The verdict in three sentences
For a firm under 10 lawyers, a legal vendor covers the essentials: matters, calendar, billing, basic compliance. Custom makes sense when billable-time tracking is failing, when the accounting integration is broken, or when the firm has its own workflow (mass litigation, client portal, specific document management). The lever isn't paying fewer licences but recovering lost billable time.
Legal vendor vs custom
Market software is robust and quick to deploy. Custom targets full control of flows and code ownership.
| Item (2026, ballpark) | Legal vendor | Kolonell custom |
|---|---|---|
| Price per lawyer / month | 40 to 90 EUR | 0 (no licence) |
| Yearly cost, 8-lawyer firm | ~6,720 EUR | maintenance ~10,500 EUR |
| Upfront investment | 0 to 3,000 EUR | 35,000 to 90,000 EUR |
| Billable-time tracking | standard | finely custom |
| Accounting integration | limited connectors | total |
| Secure client portal | add-on | included |
| Professional-secrecy / GDPR | configurable | mastered in-house |
| Ownership and scalability | no | yes |
Over 5 years, the vendor costs ~34,000 EUR for 8 lawyers. Custom at 60,000 EUR + maintenance reaches ~90,000 EUR: it only pays off if the billed-time gain more than repays it — which happens fast.
The ROI is decided on billable time
The core issue isn't matter management but time capture. Every unlogged 6-minute unit is lost revenue.
| Time-capture lever | Effect on billed time | Estimated gain |
|---|---|---|
| Timer built into the matter | +5% time logged | high |
| Immediate mobile entry | +4% | high |
| Unlogged-time reminders | +3% | medium |
| Automated monthly billing | -10 days payment delay | high |
| Fee templates per matter type | -50% billing errors | medium |
| Client portal (online statements) | -30% invoice disputes | medium |
A lawyer billing 220,000 EUR per year who recovers 10% of currently lost time gains 22,000 EUR of extra revenue per lawyer per year. Across 8 lawyers, the potential tops 150,000 EUR annually.
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Mini case study
Ms Fontaine, partner at an 8-lawyer firm in Bordeaux, bills 1.76M EUR per year. An audit estimates 12% of billable time is never logged. She invests 62,000 EUR in a custom platform: per-matter timer, mobile entry, automated billing and client portal. Recovering just half the lost time (6%), the firm regains 105,600 EUR of revenue per year. The tool pays for itself in about 7 months, before gains on payment delays.
FAQ
Isn't a legal vendor enough in most cases? For a small firm, often yes. Custom becomes relevant past 8 to 10 lawyers, or when lost billable time exceeds tens of thousands of euros per year.
How do you guarantee professional secrecy and GDPR? EU hosting, data encryption, per-matter access partitioning and logging. With custom you master every rule rather than inheriting a vendor's config.
Can the software connect to the firm's accounting? Yes. A two-way integration with the accounting tool avoids double entry of fees and payments, a major source of errors.
What timeline for a custom platform? Budget 4 to 8 months for matters + time + billing + portal. A standalone time-tracking module ships in 8 to 12 weeks.
Does a client portal really cut disputes? Yes: giving clients online access to statements and documents markedly reduces invoice challenges and speeds up payments.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your lawyer count, current tool and your estimate of lost billable time: we'll price a time module or a full platform. 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.
