Brief Accounting

Brief Accounting is a cross-platform time, billing and accounting application developed by Brief Legal Software, a US-based provider of software for law firms. Small and mid-sized legal practices must track billable hours, generate invoices, manage trust accounts and maintain their general ledger, yet many rely on generic accounting software that does not understand legal billing conventions, or on separate tools that require duplicate data entry. Brief Accounting addresses this by integrating time recording, billing and full accounting into one product designed specifically for the legal market. Its core approach is to ensure that every time entry, disbursement and payment flows through to the appropriate client ledger, trust account and financial statement, giving firms accurate records and reducing the risk of errors that could affect client relationships or regulatory compliance.

Key features include timers and time entry by timekeeper, flexible billing arrangements such as hourly, flat fee and contingency, customisable invoice formats, disbursement tracking, accounts receivable management and collections reporting. The accounting module covers general ledger, accounts payable, cheque writing, bank reconciliation and financial statements, while trust accounting tools help firms manage client funds and maintain the three-way reconciliation often required by bar associations. The software is available for both Windows and macOS, which is notable in a legal software market historically dominated by Windows-only products, and it supports networked use within an office. Brief Legal also offers case management and legal document products that complement the accounting solution, and data can be exported for use with other systems. The product is aimed at solo practitioners, small and mid-sized law firms and legal professionals who want dedicated legal accounting without the cost of enterprise suites. Pricing starts from around USD 24.95; the listing indicates there is no free trial and no free version.