FilePro & LawMaster End-of-Life: What to do before 31 December 26'
Actionstep acquired FilePro and LawMaster and is winding them down with a hard deadline of 31 December 2026. If your firm is still on either system, here is what you need to know and do now.
If your NZ law firm is still on FilePro or LawMaster, you have until 31 December 2026 to move. Actionstep acquired both systems and has set that date as end-of-life. After it, vendor support ends, security patches stop, and running either system becomes a compliance and insurance liability.
A migration takes three to six months when managed well. If you have not started, the window is now.
What the deadline means
After 31 December 2026:
- Vendor support ends
- No further security patches or bug fixes
- Data export and migration assistance from Actionstep may narrow
- Running unsupported software creates cyber insurance and compliance exposure
Who is affected
FilePro and LawMaster had strong NZ market share, particularly among boutique and regional firms, conveyancing-heavy practices, and firms that inherited LawMaster through a merger or acquisition.
If you are unsure which system you are on, check the application window title or the installed programs list on your computer.
How do I decide what PMS to migrate to?
A PMS migration decision is not straightforward, and the right structure matters as much as the right system. We cover the full evaluation process, including requirements assessment, vendor demo facilitation, and due diligence on NZ trust accounting fit, on our practice management consulting page.
How we approach PMS consulting →
A note on timeline
The instinct with a hard deadline is to rush. That typically produces worse outcomes.
- Start your evaluation now if you have not
- Aim for a vendor decision by September 2026
- Target go-live by late November to leave buffer before the December deadline
- Do not schedule a go-live in December. That is when things go wrong and support is hardest to get
Getting independent advice
Valley IT offers vendor-neutral consulting for NZ law firms navigating the FilePro and LawMaster end-of-life. No referral fees, no commercial relationships with any PMS vendor.
If your firm is still on FilePro or LawMaster, book a free consultation. We can help you structure the evaluation and facilitate vendor demos.
This post describes the situation as understood at time of writing (May 2026). Verify current timelines directly with Actionstep before making decisions. Valley IT advises on IT and system fit, not on legal obligations. Firms should consult their own legal advisors for any compliance-related questions.