Best Law Firm Accounting Software in 2023

The best law firm bookkeeping software must be able to handle client trust accounts (CTAs), including interest on lawyers’ trust accounts (IOLTAs), track time and expenses spent on cases accurately, and maintain detailed records to bill the client properly. It must also have a three-way reconciliation of client ledgers, trust accounts, and bank statements, in addition to other useful features, like customer relationship management (CRM), document management, and time tracking.

Here are our best law firm accounting solutions, which include both stand-alone software and general bookkeeping programs with integrations:

PCLaw: Best overall all-in-one law firm accounting software
QuickBooks Online: Best accounting software for small firms when integrated with LeanLaw
CosmoLex: Best for law firms needing an all-in-one cloud-based accounting and practice management solution
Xero: Best legal accounting software for unlimited users when integrated with TimeSolv
Zola Suite: Best for law firms needing an all-in-one legal accounting software with CRM functions
Clio: Best for law firms wanting fast and efficient communication tools

Best Law Firm Accounting Software At a Glance


Provider	Pricing	Trust Accounting	Matter Management	Legal Billing	Time Tracking	Customer Relationship Management (CRM)	Document Management
	Custom quote	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Visit PCLaw
	$30 to $200 per month	Requires LeanLaw integration	✕	Requires LeanLaw integration	✓	✕	✕
	Visit QuickBooks Online
	$99 per user, per month	✓	✓	✓	✓	Integrates with CosmoLex CRM	✓
	Visit CosmoLex
	$13 to $70 per month	Requires TimeSolv integration	Requires TimeSolv integration	Requires TimeSolv integration	Requires TimeSolv integration	✕	Requires TimeSolv integration
	Visit Xero
	$69 to $99 per user, per month	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Visit Zola Suite
	$49 to $149 per user, per month	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Visit Clio

PCLaw: Best Overall All-in-One Law Firm Accounting Software

What We Like

Built-in accounting suite; doesn’t require QuickBooks Online or Xero
Data can be accessed anytime and anywhere with an internet connection
All features are available in a single pricing plan
An option to take your files online through cloud hosting

Drawbacks

Can’t create invoices from scratch; need to use time/expense cards
No integrated payroll system
Tiered pricing is only available for firms with 10 or more users
Invoices aren’t customizable

Read our PCLaw review

Features

Enables you to manage critical information about your cases and matters
Uses Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard (LEDES) codes to streamline client billing
Helps you manage separate accounts for client trusts, firm funds, and Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) accounts
Lets you create and assign tasks to different lawyers
Allows you to track billable time and expenses using timesheets, timer plugins, or the timekeeping app, PCLaw Go
Streamlines client and lead communication with client intake forms

Read our PCLaw review

Visit PCLaw

PCLaw Overview

PCLaw’s pricing information is not published on its website, so you’ll need to contact the provider directly to request a customized quote.

You may sign up for a free demonstration before buying PCLaw.

Matter management: PCLaw provides a centralized platform to manage and store matter-related information and transactions, including documents, to-do lists, and communications.
Trust accounting: You can execute trust accounting functions, such as writing checks, accepting client payments, and reconciling trust bank journal balances to your client listing.
Time tracking: Track billable and nonbillable time using PCLaw’s timesheets or timer plugins. If you want to track time on the go, you’ll benefit from the PCLaw Go mobile app.
Bank reconciliation: PCLaw allows you to reconcile your bank statements to your bank journals to ensure your records are accurate.

Law firms that need an all-inclusive legal management platform: LeanLaw provides a single platform where you can manage your clients, cases, bank reconciliations, billing processes, and financial reports.
Legal practitioners using other products from LexisNexis: The program integrates with other LexisNexis products, such as Amicus Attorney and Time Matters.
Lawyers charging by the hour: PCLaw’s built-in time tracker, Time Entry Advisor, lets you automatically log billable hours and bill them to clients.

Visit PCLaw

QuickBooks Online: Best for Small Firms When Integrated With LeanLaw

What We Like

Offers full-featured accounting, including bank reconciliation, check printing, and invoicing
Deep integration with LeanLaw to allow three-way reconciliation and legal trust accounting
Large network of QuickBooks ProAdvisor so it’s easy to look for bookkeeping support
Includes a mobile app to track your finances on the go

Drawbacks

Requires separate subscription to LeanLaw to add legal-specific features
Has no matter management features even when integrated with LeanLaw
Lacks other important features, such as CRM and document management

Read our QuickBooks Online review

Features

Lets you generate and send customized invoices to clients
Tracks time from any device (requires at least QuickBooks Essentials)
Allows you to set hourly billing rates for each of your legal services
Processes electronic payments through QuickBooks Payments
Integrates with LeanLaw to allow legal-specific features, such as LEDES billing and trust accounting

Read our QuickBooks Online review

Visit QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online Overview

QuickBooks Online

Simple Start: $30 per month for one user
Essentials: $55 per month for up to three users
Plus: $85 per month for up to five users
Advanced: $200 per month for up to 25 users

You can choose between 50% off for three months or a 30-day free trial.

LeanLaw

Core: $50 per user, per month
Pro: $65 per user, per month

Read our LeanLaw review.

You can integrate LeanLaw with any QuickBooks Online plan. To determine which QuickBooks Online version is right for you, explore our QuickBooks Online comparison guide.

Invoicing: You can create and send invoices easily with QuickBooks Online. Once a time entry is made in LeanLaw, it’ll be pushed to your QuickBooks Online account for invoicing.
Improved reporting: QuickBooks Online provides more options for reporting, including A/R aging, trust accounting, and attorney compensation/revenue reports.
Legal billing: QuickBooks integrates with LeanLaw to comply with LEDES and American Bar Association (ABA) standards for billing and invoicing clients. Invoices are submitted to LEDES billing systems, including eCounsel, Lawtrac, Legal Tracker, and CounselLink.
LeanLaw QuickBooks Online ProAdvisors: LeanLaw has a special program that matches law firms with QuickBooks Online ProAdvisors who are also proficient in LeanLaw.
Timekeeping: Track time spent on a project using a calendar view with timers, a web app pop-up, and a mobile tracking app.

Law firms that need a powerful legal management and accounting solution: QuickBooks Online itself can perform general bookkeeping tasks, such as simple billing and time tracking. To comply with trust accounting rules and perform a three-way reconciliation, which is important for law firms, then it’s best to connect it with LeanLaw.
Legal firms that require professional bookkeeping support often: Another reason to use QuickBooks Online with LeanLaw is easy access to QuickBooks ProAdvisors in case you need extensive bookkeeping support. Additionally, LeanLaw will provide the necessary resources and support to help you find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor who is also proficient in the LeanLaw software.

Visit QuickBooks Online

CosmoLex: Best All-in-One Cloud-based Legal Accounting Software

What We Like

Built-in accounting suite; doesn’t require QuickBooks
Can access your data anytime and anywhere with an internet connection
All features are available in a single pricing plan
Accepts online payments with LawPay

Drawbacks

Can’t create invoices from scratch; needs to use time/expense cards
No integrated payroll system
Tiered pricing is only available for firms with 10 or more users

Read our CosmoLex review

Features

Offers built-in accounting, such as the ability to set up and manage individual client ledgers
Lets you manage and track all items and events related to matters and cases
Tracks time in multiple ways
Supports different billing methods, such as fixed fee, hourly, and contingency billing
Allows you to create time and expense entries and easily convert to invoices

Read our CosmoLex review

Visit CosmoLex

CosmoLex Overview

CosmoLex costs $99 per user, per month, for monthly billing or $89 per user, per month, for annual billing.

All accounts include free login for your accountant, unlimited training, free data migration, unlimited file storage, and an unconditional 90-day money-back guarantee.

CosmoLex offers a free 14-day trial so that you can try it for free before buying.

Built-in legal trust accounting: Just like PCLaw, CosmoLex has built-in trust accounting tools that enable you to print disbursement checks, import bank statements, and run trust accounting reports, such as trust client balances and trust ledger transactions.
Billing and invoicing: Charge your clients for services in different ways, including fixed fees, hourly, and contingency billing. You can create legal-specific invoices and send and print invoices in bulk.
Matter management: Manage items and events related to matters, including invoices, time cards, expense cards, and trust transactions.
Document management: Store and manage your files and documents securely. Since it’s cloud-based, you can access your files wherever you are as long as you’re connected to the internet.

Law firms that want a single solution to manage their legal practice and accounting: CosmoLex has built-in accounting features so that you don’t have to use QuickBooks or any other bookkeeping program.
Law firms with plans to scale but can’t afford to switch to a more expensive accounting platform: CosmoLex has a single pricing plan that gives you access to all of its features, so you don’t have to upgrade your subscription to access advanced functionality.
Lawyers working away from the office often: Since CosmoLex is cloud-based, you can access and manage your data anywhere, making it a great choice for busy lawyers and timekeepers who are often out of the office to meet clients and prospects.

Visit CosmoLex

Xero: Best Legal Accounting Solution for Unlimited Users When Integrated With TimeSolv

What We Like

Allows you to set up as many users as needed without paying an additional fee
Includes built-in bookkeeping features, such as bank reconciliation and cash flow management
Integrates with TimeSolv to provide trust accounting features
Manage and track your finances on the go with the Xero mobile app

Drawbacks

Requires separate subscription to TimeSolv
Has no legal-specific accounting features, such as CRM
Limited number of invoices in the lowest plan
No time-tracking feature without TimeSolv integration

Read our Xero review

Features

Lets you create and send invoices with multiple levels of details
Tracks account cash flow in real time
Enables you to run invoicing and billing reports that aid in financial management
Offers built-in general project management tools, such as estimate creation and management
Integrates with TimeSolv to provide legal-specific features, like matter management and time-tracking
Has a TimeSolv integration that allows management and payment of trust accounts using credit cards

Read our Xero review

Visit Xero

Xero Overview

Xero

Early: $13 per month
Growing: $37 per month
Established: $70 per month

All plans include unlimited users.

TimeSolv

TimeSolv offers two products: TimeSolv Pro and TimeSolv Legal.

We recommend TimeSolv Legal for law firms because it includes legal-specific features, such as trust accounting and LEDES billing. Its prices are as follows:

$39.95 per user, per month, for one to four users
$37.95 per user, per month, for five to 14 users
$35.95 per user, per month, for over 15 users

TimeSolv Pro, which offers basic legal billing and matter management features, starts at $27.95 per user, per month, for one to nine users.

Read our TimeSolve review.

Unlimited user access: Xero lets you add an unlimited number of users regardless of the plan you choose. With other similar accounting software, you have to pay an additional fee for each added user.
TimeSolv integration: Xero itself has a robust set of general accounting features, but it integrates with TimeSolv to allow legal accounting functionality, such as trust accounting and LEDES billing.
Time and expense tracking: With TimeSolv integration, time and expense entries can be logged and tracked easily using the intuitive Time Entry and Expense Entry forms.
Invoicing: Xero lets you send batch invoices and set up recurring invoices. When integrated with Xero, you can split bills or choose fixed fees when charging your clients for your services.

Large-scale law firms using TimeSolv: Xero is great for law firms with multiple accounting users, but it can’t be an efficient legal bookkeeping tool without TimeSolv. However, you can connect it with TimeSolv to access strong case management and legal bookkeeping functionality, such as legal billing and invoicing, document management, and a client portal.
Solo practitioners often working in areas with limited or no internet connectivity. TimeSolv’s free desktop app, TimeSync, lets you log time even when offline. You can sync your data later when you get back online.

Visit Xero

Zola Suite: Best for Law Firms That Need CRM Functions

What We Like

Includes CRM and client intake forms
Accepts credit card payments with no monthly fee
Includes a client portal to easily share files with clients
Uses LEDES for streamlined billing
Integrates with other Zola products

Drawbacks

No integrated payroll processing
No free login for your external accountant
Cannot manage unpaid bills and vendors with Core edition
Users complain that it takes several steps to create an invoice

Read our Zola Suite review

Features

Tracks billable time and expenses
Lets you create a new invoice from scratch or one from a time and expense entry
Reconciles trust accounts manually
Allows you to track all matter-related information
Helps you better manage customer and lead interaction better with its CRM features

Read our Zola Suite review

Visit Zola Suite

Zola Suite Overview

Core: $69 per user, per month
Enterprise: $89 per user, per month
Enterprise Plus: $99 per user, per month

You can sign up for a free 10-day trial with no credit card required.

CRM: Zola Suite’s built-in CRM system enables you to create and manage tasks, events, emails, and notes relevant to your prospects.
Matter management: Zola Suite lets you create matter-related contacts and roles, set unique permissions on a matter level, and add notes to share with clients or team members.
Client intake forms: Create client intake forms that you can email to your prospects. Once the forms are completed, you can convert the new lead information into a matter easily.
Billing: You can bill your clients directly from time entries or create a new invoice from scratch. Zola Suite uses the LEDES billing method to make it easy for law firms to issue and track invoices.
Smart Account Reconciliation module: This feature enables you to reconcile your accounts manually to ensure that your trust transactions are recorded accurately.

Legal professionals with a repeatable process: The built-in CRM and client intake tools help law firms and lawyers make sure that no important communication, client, or leads fall through the cracks.
Lawyers who manage a high volume of legal documents: Zola Suite’s higher plans allow you to manage and store an unlimited number of documents.

Visit Zola Suite

Clio: Best for Law Firms That Need Fast & Efficient Communication Tools

What We Like

Includes built-in trust accounting features
Offers unique features, such as SMS messaging and a website builder
Allows you to compare predicted time estimates and actuals
All plans include unlimited document management
Has a functional mobile app

Drawbacks

Can’t perform bank reconciliation; requires QuickBooks Online or Xero
Some important features, such as CRM and the website builder, are offered in the most expensive plan
Telephone support is only available in the higher plans

Read our Clio review

Features

Records and tracks time and expense entries (called activities)
Tracks all important items related to legal cases and matter
Adds and manages any type of contact
Monitors important events and schedule deadlines with the calendar
Creates and assigns tasks to team members
Lets you send and receive SMS and multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages from your contacts

Read our Clio review

Visit Clio

Clio Overview

EasyStart: $49 per user, per month
Essentials: $79 per user, per month
Advanced: $119 per user, per month
Complete: $149 per user, per month

You can request a seven-day trial with no credit card required.

Document management: Easily add any type of contact, such as a vendor, a witness, or an outside counsel. You can also assign matters, documents, and bills to each contact. Clio offers unlimited document management in all its plans
Communication hub: The communications hub includes an SMS messaging feature that allows you to send text messages using a toll-free number.
Strong integration: Clio integrates with more than 200 apps, including Gmail, Google Drive, Mailchimp, and Dropbox.
Mobile app: The mobile app includes almost all of Clio’s desktop features, such as task management, document management, and time tracking.

Law firms who work with multiple clients and associates: SMS messaging feature is useful for lawyers that need a fast and efficient way to communicate with their clients and their staff and partners, including associates and paralegals.
Lawyers and law firms who need a new website: Clio’s built-in website builder lets you create simple, single-page websites without using codes.
Law firms using different business tools: Clio integrates with more than 200 business applications, such as Zoom, Gmail, and QuickBooks Online.

Visit Clio

How We Evaluated Law Firm Accounting Software

We evaluated the best law firm accounting software based on pricing, ease of use, customer support, and the availability of essential legal-specific features, including:

Matter management: The best law firm accounting software should have a streamlined way of managing legal matters, including contracts and transactions, trust accounting, billing of case-related events, and compliance.
Time tracking: As a lawyer, you need good software to track the time you spend on different clients and cases accurately, so we looked into whether the best platforms can help with this.
Trust accounting: The software must provide a way to track both aggregate client funds in your client trust account and the amount of those funds owed to each client. It must also provide a list of trust transactions separated by the client and let you perform a triple reconciliation between the client trust account, client ledgers, and bank statement easily.
Billing system: The billing system must generate professional-looking invoices that can be printed or emailed. It should also track time and expenses by client job and service code. Billing rates should be allowed to vary by service code and employee, and employees should be able to track and report time and expenses while away from the office.
Practice management: You might like practice management features integrated with your accounting and billing systems. Common features include client portals, secure communications, document management, calendars with integrated time tracking, and matter dashboards with links to all relevant parties, documents, time, expenses, and invoices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are law accounting software different from general accounting software?

Yes, they are different. General accounting software is designed to perform common accounting tasks while law accounting software is specially created for lawyers and law firms and includes features to aid in accounting for funds held in trust for clients.

Is QuickBooks Online considered legal accounting software?

No, it isn’t. While QuickBooks Online is extremely customizable, it has no legal-specific features that law firms need, such as trust accounting, legal billing, and legal-specific reports.

Can I use generic software programs to manage my legal accounting?

Yes, you can use generic software programs, but it’s best that you integrate them with legal accounting solutions. For instance, you can integrate QuickBooks Online with LeanLaw to develop a powerful legal billing and accounting solution.

Bottom Line

While PCLaw is our overall best legal accounting software, it doesn’t mean it’s good for every law firm. If you don’t want to use separate programs for managing your bank accounts, cases, clients, and legal matters, then PCLaw is right for you. If you’re currently using QuickBooks Online and want to transform it into a capable legal accounting solution, then you can integrate it with LeanLaw. If you need a program to help you automate your CRM workflows and can help you manage leads, then Zola Suite is a great option.

Best Law Firm Accounting Software At a Glance

PCLaw: Best Overall All-in-One Law Firm Accounting Software

PCLaw

What We Like

Drawbacks

Features

PCLaw Overview

QuickBooks Online: Best for Small Firms When Integrated With LeanLaw

QuickBooks Online

What We Like

Drawbacks

Features

QuickBooks Online Overview

CosmoLex: Best All-in-One Cloud-based Legal Accounting Software

CosmoLex

What We Like

Drawbacks

Features

CosmoLex Overview

Xero: Best Legal Accounting Solution for Unlimited Users When Integrated With TimeSolv

Xero

What We Like

Drawbacks

Features

Xero Overview

Zola Suite: Best for Law Firms That Need CRM Functions

Zola Suite

What We Like

Drawbacks

Features

Zola Suite Overview

Clio: Best for Law Firms That Need Fast & Efficient Communication Tools

Clio

What We Like

Drawbacks

Features

Clio Overview

How We Evaluated Law Firm Accounting Software

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are law accounting software different from general accounting software?

Is QuickBooks Online considered legal accounting software?

Can I use generic software programs to manage my legal accounting?

Bottom Line

About the Author

Mark Calatrava