CaseDesk

CaseDesk is legal practice management software for licensed attorneys, spanning intake through post-judgment work. It suits solo lawyers who want deadline calculations and broad matter tools in one desktop app; the short beta window and browser-based phone companion are important trade-offs.

Overview

CaseDesk brings docketing, conflict checks, evidence, documents, research, drafting and billing into a single legal workflow. Its 106 supported practice areas have purpose-built matter fields and tools, giving practices a more tailored starting point than a general-purpose organizer.

The breadth is compelling for attorneys seeking one system across a matter’s lifecycle, though it also means CaseDesk is more than a deadline calendar. For docketing-focused choices, see Legal Docketing Software; for broader workflow comparisons, see Legal Practice Management Software.

Key features

Deadlines, docketing and research

The deadline engine accounts for jurisdiction, court days and holidays, and cites the governing rule for each calculated date. National rules coverage, docket monitoring, rules-based dates and filing alerts make it a strong fit for practices that need deadline work connected to matters rather than maintained as a separate calendar. A 13,400-entry legal reference library and live CourtListener search add research access in the same product.

Email, integrations and AI

Gmail and Outlook messages enter a review queue, where users choose whether to file each message to a matter. That review step supports deliberate filing rather than automatic attachment of every synced email. Integrations include Google Calendar, Microsoft 365, Stripe, QuickBooks Online, Box, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, CourtListener and PACER RSS, among others.

Users can run a local AI model or connect their own Anthropic or OpenAI key. The maker says local-model processing stays on the user's machine, a useful option for lawyers who prefer not to send that processing to a hosted AI service; using a connected provider instead requires the user's own key.

Privacy, evidence and offline work

Case data is stored locally in a SQLCipher-encrypted database by default, with optional field-level and file-level encryption. Optional Cloud Sync stores encrypted ciphertext on maker-operated infrastructure that the maker says it cannot decrypt, while document files currently stay on users’ computers. The split matters: syncing does not mean case documents are stored in the cloud.

CaseDesk can hash and sign documents and anchor SHA-256 fingerprints to Bitcoin through OpenTimestamps; only the fingerprint is sent to public calendar servers. The app can work offline, with connections made for integrations users enable and version checks. This combination favors users who value local control, though it makes the phone companion less straightforward than a native mobile app: it runs in a phone browser and reads end-to-end-encrypted Cloud Sync.

Pricing

Beta and free access

The free beta requires no credit card and has no stated end date, but each build runs free for 90 days from its first run on a machine. After that, read-only access lasts two weeks for exporting data. This is useful for evaluating the workflow, not a durable free tier for ongoing case management.

A separate Free beta plan is also shown at no cost, with the same 90-day period and two-week read-only grace period. The beta offer lists Windows, Linux and macOS.

Paid plans

CaseDesk Pro Monthly costs $29 a month, billed monthly. It is per attorney, and one licence covers one lawyer’s own installations. It removes beta expiry and includes optional end-to-end-encrypted Cloud Sync and priority support; users can cancel any time, with a new key emailed each month. It fits lawyers who prefer flexibility over an annual commitment.

CaseDesk Pro Annual costs $290 a year, billed annually, with two months free and automatic renewal. It has the same per-attorney licence, installations, beta-expiry removal, optional Cloud Sync and priority support. Its lower effective monthly cost suits lawyers ready to commit for the year, but renewal is automatic. The CaseDesk Pro plan is also shown at $290 a year, billed annually, with automatic renewal and one attorney per licence key per year.

Platforms

CaseDesk lists Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows. The beta offer names Windows, Linux and macOS, while phone access is through a browser-based companion rather than a native app; iPhone and Android store apps are under review. Attorneys wanting a phone-first native experience may find that distinction decisive. The whole app does not require internet access, though enabled integrations and version checks connect online.

Who it's for

CaseDesk is aimed at licensed attorneys, especially solo practitioners who can use a per-attorney licence and want practice-area-specific matter fields, deadline calculations and local data storage. Its broad scope is less attractive to someone who only needs a simple shared docket calendar or a native phone app. Support comes from its practicing-attorney builder, and replies may take a business day, so it is not positioned as immediate-response support.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad matter coverage: Intake-to-post-judgment tools and 106 practice areas can reduce the need to split core legal work across separate systems.
• Explainable deadline calculations: Court-day and holiday handling plus citations to governing rules help attorneys review why a date was calculated.
• Local-first security: Encrypted local storage, optional additional encryption and offline use suit practices that prioritize keeping case data on their own machines.
• Flexible AI choices: Local models or user-supplied provider keys let attorneys choose how AI processing is handled.

Cons

• Beta is temporary on each machine: The 90-day run and two-week read-only export period make free access unsuitable as a lasting operating plan.
• Cloud Sync does not sync document files: Users still keep documents on their computers, which limits the completeness of a cloud-based workflow.
• Phone access is browser-based: The companion lacks the immediacy of a native app, and store apps remain under review.
• Solo-oriented licensing: Paid licences cover one attorney, not a shared multi-lawyer seat pool.

Alternatives

AnchorLex is worth considering when a web-based docketing tool and a free entry point matter more than CaseDesk’s wider practice-management scope: its free plan covers five court orders per month and one sync calendar.

DocketBird may suit someone who needs daily tracking of one case rather than a full matter workflow; it also has a free library-access plan for law-school, university and public libraries that requires a prominent DocketBird website link.

LitDocket is an alternative for readers seeking web, API or self-hosted access; its Solo plan is $49 a month for up to 25 active cases, and read-only data access remains after its 14-day trial if a user does not subscribe.

AcclaimIP is another option, with annual prepaid per-seat licensing and pricing provided by quote.

DockItFlo is built for firms with 2–50 attorneys and includes AI calendaring, making it a possible fit for firms larger than CaseDesk’s one-attorney licence structure.

CourtDrive is an alternative for teams looking for an Android, iOS, web and API option; its Basic plan is $35 a month and includes up to three users and 250 uploads.

Deadlines.com may fit practices shopping specifically for case-based deadline coverage, with a 30+ case plan at $20 per case per month, unlimited users and nationwide coverage.

CalendarRules is another alternative to consider.

Verdict

CaseDesk is a strong choice for a licensed solo attorney who wants broad matter management, rule-cited deadline calculations and locally encrypted case storage in one product. Choose it for that combination and the option to work offline; look elsewhere if a durable free plan, shared multi-attorney licensing or native phone apps are essential.