CaseDesk vs DocketCalendar

CaseDesk is legal practice management software for work spanning intake through post-judgment, with tools for docketing, deadlines, conflicts, evidence, documents, research, drafting, and billing. It lists purpose-built matter fields and tools for 106 practice areas. Its deadline engine calculates jurisdiction-specific dates, accounts for court days and holidays, and cites the rule behind each date. A 13,400-entry legal reference library and live CourtListener search are built in. Gmail and Outlook messages go to a review queue so users decide whether to file them to a matter. Case data is stored locally in a SQLCipher-encrypted database by default, with optional field- and file-level encryption. Optional Cloud Sync stores encrypted ciphertext, though document files remain on users’ computers. The app can work offline; internet connections are used for enabled integrations and version checks. The beta runs free for 90 days per machine, followed by two weeks of read-only access. Pro costs $29 a month or $290 a year per attorney.

DocketCalendar is a cloud-based web calendar for law firms that calculates court-rule deadlines and creates events on Outlook or Google Calendar. It can also operate as a stand-alone calendar. When dates change, it recalculates deadlines and updates or removes the related events. The rules library covers over 2,200 court rule sets nationwide; CalendarRules-powered rules are generally updated at the beginning of each month and sooner for significant changes. Custom deadline reports can be printed, exported to Excel or CSV, or copied into emails. The service stores calendaring data at case, trigger, and event levels, and settled matters can be archived. Subscriptions include unlimited support and training, with user-guide content, phone help, and screen-share sessions. Users can email the Rules Team for no-charge clarification about deadlines, counting methods, holidays, and results. The web service requires no installation or browser plugin. There is no free plan, but a free trial is available. Listed plans are $15 a month billed per court or per calendar, and $20 a month billed per user.