Comparing the Best Tools for Time Tracking, Invoicing, and Getting Paid
Legal billing is one of the most overlooked – but critical – aspects of running a successful advocacy practice. As an advocate in South Africa, you’re juggling court appearances, consultations, opinions, and document drafting. Yet many billing systems seem built for everyone except you.
This guide compares some of the most well-known legal billing solutions available to South African advocates, covering features, pricing, user experience, and – most importantly – how well they support your actual workflow.
Why Legal-Specific Billing Software Matters
You studied law, not accounting. But unless you have an admin assistant, you’re likely managing your own time tracking, invoicing, and follow-ups. And while general invoicing tools exist, they don’t account for:
- Court appearances vs. prep time
- VAT handling specific to legal work
- Disbursement logging
- Matter-based invoice grouping
- Communication between attorneys and advocates
That’s where purpose-built legal billing tools come in.
Counsel Solutions
Built for advocates. Priced for advocates.
Overview:
Counsel Solutions is a billing and invoicing platform developed specifically for South African advocates by Custom Coding. It offers a clean, no-training-needed interface that simplifies time tracking, invoice generation, VAT calculation, and follow-ups – all tailored to legal professionals working on a referral basis.
Key Features:
- Appearance and consultation tracking
- Auto-VAT calculations and due dates
- Custom invoice templates by matter or attorney
- Age analysis and overdue tracking
- PDF invoicing with full professional branding
- Works on any device, cloud-based
- Secure data handling with 128-bit SSL encryption
Pricing:
- R199/month (introductory offer)
- No contracts or hidden fees
- Designed to be affordable for junior and senior counsel alike
Pros:
- Built specifically for advocates
- Legal terminology and workflows built-in
- No training required – get started in minutes
- Clean interface with just the features you need
- Professional support from a South African team
Cons:
- Still growing its user base compared to larger platforms
- Only suitable for legal billing (not general accounting)
User Feedback:
Advocates using Counsel Solutions consistently mention faster invoice turnaround, fewer billing errors, and a noticeable drop in unpaid accounts. One advocate noted, “It’s the first time I haven’t dreaded month-end.”
Try Counsel Solutions here – https://customcoding.co.za/counsel-solutions/
2. Uniform Software (uniformsoftware.com)
General invoicing with legal adaptations.
Overview:
Uniform Software offers invoice and accounting systems for professionals, with some users in the legal space. While not designed exclusively for advocates, it supports custom invoice templates and recurring billing.
Key Features:
- Invoice and payment tracking
- Custom templates
- Dashboard views of outstanding amounts
- Integration with Sage or QuickBooks
Pricing:
- Packages vary by user volume
- More suited to general consulting or service-based businesses
Pros:
- Clean invoice builder
- Integration options
- General usability
Cons:
- Not tailored to legal workflows
- Lacks legal-specific line items (e.g. court appearance logging, VAT on opinions)
- Requires manual adaptation for matter-based tracking
Best For:
Consultants and professionals who don’t require legal-specific structure.
Final Verdict: Which Billing Software Should You Choose?
If you’re a South African advocate looking for:
- A billing system that fits your legal workflow
- Simplicity without compromising professionalism
- Quick setup with minimal admin overhead
- Affordable monthly pricing
Then Counsel Solutions is the standout choice.
You don’t need a bloated law firm suite or a patched-together spreadsheet. You need a tool that understands how advocates work – and gets you paid faster without the admin headache.
Ready to invoice like a professional?
Try Counsel Solutions today at R199/month (limited-time offer).
