The verdict in three sentences
A law firm under 12 partners and associates will do fine with a vendor (EUR 30 to 70/user/month): matter management, deadline calendar and conflict checks are covered out of the box. A custom tool (EUR 45,000 to 100,000) is only justified if your matter-tracking processes are genuinely specific or you want to eliminate vendor lock-in. Decide on 5-year TCO and the malpractice-deadline risk avoided, not on the monthly price.
Core functions: where the vendor is enough, where it stalls
A legal tool rests on three pillars: matter management (documents, parties, history), deadline tracking (procedural time limits, limitation periods) and conflict-of-interest checks before opening a matter. Vendors cover these basics; custom wins as soon as you must model a precise practice (corporate, IP, mass litigation).
| Function | Vendor | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Matter management | Standard, fixed fields | Exact business model |
| Deadline alerts | Generic | Specific calculation rules |
| Conflict checks | Name search | Algorithm fitted to structures |
| Workflow customization | Low to medium | Total |
| Vendor lock-in | High | None (firm owns the code) |
| Evolvability | Vendor roadmap | Your priorities |
TCO and lock-in over 5 years
Vendor lock-in carries hidden costs: annual price hikes (often 5 to 8 %/year), throttled features, hard migration. Custom flips the logic: heavy upfront investment, but total control afterward.
| Scenario (10 users) | 5-year cost | Control | Migration risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor EUR 50/user/month | EUR 30,000 + hikes | Low | High |
| Vendor EUR 70/user/month | EUR 42,000 + hikes | Low | High |
| Custom EUR 60,000 + 10 %/year | EUR 90,000 | Total | None |
| Custom EUR 90,000 + 10 %/year | EUR 135,000 | Total | None |
For a small firm, the vendor stays 2 to 3 times cheaper over 5 years. Custom makes sense mainly above 20 users or when a business workflow creates a competitive edge.
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Mini case study
Mr. Rousseau, partner at a 9-lawyer firm in Bordeaux, specialized in employment law. His team handles 640 active matters with strict procedural deadlines. A vendor at EUR 60/user/month costs EUR 6,480/year, i.e. EUR 32,400 over 5 years. A custom module auto-calculating labor-tribunal deadlines, quoted at EUR 55,000, costs EUR 82,500 over 5 years. But if it avoids even a single missed deadline per year (average malpractice loss estimated at EUR 25,000), the EUR 50,000 gap closes in 2 years. Here, the vendor stays relevant until the firm has a truly singular process.
FAQ
Are vendor conflict checks reliable? Serious vendors offer name-based and structure-based search. For complex corporate groups, a custom algorithm reduces the risk of false negatives.
What happens if I want to leave my vendor? Demand a reversibility clause and a full data export. Without it, migration can cost EUR 5,000 to 20,000 and several weeks of work.
Is custom riskier to deploy? Project risk exists but is managed with solid framing and phased delivery. Expect 16 to 26 weeks for a full legal scope.
Can we start with a vendor then move to custom? Yes, it's a prudent strategy: the vendor validates your real needs, then you invest custom only on the workflows that deserve it.
What security for data covered by professional privilege? Encryption at rest and in transit, EU hosting, access logging and two-factor authentication are the minimum, whether vendor or custom.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your user count, your specialties and your target budget, and we'll say whether a vendor is enough or a custom module creates a real edge. 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.
