At $350–$600/hour, your fee earners should be practising law - not managing client intake forms, chasing unsigned engagement letters, or writing billing reminder emails. We build automation systems that handle all of it, securely, in compliance with the Australian Privacy Act.
Law firms bill by the hour, but the most time-consuming tasks in most practices are non-billable administrative processes that have never been automated. Here's the cost.
A new client emails your firm. A paralegal opens the email, extracts the key details, creates a new matter in your practice management system (LEAP, Smokeball, or Actionstep), sends an engagement letter, chases the signed copy, sets up a client portal, and sends a welcome email. This chain takes 2–4 hours per new client - virtually none of it billable.
⏱ 2–4 hours per new client matterClients call or email asking "what's happening with my matter?" A fee earner or PA stops what they're doing, opens the matter file, summarises the current position, and writes a status email - one client at a time, on demand. For a busy litigator with 60 active matters, this happens multiple times every day.
⏱ 1–2h/day in unplanned client commsOverdue invoices pile up because no one has time to write individual reminder emails. When they do, each one is manually composed with the invoice number, amount, and due date pulled from a separate system. For firms with 20+ active clients, accounts receivable management is a part-time job done by someone who should be billing.
⏱ Avg invoice outstanding: 47 daysRequesting, chasing, and receiving documents from clients - contracts, title deeds, identity documents, financial statements - happens over email. Each request generates a thread. Documents arrive in multiple formats, in multiple emails, sometimes weeks after the initial request. File preparation before a matter can begin is often the longest delay in the entire process.
⏱ 7–14 days average document delayFive automation systems built for Australian legal practice - integrated with LEAP, Smokeball, Actionstep, and your document and billing systems. All data stored in Australian jurisdiction.
A new matter inquiry triggers a structured intake form - collecting matter details, contact information, and conflict check data. On completion: a new matter is created in your practice management system, an engagement letter is generated and sent via DocuSign, a welcome email goes out with a document request list, and the fee earner is notified. End to end, under 60 seconds.
✓ Intake time: 3h → <1hWhen a matter reaches a defined milestone in your practice management system - filing lodged, court date set, settlement reached - a personalised status update email triggers automatically to the client. Clients are always informed without anyone writing the email. Status-check calls drop dramatically within the first month.
✓ 60% fewer status-check callsUnpaid invoices trigger a 3-stage reminder sequence: a gentle reminder at 14 days, a firmer follow-up at 30 days with the invoice attached, and a formal notice at 60 days. All are personalised with the client's name, matter reference, and amount due - pulled live from your billing system. Sequences pause when payment is received.
✓ Invoices paid 11 days fasterWhen documents are required, an automated request sends the client a secure upload link - no email attachments, no version confusion. The system tracks what's been received, sends reminders for outstanding items at 3 and 7 days, and notifies your team the moment a complete document set is received. All files are stored in the correct matter folder automatically.
✓ Document return time: 14d → 4dCourt filing deadlines, limitation periods, and compliance dates are tracked automatically in your practice management system. Internal alerts fire to the responsible fee earner at 30, 14, and 3 days before each deadline. Partners receive a weekly digest of all upcoming critical dates across the firm. No deadline falls through the cracks.
✓ Zero missed compliance deadlinesProspective clients who submit a website contact form receive an instant, personalised response that qualifies their matter type, asks the right screening questions, and either books them for a consultation or redirects them to a more appropriate service. Fee earners only speak to pre-qualified leads who match your firm's practice areas.
✓ Only qualified leads reach partnersWe understand that law firms handle the most sensitive personal and commercial information in the economy. Every automation system we build for legal clients is designed with data privacy and professional obligations at the centre - not as an afterthought.
All client data processed by your automation systems is stored in Australian data centres. We do not route sensitive matter information through offshore third-party services. Our systems are built to comply with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and your professional conduct obligations.
All client data is processed and stored in Australian-based cloud infrastructure. No data leaves Australian jurisdiction.
Systems are built in compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
All client document uploads and transfers use end-to-end encryption. No sensitive files are sent via unencrypted email.
Every automated action is logged with timestamps. Full audit trails are available for regulatory or compliance purposes.
"Our intake process used to take two to three hours per new client - engagement letter, conflict check, welcome email, document requests, all done manually by a paralegal. Polaris automated the entire flow in under four weeks. Now a new matter is set up in our system within minutes of the inquiry landing, the client receives a professional welcome pack immediately, and our paralegals are freed up for actual legal work. The billing reminder sequences alone have cut our average debtor days from 52 to 38."- Managing Partner, Perth Law Firm (12 fee earners)
We integrate with your existing practice management software - LEAP, Smokeball, or Actionstep - without disrupting your current operations. Your team keeps working while we build.
We map your current intake, billing, and matter management workflows. We identify where fee earner and paralegal time is being lost to non-billable admin, and produce a prioritised automation roadmap. You receive the report free of charge, regardless of whether you proceed.
We build directly into your practice management system, billing software, and document platform. Data stays in Australia. Every system is tested end-to-end against real scenarios before anything goes live. No disruption to your team during the build.
Full handover, training documentation, and 90-day support included. Your paralegals and fee earners learn the system in a single session. Most firms are fully independent within two weeks of go-live and recapturing billable hours immediately.
Book a free 60-minute automation audit. We'll map exactly where your team is losing billable hours to admin - and show you what we'd build to fix it. Australian data residency guaranteed.
Common Questions
Everything Australian businesses ask us before getting started.
Law firms automate client intake, conflict checks, matter opening, document generation, billing reminders, deadline tracking, and client status updates. This reduces non-billable admin time and ensures nothing falls through the cracks during busy periods.
Polaris Labs designs automations with data security as a priority. For legal firms, we use on-premise or Australian-hosted infrastructure where required, and can avoid sending sensitive client data through third-party cloud services. We're happy to discuss your specific compliance requirements.
We integrate with LEAP, Smokeball, Clio, ActionStep, and most major Australian legal practice management systems. Common automations include client intake to matter creation, time entry reminders, and automated billing run notifications.