Conveyancing practice management software cost in London (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For an 18-person practice in London, a custom module connected to your case management system costs 25,000 to 60,000 EUR excl. VAT (about 21,500 to 51,600 GBP) and ships in roughly 4 months. It adds what vendor suites handle poorly: shared matter tracking between fee earners and partners, and a client portal that cuts 'where is my file' calls by about 30%. Your existing system stays in place for documents, compliance and accounts, while the module plugs in next to it and belongs to you.

What your case management system does not cover

The main legal suites on the market are solid on document production, client account ledgers and compliance checklists. They are much weaker on the client relationship: a buyer who wants to know whether searches are back, whether the mortgage offer has arrived or when exchange will happen still phones reception. In an 18-person practice, those calls tie up one to two full-time staff.

The right split is to let the vendor do what it does well and to build only the client relationship and management layer, synchronised with existing matters.

What each option costs over 5 years

Two realistic scenarios for 18 users: a premium vendor suite with its optional client portal modules, or a standard suite plus a custom module. Figures are 2026 order-of-magnitude estimates.

Over five years the gap reaches about 92,000 EUR (around 79,000 GBP) in favour of option B, provided the standard suite fully covers your document and compliance needs. If you are locked into a premium contract until 2028, the custom module can be built during the final year so you switch without paying twice.

Budget by work package

The most variable package is the connector: some vendors expose a documented API, others only allow a scheduled export every 15 minutes. Client confidentiality and SRA expectations also require encrypted documents at rest, strict access control and access logs kept for at least 12 months.

Mini case study

James Whitfield, managing partner of an 18-person conveyancing practice in Islington, London, opens 1,400 matters a year. Reception handles 220 progress calls per week, at 8 minutes on average including finding the file: 29 hours a week. With 30% fewer calls, the practice recovers 8.8 hours a week, or 405 hours over 46 weeks. At a loaded cost of 45 EUR per hour for a paralegal, that is 18,200 EUR a year. Replacing email sorting with guided uploads frees another 5 hours a week, worth 10,350 EUR a year. Total gain: 28,550 EUR, minus 6,000 EUR maintenance, so 22,550 EUR net per year for a module budgeted at 42,000 EUR. Payback: about 22 months, before counting faster exchanges thanks to automatic chasers.

FAQ

Can the module connect to our current case management system?

Yes in the vast majority of cases, through an API, a scheduled export or a read-only database. The connector costs 6,000 to 15,000 EUR depending on the method available, and it is validated within the first 3 weeks of scoping.

Is our client data kept confidential?

The module is hosted in the UK or EU, encrypts documents at rest and enforces two-factor authentication for clients and staff. A UK GDPR impact assessment is delivered with acceptance testing, and access logs are kept for at least 12 months.

How long does staff training take?

Two half-days are enough for 18 people, followed by one week of support. Clients need no training: around 85% of portals are activated from the link sent by SMS when the matter is opened.

What does maintenance cost after delivery?

Allow 12 to 18% of the initial budget per year, so 5,000 to 9,000 EUR for a 40,000 EUR module. This covers hosting, security updates and connector changes when the vendor updates its format.

Can we start with a smaller scope?

Yes: a first version with progress timeline, document upload and chasers can ship for around 25,000 EUR in 10 weeks. The partner dashboard and online booking are added later without a rebuild.

Let's scope your project. We scope your matter tracking and client portal module, with an indicative budget and go-live in 4 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.