Open Practice

Open Practice is a legal practice management system developed with Australian legal professionals for mid-to-large firms. It brings together trust accounting, financials, mobile support, fixed-fee requirements, new law models, and traditional practice management features. Its matter-centred workflow and connected data support work with precedents, search, electronic contracts, and document management. The product lists role-based security and integrations with GlobalX information searches, national conveyancing and settlement services including PEXA, Microsoft Office, and document management systems. Open Practice is described as supporting sites with 5 to hundreds of concurrent users across multiple branches. It is available on Android, iOS, web, and Windows. The maker offers implementation, data conversion, project management, training, upgrades, and customisation through a local team. Pricing is per user and available on request; the maker says there are no long-term contracts. Free helpdesk services are part of an annually renewed Annual Maintenance and Support Agreement.

Open Practice combines legal matter workflows with accounting, document handling, and listed integrations. Firms should request pricing and clarify the annual support agreement when considering it.

Open Practice suits mid-to-large legal firms seeking matter management alongside trust accounting and financial tools. Its listed capacity and multi-branch support may also suit firms with multiple locations.

Open Practice is legal practice management software built for mid-to-large Australian law firms. It is best suited to firms that want matter workflows and trust accounting alongside document handling and legal-sector integrations. Its breadth is compelling for that audience, but firms should weigh custom pricing and the annually renewed support agreement before choosing it.

Overview

Open Practice brings matter management, accounting, documents, and firm workflows into one system. Its matter-centric approach connects precedents, search, electronic contracts, and document management, while forms, tasks, diary tools, CRM, and reports cover adjacent operational needs. That range can reduce the need to coordinate separate tools, particularly for firms with multiple branches.

The product is designed to scale from five to hundreds of concurrent users across multiple sites. The maker says it supports more than 7,400 legal staff across hundreds of firms nationwide. Role-based security is listed, an important control for firms managing access across teams and offices.

Key features

• Legal workflows: Customisable forms and precedents, matter-centric processes, search, electronic contracts, document management, tasks, and diary tools support work from matter intake through ongoing case administration.
• Trust accounting and financials: These are core capabilities, making Open Practice a natural fit for firms that need legal accounting within their practice-management system.
• Flexible fee models: Support for fixed-fee requirements and new law models sits alongside traditional legal practice management, giving firms options beyond conventional matter billing.
• Integrations: Connections include GlobalX information searches and national conveyancing and settlement services, including PEXA. Microsoft Office and document management system integration are also listed.
• Implementation and support: GlobalX offers implementation, data conversion, project management, online or onsite training, upgrades, and customisation through a local team. That service range may help firms undertaking a substantial rollout, though support has an annual fee agreement attached.

Pricing

Open Practice uses paid, per-user pricing, but the price is custom pricing and must be requested through the maker’s contact form. The maker says there are no long-term contracts and free helpdesk services are included; that helpdesk support is part of an annually renewed Annual Maintenance and Support Agreement. Software updates and new features are included in the annual fee. Firms should clarify the agreement’s renewal terms and total per-user cost when requesting a demonstration.

There are no published plan tiers to compare. The per-user model is relevant for firms estimating costs across teams, while custom pricing means buyers will need a direct quote to assess fit against their budget.

Platforms

Open Practice supports Android, iOS, web, and Windows. Mobile support is part of its stated feature set, while the broad platform range can accommodate firms whose staff use a mix of devices.

Who it's for

Open Practice is aimed at mid-to-large Australian law firms, especially those that need trust accounting, matter workflows, and conveyancing or information-search integrations in the same system. Its support for multiple branches and large numbers of concurrent users makes it more relevant to established firms than to a solo practitioner seeking a straightforward, transparent subscription. Firms should also consider whether the annual maintenance agreement suits their support and update needs.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Trust accounting, financials, matter workflows, documents, and legal-sector integrations are combined, which suits firms seeking broad operational coverage in one system.
• Pro: Support for five to hundreds of concurrent users across multiple branches makes the product a credible option for firms with larger or distributed teams.
• Pro: Implementation, data conversion, training, and customisation are offered, giving firms help with deployment as well as ongoing product changes.
• Con: Custom pricing makes it difficult to compare costs before requesting a quote.
• Con: Free helpdesk services and included updates sit within an annually renewed support agreement, so firms need to account for that recurring commitment.

Alternatives

Browse Trust Accounting Software for more options if trust accounting is your main priority. Consider BHL Insight as another paid option with Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows support. LEAP may suit firms looking for a per-user subscription with case management, document automation, legal accounting and billing, and legal AI. Wise Owl Legal bases its price on simultaneous users and includes all modules, which may fit firms that prefer that pricing approach.

Actionstep is another paid option, priced per user with implementation fees. CosmoLex offers a Launch plan at $49 a month, billed monthly per user, and has a free trial. PCLaw uses a customized quote. AcuminEvolution by Dexco has a Solo plan at $156 a month, with the first two simultaneous accesses included and additional accesses at $40/month each. GhostPractice varies its pricing by service requirements and firm size.

Verdict

Open Practice is a strong candidate for mid-to-large Australian firms that want trust accounting, matter-centric legal workflows, and integrations with services such as PEXA in one platform. Its scale and implementation support strengthen the case for firms with complex rollouts. Look elsewhere if you need upfront pricing or want to avoid an annually renewed maintenance and support agreement.