eCourts app vs Legal Staff
eCourts Services app vs Legal Staff: case status lookups and a chamber workspace
The eCourts Services app is the official, free way to check case status, listings and orders on the eCourts network, and it remains the source of record. Legal Staff is not a replacement for it. It is the workspace a chamber uses around it: reading orders, keeping a shared diary, sending reminders and holding the file.
Side by side
The comparison at a glance
| Criteria | eCourts Services app Official, free case-status service | Legal Staff Chamber workspace on top |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The official case-information service of the eCourts project | Practice and case management software for advocates and firms |
| Source of record | Yes — case status, listings and orders as published by the courtBest | No — works from the orders you paste or upload and from a connected court-data provider |
| Cost | FreeBest | Paid plans: Solo, Professional, Firm and Enterprise |
| Finding a case | Search by CNR, case number, party name and other fieldsBest | Import case details by CNR where a court-data provider is connected, or add the case yourself |
| Platforms | Website and mobile appsBest | Web app in desktop and mobile browsers; no native apps |
| Reading orders | View or download orders the court has uploaded | Summary with paragraph references; next date picked out for your confirmationBest |
| Diary across courts | Look up each case and its next date | Week and day diary across all your courts, with clash detection and .ics exportBest |
| Reminders | Built for looking up case information | WhatsApp (Business API, once connected) and email, two days before and on the morningBest |
| Team and tasks | Built for individual lookups | Roles for juniors and clerks, task assignment and a daily hearing boardBest |
| Your own documents | Shows what the court publishes | Private per-case vault for pleadings, annexures, vakalatnamas and certified copiesBest |
| Questions on the case file | Not its purpose | AI Case Brain answers from the case’s own documents, with citations, for advocate reviewBest |
| Clients and billing | Not its purpose | Client records, client portal sharing and per-matter invoices with GSTBest |
Scroll sideways on small screens to see every column.
When to choose which
Pick the option that fits your stage
eCourts on its own is enough when…
- You only need to check the status or next date of a few cases
- You work alone and keep your own diary
- You do not need reminders, documents or tasks in one place
Add Legal Staff when…
- You run many matters across courts and need one diary for the chamber
- You want orders summarised and dates confirmed, not copied
- Juniors, clerks and clients need the right information without calls
- You want the case file, research and billing in the same place
Use both: eCourts for the record, Legal Staff for the work
The eCourts Services app is free, official and the place to verify status, listings and orders. Nothing on this page suggests otherwise, and you should keep using it.
What eCourts is not built to be is a chamber’s workspace. Legal Staff sits on top: you paste or upload the order, it summarises it and proposes the next date, you confirm, and the diary, hearing board and reminders follow. Documents, tasks, client updates and invoices live in the same case.
Because eCourts does not offer an open public API, Legal Staff does not scrape it. Case import by CNR works where a court-data provider is connected, and you should always check the official record when in doubt.
General information for advocates, not legal advice. Statutes, rules and court practice directions change; check the bare Act, the latest amendments and your court's rules before relying on any date or section.
Frequently asked questions
Does Legal Staff replace the eCourts app?
No. eCourts is the official, free case-information service and remains the source of record. Legal Staff adds order reading, a shared diary, reminders, documents, team and research on top.
Does Legal Staff pull data from eCourts automatically?
eCourts has no open public API, and Legal Staff does not scrape it. Case details can be imported by CNR where a court-data provider is connected; otherwise you add the case and paste or upload orders.
If both show a next date, which one do I trust?
The court’s official record. Legal Staff shows the date you confirmed from the order; if the listing changes, check the cause list and update the diary.
Is the eCourts app free?
Yes. It is an official service provided free of charge. Legal Staff is paid software with Solo, Professional, Firm and Enterprise plans.
Does Legal Staff cover High Courts and tribunals too?
Yes. You can keep matters from the Supreme Court, High Courts, district courts and tribunals in one diary, with dates confirmed from their orders.
Is there a Legal Staff mobile app?
Legal Staff is a web app that works in mobile browsers. There are no native iOS or Android apps.
Keep reading
See Legal Staff with your own courts and cases
Move your diary over in an afternoon. Orders are read for you, dates wait for your confirmation, and reminders go out on WhatsApp.