Comparing legal tech options for Australian solo practitioners in 2025

If you're an Australian solo practitioner evaluating legal technology, the options can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks down what's available and who each option suits best.

The major players

LEAP Legal Software

LEAP dominates the Australian market with over 20,000 local users. It offers comprehensive practice management with deep integrations into PEXA and InfoTrack (all owned by the same corporate group).

Pros: Comprehensive features. Deep Australian integrations. Extensive template library.

Cons: Expensive (~$389/month). Requires long contracts (3+ years reported). Windows-only. Recent AI trust issues.

Best for: Established practices with conveyancing work who want everything in one place and can commit long-term.

Clio

Clio is the global leader in cloud legal practice management. They achieved NSW Law Society certification in 2024 and became a member benefits partner.

Pros: Modern cloud platform. Transparent pricing ($39-149/month). Month-to-month billing. Good mobile apps.

Cons: US-headquartered (less Australian-focused). AI features are paid add-ons. Less deep Australian integrations than LEAP.

Best for: Solo practitioners wanting modern cloud software with no lock-in.

Smokeball

Smokeball is Australian-founded with a standout feature: AutoTime automatic time capture. They claim practitioners capture an additional 2 billable hours daily.

Pros: AutoTime is genuinely innovative. Strong document automation. Australian-founded.

Cons: Requires 36-month contracts. Full features need Windows desktop. Pricing less transparent.

Best for: Practitioners for whom time capture is the primary pain point.

Actionstep

Actionstep is New Zealand-founded with strong workflow automation. However, 2024 pricing changes introduced minimum three-user packages.

Pros: Powerful workflow automation. Good document assembly.

Cons: No longer suitable for true solo practitioners (3-user minimum at ~$469/month).

Best for: Small firms (3+ attorneys) rather than solo practitioners.

Specialist tools

Beyond practice management, specialist tools address specific needs:

Document automation: Gavel (formerly Documate), Josef, and others create interactive document workflows. Often expensive for solos.

Legal research: Jade (from BarNet), LexisNexis, and Thomson Reuters Westlaw. Essential but pricy.

Client intake: Clio Grow, Lawmatics, and Lexicata focus on CRM and intake. Usually sold as practice management add-ons.

AI assistants: Harvey (enterprise only), CoCounsel (Thomson Reuters), and various startup offerings. Most target larger firms.

The gap

Notice what's missing? AI-native tools built for solo practitioners at accessible price points.

Enterprise AI tools serve Am Law 100 firms. Practice management systems bolt on AI features. Specialist tools serve narrow use cases.

Solo practitioners—78% of Australian firms—lack purpose-built AI automation at reasonable prices with no lock-in.

This is why we're building Jurisdox.

Making your decision

When evaluating options, consider:

What's your primary pain point? Time capture? Document drafting? Client intake? Practice management? Choose tools that address your actual problems, not features you'll never use.

What's your budget? Be realistic. A tool costing $100/month that saves you 10 hours is great value. A tool costing $400/month that you resent is not.

How important is flexibility? Multi-year contracts make sense if you're certain. Month-to-month costs slightly more but lets you adapt.

Does it need to work with what you have? Integration-friendly tools let you build a best-of-breed stack. All-in-one tools require commitment.

There's no universally correct answer. The best legal tech stack is the one that fits your practice, your budget, and your working style.