing list of Ontario law firms, he knew exactly what she did not want: complexity, high costs, and support queues that kept her waiting when his clients needed help. After more than 13 years running legal bookkeeping, she had seen how payroll mistakes could strain relationships between lawyers and their staff, sometimes permanently. With a team of bookkeepers each managing about ten firms, she needed a payroll system that met those demands.  

In those early days, many of their clients were using ADP or Wagepoint, and both systems came with their own frustrations. ADP often made it difficult to reach support quickly, and even with dedicated lines, getting answers meant navigating multiple departments. Wagepoint offered fewer automation options for the client types they served, which required the team to run payroll manually and track deadlines themselves. It was a process that created more work than value.  

When one client’s books introduced them to Powerpay, the difference was immediate. The simplicity stood out. It did not take multiple departments to get answers. It did not overwhelm the team with steps they did not need. And most importantly, it did not create stress for the law firms who relied on payroll running correctly and on time, every time. “Customer service was the first reason,” Jiong shared. “You do not need to wait too long and the person always knows how to help.” The cost made sense for small firms, especially since payroll is something they depend on but need to keep as simple as possible.  

Nicole, one of the firm’s bookkeepers, saw the impact right away. Auto-run payroll removed entire categories of manual work for her and her colleagues. “Before, we would have had to set all the dates up in our calendars. Now it all runs automatically,” she said. For a team managing dozens of employees across multiple practices, time savings were not just helpful. They were essential.  

Migrating clients required coordination at first. They submitted spreadsheets and worked closely with a dedicated Powerpay specialist who stayed with them through each setup. But once the initial transitions were complete, the team found themselves calling support far less often. Not because they were avoiding it, but because they simply did not need it. “After the setup, we have not needed to bother anyone,” Jiong said. “Everyone is running payroll on their own successfully.”  

The improvements extended to the law firms as well. Problems with missed remittances, payment timing, and manual errors decreased sharply. Many of their clients had struggled with delays or inconsistent remittance processes in the past, and some had even incurred penalties. With Powerpay handling calculations and automation reliably, those issues disappeared. “They were sick of paying for interest and penalties,” Jiong recalled. “Now it is all handled.”  

Employees felt the difference too. With self-service access, staff could view pay stubs, vacation balances, and documents anytime. That reduced back and forth with management and saved the bookkeeping team from digging through emails or old files. “Everything is uploaded for them,” Nicole said. “They can check anytime. It saves everyone a lot of time.”  

Even with automated payroll, the team still reconciles each run, which is a critical step when supporting law firms. But the process takes less than an hour, far quicker and more predictable than what they experienced with previous systems. One client even runs Powerpay independently and sends reports without requiring any intervention from the bookkeeping team.  

What once caused stress, especially for manual payrolls or when there was inconsistent data, now creates confidence. “Time and peace of mind,” Jiong said when asked about the biggest return on investment. “I have not seen any malfunction. And I have not seen any bad customer experience.” That confidence matters, because payroll is not just an operational task. It affects trust between employers and their employees. “If payroll is wrong, you damage your client’s business and their reputation,” he added. “Powerpay helps us get it right.”  

For Nicole, the most exciting part is what is still ahead. New features and updates continue to roll out, and she values being part of a platform that is committed to improving efficiency for teams like hers. “I love all the new features coming out. There are more ways to save time and be more efficient,” she said.  

At the end of the conversation, when asked if they had any final thoughts, their answer was simple and sincere. 

“Keep up the good work.”