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CounselOS

Guide

Legal software migration checklist for Australian law firms

Changing practice management software is a partnership project, not a weekend upload. Australian firms must pay special attention to trust accounting, matter numbering clients rely on, and costs disclosure status. Use this checklist whether you are leaving FilePro, LawMaster, or another incumbent.

General information only — not legal, accounting, migration, or compliance advice. CounselOS does not guarantee regulatory outcomes. Your firm remains responsible for professional obligations.

Updated

Governance and sign-off

Assign a principal sponsor and a practice manager lead. Agree what “go-live” means for billing, trust movements, and client-facing portals.

  • Written data processing terms before production data moves
  • Sign-off criteria for trust reconciliation
  • Communication plan for clients if matter portals change
  • Fixed go-live date and rollback criteria (read-only legacy access)

Data and trust checklist

Australian migrations fail when trust is treated as an afterthought. Preserve entries, rebuild balances, reconcile to the bank, then let fee earners work.

  • Matter numbers preserved for client correspondence
  • Trust entries imported without silent edits
  • Costs disclosure status visible on active matters
  • Time and WIP balances agreed with finance

Cutover week

Run a short hypercare period: daily trust check, approval inbox review, and a single channel for staff questions. CounselOS targets five business days from export to operational for FilePro and LawMaster — your timeline may vary.

This article is general information for Australian legal practices — not legal, accounting, or compliance advice. Your firm remains responsible for professional obligations in your jurisdiction.

Common questions

What is legal software migration?

It is the controlled transfer of matters, trust, time, and documents between practice management platforms — with validation before go-live. Australian firms must preserve trust entries and matter numbers clients already use.

Can CounselOS help firms move from FilePro or LawMaster?

CounselOS provides assisted import, trial load, trust reconciliation, and a validation report. See our switch page and FilePro or LawMaster checklists for step-by-step detail.

Can we migrate in phases by practice area?

Yes. Many firms trial one team in the new platform while the legacy system stays read-only for reference.

What should firms consider before switching legal software?

Weight trust reconciliation, data processing terms, staff training, client portal communication, and principal sign-off criteria — not only monthly subscription price.

See how CounselOS fits your firm

Bring an anonymised export or your checklist — we will walk through migration, trust, or governed AI on your matter types.