Solo Law Firm Software: The Complete 2025 Setup Guide
Everything you need to start a solo law practice. Real costs, essential software, and what to skip. From attorneys who've done it.
Starting a solo practice means making dozens of software decisions before you see your first client. The legal tech vendors are not shy about telling you that you need everything they sell.
You do not.
This guide covers what solo attorneys actually use based on real practitioners. We include specific costs, what to skip, and how to avoid the traps that catch new solos.
What Does Starting a Solo Practice Actually Cost?
The range is wide because it depends on your choices.
Lean startup: $3,000-$5,000 Average: $5,000-$15,000 Full office setup: $25,000-$50,000
One personal injury attorney on Reddit started with a $40,000 warchest and only spent $5,000 in the first six months. He worked from home and made smart software choices.
Here is where the money goes:
| Category | Budget | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice management | $34/mo | $49/mo | $99/mo |
| Accounting | Free | $15/mo | $79/mo |
| Legal research | Free | $49/mo | $125+/mo |
| Phone and fax | $5/mo | $20/mo | $50/mo |
| Document signing | $13/mo | $13/mo | $50/mo |
| Cloud storage | $6/mo | $12/mo | $12/mo |
| Malpractice insurance | $1,000/yr | $2,000/yr | $4,000/yr |
| Office space | $0 (home) | $500/mo | $2,000+/mo |
Most solos work from home for the first year. Get office space when client meetings or focus become problems.
Essential Software Categories
1. Practice Management
This is the hub. Cases, contacts, calendars, documents, and billing live here.
Top picks for solos:
PracticePanther ($39/mo) - Easiest to learn. Most attorneys are productive in hours, not days. Good mobile app.
MyCase ($39/mo) - Best client portal and communication. Clients can message you, view documents, and pay invoices in one place.
Clio ($49/mo) - Most integrations (200+). Industry leader. Higher learning curve but more powerful.
Lawcus ($34/mo) - Budget pick with workflow automation. Less polished interface but functional.
When you can skip it: If you have fewer than 10 active matters, a spreadsheet works. But plan to switch early. Migrating data later is painful.
2. Accounting and Billing
You need to invoice clients and track expenses. More importantly, you need to manage trust funds without making mistakes that end your career.
Options:
Wave (Free) - Good starter. Handles invoicing and basic bookkeeping. No trust accounting features.
QuickBooks ($15-30/mo) - Industry standard. Integrates with most practice management software. Requires separate trust account tracking.
CosmoLex ($79/mo) - All-in-one with practice management. Built-in trust accounting and three-way reconciliation. Higher price but eliminates sync headaches.
For IOLTA tracking specifically:
M&T Bank Nota (Free with account) - Multiple solo attorneys recommend this. Tracks your IOLTA and balances automatically.
3. Time Tracking
This is where solo attorneys lose money.
Studies show attorneys lose 10-40% of billable time to poor tracking. When you are solo, there is no paralegal reminding you to log time. Over half your day becomes administrative tasks mixed with billable work.
Your options:
Manual timers (built into practice management) - Free with your existing software. Requires discipline to start and stop timers. Most attorneys forget.
Automatic tracking (ReadyDone, Smokeball AutoTime, Timely) - Captures time as you work. No timers to start. More expensive but recovers more billable hours.
The math: If you bill $300/hour and recover just 30 minutes per day through better tracking, that is $3,000/month in additional revenue. Automatic time tracking pays for itself many times over.
4. Legal Research
Do not sign a Westlaw or Lexis contract as a new solo.
Free options first:
Fastcase or Casemaker - Free with most state bar memberships. Covers most research needs for general practice.
Google Scholar - Case law search. Limited but free.
Law school library - If you are near your alma mater, they often have terminal access to Westlaw. One solo attorney does all his research this way and saves $350/month.
When to pay:
Casetext ($89/mo) - AI-powered research. Significantly cheaper than Westlaw with modern features.
Westlaw or Lexis ($125+/mo) - Only if your practice demands it (complex litigation, specialized research). Even then, consider the law library option first.
5. Document Signing
Adobe Acrobat Pro ($13/mo) is the move.
It replaces DocuSign ($50/mo) at a quarter of the price and does more:
- Electronic signatures
- PDF editing
- Merge and split documents
- Redaction
One solo attorney admitted he signed documents with a free drawing tool for 6 months before buying Adobe. It works, but Adobe is worth the $13.
Skip DocuSign unless you need advanced workflows or your clients specifically expect it.
6. Business Phone and Fax
Yes, you still need fax. Courts and opposing counsel use it.
Phone options:
Google Voice (Free) - Basic virtual number. Works for starting out but lacks features.
OpenPhone ($15/mo) - Good balance of features and price. One solo described it as "eh, it's ok" but functional.
VOIP.MS (under $1/mo) - Cheapest option. Technical setup required. Voicemails can go directly to email.
Fax options:
Redfax ($5/mo) - Budget pick. Gets the job done.
eFax ($16/mo) - More reliable. Better if you send and receive frequently.
7. Cloud Storage
Your practice management software handles case documents. But you still need general storage for templates, firm documents, and backups.
Google Workspace ($6/user/mo) - Email plus Drive. Do not use personal Gmail for client communication.
Dropbox Business ($12/mo) - Some attorneys prefer this over Google for security. Better version history.
Microsoft 365 ($12/mo) - If you prefer Outlook and Word. Good integration with Windows.
Important: Do not use personal Google Drive or Dropbox for client files. Security and ethics rules require business accounts.
What to Skip
Things solo attorneys bought and regretted:
Acuity Scheduling - Built into most practice management software. Paying separately is redundant.
LawPay - Your practice management software likely includes payment processing. Extra fees add up.
Virtual office services (Regus, etc.) - Google may penalize your local SEO for using these addresses. One attorney "got caught" and had to find a real office share.
Expensive LLC formation services - One attorney was quoted $1,850 for PLLC formation. He did it himself for $300 in four pages of forms. If you cannot file your own business paperwork, reconsider going solo.
Long-term research contracts - Westlaw and Lexis sales reps push annual contracts. Do not sign. Use free alternatives until you know exactly what you need.
Intake form builders - Ninja Forms, Typeform, etc. Your practice management software includes intake forms.
The IOLTA Trap
This section could save your license.
Mishandling client trust funds is one of the fastest paths to disbarment. It happens to attorneys who meant well but made bookkeeping errors.
What you must do:
- Separate trust account - Client funds go here, never in your operating account
- Three-way reconciliation - Monthly match of bank statement, trust ledger, and individual client ledgers
- Immediate recording - Log transactions the moment they happen
- Double-entry accounting - Debits and credits must balance
Software that helps:
M&T Bank Nota - Free with account. Tracks IOLTA automatically. Recommended by multiple solo attorneys.
CosmoLex - Built-in trust accounting with compliance features. Worth the higher price if you handle significant client funds.
Clio Manage - Trust accounting features included. Three-way reconciliation available.
The stakes: Even innocent mistakes can lead to reprimand, suspension, or disbarment. Take a CLE on trust accounting before you open your doors.
Sample Tech Stacks
Lean Stack ($100/month)
For attorneys starting with minimal capital or few cases.
| Category | Software | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Practice management | Lawcus | $34 |
| Accounting | Wave | Free |
| Research | Fastcase | Free (bar) |
| Signing | Adobe | $13 |
| Phone | Google Voice | Free |
| Fax | Redfax | $5 |
| Storage | Google Workspace | $6 |
| Time tracking | Manual | Free |
| Total | $58/mo |
Standard Stack ($200/month)
For attorneys with steady case flow who want better tools.
| Category | Software | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Practice management | MyCase | $39 |
| Accounting | QuickBooks | $15 |
| Research | Casetext | $89 |
| Signing | Adobe | $13 |
| Phone | OpenPhone | $15 |
| Fax | Redfax | $5 |
| Storage | Dropbox | $12 |
| Time tracking | Manual + timers | Free |
| Total | $188/mo |
Premium Stack ($400/month)
For established solos maximizing efficiency and billable recovery.
| Category | Software | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Practice management | Clio Advanced | $109 |
| Accounting | CosmoLex | $79 |
| Research | Casetext | $89 |
| Signing | Adobe | $13 |
| Phone | OpenPhone | $15 |
| Fax | eFax | $16 |
| Storage | Microsoft 365 | $12 |
| Time tracking | ReadyDone | $100 |
| Total | $433/mo |
Resources for New Solos
Podcasts
New Solo Podcast - Hosted by Adriana Linares. Episodes from 2014 to present cover every aspect of starting and running a solo practice.
Lunch Hour Legal Marketing - Focus on digital and online marketing for attorneys without marketing backgrounds.
Books
"Solo by Choice" by Carolyn Elefant - The definitive guide to starting a solo practice. Covers everything from business planning to marketing.
"Tomorrow's Lawyers" by Richard Susskind - Broader perspective on where the legal profession is heading. Useful for strategic planning.
Free Mentoring
SCORE.org - Free business mentors for small business owners. Register and get matched with someone in your area.
Veterans: Register with your local VBOC (Veterans Business Outreach Center). Take "Boots to Business" and the six-week "Revenue Readiness" course through Mississippi State. You will come out with a solid business plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start a solo law firm?
$3,000-$15,000 for technology and insurance if you work from home. Add $6,000-$24,000/year if you want office space. Malpractice insurance runs $1,000-$4,000/year depending on practice area and coverage limits.
Do I need Westlaw or Lexis?
Usually not when starting out. Fastcase (free with bar membership) and Casetext ($89/mo) handle most research needs. Many solos never pay for Westlaw. If you need it occasionally, check if your local law school library has terminal access.
What is the most important software for a solo practice?
Practice management. It handles cases, contacts, calendars, documents, and billing in one place. Everything else is secondary. Pick one that fits your workflow and budget.
Should I work from home or get an office?
Start from home. Most solos do. Get office space when client meetings become frequent or you need separation from home life. Consider office sharing with other attorneys to split costs and have colleagues nearby.
How do I avoid IOLTA mistakes?
Use software with three-way reconciliation (CosmoLex, Clio, or M&T Bank Nota). Record transactions immediately. Take a CLE on trust accounting. When in doubt, call your state bar's ethics hotline before you make a move.
Related Resources:
- How to Track Billable Hours Effectively - Best practices for attorney time capture
- Best Clio Alternatives for Law Firms - Detailed comparison of practice management tools
- ABA Billing Guidelines - Model rules for legal fees and billing compliance