TLDR (Summary)
The best project management software for lawyers is Plutio ($19/month).
Plutio connects matter management to time tracking, billing, document storage, client portals, and deadline tracking in one platform, so intake forms create matters automatically, time entries attach to specific tasks for accurate billing, documents organize by case with audit trails, and client communication threads link to the matter record instead of scattering across email. You management tools track tasks but don't connect to legal billing or client relationship workflows, which means lawyers manually copy matter updates between systems, reconstruct billable hours from separate time tracking apps, and search multiple tools to answer simple client questions about case status.
According to research on project management tools, 60% admin, administrative coordination instead of billable activities, and for lawyers specifically, fragmented systems multiply that burden because legal matters require precise time tracking for billing, strict deadline compliance for court rules, and detailed audit trails for client communication and document access.
For additional strategies, read our freelance project management guide.
What is project management software for lawyers?
Project management software for lawyers is software that organizes matters into tasks, deadlines, and deliverables with complete visibility across multiple active cases.
The distinction matters: generic project management tracks assignments and due dates. Legal project management connects matter phases, court deadlines, billable time capture, and client communication into workflow that reflects how law practices actually operate. Lawyers juggle discovery, research, motion filing, hearings, and client updates across 10-30 active matters simultaneously, and project software built for legal work organizes those overlapping timelines without losing track of what's billable.
What lawyer project management actually does
Core functions include matter organization with phases like intake, discovery, motion practice, trial prep, and resolution. Task assignment to associates and paralegals with deadline tracking tied to court calendars and filing requirements. Time tracking that connects to specific tasks so billable hours attach to matter activities automatically. Document management that links research memos, pleadings, discovery responses, and correspondence to the relevant matter phase. Client communication that maintains professional boundaries while keeping parties informed of case progress.
Practice management vs matter project management
Practice management software like Clio handles billing, trust accounting, calendaring, and contact management - the business operations of running a law firm. Matter project management handles the internal workflow of moving individual cases from intake to resolution - breaking multi-month matters into manageable phases, assigning research and drafting tasks, tracking progress toward deadlines, and coordinating work across multiple people. You need both, but many practice management tools do not include detailed project features for complex multi-phase matters.
What makes legal project management different
Legal matters do not follow predictable timelines. Discovery extends. Motions get continued. Settlement negotiations pause trial prep. Opposing counsel misses deadlines. Court schedules shift. Project management built for lawyers accommodates the reality that matter timelines flex constantly while statutory deadlines and filing requirements remain absolute. Tasks need to shift without losing the connection to what's already been billed and what still needs to happen. Without project management that handles legal timeline unpredictability, hours get lost in reactive fire-drilling instead of systematic matter progression.
When project management connects to time tracking and billing, lawyers see immediately whether a matter is consuming more hours than budgeted and can adjust scope or staffing before margin disappears.
Why lawyers need project management software
Lawyers who manage more than 5-10 active matters simultaneously face a compounding problem: each additional matter adds tasks, deadlines, and time entries that need tracking, but the hours available to track them stay constant.
With 3 matters, most lawyers track progress mentally or with simple lists. With 10 matters spanning discovery, motions, hearings, and settlement negotiations across different courts and timelines, the tracking overhead consumes hours that should go toward substantive legal work. Deadlines get missed not because lawyers don't care, but because the task of monitoring 40 approaching deadlines across 10 matters while also capturing billable time for each research session, draft, call, and email requires systems that don't exist in most law practices.
The time tracking problem
According to project management research, 60% admin rather than actual matter work. For lawyers specifically, that means hours spent reconstructing what happened yesterday to enter billable time, searching through email to find which matter a research session supported, updating task boards after a hearing changes the litigation timeline, and reconciling time entries against matter budgets. Those administrative activities don't bill. When time tracking lives separate from matter management, the gap between tracked hours and actual hours worked can reach 10-15% of billable time - hours that vanish because they're too fragmented or too small to remember and record.
The fragmentation problem
You stack 3-7 disconnected tools: practice management software for billing and calendaring, document management for case files, email for client communication, spreadsheets for matter budgets, task apps for assignment tracking, time tracking apps for billing capture. Each tool handles one function, but none share data automatically. A hearing gets rescheduled, which requires updating the court calendar, the project timeline, the client communication, the associate's task list, and the time budget. A single schedule change touches 5 different systems. Across 10 active matters with constant timeline shifts, the synchronization overhead compounds into hours per week of pure administrative friction.
The matter margin problem
You discover matter margin problems when the bill goes out - after the work is done. Discovery consumed 40 hours instead of the budgeted 25, but nobody noticed until time entries got reviewed for invoicing. Motion practice that should have taken 15 hours stretched to 30 because research went deeper than expected. The matter closes at a loss, and the only insight is "we should have caught this sooner." Project management that shows actual hours against budgeted hours in real-time lets lawyers adjust scope, bring in additional help, or have budget conversations with clients before margin disappears completely.
The scaling tipping point
You hit a threshold around 8-12 active matters where the manual approach breaks down. Below that threshold, mental tracking and simple task lists suffice. Above it, deadlines start getting missed, billable hours go unrecorded, matter status becomes unclear, and client communication slips. Partners who scale from solo practice to small firm with associates and paralegals hit this wall hard when they realize their tracking systems don't scale beyond their own work - delegation requires visibility that spreadsheets and mental tracking can't provide.
Connected project management software absorbs the administrative work that would otherwise scale linearly with each new matter - the deadline monitoring, time capture, task coordination, and progress visibility that consume partner time when done manually.
Project management features lawyers need
The essential project management features for lawyers connect matter organization with billable time tracking while handling the timeline unpredictability that characterizes litigation and transactional work.
Core project management features
- Matter phase organization: Break matters into discovery, research, motion practice, hearings, trial prep, and resolution phases with tasks under each phase that reflect actual legal workflow stages.
- Deadline tracking with priorities: Tag court deadlines, filing deadlines, and internal deadlines separately so statutory requirements don't get buried under routine tasks.
- Task assignment with workload visibility: Assign research, drafting, and client communication tasks to associates and paralegals while seeing who's overloaded and who has capacity.
- Integrated time tracking: Start and stop timers directly from tasks so billable hours attach to matter activities automatically without separate time entry later.
- Matter templates: Create reusable workflows for intake, standard motions, discovery phases, and closing procedures so new matters start with proven task structures.
Legal-specific features
- Billable vs non-billable task tagging: Separate client work from administrative overhead, marketing, and business development so time reports show true matter margin. Industry standard shows 36% admin.
- Matter budget tracking: Set estimated hours for discovery, research, motion work, and hearings, then watch actual time accumulate against budget in real-time before invoicing.
- Client-facing matter portals: Let clients see case progress, upcoming deadlines, and recent activity without exposing internal strategy discussions or work product.
Platform features that multiply value
- White-label branding: Custom domain, logo, colors. All client-facing communications show your firm brand, not software branding.
- Unified inbox: All client messages arrive in one place with matter context attached.
- Permissions: Control what associates see, what paralegals access, and what clients view in portals.
- Automations: Create rules that trigger actions without manual involvement - new matter intake creates discovery phase tasks automatically, deadline reminders send 3 days before due dates, time tracking prompts appear when tasks get marked complete.
The deciding factor for lawyers is integration depth. Project management software that connects with time tracking, invoicing, and client portals eliminates duplicate data entry and the billable hour leakage that happens when tasks and time live in separate systems.
Project management software pricing for lawyers
Project management software for lawyers typically costs $10-50 per user per month, with integrated platforms providing complete functionality at flat rates that don't scale with matter count.
What lawyers typically pay for project management tools
- Asana: $10.99-24.99/user/month - general task management with forced 5-seat increments after 5 users
- Monday.com: $9-19/user/month - project boards with 3-seat minimums on paid plans
- ClickUp: $7-12/user/month plus $9/user for AI - feature-rich but users report 3-5 second loading times
- Clio Manage: $39-149/user/month - practice management platform with basic project features included
Generic project tools handle tasks and deadlines but lack legal-specific features like matter-based time tracking, billable hour budgets, and trust accounting integration. Practice management platforms include project features but often require separate tools for complex multi-phase matter management.
Plutio pricing (January 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Unlimited project management plus time tracking, invoicing, proposals, contracts, and scheduling. Up to 9 active clients (matters).
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited matters, 30 contributors (associates, paralegals), advanced permissions for client portal access control.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team, white-label with custom domain, single sign-on for firm-wide deployment.
The ROI calculation for lawyers
- Recovered billable hours: 10-15% of billable time goes unrecorded when time tracking lives separate from task management. For a lawyer billing $250/hour working 30 billable hours per week, recovering even 3 of those lost hours per week adds $39,000 annually.
- Reduced tool costs: Replacing separate project management ($15/user), time tracking ($10/user), and client portal ($20/user) subscriptions saves $45/user/month.
- Administrative time reduction: 2-3 hours per week spent updating task boards, entering time, and synchronizing calendars gets eliminated when project management connects to time tracking and matter data flows automatically.
Project management software ROI comes through recovered billable hours. Plutio pays for itself with 1-2 captured hours per month that would otherwise vanish in the gap between task completion and time entry.
Why Plutio is the best project management for lawyers
Plutio handles project management as part of a complete platform where matter organization, time tracking, invoicing, and client portals work together rather than as separate tools that need manual connection.
Matter-based project organization
Create matters as projects with phases like intake, discovery, research, motion practice, hearings, and resolution. Each phase contains tasks with assignments, deadlines, and priorities. Discovery might include interrogatory drafting, document review, deposition scheduling, and expert retention. Motion practice might include research, memo drafting, reply brief, and hearing prep. Templates let you duplicate proven workflows for standard matters - landlord-tenant disputes, contract negotiations, estate planning - so new cases start with complete task structures instead of building from scratch each time.
Time tracking that connects to tasks
Start a timer directly from any task. Research a motion, draft a memo, review discovery documents, call the client - timer runs, hours accumulate, and time entries attach to the specific task and matter automatically. No separate time tracking app. No end-of-day reconstruction trying to remember what consumed the afternoon. Time captured in context produces accurate billing without the administrative overhead of logging hours separately. Billable versus non-billable tagging happens at the task level, so time reports show true matter margin excluding admin and business development work.
Real-time budget tracking
Set estimated hours for discovery, motion work, research, and trial prep when the matter starts. As associates and paralegals log time against tasks, actual hours accumulate against those budgets. Dashboard view shows immediately which matters are approaching or exceeding budgeted hours before the invoice goes out. Have scope conversations with clients when matters hit 80% of budget rather than discovering cost overruns at billing time. Adjust staffing when research is consuming more hours than estimated. Matter margin becomes visible during the work instead of after completion.
Client portals that show matter progress
Clients log into branded portals and see their matter status, upcoming deadlines, recent activity, and filed documents. You control exactly what's visible - show discovery deadlines but hide internal strategy tasks, display filed motions but hide draft work product. Clients stay informed without email updates for every minor development. Portal access reduces "what's happening with my case" calls because clients can check status themselves. Two-way messaging keeps communication in context attached to the matter instead of buried in email threads.
Deadline management with court calendar sync
Tag court deadlines separately from internal deadlines so filing requirements don't get buried under routine tasks. Sync court dates with Google Calendar or Outlook so partner calendars, associate task lists, and firm-wide deadline tracking stay synchronized. Automatic reminders send 3 days, 1 day, and morning-of for critical deadlines. When a hearing gets continued, update the matter timeline once and all connected tasks, calendars, and reminders adjust automatically.
Document management attached to matters
Upload pleadings, research memos, discovery responses, correspondence, and contracts directly to matters. Files organize by matter phase so discovery documents stay separate from motion work and trial prep. Version history tracks revisions to drafts. Share specific documents with clients through portals without exposing entire matter files. Associates find what they need without asking partners where files live.
White-label everything
Use your own domain. Upload your firm logo, set your brand colors and typography. Every client-facing touchpoint shows your firm brand - portals, invoices, proposals, contracts, appointment confirmations. Max plan includes full white-label with custom domain so client experience is firm-branded from first contact through matter resolution.
Unified inbox for all client communication
When a client messages through the portal, emails about the matter, or responds to an invoice, the message appears in one inbox with matter context attached. Reply directly without switching to email. Communication history lives with the matter so anyone on the team can see what's been discussed. No more searching email threads to find what the client said about settlement terms three weeks ago.
Granular permissions
Control exactly who sees what at the level that makes sense for your firm. Associates see assigned matters but not partner compensation discussions. Paralegals access discovery documents but not settlement strategy. Clients view their own matter but not internal work product or other client files. Permissions apply across projects, documents, time entries, and portal access.
No-code automations
Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement. Common lawyer automations include: new matter intake creates discovery phase with standard tasks automatically, task completion prompts time entry if no hours logged, deadline approaching sends reminder 3 days before due date, motion granted triggers trial prep phase creation, settlement reached marks all pending tasks complete and notifies accounting.
Native integrations for legal workflows
Connect Stripe and PayPal for retainer and invoice payments. Sync Google Calendar or Outlook for court dates and client meetings. Use Zapier to connect QuickBooks or Xero for accounting integration, Gmail or Outlook for email sync, and document management systems for file storage.
Everything runs from one app with your firm branding, your matter organization logic, and your billing workflow - no separate tools for tasks versus time versus client communication.
How to set up project management in Plutio
Setting up project management in Plutio takes 2-4 hours for initial configuration, then 5-15 minutes per matter after your templates and integrations are in place.
Step 1: Configure default settings (30 mins)
Set your firm's billable rate defaults - partner rates, associate rates, paralegal rates. Configure time rounding preferences (6-minute increments standard for legal billing). Set deadline reminder defaults - 3 days, 1 day, morning-of for court deadlines. Establish matter numbering system if you use file numbers. Configure permissions defaults for associates, paralegals, and clients.
Step 2: Create matter templates (1-2 hours)
Build 3-5 templates covering your common case types. For lawyers, recommended templates include:
- Litigation matter template: Intake phase, discovery phase with interrogatory drafting and document review tasks, motion practice phase with research and brief writing tasks, hearing preparation phase, trial preparation phase, post-trial phase.
- Transactional matter template: Initial consultation phase, document drafting phase, negotiation phase, revision phase, execution phase, closing phase.
- Estate planning template: Client interview phase, document preparation phase, review meeting phase, execution phase, filing phase.
Step 3: Connect integrations (20 mins)
Link Stripe and/or PayPal for retainer and invoice payments. Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook) for court date and appointment sync. Link accounting software (QuickBooks or Xero) for trust accounting integration if required. Test each integration with a small transaction before using with client matters.
Step 4: Import existing matters (30 mins)
Upload existing matter data via CSV export from your current system. Import active matters first, then closed matters for reference. Map fields appropriately - matter number to project name, client name to client field, matter status to project status.
Step 5: Test with one real matter
Run through the complete workflow with an actual case rather than a test matter. Create the matter from template, assign tasks to associates, track time against tasks, update matter status as work progresses, generate an invoice from time entries. Verify client portal shows appropriate matter information. Test deadline reminders trigger correctly.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Over-customizing too early: Start with minimal phase structure and refine based on actual use. You need 4-6 phases maximum - more granularity adds complexity without improving tracking.
- Ignoring mobile: Download the mobile apps during setup and test key workflows. Associates and paralegals need to log time from phones when away from desk.
- Skipping automation setup: Configure deadline reminders and time entry prompts during initial setup. Adding automation later requires retroactive cleanup.
Build templates for the 80% cases that cover most of your practice - standard litigation, transactional work, estate planning - then handle outlier matters with custom structures as needed.
Project management organization for lawyers
Organizing project management creates clarity around what's approaching deadline, what's consuming billable hours, and what's waiting for external action versus internal work.
Matter phase organization for lawyers
- By practice area: Litigation, transactional, estate planning, family law, criminal defense - each practice area gets standard phase templates.
- By matter stage: Active matters in discovery versus motion practice versus settlement negotiations versus trial prep - each stage has different task priorities and deadline urgencies.
- By deadline urgency: Court deadlines with statutory requirements separate from internal deadlines with flexibility - what must happen versus what should happen.
Matter workflow stages
- Intake: Conflict check, engagement letter, retainer collection, case information gathering, initial research.
- Discovery: Interrogatory drafting and response, document production, deposition scheduling and prep, expert retention.
- Motion practice: Legal research, memo drafting, brief writing, reply brief, hearing preparation, oral argument.
- Trial preparation: Witness prep, exhibit organization, opening and closing statement drafting, jury instruction preparation.
- Settlement/Resolution: Settlement negotiation, agreement drafting, client approval, execution, closing procedures.
- Post-matter: Final billing, file closing, conflict release, statute of limitations tracking for malpractice.
Information to track per matter
- Matter number and case caption
- Court jurisdiction and judge assignment
- Opposing counsel contact information
- Key deadlines with filing requirements
- Budget estimate with actual hours tracking
- Settlement authority and negotiation boundaries
- Document organization by phase
- Time entry history by task and phase
Proven methods
- Update matter status weekly minimum - what moved forward, what's blocked, what's approaching deadline
- Log time immediately after task completion rather than reconstructing at day end
- Tag court deadlines separately from internal deadlines so statutory requirements surface clearly
- Review budget-to-actual hours monthly for active matters to catch cost overruns before billing
Organized project management enables proactive matter oversight. Structure serves margin - seeing immediately what's consuming hours, what's approaching deadline, and what needs attention prevents matters from drifting off budget or missing critical dates.
Client portals for lawyers: project management connection
Client portals connect project management data to client-facing access, creating smooth communication and transparency without exposing internal work product.
Portal as matter command center
Clients access their complete matter information through branded portals. Case status, upcoming deadlines, recent filings, time entries, invoices, and messages in one place. Project management data powers what clients see - when discovery phase completes, portal updates to show motion practice phase beginning. Deadline reminders send automatically. Professional, consistent client experience across all matter communication.
Consistent experience
Portal presentation reflects the organized matter structure in project management. Litigation matters show discovery progress, motion status, and hearing dates. Transactional matters show drafting completion, negotiation status, and execution timeline. Estate planning matters show document preparation progress and signing appointments. Professional, consistent client experience that matches your firm's quality standards.
Self-service access
Clients find their own filed documents, review time entries before invoices generate, check upcoming deadline schedules, and see case progress without emailing for updates. Project management organization enables client self-service without administrative burden - what you track internally becomes what clients access externally, eliminating duplicate status update work.
Two-way visibility
Portal interactions feed back into project management. Client questions appear in matter context. Document uploads from clients attach to appropriate matter phases. Client responses to settlement proposals create tasks for attorney review. Complete picture from both perspectives - you see client engagement, clients see matter progress.
Matter continuity
Portals maintain matter relationship across phases. Long litigation matters stay organized for clients as cases progress from discovery through trial. Returning clients for new matters find their representation history. Connection maintained between initial consultation and final resolution regardless of how long matters take.
Portals make project management client-facing. Internal organization translates to external transparency - clients see matter progress without exposing strategy discussions or work product confidentiality.
How to migrate project management to Plutio
Migration from another project management system typically takes 3-5 hours of active work spread over a weekend, with the best time to switch being between matters rather than mid-litigation.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
You management and practice management software provides CSV export. Here's what to export from common tools:
- Clio: Export matters list with client names, matter numbers, status, and assigned attorneys from Reports section.
- Asana: Export projects with tasks, assignments, and due dates via CSV export in project menu.
- Monday.com: Export boards with item details, status columns, and timeline data via Excel export.
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (2-3 hours)
Use your exported matter structures as reference to create new templates. Focus on forward-looking workflows for common case types - standard litigation, transactional matters, estate planning - rather than trying to recreate every historical matter variation. Build discovery phase with standard tasks, motion practice phase with research and drafting tasks, hearing preparation phase with prep tasks.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe, PayPal), calendar sync (Google Calendar, Outlook), and accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero for trust accounting if required). Test each integration with small transactions before relying on it for client matters - verify retainer payments process correctly, calendar sync works bidirectionally, time entries flow to accounting system.
Step 4: Import data (30 mins)
Upload your CSV to Plutio. Map fields appropriately - matter number to project name, client name to client field, matter status to project status, assigned attorney to project owner. Import active matters first for immediate use, then closed matters for reference and conflict checking.
Step 5: Run parallel for new matters
Use Plutio for all new matter intake while keeping the old system active for litigation already in progress. New client consultations, engagement letters, and matter setup happen in Plutio. Ongoing discovery, motion practice, and hearings for existing matters continue in the old system until natural completion points - settlement, trial conclusion, matter closing.
Step 6: Phase out the old tool
Once all active litigation on your old system reaches natural completion points (typically 30-90 days depending on practice area and matter complexity), cancel that subscription. Keep archive export for closed matter reference and malpractice statute of limitations tracking.
Common migration pitfalls to avoid
- Trying to migrate everything: Focus on active matters and forward-looking workflows. Closed matters can stay archived in old system - no need to recreate 5 years of historical data.
- Switching mid-litigation: Finish in-progress discovery, pending motions, and scheduled hearings on the old system. Start fresh with new matters to avoid timeline confusion.
- Not testing integrations: Verify payment processing works, calendar sync is bidirectional, and accounting integration flows data correctly before relying on automation for client work.
The investment in migration pays back in billable hours recovered on every future matter - time captured automatically instead of reconstructed, deadlines monitored systematically instead of manually, matter margin visible during work instead of after completion.
