ERPClaw for small law firms
Matter records, IOLTA trust accounting, time tracking, billing, conflict checks, document management, payroll. AI-native, $0 forever.
41 legal-specific actions. 16 legal-specific tables.
What ERPClaw does for small law firms
Small-firm legal practice management with matter records, client trust accounting (IOLTA), time tracking, billing (hourly + flat-fee + contingency), conflict checks, document management, and full back-office ERP.
Capabilities
Matter records + conflict checks
Per-matter records with practice area, opposing counsel, related parties, and tagged conflict-check fields. Pre-engagement conflict screen runs against the full client + party history before opening a new matter.
IOLTA trust accounting
Per-client trust ledgers with three-way reconciliation (bank, trust ledger, client subledger). Bar-rule-aligned controls: no commingling, no overdraft, immutable trust GL with full audit trail. State-bar reporting templates ready.
Time tracking + multi-rate billing
Time entries with billable/non-billable, matter, task code (LEDES if needed). Hourly billing, flat fee, contingency, hybrid arrangements. Pre-bill review workflow before invoicing the client.
Document management with version control
Per-matter document folders, version history, and chain-hashed audit trail of every access. Self-hosted means privileged documents stay on your hardware.
Calendar + deadline tracking
Court date entry, statute-of-limitations tracking, response-deadline calculations, and reminder workflows. The shared database means a deadline change in matter records reflects in the firm-wide calendar instantly.
Frequently asked questions
How does ERPClaw compare to Clio or PracticePanther?
Clio and PracticePanther are mature legal practice-management SaaS platforms with deeper court-rule calendars (CalendarRules integration) and broader e-filing connectors. ERPClaw covers matter records, IOLTA trust accounting, time tracking, billing, conflicts, document management, and the full back-office ERP. For small firms that want one system end-to-end with AI-native architecture and $0 forever cost, ERPClaw is the AI-native option.
Is ERPClaw IOLTA-compliant for small-firm trust accounting?
ERPClaw enforces the technical controls bar rules require: per-client trust subledgers, three-way reconciliation (bank, trust ledger, client subledger), no commingling, no overdraft tolerance on trust accounts, and immutable GL with chain-hashed audit trail. Compliance is a function of your firm's policies plus the technical controls; ERPClaw provides the technical foundation. Self-hosted means client funds data stays on your hardware.
Can ERPClaw handle contingency-fee accounting?
Yes. The Billing module supports contingency arrangements with per-matter fee structures. Recovery posts to client trust on receipt; allocation between firm fee, costs, and client distribution runs through the immutable GL. Year-end 1099 to clients (when applicable) integrates with the foundation finance module.
Is the legal module free too?
Yes. legalclaw is part of ERPClaw's open-source build. All modules including the 41 legal-specific actions are GPL v3 and $0 forever. Self-hosted on your hardware.
Related: read the broader legal page, the AI ERP buyer's guide, the agency time-billing deep-dive, or the install guide.