Choosing IT support is a bigger decision for a law firm than for almost any other business of the same size. You hold privileged client information, client money moves on your instruction, and the SRA expects you to protect both. The wrong provider doesn’t just mean slow laptops; it means regulatory exposure.
Having worked with firms across the UK legal sector, from high-street practices to barristers’ chambers, here’s what we’d tell any managing partner or practice manager comparing providers, including the questions that quickly separate genuine legal-sector specialists from generalists with a law page on their website.
Why legal IT support is different
Three things raise the bar. First, confidentiality is not a policy preference but a professional obligation, and a breach can be reportable to the ICO and the SRA. Second, legal software is its own world: case and practice management systems, digital dictation, court bundling tools, and integrations a generalist provider may never have touched. Third, your clients increasingly audit you: panel appointments and corporate clients now routinely ask what security certifications your firm and its suppliers hold.
That’s why generic “we support any business” IT rarely serves firms well, and why specialist IT support for law firms exists as a discipline in its own right.
Five things to look for
1. Evidence in your sector, not claims
Ask for law firm case studies with names attached. Ours include leading the remediation and rebuild after a security incident at a national legal service and supporting Thackray Williams. If a provider can’t show equivalents, they’re learning on your firm.
2. Data protection credentials that mean something
LOCS:23 is the ICO-approved certification scheme for legal services data protection. Atlas Cloud is a LOCS:23 Approved Implementor, which means we implement its requirements rather than just name-drop it.
3. Security built in, not sold separately
Look for Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 as a baseline, and ask how monitoring works out of hours. Most breaches in the legal sector start with a stolen credential at 2am, not a dramatic hack.
4. UK data residency, in writing
Where client data lives, where it’s backed up, and who can access it should all have UK answers you can show a client audit or the ICO.
5. A partner for fee earners, not just servers
Response times matter more in a firm billing in six-minute units. Ask how the provider supports your case management system, your remote and court-day working, and the lawyers who just need things to work.
The questions that reveal a specialist
Whoever you’re evaluating, ask these five and listen for specifics: Which case or practice management systems do you support today? What happens, step by step, if one of our fee earners clicks a phishing link on a Saturday? How do you help us respond to a client security questionnaire or panel audit? What’s your experience with the SRA’s expectations on protecting client money and information? And can we speak to a law firm you support?
Vague answers to any of these are your cue to keep looking.
Frequently asked questions
What should a law firm look for in an IT support provider?
Legal sector experience, demonstrable security and compliance credentials such as Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001, UK data residency, experience with legal applications and case management systems, and evidence in the form of law firm case studies and references.
What is LOCS:23 and does our IT provider need it?
LOCS:23 is the ICO-approved certification scheme for legal services data protection. Working with a LOCS:23 Approved Implementor means your provider understands the scheme’s requirements and can implement the controls it expects.
Does the SRA require law firms to use a specific IT provider?
No. The SRA doesn’t mandate providers, but it does expect firms to protect client money and confidential information. Your IT arrangements are central to demonstrating that, which is why sector understanding matters when choosing support.
How much does IT support cost for a law firm?
Most providers price per user per month, with the level varying by scope: service desk only at the lower end, rising with security monitoring, compliance support and strategic input. Beware quotes that look cheap but exclude the security layer regulated firms need.
Talk to a legal-sector IT specialist
Atlas Cloud provides specialist law firm IT support: LOCS:23 Approved Implementor, Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 certified, with UK data residency and legal case studies to show for it.
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