The verdict in three sentences
For a law firm in 2026, a vendor solution like Secib or Kleos costs 35 to 70 EUR/month per user and covers standard matter management. A custom application — matters, time entry, time-based billing, GDPR by design — runs 32,000 to 75,000 EUR excl. VAT over 12 to 18 weeks, France hosting included. The decisive calculation is lost billable time on manual entry: reclaiming 30% of it across 20 lawyers is worth far more than the avoided licences.
Legal vendor or custom: the 2026 comparison
The heart of the matter for a firm is time-based billing. Every poorly recorded minute is lost revenue.
| Criterion | Secib / Kleos | Custom application |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per user | 35-70 EUR/month | Included in build |
| 20-seat cost / year | ~26,000 to 33,000 EUR | Maintenance 12-18% of build |
| Initial build | 0 to 4,000 EUR | 32,000 to 75,000 EUR |
| Time to deliver | 3-8 weeks | 12-18 weeks |
| Mobile time entry | Basic | Custom (timers, dictation) |
| Configurable time billing | Partial | Total |
| France hosting + GDPR | Variable | Guaranteed (OVH/Scaleway) |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
Breakdown of a 32,000-75,000 EUR build
Here is a 2026 order-of-magnitude estimate for a firm of 15 to 25 lawyers wanting full management.
| Module | Range EUR excl. VAT | Indicative time |
|---|---|---|
| Matter and party management | 8,000 - 16,000 | 3-4 weeks |
| Time entry (timers, mobile, dictation) | 7,000 - 15,000 | 3-4 weeks |
| Time-based billing + fees | 8,000 - 18,000 | 3-5 weeks |
| Calendar, deadlines, conflict checks | 4,000 - 10,000 | 2-3 weeks |
| Secure client portal | 5,000 - 12,000 | 2-3 weeks |
| GDPR, France hosting, acceptance | 3,000 - 6,000 | ongoing |
The maintenance contract of 12 to 18% of the build covers rate changes, security and support. On a 55,000 EUR build that is 6,600 to 9,900 EUR/year, against the ~30,000 EUR of annual licences for 20 seats.
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Mini case study
Mr Rousseau, managing partner of a business law firm in Lyon (20 lawyers), pays 2,200 EUR/year per seat, i.e. 44,000 EUR/year. He invests 58,000 EUR excl. VAT in a custom app with mobile time entry. Previously his lawyers under-recorded their time: by smoothing entry, the firm reclaims 30% of previously lost billable time. Each lawyer bills an average of 1,400 h/year at 220 EUR/h; recovering even 4% of genuinely re-billed time (56 h/year) is worth 56 × 220 × 20 = 246,400 EUR/year. Even keeping a quarter of that assumption, the build pays for itself in under 6 months, avoided licences on top.
FAQ
Is custom software really GDPR-compliant for sensitive data? Yes, provided protection is designed in from the start: France hosting, encryption, matter partitioning and logging. It's actually more controllable than a SaaS whose infrastructure you don't choose.
How long before lawyers adopt it? Adoption depends on the ergonomics of time entry. A good mobile build with timers cuts friction; budget 4 to 8 weeks of support after go-live.
Can we migrate matters from Secib or Kleos? Yes, via export and migration scripts. Budget 3,000 to 8,000 EUR for migration depending on volume and source-data cleanliness.
What exactly does time-based billing cover? Hourly rates per lawyer and matter type, fixed fees, disbursements, VAT, and compliant invoice generation. Custom software lets you apply your own fee rules, which vendors often restrict.
Can we start with a single module? Yes. Many firms begin with time entry + billing (the revenue core) at 15,000-30,000 EUR, then add matters and the client portal.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of lawyers, current tool and priority scope (time, billing, portal) for an indicative budget between 32,000 and 75,000 EUR excl. VAT. 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.
