Open Practice vs PONS Operations

Open Practice is a legal practice management system developed with Australian legal professionals for mid-to-large law firms. It combines matter-centric workflows with trust accounting, financials, mobile support, fixed-fee requirements, and traditional practice management functions. Listed tools include customisable forms and precedents, reports, CRM, tasks, and diary functions, with role-based security. Its data integration supports search, electronic contracts, and document management; integrations include GlobalX information searches, PEXA and other national conveyancing and settlement services, Microsoft Office, and document management systems. The maker describes capacity from 5 to hundreds of concurrent users across multiple branches. It offers implementation, data conversion, project management, online or onsite training, upgrades, and customisation. Pricing is per user, but no amount is published; the maker states there are no long-term contracts. Free helpdesk services are part of an annually renewed Annual Maintenance and Support Agreement. Open Practice is available on Android, iOS, web, and Windows.

PONS Operations organizes a legal case, transaction, or project as a matter containing documents, tasks, people, and results. Opening a matter can surface relevant laws, suggest tasks, and produce a starting draft based on its context. The system supports solo practitioners, law firms, in-house teams, and multi-entity organizations. Teams can co-edit documents, resolve inline comments, and give outside collaborators access to specific matters. Permissions can be set at individual, team, department, organization, folder, and file levels, including time-limited access for outside counsel. Tasks can include deadlines, files, and comments; the calendar syncs with Outlook, Google Calendar, or an iCal feed. Documents can be imported from Google Drive and OneDrive. Analytics provide organization, team, and per-user views of matters, time, billing, and AI usage. PONS says documents are encrypted at rest, in transit, and at field level, with EU hosting by default or local hosting on request. The product is web-based, offers a free trial, and lists paid pricing as on request.