The verdict in three sentences
For a 14-person practice, a vendor licence at 180 to 320 EUR per seat per month costs 30,000 to 54,000 EUR in year one, then climbs by 12% a year. A custom system at 70,000 to 140,000 EUR excluding VAT, delivered in 6 to 9 months, usually pays for itself between year three and year five. The decision rests on three points: client account accounting, generation of writs and service documents, and keeping control of your data.
What practice software must cover in 2026
A judicial officer or enforcement practice runs highly regulated workflows: amicable and court-ordered debt recovery, drafting and serving documents, official reports, judicial sales, and above all a client account ledger kept separate from the practice's own books and subject to regulatory inspection. The software must trace every euro collected on behalf of a creditor until it is paid out.
| Module | Business requirement | Standard vendor | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writs and service | Templates, fee calculation, electronic service | Included, fixed templates | Templates fitted to your practice |
| Client account ledger | Escrow account, reconciliation, payouts | Included | Included, stronger automatic checks |
| Debt recovery | Reminders, payment plans, creditor portal | Add-on 30 to 60 EUR per seat per month | Custom creditor portal |
| Official reports | Photos, timestamps, PDF report | Add-on or third-party tool | Built-in mobile app |
| Dashboards | Outstanding amounts, delays, recovery rate | Generic reports | Practice-specific KPIs |
| Data | Hosting, export, reversibility | Partial export, proprietary format | Your data, documented database |
The weakness of vendor products is not functional: they cover the core of the job. The problem is economic and strategic. The price rises 12% a year, every extra module is charged per seat, and leaving is hard.
The real cost over 7 years
Assumption: 14 seats, licence at 250 EUR per seat per month in year 1 (mid-range), 12% annual increase. For custom: development at 105,000 EUR excluding VAT (mid-range), then maintenance and hosting at 15% of development per year, about 15,750 EUR.
| Year | Vendor licence (cumulative) | Custom (cumulative) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42,000 EUR | 120,750 EUR | -78,750 EUR |
| 2 | 89,040 EUR | 136,500 EUR | -47,460 EUR |
| 3 | 141,725 EUR | 152,250 EUR | -10,525 EUR |
| 4 | 200,732 EUR | 168,000 EUR | +32,732 EUR |
| 5 | 266,820 EUR | 183,750 EUR | +83,070 EUR |
| 6 | 340,838 EUR | 199,500 EUR | +141,338 EUR |
| 7 | 423,739 EUR | 215,250 EUR | +208,489 EUR |
Break-even arrives during year four. Over 7 years the gap exceeds 200,000 EUR in favour of custom. If the vendor caps increases at 5% a year, break-even moves to year five and the 7-year saving drops toward 120,000 EUR: custom still wins, with a thinner margin.
Risks to frame before signing
| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Development budget overrun | Medium | Fixed price per phase, specs signed off before each phase |
| Client account non-compliance | Low if framed | Review by the practice's accountant before go-live |
| Data migration from the vendor | High | Dedicated 3 to 5 week phase, tests on 3 years of history |
| Regulatory changes (fees, documents) | Certain | Maintenance contract with 10 to 20 change days per year |
| Supplier lock-in | Medium | Source code and documentation handed to the practice |
| 6 to 9 month lead time | Certain | Keep the vendor until cutover, no double entry beyond one month |
Typical timeline: 6 weeks of scoping and specs, 4 to 6 months of development in phases (documents, client account, recovery, reports), 4 to 6 weeks of migration and parallel testing, then cutover on a Monday at the start of a month.
Mini case study
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Aoife Byrne, partner in a 14-person enforcement practice in Dublin, pays her vendor 3,640 EUR a month, or 260 EUR per seat. With 12% annual increases she will pay 43,680 EUR this year and about 86,200 EUR in year 7. The custom quote comes to 98,000 EUR excluding VAT, with 14,700 EUR of annual maintenance. Over 7 years: 440,700 EUR in licences against 200,900 EUR for custom, a 239,800 EUR saving, or about 34,250 EUR a year. Productivity gain on top: the creditor portal saves two clerks 6 hours of calls a week, close to 300 hours a year.
FAQ
Can custom software handle a practice's client account ledger?
Yes, provided escrow accounts, reconciliations and inspection reports are specified from the start. Plan 3 to 4 weeks of specification with your accountant. This module often represents 25 to 30% of the total budget.
How long does it take to replace vendor software?
Count 6 to 9 months from scoping to cutover for a 10 to 20-person practice. Data migration alone takes 3 to 5 weeks. Running both systems should not last more than one month.
What maintenance budget should we plan?
On average 12 to 18% of development cost per year, so 10,000 to 20,000 EUR for a 70,000 to 140,000 EUR project. It covers hosting, fixes and fee or regulatory updates.
Can we start with a single module?
Yes. Many practices start with the creditor portal or the field report app, for 15,000 to 30,000 EUR excluding VAT, keeping the vendor for documents. Full migration then follows in phases.
Does the data stay GDPR compliant?
Yes, with EU hosting certified ISO 27001, access logging and configured retention periods. The practice remains data controller and holds the full database.
Let's scope your project. Send us your seat count, current vendor bill and priority modules: we will price a budget between 70,000 and 140,000 EUR excluding VAT with a 6 to 9 month plan. 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.
