The verdict in three sentences
A custom-built system for a law firm in Douala (cases, hearings, fees, retainers) costs between 5,500,000 and 16,000,000 FCFA, over a 10 to 16 week timeline. Foreign licences are poorly adapted to OHADA law and local retainer handling, whereas custom fits your practice. The result for an 8-lawyer firm: 25% of admin time recovered and controlled regional hosting at 120,000-300,000 FCFA/month.
Custom price per module in 2026
A firm needs to link cases, calendar and money. 2026 order of magnitude for Douala.
| Module | Timeline | Price FCFA | Price EUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case management + parties | 3 wks | 3,000,000 | 4,570 |
| Shared calendar + hearings | 2-3 wks | 2,500,000 | 3,810 |
| Document management (deeds) | 3 wks | 3,000,000 | 4,570 |
| Fee billing + retainers | 3 wks | 3,500,000 | 5,335 |
| Time tracking | 2 wks | 1,800,000 | 2,745 |
| Partner dashboard | 1-2 wks | 1,500,000 | 2,285 |
The cases + calendar + document core starts around 5,500,000-8,000,000 FCFA; adding billing, retainers and time tracking reaches 16,000,000 FCFA.
The hidden cost of admin time
In a firm, the lawyer-hour is the most expensive resource. Simulation for 8 lawyers in Douala.
| Metric | Before software | After software |
|---|---|---|
| Admin time/lawyer/week | 8 h | 6 h |
| Hours recovered/firm/week | - | 16 h |
| Average billable hourly rate | 40,000 FCFA | 40,000 FCFA |
| Value recovered/year (45 wks) | - | 28,800,000 FCFA |
| Fee billing delay | 45 days | 20 days |
| Monthly hosting | - | 120,000-300,000 FCFA |
Recovering 2 h of admin per lawyer per week and redirecting it to billable time represents an order of magnitude of 28,800,000 FCFA/year in capacity.
Mini case study
Me Ekwalla, partner at an 8-lawyer firm in Douala-Akwa, estimates each lawyer loses 8 h/week to admin tasks (finding documents, tracking hearings, chasing fees). Dropping to 6 h via document management and a shared calendar, the firm recovers 16 h/week. Over 45 weeks at 40,000 FCFA the billable hour, that is 28,800,000 FCFA/year of additional capacity. A 12,000,000 FCFA build and 250,000 FCFA/month hosting (3,000,000 FCFA/year) pays back in under seven months of recovered capacity, before counting fee billing accelerated from 45 to 20 days.
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FAQ
Is the software suited to OHADA law?
Yes: case, retainer and fee-billing management is configured for OHADA practice, unlike foreign licences built for other systems. It is one of the main arguments for local custom software.
How are retainers and fees handled?
The module tracks retainers paid by clients, allocates them to work done and generates fee billing. This reduces disputes and speeds collection, from 45 to 20 days on average.
Does the calendar handle hearings?
Yes, the shared calendar centralises hearings, deadlines and reminders for the whole firm, avoiding procedural oversights. Each lawyer sees their schedule and colleagues'.
Are documents secure?
Document management encrypts deeds and files with role-based access, and regional hosting (120,000-300,000 FCFA/month) includes daily backups. Client confidentiality is a built-in prerequisite from the start.
How long to deploy?
Between 10 and 16 weeks. A cases + calendar + document core ships in 10 weeks; adding billing, retainers and time tracking pushes toward 16 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of lawyers, case types and billing needs: we frame a scope from 5,500,000 FCFA. 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.
