CounselOS for · Criminal law practices
Practice management for Australian criminal lawyers
Criminal matters turn on dates, disclosure, and hours that must be captured accurately — often under legal aid scales or fixed fees. CounselOS gives you rapid matter setup, compliance calendars for court and limitation dates, time recording in the browser, and document management with privilege defaults. Governed AI can help summarise chronologies or draft correspondence, but nothing goes to court or clients without solicitor review.
Pain points we hear
- Court listings change; the practice file does not always show the next appearance clearly.
- Legal aid and private matters need different billing discipline on the same platform.
- After-hours work is under-recorded when time entry is painful on mobile.
- Junior staff paste brief facts into public AI tools — a confidentiality and conduct risk.
- Disclosure volumes make version control on the matter file critical.
Workflows on a typical matter
Matter opened from custody or referral
Open the matter with parties, charges, and court location. Workflow steps show what your firm does next — disclosure, instructions, bail.
Court date tracking
Enter listing dates on the compliance calendar. The team sees upcoming appearances in list view without digging through emails.
Time and legal aid billing
Record attendances and preparation time. Approve billing descriptions in batch before invoicing or legal aid claims.
Chronology assistance
Governed AI can assist with chronology drafts from matter documents. The instructing solicitor reviews and edits before use in brief or advice.
How CounselOS helps
Criminal practices get fast matter files, date visibility, time capture honesty (web app and optional Word/Outlook add-ins on higher tiers), and AI inside the matter — not in a public chat window. Trust and office accounts stay separated per Australian rules.
Relevant capabilities
Time recording
Record time in the CounselOS web app with activity hints while you work. Word and Outlook add-ins are available on Professional and Enterprise plans.
Compliance calendar
Court dates and critical deadlines surface on the matter with escalation paths for the supervising solicitor.
Document control
Store briefs, disclosure, and correspondence on the matter with clear privilege defaults and role-based access.
Approval inbox
AI-assisted drafts and billing narratives queue for review — one place for supervisors to clear work before it leaves the firm.
CounselOS is rolling out with Australian firms. Trust accounting, e-sign, bank feeds, and office accounting (Xero/MYOB) are enabled per firm after onboarding — we will confirm what is live on your account before you rely on it.
Common questions
Does CounselOS integrate with court e-filing systems?
We do not claim live court registry integrations on this website. Confirm filing workflows in a demo for your jurisdiction.
Can AI write submissions for court?
AI assists with drafts only. Solicitors must review and take responsibility for everything filed or served.
Is hosting suitable for legally privileged material?
Client data is hosted in Australia with encryption and firm isolation. See our Security page for architecture detail.
See CounselOS for your firm
Walk through features, pricing for your team size, or a migration assessment if you are switching platforms.
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