Barhead Solutions develops practice management system for community legal centres

Marrickville Legal Centre (MLC), the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) and Women’s Legal Service Queensland (WLSQ) have joined forces and worked with Microsoft partner Barhead Solutions to develop a legal practice management system.

Called Consensus for Purpose, the system will help community legal centres (CLC) and improve access to legal help.

Built on Microsoft’s Dynamics 365, Consensus for Purpose will streamline the entire client journey, with technology reducing the administrative burden and freeing up CLCs to focus on legal advice and speeding up the process for those needing help.

“Underpinned by Dynamics 365, Consensus for Purpose leverages Microsoft’s extensive innovation and establishes a secure and scalable platform for use by CLCs, inclusive of AI readiness,” Barhead co-founder John Orrock said.

“The collaborative effort maximises investment — building once and deploying to all, eliminating wasted IT spend and ultimately providing a best-in-class solution for CLCs of any size.”

The platform integrates seamlessly with existing Microsoft software, including Outlook and SharePoint. The solution has also been developed in a sustainable way, with the ability to self-administer, engage any Microsoft partner, and has the benefit of volunteer licensing without additional fees. 

 “Of all the document/practice management software I have used, Consensus for Purpose best centralises all the work associated with a service,” senior solicitor for Safe Climate, corporate and commercial Zoe Bush said.

“It allows team members to collaboratively work on a matter simultaneously, minimises the risk of lost work, and its functionality extends beyond mere document management, so service providers’ time and tasks can be centrally managed.” 

Under strain from demand, CLCs across Australia have to turn away more than 200,000 people in need of legal help.

The collaboration, led by MLC, will see Consensus for Purpose help CLCs reach more people, efficiently by alleviating the administrative burden on CLC lawyers by approximately 30 per cent.

“Consensus for Purpose will enable CLCs to drive greater operational efficiencies by improving the automation of basic administrative tasks, that will ultimately and most importantly, enable CLCs to assist more people in our community with fewer resources,” MLC CEO Vasili Maroulis said.

WLSQ CEO Nadia Bromley added more women each year were relying on its services to navigate the complexities of the legal system. 

“Our communities grapple with heightened levels of poverty, violence, and homelessness, making it imperative for us to find innovative solutions to ensure our precious resources are utilised efficiently,” Bromley said. “The Consensus for Purpose system means we can dedicate more time to delivering frontline services, ultimately helping more women. 

“This positive outcome is a testament to the power of collaboration — our partnerships have allowed us to proactively create a solution rather than waiting. Together, we are shaping a more efficient and responsive pathway to justice for those who need it most.”

EDO legal director Nicole Sommer said the technology can help community legal centres nationally provide better access to justice by freeing up resources and streamlining the administration of our services.

“With this tool, more of our specialist lawyers’ time can be spent delivering those services. We have been able to work with amazing partners to bring this project to fruition, for the benefit of our clients and the community at large,” Sommer said.