Small Law Practice IT Setup: eLitigation, LawNet, Matter Files

The core systems a small law practice needs

Most of a small practice's IT fits in one table. The rest of this guide covers each row.

eLitigation and Corppass access

eLitigation's subscription page states that subscription is only available to registered law firms and selected government agencies; non-law firms use a registered law firm or the Service Bureau. Subscribers log in through Singpass, with Corppass behind it deciding which people may act for the firm. The subscription includes the Cause Book Search and Practising Certificate modules.

1. 1

   Set up Corppass Admins

   Your Registered Officer appoints Corppass Admins; for a small practice, have two so one person's absence doesn't block filing. Our Corppass setup guide explains the roles.

2. 2

   Subscribe the firm to eLitigation

   Complete the subscription form from eLitigation's Forms and Templates page and keep the firm's administrator details current.

3. 3

   Give each person their own access

   Lawyers, paralegals and clerks each log in with their own Singpass. Never let a clerk use a lawyer's Singpass, even for convenience.

4. 4

   Review access when people join or leave

   Remove Corppass e-service assignments on a leaver's last day, alongside their email and document access.

Organise files by matter in SharePoint or Google Drive

Folders by person ("Tan's documents") or by type ("Letters") make it hard to see a whole matter, restrict access or apply retention. Organise by client and matter instead.

• One top-level library or shared drive for active matters, one for closed matters.
• A folder per matter named with a matter number and short name, for example 2026-0142 Client Name - Sale of Property.
• Standard subfolders in every matter: Correspondence, Court Documents, Client Documents, Drafts, Billing.
• Save matter emails into the matter folder (or use a shared mailbox per team) so files don't live only in one person's inbox.
• Restrict sensitive matters, such as family or employment disputes, to the lawyers on them.

When a matter closes, move its folder to the closed library and record the closing date; that date drives retention. Microsoft 365 retention labels or Google Vault can keep closed matters from being deleted early.

Conflict checks and client data

A conflict check needs a reliable list of every client, related party and opposing party, across open and closed matters. Many sole practices keep this in a spreadsheet; it works if it is complete and kept up to date.

Practice management software usually includes conflict search, time recording and billing. If you move to one later, a clean register makes migration easy.

Retention and electronic storage: Law Society guidance

The Law Society's Practice Direction 3.12.1 on storage and destruction of documents (dated 31 January 2019) says it can't set fixed retention periods, but considers it advisable to keep all files for a minimum of six years from when the matter is wholly completed, then review. Conveyancing files should be kept six years from completion, and original documents shouldn't be destroyed without the owner's consent.

Its Guidance Note 3.12.1 on electronic storage lists what an electronic storage system should do, including:

• Keep records accurate so they are not lost or altered.
• Have an audit trail capturing all transactions.
• Prevent editing, alteration or deletion of stored records.
• Have reasonable security, backup and recovery measures.
• Keep records retrievable through system or vendor changes.

In practice, that means version history and audit logs switched on, a separate backup, and a documented export path if you change provider. This is general information, not legal advice; check the current Law Society guidance for your practice areas.

Email security and backups

Law firms are prime targets for payment-instruction fraud, where a hacked or spoofed mailbox sends clients fake bank details. Our law firm cybersecurity guide covers call-back protocols and email authentication in detail. The essentials for the setup stage:

• MFA on every mailbox, including shared and former staff mailboxes.
• SPF, DKIM and DMARC on the firm's domain so others can't easily spoof it.
• A separate backup of Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace mail and files, tested by restoring a file.
• Encrypted laptops with automatic updates; no client files on personal USB drives.
• A plan for a departed lawyer's mailbox and files, rather than deleting the account.

For your website and marketing, see the law firm website publicity rules guide.

Do it yourself or get help?

Corppass, eLitigation and LawNet subscriptions are administrative tasks the practice handles directly. The technical setup, matter-based storage with the right permissions, retention, MFA, email authentication and backups, is where an IT provider saves time and avoids gaps.

Our Business Email Setup (S$249) gets the firm's domain email running properly. Microsoft 365 / Google Security Lockdown (S$590) enforces MFA, audit logging and sharing controls, and Backup & Ransomware Recovery (S$290) adds a separate, tested backup of mail and matter files.