BarBooks

Overview

BarBooks is cloud-based practice-management software for barristers, clerks and sole practitioners who need matter billing alongside legal financial administration. Its particular strength is combining matter-level fees, invoicing and trust-accounting functions with practice reports; practices seeking a broader case-management suite may prefer another fit.

Key features

Users can organise matter details, attach contacts and set hourly or fixed fees for each matter. Client ledgers and trust accounting make the product relevant to legal practices that need matter finances kept in view, rather than a general invoicing tool alone.

Invoices can be customised, with interest applied automatically to late payments. Aged-receivables reporting helps identify overdue amounts, while reports cover profit and loss, GST, financial year-end tax, aged debtors, turnover, work in progress, cashflow and activity statements. Together, these give a small practice several useful views of its finances; the reporting emphasis is more directly valuable to practitioners managing their own billing and accounts than to teams shopping primarily for document or case workflows.

Calendar syncing can make the BarBooks calendar accessible from existing calendars and mobile apps. Bank transaction syncing and reconciliation are handled by the Bank Rec add-on, not the core Sole Practitioner subscription. BAS completion and lodgement are likewise a separate service. Data is saved and backed up automatically on each device and on BarBooks’ server. BarBooks says it will not access or otherwise use financial data in the software; its support includes help desk and live chat, and new users can receive one hour of on-site training.

Pricing

The Sole Practitioner plan is A$60 a month, tax excluded, and includes the complete practice-management platform. This is the clearest fit for an individual practitioner wanting the core matter and financial tools. Bank Rec costs an additional A$12 a month for transaction syncing and reconciliation, so practices that need bank reconciliation should factor that into the subscription cost. BAS Service is A$99 per quarter for completion and lodgement.

The pricing page also presents Sole Practitioner monthly and annual options, each with 1:1 onboarding, unlimited customer support, live chat and help desk, but without a published price. Enterprise has custom pricing and adds priority technical and customer support, training and support materials, and live chat and help desk. Bank Rec and BAS Service are also presented as add-ons with custom pricing alongside the stated priced options. There is no free plan. The 14-day trial includes all features; after it ends, users must buy a continuing licence or stop using and uninstall the software.

Platforms

BarBooks is listed for Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows. Its trial download page names Windows, Mac and iOS, while the pricing FAQ also names Android devices.

Who it's for

BarBooks is best suited to barristers, clerks and sole practitioners who want matter-based billing, trust accounting and financial reporting together, and who are comfortable with a paid subscription after a short trial. Its separate bank-reconciliation and BAS costs make it less compelling for buyers seeking those services within a single base price.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Matter-level hourly or fixed fees, client ledgers and trust accounting address legal practice billing and financial workflows.
• Pro: Custom invoices, automated late-payment interest and aged-receivables reporting support collection as well as billing.
• Pro: The trial includes all features for 14 days, and support includes onboarding and an hour of on-site training for new users.
• Con: Bank syncing and reconciliation cost extra at A$12 a month, and BAS completion and lodgement are separately charged at A$99 per quarter.
• Con: There is no free plan, and use must stop or move to a continuing licence when the 14-day trial ends.

Alternatives

For a free, self-hosted and open-source option, LexNebulis is the alternative; it runs on Linux and web and is distributed under Apache 2.0. Account Legal may suit buyers prioritising multiple trust accounts and downloadable client and account reports, with a 1 Month plan at $19.94 a month and a free trial.

Orion ePay is another paid option. CosmoLex is worth considering for time tracking, online payments and trust accounting, with its Launch plan at $49 per user per month and a free trial. Affinity, Actionstep, PerfectLaw DMS and PCLaw are other alternatives to compare.

Browse the Legal Accounting Software, Legal Trust Accounting Software and Legal Practice Management Software lists for more options in those categories.

Verdict

BarBooks is a strong match for barristers and sole practitioners who want matter billing, trust accounting and financial reporting in one focused platform. Its main advantage is that legal billing and practice finances sit together; its main drawback is that bank reconciliation and BAS work add recurring costs beyond the core subscription. Choose it if that focused workflow suits your practice, and look elsewhere if you need those services included in one price or want a free plan.