Law firms
IT support for law firms, built around the trust account
We look after IT for Perth law firms and legal practices. Trust banking and settlements protected from fraud, privileged files kept confidential and practice software that works, with a Perth service desk that answers in about 25 seconds.
- 7 yearsMinimum period trust records must be kept under the Legal Profession Uniform Law
- 24/7Monitoring for mailbox takeover and ransomware on SecureShield plans
- WAHosted systems and primary backups stay in Perth datacentres
- MonthlyAgreements that run month to month, with no lock in
01The risks
Where law firms get caught out
Law firms hold client money and privileged information, which is exactly what attackers want. The Legal Practice Board of WA had a cyber incident of its own in May 2025, and the 2023 attack on HWL Ebsworth put around a million stolen documents on the dark web.
A settlement is paid to a fraudster
An attacker takes over a mailbox, watches a property or business settlement, then sends new bank details at the last minute. The Legal Practice Board reminds practices that there is no such thing as a forged cheque in an online transaction.
FixPhishing resistant MFA, email security that flags impersonation and trust payments that need a second authorised approver.
Trust banking passwords are shared
Online trust transfers are authorised by a password, and the Board says handing that password to a bookkeeper or office manager is not acceptable. Shared logins are still common in small practices.
FixIndividual logins for everyone, a password manager and banking approval settings that match the Board's guidance.
Privileged files leak through email and links
Matter documents end up in personal inboxes, public sharing links and laptops that left with a former employee.
FixPermissions by matter, sharing controls, data loss prevention and encrypted devices we can wipe remotely.
Records are kept badly, or not at all
Trust records must be kept for at least seven years, and client documents can generally only be destroyed after seven years. Files on an old server or a single USB drive put both at risk.
FixRetention settings in Microsoft 365 and your document system, with immutable backups and an archive you can search.
02What we look after
IT that fits how a practice runs
One Perth team for support, security, documents and devices, so lawyers can stay on billable work.
Fast support
A Perth service desk that fixes most issues remotely, with engineers onsite across the metro area and a team that knows legal practice software.
Service desk / onsite / practice softwareEmail and settlement fraud protection
Email security, impersonation detection and identity threat monitoring on every mailbox, including principals and support staff.
Email security / identity threat detection / MFADocuments and matters
SharePoint, Teams and OneDrive structured by client and matter, with retention settings and legal hold when you need them.
SharePoint / retention / legal holdDevices for court, home and office
Laptops encrypted, patched and managed with Intune, so a lost device is an inconvenience rather than a data breach.
Intune / encryption / remote wipeSecurity and compliance
SecureShield plans with 24/7 monitoring, Essential Eight controls and evidence for client, insurer and AML/CTF questions.
SecureShield / Essential Eight / questionnairesBackup and archive
Microsoft 365, document and server backups kept for as long as your retention policy says, in immutable storage.
Immutable backup / seven year retention / restore tests03Trust money
Four controls that protect trust money
Technology makes mailbox takeover harder, but process is what stops trust money leaving on the wrong instructions. These are the controls we help practices put in place.
- 01Call on a number from the file
Confirm any change to bank details by phone, using a number already on the file, never one in the email asking for the change.
- 02A second authorised approver
Trust payments and new payees need a second authorised person in online banking and your trust accounting software.
- 03No shared banking logins
Every person who can create or approve a transfer has their own login, protected with MFA and a password manager.
- 04Tell clients at engagement
Say in your engagement letter and email signature that your bank details will never change by email.
We set up the technical side and give your accounts team a short written procedure.
Email security04Your obligations
The rules your IT has to support
Most of these are professional obligations rather than IT rules, but each one depends on how your systems are set up.
| Obligation | What it asks of you | How we help |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Profession Uniform Law | Applied in WA since 1 July 2022. Trust records must be kept for at least seven years | Retention settings and immutable backups that outlast the seven years |
| Legal Practice Board of WA | Online trust transfers are authorised by password, so trust banking passwords must not be handed to a bookkeeper or office manager | Individual accounts, MFA and approval settings that match the Board's guidance |
| Solicitors' Conduct Rules | Client information stays confidential, and client documents can generally be destroyed only after seven years | Access by matter, encryption and logs that show who opened what |
| AML/CTF | Since 1 July 2026, firms providing designated services, such as property and company transactions or holding money for a transaction, are reporting entities. They had to enrol with AUSTRAC by 29 July 2026 | Secure storage and access controls for identification and due diligence records |
| Privacy Act | Firms over $3 million turnover, and small firms for their AML/CTF work, must protect personal information and notify eligible data breaches | Controls, logging and an incident response plan that covers each step |
We handle the technical controls and evidence. For legal interpretation you have the best advisers in the building, and we work alongside them and AUSTRAC guidance.
05Proof
Security your clients can check
Corporate and government clients now ask their law firms how they protect client data. These are the answers we help you give.
Security that won the work
Palisades, a professional services firm, rebuilt a legacy setup around Intune, conditional access and the Essential Eight, met a prospective client's security requirements and won the work.
Read the case studyCertified and onshore
We are ISO 27001 certified, and hosted data and primary backups stay in Perth, which answers two of the first questions on most client security questionnaires.
Security and governanceReporting partners can read
A quarterly report on service, security and backups, with your Essential Eight score, written for partners rather than engineers.
Essential EightRelated industries
06Questions
Law firm IT questions
What principals and practice managers ask us most. Anything else, call 1300 787 429.
01Do you support LEAP and other legal practice software?
Yes. Whether you run LEAP, Actionstep, Smokeball or another practice management system, we look after the Microsoft 365, devices, network, integrations and access it depends on, and work with the vendor on application issues.
02How do we stop settlement and trust payment fraud?
Combine technology and process. MFA and email security make mailbox takeover much harder. A rule to confirm any bank detail change by phone on a number from the file, plus a second approver for trust payments, stops most of the rest.
03What do the AML/CTF reforms mean for our IT?
If your firm provides designated services such as property or company transactions, you became a reporting entity on 1 July 2026 and now hold identification and due diligence records that must be kept securely. Small firms must also follow the Privacy Act for that work. We set up storage, access controls and logging for those records.
04How long should we keep files and backups?
Trust records must be kept for at least seven years under the Uniform Law, and client documents can generally only be destroyed after seven years unless instructions or the law say otherwise. We set retention in Microsoft 365 and your document system to match your policy, and keep backups that cannot be altered.
05Can lawyers work securely from court or home?
Yes. Managed, encrypted laptops, MFA and secure access to matter files and practice software let lawyers work and file through the eCourts Portal from anywhere, without copying client files to personal devices.
06What does IT support cost for a law firm?
A monthly fee per user covers support, monitoring and security, with projects quoted before we start. Agreements run month to month, and a free IT audit gives you a fixed quote.
07Law firms
Protect the trust account
before someone tests it.
Start with a free IT audit. You get a plain English view of your email security, banking controls, systems and costs.