Custom law firm software
Appfront builds custom software for law firms and legal practices: from case and file management, time recording and billing by hourly rate or fixed fee, to diary and deadline monitoring, documents and templates, a client portal, conflict checks, Wwft identification and the administration of client funds. One system for your entire firm, tailored to your areas of law, your fee arrangements and your way of working. Built with respect for professional secrecy, GDPR-compliant and with information security as a starting point.
What is law firm software?
Law firm software supports the full range of work in a legal practice within one coherent system: case and file management, time recording, billing at hourly and fixed rates, calendar and deadline monitoring, documents and templates, a client portal, conflict checks, AML/Wwft client identification and client account administration. Everything serves one purpose: handling your matters carefully, on time and traceably, with a complete file that respects professional privilege.
Off-the-shelf packages often force your working method into a rigid mould. Yet every law firm differs greatly from practice to practice: in areas of law, in fee arrangements, in how deadlines are monitored and in how clients and opposing parties are communicated with. Custom software fits your practice rather than the other way round, and can grow alongside your firm as it expands or takes on new areas of law. That prevents shadow administration in loose spreadsheets and keeps the file complete and up to date.
Because a law firm works with highly confidential and often special-category personal data, we build in privacy by design and data minimisation from the architecture up. Read more about our broader approach to custom software and to a custom CRM for relationship management.
One file per matter
Client details, correspondence, documents, hours, deadlines and invoices in one coherent file. Lawyers work in one place and keep oversight, without retyping data from separate systems or folders.
Deadlines you never lose track of
Track professional, limitation and procedural deadlines with alerts and reminders, linked to your calendar and case file. That way you won't miss a critical date and can demonstrate that deadline management is in order.
Confidential and traceable
Every access and change is logged, with authorisation based on role and need-to-know. This keeps professional privilege secure and lets you demonstrate compliance with the GDPR and your own information security policy.
How we build your law firm software
We work step by step and involve your lawyers, secretariat and the person responsible for privacy and information security early in the process. From a thorough review of your practice, areas of law and fee arrangements through to go-live and ongoing management, every step is aimed at software that your firm understands, trusts and can use safely.
We map out your practice: case file structure, time recording, fee structure, deadline management, conflict checks, Wwft (anti-money laundering) investigations and the integrations you need. Together we determine which data and authorisations are required, and what can safely be left out.
We design the architecture, the case model and the authorisation model with data minimisation and privacy by design as starting points, along with the approach to logging, retention periods and the separation of client funds and firm funds.
We build in short iterations with automated tests, structured logging and monitoring. You see working versions along the way and help steer priorities and alignment with how your firm operates.
Controlled go-live with data validation and a safety net, followed by ongoing management, monitoring and further development as your firm grows or your working methods change.
What law firm software actually does
We tailor every application specifically to your practice, areas of law and fee arrangements. Below are the features we most often deliver for law firms and legal practices.
Case & file management
Every matter gets a complete file with client and opposing party details, correspondence, documents, tasks and status. You work in a structured way by area of law and keep track of the progress of all your ongoing matters.
Time registration
Hours are recorded per case, employee and activity and linked to the correct fee agreement. You see work in progress and billed hours per matter, so nothing is forgotten when it comes to invoicing.
Billing & invoicing
Invoices on hourly rates and fixed fees, including advances and disbursements. Hours worked are combined into a draft invoice that you check before it goes out, with a clear view of outstanding items.
Calendar & deadline tracking
Appeal, limitation and procedural deadlines are monitored with reminders linked to the calendar and the case file. Hearings, appointments and critical dates are kept clearly together, so you never miss a date.
Documents & templates
Letters, court documents and contracts are drafted from templates that fill in case data automatically. Versions are tracked, and documents stay linked to the correct matter and client.
Conflict check & AML
When a new matter comes in, the software checks for conflicts of interest against existing cases and parties. For services subject to the Dutch AML/CTF Act (Wwft), it supports client due diligence: identification, verification and recording of the checks.
Client portal
Clients follow their matter, share documents securely and view outstanding invoices in a protected portal. Confidential exchanges are encrypted, so sensitive documents never need to travel by unsecured email.
Client money & accounting
A separate ledger for client funds, kept apart from office money, with integration into your accounting and iDEAL payment links. That keeps the flow of money traceable and lets your general ledger reconcile without double entry.
Who we build law firm software for
Legal work is carried out by a range of practices, each with its own role and fee arrangements. For each of them we build software that suits their areas of law, their deadlines and the level of confidentiality the work requires.
Law firms
Firms from sole practitioners to medium-sized practices, active in a range of areas of law. The software supports case management, time recording, billing, deadline tracking and conflict checks, with professional secrecy as a firm starting point.
Lawyers & advisory practices
Legal advisory firms and in-house counsel who manage contracts, advice and case files. The software structures the work, links time to matters, and keeps documents and versions neatly together.
Debt collection agencies
Debt collection and bailiff practices that manage large volumes of claims, payment arrangements and deadlines. The software tracks statuses, links to accounting, and keeps the client funds ledger strictly separate.
Personal injury firms
Personal injury and liability practices with long-running cases, medical records and a lot of correspondence with insurers. The software keeps the complete file together and monitors the deadlines that apply to each matter.
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 with a modern, maintainable web stack and integrate where needed with the systems your firm already uses. For law firms, the most relevant are integrations with accounting software such as Exact Online and Twinfield, iDEAL payment links, the Chamber of Commerce and UBO registers for client due diligence, and secure document exchange through the client portal. A custom-built system can also be extended with planning and scheduling functionality for diaries and court hearings. We set up every integration with data minimisation and the correct lawful basis, so only what is necessary gets exchanged.
If your firm uses Kleos and you want to connect it with your other systems, see our page on Kleos integration.
For keeping track of references to legislation, with the version in force at each date, see our page on a BWB integration.
For case law by ECLI in your own files, see our page on ECLI integration.
Why choose Appfront for your law firm software?
Appfront builds custom software and always begins with a thorough analysis of your practice, areas of law and fee arrangements. Software for a law firm must not only work technically, but also reflect the care and confidentiality with which your firm operates.
We build in privacy by design and data minimisation from the architecture onwards, and write clear documentation so that your own firm or a future supplier can understand and manage the software. No black box, but transparent code and clear agreements on access control, logging, monitoring and maintenance, without vendor lock-in.
You work with a dedicated point of contact who understands both the technology and the daily practice of a law firm. This keeps communication short, prevents misunderstandings and speeds up decisions when choices need to be made during development.
Take a look at our wider services too: custom software, a custom CRM and planning and scheduling software. Any questions? Get in touch.
- Custom software for legal practices
- Privacy by design and data minimisation as a starting point
- Respect for professional secrecy and legal privilege
- Time-based and fixed-fee billing, including disbursements
- Built-in conflict checks and Wwft client due diligence
- Integrations with accounting and payment providers
- Role-based authorisation and comprehensive audit logging
- Clear documentation and no vendor lock-in
- A fixed point of contact, no account managers passed around
- Ongoing maintenance and further development as your firm grows
Security and privacy in law firm software
A law firm processes confidential and often special category personal data that falls under professional secrecy and legal privilege. That is why privacy by design is central to our approach. For each data flow we record the lawful basis for processing, apply data minimisation and set up access control based on role and need, so that staff only see the case files relevant to their work. Every access and change is logged, so it is always traceable who viewed which file.
We build with encryption in transit and at rest, two-factor authentication and case separation, in line with the GDPR and common information security standards such as OWASP and ISO 27001. Confidential documents are shared encrypted through the client portal rather than via unsecured email. We document data flows and authorisations so that your record of processing activities remains complete and you can demonstrate that you are in control.
Read more about our security approach: information security policy and vulnerability disclosure policy. Discuss your situation without obligation via our contact form.
- GDPR-compliant data processing and data minimisation
- Professional secrecy and legal privilege as the starting point
- A documented lawful basis for each data flow
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest
- Two-factor authentication and least-privilege access
- Separation of case files and client funds
- Complete audit logging of access and changes
- Documentation for your record of processing activities
Frequently asked questions about law firm software
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about custom software for law firms and legal practices.
Law firm software supports the full range of work in a legal practice: case and matter management, time recording, time-based and fixed-fee billing, calendar and deadline tracking, documents and templates, a client portal, conflict checks, Wwft identification and the administration of client funds. Custom software lets you set this up around how your own practice, areas of law and fee arrangements work, rather than forcing you to adapt your way of working to a standard package. Because a law firm handles highly confidential data, professional secrecy, the GDPR and information security are central to the design.
Hours are recorded per case and per matter, linked to the right member of staff, activity and fee arrangement. The software bills on both hourly rates and fixed fees, supports interim advance payments, and collects billable hours and disbursements into a draft invoice that you review before it is sent. This keeps billing traceable, nothing gets missed, and you keep oversight of work in progress, outstanding items and the ratio of budgeted to spent hours per case.
We build custom software. Law firms differ greatly in areas of law, size, fee structure and the way case files, deadlines and client communication are organised. Custom software fits your actual practice and can grow as your firm changes or new areas of law are added. After an intake meeting, we decide together which functionality matters most and in what order we develop it, without promising a fixed lead time or price that we can't yet substantiate.
A law firm processes confidential and often special category personal data that falls under professional privilege and legal privilege. We build privacy by design and data minimisation in from the architecture onwards, with authorisation based on role and need-to-know, separation of matters, encryption in transit and at rest, and complete logging of who accesses which matter. This allows you to demonstrably comply with the GDPR and keep control over the confidentiality your practice requires.
Yes. When opening a new matter, the software can run a conflict check against existing matters, clients and opposing parties, so that conflicts of interest become visible early. For services covered by the Dutch Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act (Wwft), the software supports client due diligence: identification and verification, recording the ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) where applicable, and a file of the checks carried out. We always tailor the precise workings to your compliance policy and current legislation.
Yes. We connect invoices, disbursements and payments to your accounting package, such as Exact Online or Twinfield, so you don't have to enter invoices twice and your general ledger stays up to date. Payment links via iDEAL and a separate administration for client funds are also possible. We set up each integration around your administrative process, with reconciliation controls and a clear separation between firm funds and client funds.
Yes. We regularly take over existing applications, including ones built by another party. We review the architecture, integrations, authorisation model, logging and security, document the current setup and propose improvements. From that point we can handle changes, integrations and monitoring, or modernise step by step towards a maintainable setup.
We build for law firms ranging from sole practitioners to medium-sized firms, for lawyers and legal advisory practices, and for debt collection and personal injury firms. We also serve practices that work closely with the notarial profession. For each firm we tailor the software to its own practice areas, fee arrangements, deadlines and the level of confidentiality its work requires.
Ready to build your law firm software?
Tell us how your firm works and where you run into problems, from case management and time recording to billing, deadline monitoring and AML investigations. We are happy to think along about process, integrations, confidentiality and information security. In a no-obligation first conversation you'll get a clear picture of the custom software options that suit your practice.