The verdict in three sentences
A custom practice management tool for a Paris law firm costs between 30,000 and 55,000 EUR to build, whereas legal SaaS charges 40 to 90 EUR per user per month. Custom becomes worthwhile once the firm exceeds 8 to 12 lawyers or has atypical billing processes. Plan for 14 to 20 weeks of delivery and an annual maintenance budget of 15 to 20 % of the build cost.
What a law firm tool really covers
A business or litigation firm needs to run the full cycle: matter opening, conflict checks, time tracking, billing at hourly or fixed rates, and secure archiving. Custom software fits your processes (per-partner billing, fee splitting, retainer management) rather than forcing your firm into a generic tool.
| Module | Scope | Indicative 2026 cost (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Matters + parties | Client/opposing files, conflict checks | 10,000 |
| Time tracking + billing | Timers, hourly rates, PDF invoices, retainers | 8,000 |
| Calendar / deadlines | Procedural deadlines, alerts, limitation periods | 4,000 |
| Document vault | Encrypted storage, versioning, secure sharing | 4,000 |
| Reporting / dashboard | Revenue per partner, WIP, matter profitability | 4,000 |
| Total build | Full scope | 30,000 - 55,000 |
Custom vs legal SaaS: the 5-year TCO
SaaS looks cheap at first, but its cost scales linearly with user count. Here is a comparison for a 10-person firm.
| Item | Legal SaaS (65 EUR/user/mo) | Kolonell custom |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 cost | 7,800 EUR (subscription) | 42,000 EUR (build) |
| Recurring annual cost | 7,800 EUR | 7,000 EUR (maintenance/hosting) |
| 5-year cumulative | 39,000 EUR | 70,000 EUR |
| Process customization | Limited | Total |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
| 5-year cumulative at 20 users | 78,000 EUR | 74,000 EUR |
At small headcount, SaaS stays competitive; above 15-20 users, custom catches up and overtakes SaaS while making you the owner of the asset.
Mini case study
Me Lefevre, managing partner of a 12-lawyer firm in Paris's 8th arrondissement, paid 9,360 EUR/year in SaaS licenses (12 x 65 EUR x 12) without being able to automate fixed-fee billing. She invested 44,000 EUR in a custom tool. Over 5 years her TCO reaches 44,000 + 4 x 7,000 = 72,000 EUR, versus 46,800 EUR on SaaS at constant headcount. Custom pays off if her firm grows to 18 lawyers, or if the 6 hours/week saved on automated billing (valued at 120 EUR/h) recover 37,000 EUR/year of billable time.
FAQ
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How much does custom law practice software cost?
Between 30,000 and 55,000 EUR depending on scope. A matters + time + billing core sits around 30,000 EUR; adding the document vault and advanced reporting rises to 50,000 EUR.
Are attorney-client privilege and GDPR guaranteed?
Yes: data encryption at rest and in transit, hosting in France or the EU, access logging, and fine-grained role management. Privilege requires strict matter isolation, designed in from the start.
How long to deliver?
Plan for 14 to 20 weeks for full scope, with a first usable version (matters + billing) delivered around week 8.
Can we migrate data from our old software?
Yes, migrating matters, contacts and billing history is quoted separately (2026 order of magnitude: 3,000 to 7,000 EUR depending on volume and export quality).
What annual maintenance budget should we plan?
Plan for 15 to 20 % of build cost per year, i.e. 5,000 to 10,000 EUR, covering hosting, security updates, enhancements and support.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your headcount, billing methods and privilege constraints: we'll price a matters/time/billing core, indicative budget 30,000-55,000 EUR, delivery 14-20 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
