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LawKona vs WhatsApp, Excel, and paper
Most Nigerian chambers run on chats, spreadsheets, and folders. Here is how that compares with one chamber file — and what to check before you choose law firm software.
LawKona vs WhatsApp + Excel + paper
The usual tools work until the file gets busy. Then dates slip, copies multiply, and nobody is sure which version is current.
| Topic | WhatsApp + Excel + paper | LawKona |
|---|---|---|
| Where the file lives | Spread across WhatsApp chats, laptops, email, and a cabinet. | One matter file per brief, shared by the whole chamber. |
| Deadlines | Remembered, or kept on a sheet that drifts out of date. | Worked out for your state and shown in one calendar, with automatic email reminders to the lawyers on the file. |
| Tenancy notices | Typed, printed, and chased by hand. | Drafted from the file and approved by a lawyer before they go to the tenant by email and WhatsApp, with a delivery record on the file. |
| Conflict check | Someone tries to remember. | Runs on every new matter against your clients, tenants, and matters. |
| Client money | Often in the same book as fees. | On its own trust ledger; it becomes fees only when applied to an invoice. |
| Documents | Old files copied and retyped. | Generated from templates or your precedents, edited in the browser, exported as .docx. |
| Who changed what | Hard to tell. | Important actions go into an audit log that cannot be edited. |
What to look for in practice software in Nigeria
Whatever you choose, these are the questions worth asking. The middle column describes what we commonly see in general practice software, not any one product.
| Topic | Typical practice software | LawKona |
|---|---|---|
| Nigerian deadline rules | Often built for another jurisdiction; local rules added by hand. | Deadline calendars for every state and the FCT. |
| Tenancy and property work | Often missing, or a separate tool. | Property register, private tenant intake links, and tenancy notices on every plan. |
| How you are charged | Often per lawyer, and often in foreign currency. | Per chamber, in Naira. Adding a colleague inside your seats costs nothing extra. |
| Client money kept apart | Often a higher tier or add-on. | A trust ledger on every plan, including Free. |
| Notices to tenants | Often an add-on. | Email notices with a delivery record on every plan, including Free, and WhatsApp notices to tenants on paid plans. |
| Editing documents | Often generate-only, then edit elsewhere. | Edit in the chamber editor, then export a Word document. |
| Moving your records across | Often retyped by hand, or a paid migration project. | Import clients, properties, tenants and matters from a spreadsheet. |
| Trying it first | Often a time-limited trial. | A free plan with no time limit. |
See it on your own files
Free for 1 lawyer and 3 properties, no card needed. Paid plans from ₦10,000 a month per chamber.