PC Law Workstation Replacement Checklist

Why PC Law workstations need a deliberate replacement process

PC Law workstations are often configured with specific printer mappings for cheque stock and invoice templates, saved report settings, and sometimes local data caches that need to transfer cleanly to a new machine. Simply installing PC Law on a new computer and pointing it at the server misses these details, and the gaps usually surface during the next billing run or trust cheque print, not immediately.

Assessing whether replacement is actually needed

• Workstation age exceeding four to five years with declining performance
• Mechanical hard drive rather than solid-state storage
• Operating system approaching or past end of support
• Frequent freezing or crashing specifically while using PC Law
• Hardware failures becoming frequent enough that repair no longer makes financial sense

Specifying the replacement workstation

• Solid-state drive as standard for faster application load and database interaction
• At least 16 GB of RAM, more if the user also runs Primafact or heavy Microsoft 365 use
• A current-generation processor rather than budget or refurbished hardware
• Wired network connection preferred over Wi-Fi for consistent database performance

Pre-migration checklist

1. Confirm the current PC Law version and licensing details for the user being migrated.
2. Document current printer mappings, especially trust cheque and invoice templates.
3. Note any local report templates, saved searches, or custom settings in use.
4. Confirm the network share path and credentials the workstation uses to reach PC Law's server.
5. Schedule the swap for a low-activity period, avoiding the days around a major billing run.

Migration day checklist

1. Install PC Law on the new workstation and connect it to the firm's server.
2. Restore or recreate printer mappings, particularly for trust cheque stock.
3. Confirm the user can log in and see their expected matters and time entries.
4. Run a test billing entry and a test trust cheque print on the new machine before relying on it for real work.
5. Confirm any saved report templates or custom views carried over correctly.
6. Leave the old workstation available, though disconnected from active use, for a short overlap period.

Security and backup on the new workstation

Every new workstation should be enrolled in endpoint protection and confirmed to meet the firm's security baseline, including full-disk encryption and multi-factor authentication for any remote access, before it goes into daily production use. See our broader cybersecurity guidance for the baseline every workstation handling client and trust data should meet.

If the user also runs Primafact on the same machine, review our Primafact workstation replacement guide alongside this checklist, since most firms replace hardware for both applications at the same time rather than running two separate hardware refresh cycles.

Coordinating with broader firm IT planning

A workstation replacement is a good moment to confirm the user's access, permissions, and account setup align with current firm policy rather than carrying forward settings inherited from years of incremental changes. This kind of periodic clean-up is easiest to manage as part of ongoing managed IT services rather than as a one-off project disconnected from the rest of the firm's technology plan.

Disposing of the old workstation properly

Once the new workstation has been in reliable use for a short period and the firm is confident nothing was missed, the old machine's drive should be securely wiped before disposal or repurposing, given that it likely held cached trust accounting and client billing data during its service life.

Frequently asked questions