OneLaw vs LEAP: a NZ law firm comparison

OneLaw and LEAP are the two systems that come up most often when NZ law firms evaluate practice management software. Both have strong NZ market presence, and on the surface they look similar: cloud-based, Xero integration, matter management, trust accounting. The differences that actually matter for a NZ firm are in how the systems were designed and what they do well out of the box.

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What each system is

OneLaw is NZ-built and NZ-owned, designed specifically for the NZ legal market. The vendor states that trust accounting was developed with NZLS auditor input. The product philosophy is focused: legal practice and document management software is all they do.

LEAP was built for the Australian legal market and has operated in NZ since around 2015. It is now owned by ATI Global, the holding company of Australian entrepreneur Christian Beck, whose portfolio also includes Practice Evolve, Smokeball, and InfoTrack. LEAP positions itself as an all-in-one platform: practice management, document automation, accounting, and AI tools in one subscription.

Both use Xero for the firm's general ledger. That is not the differentiating factor.

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Document automation

This is the biggest practical difference between the two systems, and the area where LEAP has the clearest advantage.

LEAP ships with a large library of ready-made, maintained precedents. When you open a matter, client and matter data you have already entered auto-populates into documents (names, addresses, party details, property descriptions) without re-keying. LEAP maintains this library centrally and updates it as legislation and forms change. For NZ, the library includes matter types for conveyancing (sale, purchase, lease, transfer, subdivision, mortgage), as well as precedents across other common practice areas. Firms can also add and automate their own documents using LEAP's Document Customisation Engine, which uses merge fields to pull matter data into firm-specific templates.

LEAP also integrates with By Lawyers, a subscription service that adds a deeper layer of NZ and Australian precedents, commentaries, and matter plans. These are step-by-step guides through how to run common matters from start to finish, with the relevant precedents attached at each stage.

OneLaw's approach is different. It provides the tools to build and manage a firm's own precedent and clause libraries, with InfoSheets that capture matter-specific data and feed it into documents. The document assembly is capable, and OneLaw integrates with Word and Outlook for document and email generation. But OneLaw does not ship with a comparable volume of ready-made, maintained precedents. Firms build the library themselves, which takes time and expertise to set up well.

The practical implication: A firm moving to LEAP can start generating automated documents relatively quickly using the built-in library. A firm on OneLaw builds automation over time, which can be a strength for firms that want full control over their precedents and a limitation for those that want productivity gains quickly.

For high-volume conveyancing practices in particular, LEAP's out-of-the-box document automation is a meaningful operational advantage.

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Trust accounting

This is where OneLaw has the stronger design foundation for NZ firms.

OneLaw's trust accounting was built for NZ from the start. The vendor states that monthly TAS certificate generation, IBD handling under s114, and three-way reconciliation are native workflows, developed with NZLS auditor input. The support team includes ex-practice managers and trust accountants, which matters when something goes wrong at month end.

LEAP's trust accounting was designed for Australian regulatory requirements and adapted for NZ. For core trust functions the adaptation works, and LEAP NZ describes its trust accounting as Law Society certified. However, NZ-specific workflows (the TAS certificate format, IBD under s114, NZLS Inspectorate readiness) are worth probing directly in demos using NZ scenarios, not a generic walkthrough. Some NZ practitioner feedback has flagged quirks in how LEAP handles reconciliation workflows compared to what NZ trust account supervisors expect. Ask for NZ reference firms and speak specifically to their trust account supervisors.

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Time recording

Both systems support time recording, but they approach it differently.

LEAP includes automatic time capture: the system monitors activity across documents, emails, and matters and logs billable time without the fee earner needing to start a timer. This is one of LEAP's most frequently cited practical advantages. The AI-driven capture reduces the time that goes unrecorded at the end of a busy day.

OneLaw supports manual entry, a live timer, and a "Smart Find Time" feature that suggests missing time records based on user activity. It is a more hands-on process than LEAP's automatic capture, though the prompts help catch gaps that might otherwise be lost.

For firms where time leakage is a known problem, LEAP's automatic capture is worth evaluating specifically.

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AI features

LEAP includes LawY, an AI assistant built directly into the platform. LawY handles legal research queries and document drafting from within a matter, with responses reviewed by qualified lawyers. It is included in the LEAP subscription and does not require a separate tool or login. LEAP also has Matter AI, which suggests relevant document templates based on the matter type.

OneLaw has less publicly documented AI capability at this stage. The platform continues to develop, but LEAP has moved faster in this area.

AI in PMS is still early and the quality of outputs varies by jurisdiction and practice area. That said, LEAP's built-in AI is a practical differentiator for firms that want AI assistance without bolting on a separate tool.

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Integrations and ecosystem

LEAP has a broader integration ecosystem. Key NZ-relevant integrations include InfoTrack (property searches and LINZ), APLYiD (AML identity verification), DocuSign and LawConnect (eSignatures), Xero, and Microsoft 365. The LEAP Marketplace adds further apps. The broader ATI Global portfolio means LEAP also connects into InfoTrack's suite of search and settlement tools.

OneLaw covers the essential NZ integrations (InfoTrack, APLYiD, and Xero), which handles most firms' day-to-day needs. The ecosystem is smaller, but for firms that do not need extensive third-party add-ons, the core integrations are sufficient.

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Support

OneLaw's support team is NZ-based and includes ex-practice managers and trust accountants. For trust accounting queries and NZ-specific workflow questions, this tends to mean faster and more accurate answers.

LEAP's support is Australian-headquartered with NZ coverage. Support quality in reviews is mixed: some firms report responsive assistance, others flag delays. The LEAP University online training resource is comprehensive, but it favours firms that are willing to invest time in self-directed learning.

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Ownership and vendor stability

OneLaw is smaller and independently NZ-owned. That means a product roadmap focused on NZ and more direct relationships, but a smaller development team and less capital behind ongoing investment.

LEAP's ATI Global ownership brings significant resources and active product development, with regular feature releases. The trade-off is that LEAP's roadmap serves a global user base, and NZ-specific requirements compete with the priorities of much larger markets.

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Contract terms

NZ practitioner feedback on LEAP's contracts is consistently negative. Minimum contract lengths, auto-renewal mechanics, and data exit provisions that are expensive and restrictive are the most common complaints. Read the contract carefully before signing. Pay particular attention to the exit clauses and what data portability looks like when you leave.

OneLaw's contract terms are less frequently flagged in NZ practitioner feedback.

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Which firms tend to choose each

LEAP tends to suit firms doing high-volume conveyancing or document-intensive work who want maximum automation out of the box. Firms that have reviewed and accepted the contract terms, and who want AI and a broad integration ecosystem included in one platform.

OneLaw tends to suit NZ firms where trust accounting fit is the primary concern, who prefer a NZ-owned vendor with NZ-based support, and who want a focused, purpose-built product rather than an all-in-one platform.

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What to test in demos

Ask both vendors to demonstrate a three-way reconciliation in a NZ trust account context, show the TAS certificate workflow, and walk through IBD handling under s114. For LEAP, ask them to show you the NZ precedent library for your primary practice area and how the Document Customisation Engine works for your firm's templates. For OneLaw, ask how long it typically takes a new firm to build out a usable precedent library.

Ask for NZ reference firms of similar size and practice type, and speak to their trust account supervisors and fee earners separately, as the experience often differs between the two.

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Getting independent advice

Valley IT provides vendor-neutral consulting for NZ law firms evaluating OneLaw, LEAP, and other PMS options. No referral fees, no commercial relationships with any vendor.

Book a free consultation and we can help structure the evaluation and facilitate vendor demos with the right questions.