The verdict in three sentences
Custom case-management software for a law firm costs a 2026 order of magnitude of 28,000-50,000 EUR. It unifies matters, parties, time logged, billing and procedural deadlines where vertical tools (Clio, Actionstep) impose their logic and charge per seat. The return comes mainly from recovering 15-25% of billable hours lost to unreliable time capture.
The budget, module by module
A firm's core is time traceability and procedural rigour. Here is the structure of a 2026 project.
| Module | Scope | 2026 range (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Matter and party management | Matters, opposing parties, courts, linked documents | 8,000 - 15,000 |
| Timesheet + billing | Time entry, fixed/hourly, retainers, reminders | 6,000 - 12,000 |
| GDPR document vault | Encrypted storage, access rights, audit log | 4,000 - 8,000 |
| Procedural calendar | Deadlines, alerts, hearing schedule | 4,000 - 8,000 |
| Secure client portal | Matter tracking, document sharing, messaging | 6,000 - 10,000 |
| Total project | 28,000 - 50,000 |
Annual maintenance: 4,200-10,000 EUR/year (15-20%).
Custom vs vertical: the per-seat math
Vertical legal tools charge 40-90 EUR/user/month. On a 15-person firm, the three-year gap is clear.
| Criterion | Vertical (Clio, Actionstep) | Kolonell custom |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per user | 40-90 EUR/user/month | 0 EUR |
| 3-year cost, 15 users | 21,600-48,600 EUR | 28,000-50,000 EUR + maintenance |
| Billing matched to your fees | Standardised | Custom |
| Vault and GDPR | Vendor-defined | Built to your policy |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
| Business fields and workflows | Constrained | Free |
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Mini case study
Sarah, managing partner of a 12-lawyer firm, estimates 20% of billable hours are lost to poor time capture. At an average rate of 180 EUR and 1,500 theoretical billable hours per lawyer/year, that is 300 lost hours per lawyer, i.e. 54,000 EUR/lawyer/year of shortfall. Recovering even one third via an integrated timesheet regains about 216,000 EUR/year across 12 lawyers — the 42,000 EUR investment is absorbed in one quarter.
FAQ
Can we handle fixed and hourly billing in one tool? Yes, that is the point of custom software: each matter carries its billing mode, with retainers, success fees and VAT handled automatically.
Is the vault GDPR-compliant? Yes: encryption at rest, granular access rights, audit log and EU hosting. Sensitive matters can be siloed.
How long to deliver? Expect 4 to 6 months for the full scope; the matter + timesheet module is usable within 8-10 weeks.
Can we migrate from Clio or Actionstep? Yes, via export then structured import. Migrating active matters typically costs 3,000-6,000 EUR depending on volume.
What if a partner leaves? You keep the code and data. No risk of a cut-off tied to a cancelled per-seat subscription.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your headcount, dominant billing mode and critical procedural deadlines; we'll price a 28,000-50,000 EUR scope. 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.
