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Neil Brown published a November 6 update describing the free and open-source software he uses to run decoded.legal, a small English law firm focused on internet, telecoms and technology law. The account covers workstation and server tools, including a move from Nextcloud to Syncthing and Radicale; it is one practitioner’s report, not an industry survey or an audit of security and costs.
Neil Brown, who runs the small English law firm decoded.legal, published a November 6 account of the free software he uses for the firm’s day-to-day work, from document production and email to file synchronization and time tracking. The update records changes since his previous posts, including replacing Nextcloud with Syncthing for file synchronization and using Radicale for calendar and contact data.
Brown says he has run the firm using free software on both client devices and servers for about five years. On his workstation, he continues to use Debian with GNOME on a ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6. For documents, he uses LibreOffice Writer when exchanging Word files with other lawyers, and Markdown written in vim with pandoc and typst for other work. He uses reveal.js to create presentations from Markdown.
His other desktop tools include Thunderbird and mutt for email, Firefox for web browsing, and Evince and Xournal++ for reading and marking up PDFs. Brown also lists LUKS for disk encryption, Cryptomator for encrypting files before synchronization, and Bitwarden with a Vaultwarden server for password management. He says he uses terminal-based programs regularly because he is comfortable with them and finds them less distracting.
On the server side, Brown says that, apart from Signal, the services he lists are self-hosted, mostly on Intel NUC computers. The setup includes Postfix and Dovecot for email, Syncthing and Radicale for file, calendar and contact synchronization, and EspoCRM for matter management. He also lists InvoicePlane for producing PDF invoices, Kimai for time tracking, WireGuard for VPN access, Greenbone/OpenVAS for vulnerability scanning, and Uptime Kuma for monitoring.
What a Small Firm Runs
The update offers a practical account of how one small firm combines free software with legal work that involves documents, client communications and sensitive information. Brown’s description shows a mix of local desktop applications and services he operates himself, rather than reliance on one all-in-one platform. That is relevant to lawyers and small businesses weighing control over their tools against the time and expertise needed to maintain them.
The account is a practitioner’s experience, not evidence that the same setup will suit other firms or meet every legal, regulatory or security requirement. Brown does not provide a cost comparison, a security audit or quantified reliability results. Readers should treat the piece as a report of his own choices, not a general recommendation.
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Changes Since Earlier Updates
Brown says he first wrote about operating decoded.legal with free software after roughly a year, then published another update in 2024. The November 2026 post follows a recent question about what tools he uses now. He says most of the setup is unchanged, while some services and devices have changed.
The clearest service change is the move away from Nextcloud, which Brown says was causing more problems than it solved for him. He replaced it with Syncthing for file synchronization and Radicale for CalDAV and CardDAV services. He also stopped running a Jitsi server after years of use, explaining that he was often joining meetings hosted by others and the server saw little use. He now offers Signal instead, and says he has received no complaints.
“Everything here – other than Signal – is self-hosted”
— Neil Brown, decoded.legal
Open Questions About the Setup
The post does not provide figures for software or hosting costs, time spent on maintenance, service uptime, or the firm’s overall security arrangements. It also does not assess how the tools meet particular client, confidentiality or regulatory requirements. Those points cannot be inferred from the software list alone.
Brown says his ThinkPad’s Thunderbolt and USB-C ports are unreliable for data, though they still work for power, and that he may need to replace the laptop. He has not decided what model to buy. He also says he needs to move the firm’s mail infrastructure at some point and wants to investigate Stalwart; no migration date or decision is given.
Possible Mail and Laptop Changes
The next changes Brown identifies are a possible laptop replacement and a future move of the firm’s email infrastructure. He has not named a replacement computer or set a timetable for the mail move. Stalwart is a system he wants to examine, not a confirmed choice.
For now, the update describes the tools he says he is using and the changes already made. Any further changes will depend on his hardware needs and review of the mail setup; the post does not announce a broader rollout or a change to the firm’s software policy.
Key Questions
What is the news about decoded.legal?
Neil Brown published a 2026 update describing the free software he uses to run the small English law firm, including desktop tools and self-hosted services.
What changed since Brown’s previous update?
Brown says he moved from Nextcloud to Syncthing for file synchronization and uses Radicale for calendar and contact services. He also stopped running Jitsi and now offers Signal for video calls.
Does the article establish that the setup is cheaper or more secure?
No. The post describes Brown’s choices but does not give a cost comparison, security audit or quantified performance results.
What changes might Brown make next?
He may replace a ThinkPad with unreliable data connections on its Thunderbolt and USB-C ports, and says he wants to assess Stalwart as a possible future mail system. Neither change has a confirmed date or final decision.
Source: decoded.legal
