Custom legal app development
A legal app takes the case file to court, to the client and into meetings away from the office. Appfront builds custom apps for law firms, civil-law notaries and in-house legal teams: a client portal where documents are shared securely, mobile access to case files, and time recording as the work happens. Confidentiality is a design starting point here, not an afterthought.
What is a legal app?
A legal app is a mobile or tablet application that lets legal professionals and their clients work with case files, documents and communication outside the office. Where practice management software keeps the office running, an app solves a different problem: the lawyer is in court, the notary is sitting at the client's table, and the case file needs to travel without confidential documents being left on an unmanaged device.
That makes a legal app a fundamentally different design challenge from an ordinary business app. The lawyer has a duty of confidentiality and can invoke legal privilege, and the commentary to professional rule 3 expressly adds that a lawyer must also take appropriate measures when communicating digitally. An app that stores documents locally on a permanent basis, shows a case name on the lock screen, or shares attachments via a consumer service undermines exactly what those rules protect.
We build the app as a layer around your existing practice rather than as a replacement for it. If your firm runs on practice management software, the app connects to it; see also our pages on software for law firms and the case management system. If your focus is document generation or contract management rather than mobile working, legal document software and contract management software are the better starting point.
A case file without a data trail
The app shows the case file and leaves as little behind as possible. Documents are fetched encrypted rather than stored permanently on the device, sessions expire after inactivity, and notifications show no case or client name on the lock screen.
Client portal instead of email
Clients deliver documents and give their approval in an environment you control, so confidential attachments don't drift into loose mailboxes and consumer services. Every upload and view can be traced to a person and a moment in time.
Recording work where it happens
Time registration, meeting notes and dictation captured in the moment and linked to the right case file. This saves reconstructing events afterwards and keeps the case file complete should a matter later be reviewed.
How we build your legal app
We start with your practice, not the technology: which work happens outside the office, which documents travel with it, and what confidentiality requirements apply. From there we design the app, the authorisation model and the integrations with the systems you already use.
We map which tasks need to work on mobile: case file access, sharing documents with the client, time tracking, and diary management around hearings. For each data flow we determine who may see what, and what deliberately stays outside the app.
We design the data model around case, client and opposing party, plus the authorisation model that keeps case files separate. We also define how the app behaves when a device is lost and when someone leaves the firm.
We build in short iterations and share interim versions with the people who will use them: the lawyer in court, the secretariat and the client. We build security measures in from the start rather than adding them afterwards.
Rollout through your own distribution channel and device management, followed by ongoing management, monitoring and further development as digital case handling at the Rechtspraak expands.
What a legal app actually does
The functionality you need depends on your practice. These are the components we most often build for law firms, notaries and in-house legal departments.
Case file on the go
Access to documents, correspondence and court papers for the cases you are working on, with search by case number, client or opposing party. The app only retrieves what you open and holds on to no more than necessary.
Secure exchange with the client
A client portal where documents are submitted, read and approved. Notifications point to that portal rather than including the content, so confidential information does not end up in an inbox.
Time recording and dictation
Time recording per case as the work happens, including voice input for notes on the move. Registrations flow into your existing financial administration rather than sitting in a second system.
Diary and deadline monitoring
Hearing dates, appeal deadlines and internal due dates in one place, with advance alerts. In a practice where a missed deadline has immediate consequences, monitoring is not an extra but core functionality.
Client due diligence and identification
Support for the client investigation the Wwft requires: establishing and verifying identity, checking the UBO register when entering a new business relationship, and recording findings so that you can demonstrate the investigation was carried out.
Integration with the Rechtspraak
Lawyers file digitally via the Mijn Rechtspraak web portal, logging in with the lawyer's pass. Since August 2025 there is also the Aansluitpunt Rechtspraak, through which firms exchange documents from their own environment. We connect that flow to your app so the status of a case is visible where you work.
For whom we build legal apps
Legal work differs greatly by practice. For each type of organisation we build the app that suits the work done there outside the office.
Law firms
Firms that want to give their lawyers mobile access to case files and offer clients their own portal. The app connects to your existing practice management system; see also building a custom app for law firms.
Notary offices
Offices where files run by deed and where clients must supply documents and identification details before a signing appointment can go ahead. See also our page on notary app development.
Legal departments
In-house lawyers who keep track of cases, advice and obligations for their own organisation, often with colleagues from other departments as internal clients. If your focus is mainly on the contracts side, contract management software is the better starting point.
High-volume legal service providers
Organisations handling large numbers of similar files, where the gain lies in structured processing and status visibility for the client. For the document side of that, see legal document software.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
We build native for iOS and Android, or cross-platform, depending on what the practice needs. The app talks to your existing systems through its own API, so case files stay in one place and the app only retrieves what the user needs at that moment. We connect to the practice management system, document storage and financial administration.
For exchanges with the Rechtspraak (the Dutch judiciary), we connect to the channels available there: Mijn Rechtspraak for portal work and the Aansluitpunt Rechtspraak for system integrations from your own office environment. Also read more about our approach to building an app and building software.
Why choose Appfront for your legal app?
Appfront builds custom software with smart technology and thoughtful design, in design and development sprints. For a legal app, that means: first understand how your practice works, then build. An app that doesn't help the lawyer in court won't be used, however good the technology looks.
We treat confidentiality as a design starting point, not an afterthought checklist. That means making explicit choices about what does and doesn't end up on a device, what notifications look like, and what happens when a phone goes missing. We record those decisions so your firm can explain how confidentiality is technically safeguarded.
The process begins with a no-obligation introductory conversation, followed by planning, development and maintenance. You see working versions along the way and help decide what gets finished first.
You may also be interested in our wider services: building an app, developing custom software and AI for contract review. Have questions? Get in touch.
- Custom apps for iOS, Android and web
- Designed around duty of confidentiality and legal privilege
- Client portal instead of confidential attachments by email
- Integrations with practice management, document storage and administration
- Support for client due diligence under the Wwft (Dutch Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act)
- Connection to Mijn Rechtspraak and the Aansluitpunt Rechtspraak
- Role-based access control and separation between case files
- Audit logging of access and changes
- Rollout via your own device management
- Ongoing maintenance and further development
Security and privacy in a legal app
A legal app processes data that falls not only under the GDPR but also under the professional duty of confidentiality. That raises the bar compared with an ordinary business app. It is not only about whether data is stored encrypted, but also about who within the firm may access it and what part of a case file ends up on a mobile device.
We therefore design access around role and case file, with separation between matters where needed. Access and changes are logged, sessions expire after inactivity, and documents are retrieved encrypted rather than kept permanently on the device. If a device is lost or someone leaves the firm, access can be revoked centrally. We set up data processing in line with the GDPR.
Read more about our security approach: information security policy and vulnerability disclosure policy. Discuss your situation without obligation via our contact form.
- GDPR-compliant processing and data minimisation
- Access control by role and by case file
- Separation between case files where confidentiality requires it
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest
- No permanent local storage of confidential documents
- Notifications without case or client names on the lock screen
- Session timeout, biometric unlock and remote wipe
- Audit logging of access, download and sharing
Frequently asked questions about a legal app
Answers to the questions we get most often about custom apps for legal service providers.
A legal app is a mobile or tablet application that lets lawyers, notaries and in-house counsel work with case files, documents and client communication outside the office. Think of viewing case files in court, a client portal for securely exchanging documents, recording time as it happens and monitoring deadlines. The app does not replace your practice management system, but connects to it at the point where the work actually takes place.
Practice management software is the administrative heart of a firm: case administration, invoicing, time recording and reporting. A legal app focuses on the work that happens outside that environment and on the client themselves. In practice, we build the app as a layer around the existing system, with an integration linking the two, so data stays in one place and no second administration emerges.
Professional secrecy and legal privilege place demands on how you handle client information, including digitally. The explanatory notes to professional conduct rule 3 explicitly state that a lawyer must take appropriate measures, including for digital communication. We translate that into concrete design choices: documents are retrieved encrypted rather than stored permanently on the device, notifications do not show case or client names, sessions expire after inactivity, and access is controlled by role and by case.
Lawyers file digitally via the secure Mijn Rechtspraak web portal, logging in with their lawyer's pass. In addition, the Aansluitpunt Rechtspraak went into use in August 2025, allowing firms to exchange documents from their own environment rather than via the portal. We can make that flow available to your app, so the status of a case is visible where your people work. Exactly what is possible depends on your firm's system and on the areas of law in which digital proceedings have been opened.
Yes, if your services fall under the Wwft. The app can support customer due diligence by recording and verifying identity details in a structured way, and by including consultation of the UBO register in the workflow when entering a new business relationship, including reporting back when a discrepancy is found. The app does not take over the assessment: the professional decides, and the software ensures that the steps are recorded in a traceable way.
We build custom solutions. Legal practices differ widely in area of law, case build-up, firm systems and the way clients are involved. Custom development fits your actual way of working and can grow along with your practice or as digital case handling changes. After an initial conversation, we determine together which functionality matters most and in what order we build it.
We design for that from the outset. Access to the app is tied to an account rather than a device, and can be revoked centrally. Because confidential documents are retrieved encrypted and are not stored permanently on the device, there is little of value on a lost phone. We also use biometric unlock, session timeout after inactivity and, if you use device management, the ability to wipe the device remotely.
Yes. We regularly take over existing applications, even if another party built them. We assess the architecture, integrations, authorisation model, logging and security, document the current setup and propose improvements. We can then carry out changes, integrations and monitoring, or modernise the system step by step.
Ready to build your legal app?
Tell us how your practice works and where things go wrong outside the office: documents sent by email, hours reconstructed after the fact, or clients calling for an update. We are happy to help you think through the set-up, the integrations, and how you technically safeguard confidentiality. The first conversation is non-binding.
Would you like to look at this from the custom software angle? applatenmaken.com has an overview of Legal, risk and compliance software.