Best Legal Software for Criminal Defense Firms in 2026: The 5 Capabilities Generic Platforms Miss — and Why Flat-Fee Billing on a Trust Retainer Breaks Most Tools

Criminal defense runs on flat fees collected up front, held in trust, and earned against milestones — a billing reality most practice management tools handle badly. Here are the 5 capabilities a defense firm actually needs, a side-by-side of the platforms, and why a unified, trust-aware system beats a stitched-together stack.