Software for lawyers: the law firm stack, step by step

Practice management software is the center of a law firm's stack. It holds every matter (a client file with its contacts, deadlines, documents, notes and time entries), the calendar, the time you log and the invoices that come out of it. A good one also gives clients a secure portal to read messages and pay, so sensitive files stop travelling by email. Before comparing, require four things: matter-based time tracking and billing, a calendar with deadlines, a client portal, and a clean export of your data if you leave.

Why it wins. MyCase is built around matters, time, billing and a client portal, and it publishes its whole grid. Basic costs $50 per user per month billed annually, or $60 billed monthly; Pro is $100 or $120, Advanced $130 or $150. A solo lawyer on Basic pays $600 a year on annual billing. There is no long-term contract and no setup fee, and the free trial gives full access without a credit card. Payments run through LawPay Payments with no monthly fee, only processing rates. Clio, the platform every guide we read ranks, is the usual alternative: compare both in a trial, and read our guide to switching from Clio if you already use it.

Where it falls short. Full back-office accounting is an add-on, MyCase Accounting, at $39 per user per month, and it is only available on Pro and Advanced: a firm on Basic that wants its books in the same tool has to move up a plan first. Users in 2026 report that the add-on was presented as free during the sale and then billed, and that search is weak; others praise the AI help and the help desk.

Field tip. Ask, in writing, which features of your demo belong to which plan and which are add-ons, before you sign. Then connect it to the rest of your tools with the MyCase integration for Zapier.

Who it's for. The solo lawyer or two-person firm that wants matters, time, invoices and payments running in an afternoon. Solo costs $49 per user per month billed annually, or $59 monthly; Essential is $69 or $79, Business $89 or $99, and Business Pro $114 or $124. The annual plan saves $120 per user per year. Every plan includes unlimited data storage and apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.

Where it falls short. Its pricing page opens on the annual prices: compare its $49 with MyCase's $50 yearly, and its $59 monthly with MyCase's $60. Automations to push matters into other tools go through the PracticePanther integration for Make.

Who it's for. Firms whose clients ask for detailed or split invoices. Essentials costs $59 per user per month paid annually, Pro $95, Premier $115 and Elite $145; the FAQ on the same page still says plans start at $49, so count on the $59 the grid shows. Essentials includes 5 e-signatures per user per month, higher plans 15, with an overage of $2 per envelope.

Where it falls short. The extras add up. The CRM add-on is sold only with Pro and Premier, so a firm on Essentials moves up a plan first. Core CRM costs $39 per user per month billed annually and Enterprise CRM $147 a month for up to 3 users, each with a one-time $399 onboarding fee, and the footnote under the grid adds a 3-user minimum: a solo lawyer who wants intake should count on three seats, $1,404 a year plus $399, or $1,803 in the first year. A website is $149 a month more, with a one-time $599 setup fee; our ranking of website builders for law firms compares it with other options. On the plus side, every plan includes free data migration, and Elite adds built-in business accounting, which then replaces the QuickBooks Online integration.

Who it's for. Lawyers who hold client money in a trust account (IOLTA in most US states: client funds kept apart from the firm's own money) and want the trust ledger, billing and matters in one tool instead of a practice tool plus QuickBooks. Launch costs $49 per user per month billed yearly, or $59 monthly; Core is $99 or $109, and Pro $129 or $139. Every plan has trust accounting and ledgers, but bank reconciliation starts on Core, and the general ledger, payables and bank feeds that replace QuickBooks are on Pro only.

Where it falls short. The accounting depth is also its learning curve: a lawyer who has never kept books will need a bookkeeper's help to set up the ledgers. The free trial needs no card, so set up one real matter and its trust deposit before paying, and know that the trial allows a single bank feed connection and leaves out the CRM and the LexShare and LexSign add-ons.

A law firm cannot take a card payment like a shop: a retainer belongs in the trust account, and card fees cannot be taken out of client funds. A legal payment processor separates the two. Require that it deposits retainers in trust and earned fees in operating, and that it plugs into your practice software.

Why it wins. LawPay is built around that separation, and MyCase sells it as its built-in payments option, with no monthly fee inside MyCase. On its own, with another practice tool, it costs $19 a month with no contract and monthly billing, with unlimited users and phone support. Processing costs 2.99% plus $0.30 per transaction on Visa, Mastercard and Discover, and 3.90% plus $0.30 on American Express. On a $5,000 invoice, that is $149.80 by Visa and $195.30 by Amex, a $45.50 difference.

Where it falls short. The pricing page also lists card network fees passed on per transaction, a pass-through allocation of $7.99 a month, and 1.75% more on foreign cards. In 2026, users report card brand fees they had not expected, and payments reversed months later after a client's dispute. To sync payments with other tools, see the LawPay integration for Zapier.

An e-signature tool sends a document by email, collects a legally binding signature and keeps an audit trail of who signed, when and from where. For a law firm, it removes the printed engagement letter from intake. Require an audit certificate, signer identity options and storage you can export.

Why it wins. Its plans go from one user to a team with clear envelope quotas, and its audit trail is what a court or opposing counsel will ask for. Personal costs $11 a month, an annual commitment of $132, for 5 envelopes a month (an envelope is one sending, with one or more documents). Standard is $30 per user per month, $360 a year, and Business Pro $45, $540 a year; their annual plans include up to 100 envelopes per user per year.

Where it falls short. Three rules cost money. An envelope counts toward your allowance as soon as it is sent, whether or not it is signed. The 100 envelopes of Standard and Business Pro are per user per year, about eight a month, and every envelope above the allowance is billed pay-as-you-go. And "annual, billed monthly" is a one-year commitment paid in instalments: you can cancel without penalty within 30 days, then the remaining balance is due. Plans renew automatically; 2026 reviews complain about renewals without notice. To send envelopes from your intake forms, see the DocuSign integration for Zapier. Our e-signature ranking for law firms and our guide to switching from DocuSign compare other options.

Most legal work still ends in a Word document and an Outlook email. An office suite gives you both, plus a calendar the practice tool can sync with and cloud storage for files. Require your own domain for email, desktop Word for court-ready formatting, and two-factor login.

Why it wins. Word and Outlook are what most firms already work in, so the suite adds no learning curve. Business Standard costs $14 per user per month paid yearly and Business Basic $7 (web and mobile apps only); the versions with Copilot built in cost $23.50 for Business Standard and $32 for Business Premium. The subscription is annual and renews automatically.

Where it falls short. It stores files but does not organize them by matter: keep documents attached to matters in your practice tool, and use the suite for drafting and email. A firm with strict security needs should price Business Premium rather than Standard. If you are moving off the suite, see our guide to switching from Microsoft 365. To send calendar events from Outlook into other tools, see the Microsoft 365 Calendar integration for Make.