Overview

LeanLaw is a legal finance platform for firms that want timekeeping, billing, trust accounting and reporting connected to QuickBooks Online. It is aimed at modern, mid-sized firms with established QuickBooks workflows. Its strongest case is the combination of legal-specific billing and trust functions with a public API; its dependence on QuickBooks Online and limited mobile editing narrow the fit.

Key features

LeanLaw handles hourly, flat-fee and contingency billing, so firms with mixed fee arrangements can keep those workflows in one system. Time and expense tracking, professional invoices, payments and financial reporting round out the billing cycle. Client payment, ACH and card payments are supported, alongside legal billing integrations.

Trust accounting is a substantial part of the product rather than an add-on label: it includes three-way reconciliation, automated transfers from trust to operating accounts, sub-ledger management and audit-ready IOLTA reporting. That scope suits firms that need trust activity tied closely to billing and accounting; firms without those workflows may not benefit from paying for a legal-finance-centered system.

QuickBooks Online is a hard prerequisite. LeanLaw does not support QuickBooks Desktop, so firms using Desktop would need to change their accounting setup before adopting it. The two-way QuickBooks Online sync is included in Core, while Contingency describes native QuickBooks Online sync.

The public REST API exposes clients and matters, time entries, expenses, invoices, users and codes for programmatic access. That gives teams a route to connect LeanLaw data to their own workflows. NetDocuments can sync client and matter data, but that integration requires both a Pro or Elite subscription and an active NetDocuments account. Confido Legal and Billables.ai are also named integrations.

The mobile app is useful for looking up matter details, not for maintaining them: users cannot create or edit matters in the app. Teams that expect attorneys to handle matter setup or changes from mobile devices should account for that limit.

Pricing

Core costs 55.00 USD per month, billed per user / month. It includes time and expense tracking, e-payments, a reporting dashboard, IOLTA trust accounting, professional invoices and two-way QuickBooks Online sync. It is the entry point for firms seeking the core billing and trust workflow, but its feature set omits Pro's custom invoice templates, LEDES files, precise user permissions and matter-based accounting.

Pro costs 75.00 USD per month, billed per user / month. It includes everything in Core plus three custom invoice templates, LEDES files, precise user permissions and matter-based accounting. The added controls and accounting detail make it the clearer fit for firms with more demanding billing formats or access needs; the per-user price rises by 20.00 USD per month over Core.

Contingency has custom pricing. It adds a Settlement Wizard, lien management and tracking, automated settlement statements, Contingency Insights and native QuickBooks Online sync. It is the relevant tier for firms managing contingency settlements, but the price requires a custom quote.

Elite also has custom pricing and is positioned for larger firms. It includes Core, Pro and Contingency, plus unlimited invoice templates, priority support with a dedicated manager, custom reporting and compensation tracking. Those additions target firms with broader reporting and management needs; smaller firms should weigh them against the custom-priced tier.

There is no free plan. The 14-day trial requires no credit card, but migration and QuickStart onboarding begin only with a paid subscription. That allows a short evaluation before purchase, but does not extend onboarding to trial users. LeanLaw lists phone support at 888.882.3017 and says it typically replies to email within one business day.

Platforms

LeanLaw lists Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and web platforms, as well as an API. The platform breadth and public REST API give firms multiple access points, though mobile matter access remains view-only for creation and editing.

Who it's for

LeanLaw is best suited to mid-sized law firms already using QuickBooks Online that want billing, trust accounting and financial workflows tied together. Firms handling multiple billing arrangements or IOLTA activity have a stronger reason to consider it. It is a poor fit for QuickBooks Desktop users, firms unwilling to require an active QuickBooks Online subscription, or teams that need full matter editing on mobile.

Pros and cons

Pros: Broad billing support covers hourly, flat-fee and contingency work, reducing the need to separate those workflows.
Pros: Three-way reconciliation, sub-ledgers and automated trust transfers give trust accounting meaningful operational depth.
Pros: A public API covers key matter, billing and user records, supporting programmatic connections.
Pros: The 14-day trial needs no credit card, allowing a low-friction initial evaluation.
Cons: An active QuickBooks Online subscription is required, and QuickBooks Desktop is unsupported.
Cons: The mobile app cannot create or edit matters, limiting mobile administration.
Cons: Core and Pro are priced per user, while Contingency and Elite require custom pricing.
Cons: NetDocuments syncing is gated behind Pro or Elite and also requires an active NetDocuments account.

Alternatives

For a broader category comparison, see Legal Time Tracking Software, Legal Billing Software, Legal Trust Accounting Software, Trust Accounting Software and Legal Payments Software.

Laurel is another paid option across Android, API, iOS, web and Windows, with one price for everything and demo-based pricing. Bilr may suit teams comparing legal timekeeping plans: its paid Basic tier is 33.99 USD per month per user and includes a dashboard, fee and expense recording, a timer and multiple fee arrangements. WiseTime is a paid alternative with API, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows support; its Enterprise plan uses demo-based custom pricing and includes unlimited team members.

Billables AI is another paid option, available as an extension and on macOS, web and Windows. iTimekeep offers a free trial and supports Android, extension, iOS and web, with pricing requested through a demo or trial. PointOne is a paid option for iOS, macOS, web and Windows. OneAdvanced Scribe is web-based, with sales providing pricing and demo or advice. Bill4Time is worth considering for firms seeking a freemium option: its free plan contrasts with LeanLaw's paid-only model, and its Time & Billing plan costs 49.00 USD per month, billed monthly, for time tracking, task and client management, a client portal and expense management.

Verdict

Choose LeanLaw if your firm runs QuickBooks Online and wants legal billing, trust accounting and financial workflows connected in one platform, with an API for custom integrations. Its trust features and coverage of multiple fee arrangements are persuasive strengths. Look elsewhere if QuickBooks Online is not part of your stack or if mobile matter editing is essential; the required accounting subscription and view-only mobile matter access are decisive constraints.

	LeanLaw	SILQ
Free plan	No	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$55/mo	A$48/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, macOS, Web, Windows	Android, api, iOS, Web
Free plan	No	No
Paid from	55 /user/mo	—
Bank reconciliation	—	Yes
Compliance reports	—	Yes

LeanLaw vs SILQ

LeanLaw

SILQ