The verdict in three sentences
A vertical tool costs 55 to 110 EUR/month/user, i.e. 5 300 to 10 600 EUR/year for 8 partners, but imposes its screens and limits. A custom tool is billed 32 000 to 60 000 EUR once, with 15 %/year maintenance, and fits your organization exactly. Over 4 years, for a firm that wants reliable time-based billing, custom pays off and reclaims 4 to 7 billable hours per lawyer per month.
Typical spec and cost per block
The heart of a firm system is billable-time tracking and disbursement re-billing. Here is the 2026 cost structure of a custom build.
| Functional block | Scope | 2026 budget (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Case management | Files, parties, deadlines | 7 000-12 000 |
| Billable-time tracking | Timer, hourly rates | 6 000-10 000 |
| Billing + disbursements | Re-billing, tax | 5 000-9 000 |
| GDPR-grade vault | Encrypted documents | 4 000-7 000 |
| Court-filing integration | Electronic filing | 5 000-9 000 |
| Scoping + UX | Workshops, mockups | 3 500-6 000 |
| Initial build | — | 32 000-60 000 |
Vertical vs custom over 4 years
The vertical looks cheaper at first, but the gap narrows fast for an 8-partner firm.
| Item | Vertical | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 EUR | 32 000-60 000 EUR |
| Annual subscription | 5 300-10 600 EUR | 0 EUR |
| Annual maintenance | included | 4 800-9 000 EUR |
| 4-year total | 21 200-42 400 EUR | 51 200-96 000 EUR |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
| Workflow fit | Limited | Total |
Mini case study
Me Girard, managing partner at an 8-lawyer firm in downtown Montreal, invests 46 000 EUR + 6 900/year maintenance in a custom tool. The built-in timer and automatic disbursement re-billing reclaim 5 billable hours per lawyer per month: 5 × 8 × 11 months = 440 billable hrs/year. At an average rate of 180 EUR/hr, that is 79 200 EUR of additional revenue per year. The build pays for itself in under 8 months.
FAQ
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Is court-filing integration possible on a custom tool?
Yes, via the jurisdiction's electronic-filing gateways. Budget 5 000 to 9 000 EUR for filing and procedure-deadline synchronization.
How do you make billable-time tracking reliable?
A timer built into the case file plus after-the-fact entry. Firms recover 4 to 7 billable hours per lawyer per month that were previously lost.
Is the GDPR-grade vault mandatory?
Strongly recommended: encrypted documents, access traceability and EU hosting. Budget 4 000 to 7 000 EUR for this block, consistent with professional secrecy.
What maintenance budget should we plan?
About 15 %/year of the build, i.e. 4 800 to 9 000 EUR for a 32 000-60 000 EUR project. It covers filing updates, security and new needs.
How long to go live?
Budget 12 to 16 weeks for a full scope (cases, time, billing, filing, vault), including testing with your lawyers.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your lawyer count, priorities (billable time, filing, disbursements) and an indicative 32-60k EUR budget. 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.
