When a client demands faster turnaround – or an auditor rattles a saber – the easiest move is often to bolt on one more app. A new case‑management plug‑in here, a time‑tracking tool there, maybe a quick e‑discovery subscription to satisfy a client deadline. Repeat that reflex for a few years, and a firm wakes up with a “Frankenstack” – a collection of systems that barely talk to each other, slow attorneys down and create hidden risk.
Frankenstacks rarely fail overnight. They chip away at productivity, billable hours and client confidence in small, silent ways. Over time, the cracks widen into real business problems.
The Hidden Costs of Patchwork IT
A Frankenstack creates friction at every level of a law firm. Attorneys and staff waste hours re‑entering data across siloed systems, and small mistakes can cascade. Actionstep’s 2024 launch of its integrated accounting suite promised to “eliminate duplicate data entry”—proof that the problem remains widespread in legal operations.
Operational inefficiency is only the start. Fragmented IT also magnifies security and compliance risk. In the first half of 2024 alone, 21 law firms publicly reported data breaches. Every disconnected system is another door to lock, another password to manage, and another log file to monitor.
The financial impact is often hidden in downtime. A 2025 survey found that one in five professional services firms lose more than $2,500 each month to hosting-related outages and latency. For law firms, that translates to delayed filings, frustrated attorneys and uncomfortable calls to clients.
Clients notice, too. According to the same 2025 trust survey, 39% of clients say they’d consider firing their firm after a breach, and 37% would pay a premium for firms that prove strong cybersecurity protocols. Outdated tech isn’t just an operational gap—it’s a liability.
Building IT Around a Secure Core
The antidote to a Frankenstack isn’t more apps – it’s a foundation‑first approach. Instead of reacting to every new need with a standalone tool, more firms are creating a unified IT environment where core legal applications live in one secure, cloud‑hosted space.
The industry is moving in this direction quickly. The ABA’s 2024 survey found that 75% of attorneys use cloud computing now, up from 69% in 2023. Similarly, ILTA reports that 67% of firms keep their document‑management in the cloud, with another 13% planning to move in the next year. Hybrid work only reinforces the need: a Gitnux 2025 study found that 65% of attorneys feel more productive working remotely and 71% now conduct client consults online. Without a unified platform, every remote login is a potential bottleneck—or worse, a security gap.
At the center of this model is a managed cloud desktop— hosted NetDocuments, ProLaw, Time Matters or similar in one consolidated workspace. This setup offers built-in encrypted access, MFA, patching and backups handled by your MSP—not your users. Compliance becomes simpler when controls are consistent and centralized. Audits or client questionnaires become less painful when patch logs, role‑based access and encryption policies are uniform across the stack.
A Real‑World Use Case: The Nine‑Attorney Insurance‑Defense Boutique
Consider a mid‑sized insurance‑defense boutique operating across two states. In a traditional Frankenstack, a single case might require: logging into Outlook to retrieve a client’s email and attachment, downloading the file to a local drive, re‑uploading it into NetDocuments, updating a deadline in ProLaw manually and passing the draft to a partner for review through yet another system. Every hand‑off is a chance for delay—or worse, human error.
In a unified, managed‑cloud environment, that same workflow looks very different. The email and attachments arrive into a virtual desktop with integrated NetDocuments. Paralegals tag and save them directly into the case workspace. Key deadlines sync automatically with ProLaw. The partner opens the file from home via MFA‑protected login, reviews and signs off, and the team moves forward – all without the “download‑save‑upload” shuffle.
The result is fewer interruptions, faster turnaround and less risk. The firm spends more time on billable work and less time babysitting technology.
Five Questions to Ask Before Adding Another App
- Does it integrate with our DMS and billing systems out of the box?
- Can we enforce MFA and activity logging across the firm without custom scripts?
- What is the uptime SLA — and what happens if the vendor misses it?
- Is the vendor already SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified, or will we be chasing compliance on our own?
- Will this scale if we open a new office or merge with another firm?
Asking these questions up front often reveals whether the purchase will strengthen your foundation or become just another bolt in the Frankenstack.
Turning IT from Cost Center to Client Magnet
A platform‑centric approach turns IT from an ongoing headache into a competitive edge. Firms gain predictable costs, better visibility into risk and a foundation that supports growth. Attorneys spend less time wrestling with logins and more time practicing law.
Most importantly, it positions the firm as a trustworthy steward of client data. In a market where clients are willing to pay more for proven security, that’s an advantage that goes beyond efficiency.
Ready to replace patchwork IT with a simpler, more secure environment? Explore how firms like yours are streamlining operations with Afinety’s legal cloud solutions and reclaiming billable hours in the process.