TLDR (Summary)
The best proposal software for lawyers is Plutio ($19/month).
Legal professionals need proposals that present services with clear scope definitions, fee structures, and professional terms. Plutio creates branded proposals with online acceptance and automatic engagement letter generation.
Legal practices using professional proposals 28% more through professional presentation and reduced engagement friction.
For additional strategies, read our freelance proposal writing guide.
What is proposal software for lawyers?
Proposal software for lawyers is software that creates, sends, and tracks engagement letters and service proposals with professional presentation and digital acceptance.
The distinction matters: fee quotes communicate cost, proposals communicate value and expectations. Legal proposal software presents services professionally while establishing clear engagement terms.
What legal proposal software does
Core functions include creating branded proposal documents, presenting service options with clear fee structures, tracking when prospects review, supporting digital acceptance with e-signatures, and connecting accepted proposals to client engagement.
Email quotes vs professional proposals
Quoting through email works but misses the opportunity to establish professional expectations, scope limits, and engagement terms that protect both the practice and client.
What makes legal proposals different
Legal services require clear scope definition: what matters are covered, what is additional, fee structure, and expectations. Proposals must establish these terms clearly for client understanding and practice protection.
When proposals connect to engagement letters and client management, winning clients flows directly into organized engagement. Acceptance triggers the setup you need automatically.
Why lawyers need proposal software
Lawyers who grow beyond a handful of active clients face a compounding problem: every new client adds admin work that does not scale, and professional proposals with e-signature is where that admin tends to pile up.
Lead tracking, quoting, project management, payment follow-ups, and clients communication multiply with each engagement. Without a system that connects these functions, details fall through cracks, proposals tasks accumulate during busy matters phases, and Spending evenings catching up on admin instead of resting or doing legal work.
The slow proposal creation problem
According to industry research, 36% goes. For lawyers specifically, that means 10-15 hours per week spent on non-billable tasks: slow proposal creation, lost deals, no tracking, and responding to clients questions.
If you bill at $75/hour, those 10 hours of admin represent $750/week of potential billable time. That's over $3,000/month in opportunity cost, not counting the mental energy spent on context switching between legal work and administrative tasks.
The fragmentation problem
You stack 4-7 disconnected tools: practice management, document automation, billing systems, and email for client communication. Each tool handles one function, but none share data automatically.
Automated reports create daily friction: logging into multiple platforms to piece together a client's history, copying details from one system to another, manually cross-referencing entries with project scope, and hoping that the terms you quoted match what you're actually delivering. The cognitive admin work adds up, and the risk of errors increases with every manual handoff.
The lost deals epidemic
Lost deals affects nearly every lawyer at some point. According to research, 50-70% late, with the average invoice paid 20 days.
The issue compounds because lawyers often work on multiple matters with different schedules. Manual tracking across spreadsheets or disconnected tools leads to missed tasks, forgotten follow-ups, and opportunities left on the table.
The scaling tipping point
You hit a threshold around 8-12 active clients where the manual approach breaks down. At this point, you're either spending more time on admin than legal work, or you're dropping balls. Tasks go out late, follow-ups get missed, and you start turning down good work because you can't imagine adding more complexity to an already chaotic system.
Connected proposal software absorbs the admin work that would otherwise scale linearly with each new client. Plutio handles routine proposals tasks, tracking, and follow-ups automatically, leaving lawyers to focus on the work that actually generates revenue.
Proposal features lawyers need
The essential proposals features for lawyers connect quotes and pricing with matters delivery, time tracking, and clients communication while handling the unique patterns that legal work requires.
Core proposals features
- Custom templates: Add your logo, brand colors, typography, and terms. Create different templates for fixed-price projects, retainer proposals, rush quotes. Set up once and apply with one click.
- Multiple payment methods: Accept credit cards through Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction), bank transfers via ACH (typically 0.8%), or PayPal. Offering multiple options increases completion speed.
- Automated reminders: Configure reminders before due dates, on due dates, and after. Follow-ups send automatically without you drafting messages or remembering to check status.
- Recurring automation: Schedule recurring tasks for retainer clients that send automatically on set dates. Pair with automation to complete without either party taking action.
- Time-to-billing conversion: Select tracked time entries from matters and convert directly to billable items. No copying hours from a time tracker. The description, duration, and rate pull automatically.
- Expense tracking: Log matters expenses with receipts attached. Add to clients billing at cost or with markup (common practice is 10-15%).
Lawyers-specific features
- Deposit collection: Request upfront payment before work begins. Industry standard is 25-50% deposit. Plutio should connect deposits to final billing automatically.
- Milestone billing: Split matters payment across phases. Each milestone triggers its own action when you mark that phase complete.
- Revision tracking: When scope expands beyond contracted revisions, the billing should reflect additional work. Connect revision logs to billing so extra rounds generate accurate charges.
- Proposal-to-project flow: When a client accepts a proposal, the schedule should generate automatically based on the payment terms defined.
Platform features that multiply value
- White-label branding: Custom domain, logo, colors, and fonts. All clients-facing communications show your brand. clients never see the software vendor's name.
- Unified inbox: All clients messages, matters comments, and notifications arrive in one place. Reply without switching to email. Conversation history stays attached for context.
- Permissions: Control who sees what. Contractors see only their assigned work. clients see their portal, not your internal notes or margins.
- Customizable navigation: Rename menu items to match how you talk about your work. Hide features you don't use to reduce clutter.
- Mobile apps: iOS and Android apps for full functionality on the go. Work from anywhere with the same capabilities as desktop.
- Automations: Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement. Set up once, runs continuously.
The deciding factor for lawyers is integration depth. Proposal software that connects with proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, and clients communication eliminates the duplicate data entry that consumes hours every week.
Proposal software pricing for lawyers
Proposal software for lawyers typically costs $19-99 per month, with ROI measured in higher conversion and faster engagement.
What lawyers typically pay for proposal tools
- contract signing software: $19-49/user/month
- Isolated proposal tools: $19-49/user/month
- Legal practice client management software Grow: $49-79/month
- Lawmatics: $99+/month
Legal-specific tools may offer deeper practice integration at higher prices. General tools require separate client management.
Plutio pricing (January 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Unlimited proposals plus contracts, invoicing, projects, portals.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited clients, team features, advanced permissions.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team, advanced reporting, full white-labeling.
The ROI calculation for lawyers
- Conversion improvement: Professional proposals win more clients
- Time savings: Templates reduce creation to minutes
- Faster engagement: Digital acceptance accelerates start
Proposal software ROI comes through conversion and efficiency. A single additional client from improved proposals pays for years of subscription.
Why Plutio is the best proposal software for lawyers
Plutio handles proposals as part of a complete platform where accepted clients automatically trigger engagement letters, client setup, and matter creation.
Complete workflow
Create proposals with service and fee options, send for review, track engagement, receive acceptance, collect retainer if applicable, and automatically set up the client engagement. The entire flow connects without manual recreation.
Fee structure presentation
Present fee arrangements clearly: hourly rates, flat fees, retainer terms. Clients understand exactly what they will pay and for what services.
Scope documentation
Define matter boundaries within proposals. What is covered, what is additional, what the client is responsible for. Clear documentation prevents scope disputes.
Professional templates
Branded templates with firm logo, colors, and style. Include credentials and experience. First impression sets expectation for service quality.
Engagement analytics
See when proposals are opened and how long prospects spend reviewing. Inform follow-up timing with engagement data.
Retainer collection
Collect retainers during acceptance. Payment processing handles collection. Secure commitment and working funds immediately.
Engagement letter integration
Accepted proposals generate formal engagement letters automatically. Service details and terms transfer without manual copying.
Proposals become the first step in client engagement. Acceptance triggers everything needed to begin representation.
How to set up proposal software in Plutio
Setting up proposals in Plutio takes 2-4 hours for initial configuration, then 5-15 minutes per client after your templates, rates, and integrations are in place.
Step 1: Configure default settings (30 mins)
Set your default hourly rate, standard payment terms (Net-15, Net-30), preferred currency, and tax settings. These defaults apply automatically unless overridden for specific clients. Consider setting your deposit requirement (25-50% is standard) and late fee policy (1-1.5% monthly is common).
Step 2: Create templates (1-2 hours)
Build 3-5 templates covering your common matters types. For lawyers, recommended templates include:
- Full matter package: 50% deposit, milestone payments, final on delivery. Includes scope for complete legal work.
- Quick matter: Simpler structure for smaller engagements.
- Monthly retainer: Automatic monthly billing. Specify included scope and how out-of-scope requests are handled.
- Rush matter: Standard templates modified with 25-50% rate increase and expedited timeline.
Step 3: Connect payment processing (20 mins)
Link Stripe and/or PayPal to accept online payments. Both take 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Consider offering ACH bank transfer (typically 0.8%) for larger amounts. Test each payment method before using with clients.
Step 4: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook) for scheduling, your accounting software (accounting software or Leading bookkeeping tools) for financial sync. If you have specialized needs, explore Zapier for additional connections.
Step 5: Import existing clients (30 mins)
Upload existing clients data via CSV export from your current system. Plutio maps common fields automatically. For active clients, create their matters records. For historical data, decide how much to migrate vs. archive.
Step 6: Test with one real matter
Run through the complete workflow with an actual client rather than a test account. Create the proposal, convert to matter, track time, generate billing, send it, and confirm receipt. Real interaction reveals friction that test scenarios miss.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Over-customizing too early: Start with minimal templates and refine based on actual use rather than imagining every possible scenario upfront.
- Ignoring mobile: Download the mobile apps during setup and test key workflows.
- Skipping automation setup: Reminders and notifications save significant time. Configure these during initial setup.
Build templates for the 80% cases that cover most of your matters. Handle the other 20% by customizing the closest template per situation rather than trying to create templates for every possible scenario.
Proposal templates for lawyers
Legal proposal templates structure service presentations for maximum clarity and professional engagement.
Essential template types for lawyers
- Hourly engagement proposal: Standard hourly representation with detailed rate schedules and estimated time ranges for common matter types.
- Flat fee proposal: Fixed-fee matter representation with clear deliverables and scope boundaries that protect against underpricing.
- Retainer proposal: Ongoing retainer arrangement specifying included hours, response time expectations, and how overages are handled.
- Consultation proposal: Limited scope advisory work with defined boundaries and disclaimers about full representation.
Recommended proposal structure
- About firm: Credentials, relevant experience, and prior success in similar matters
- Understanding: Client matter reflected accurately showing you comprehend their situation
- Services: What representation includes with specific deliverables listed
- Scope: Clear boundaries, limitations, and what requires separate engagement
- Fees: Fee structure with payment terms, deposit requirements, and billing frequency
- Terms: Engagement conditions including termination provisions
- Next steps: Clear acceptance path with timeline expectations
Template proven methods
- Lead with relevant experience and qualifications that demonstrate matter-specific capability
- Make scope boundaries extremely clear to prevent disputes and protect both parties
- Explain fee structure transparently including all potential additional costs
- Make acceptance smooth with digital signature and payment collection built in
Templates encode your best engagement presentation. Consistent professional proposals across all prospects.
Client portals for lawyers: proposal experience
Client portals provide a branded environment for proposal viewing, acceptance, and complete legal client relationship.
Proposal presentation through portals
Proposals accessed through branded client portals create stronger impressions than email links. Clients experience your professional practice from first interaction.
Document organization
Proposals alongside engagement letters, case documents, and communications. Clients access complete relationship through single portal.
Secure access
Portal access includes security appropriate for legal matters. Clients trust the environment for sensitive document sharing.
Professional positioning
Portal access signals modern practice operation. Clients experience a firm capable of providing organized, efficient representation.
Relationship continuity
Proposals alongside engagement documents create relationship thread. Complete client history accessible through single portal.
Portals transform proposal presentation from document delivery to relationship initiation. The professional experience continues throughout representation.
How to migrate When proposals to Plutio
Migration from another proposal software typically takes 3-5 hours of active work spread over a weekend, with the best time to switch being between matters rather than mid-delivery when you have active clients commitments.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
You software provides CSV export for clients data and document archives. Here's what to export from common tools:
- contract signing software: Export clients and matters data from Settings or Reports. Download important documents manually.
- Isolated proposal tools: Export contacts and history from Reports section. Download transaction history for reference.
- Proposal software: Export clients list and matters data. Use the data export feature for complete records.
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (2-3 hours)
Use your exported content as reference to create new templates. Start with the matter type you use most frequently. Recreate 2-3 core templates initially rather than trying to migrate every document you've ever created. Focus on forward-looking workflows, not historical archives.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe, PayPal), calendar sync (Google Calendar, Outlook), and accounting software (accounting software, Leading bookkeeping tools). Test each integration with a sample transaction to make sure data flows correctly before relying on it for real clients work.
Step 4: Import clients data (30 mins)
Upload your clients CSV to Plutio. Map fields appropriately (name, email, company, phone, address). For active clients with ongoing matters, create their records. For historical clients you may never work with again, consider whether import is necessary.
Step 5: Run parallel for new work
Use Plutio for all new clients engagements while keeping the old system active for matters already in progress. Running parallel avoids the complexity of migrating mid-matter work and gives you time to learn the new system on fresh matters. As active matters on the old system complete, those clients transition to Plutio for future work.
Step 6: Phase out the old tool
Once all active matters on your old system complete (typically 30-60 days), cancel that subscription. Maintain read-only access to historical records if the tool allows, or export final archives before cancellation.
Common migration pitfalls to avoid
- Trying to migrate everything: Focus on active clients and forward-looking workflows. Historical data can remain in archives.
- Switching mid-matter: Finish in-progress work on the old system. Start new clients on Plutio.
- Not testing integrations: Verify payment processing works with a real (small) transaction before relying on it.
- Skipping the learning curve: Use the first 2-3 matters as deliberate learning opportunities.
The investment in migration pays back in time saved on every future matter, proposal, and clients interaction. Plan for a weekend of setup and a few weeks of adjustment, then benefit from simplified workflows going forward.
