Quick Verdict
CoreMatter is a capable Southeast Asian practice management platform with integrated accounting, trust accounting, and multi-country VAT compliance. It serves the region well but does not know Philippine courts or case types, does not count deadlines from the date of receipt, cannot exclude Philippine holidays, and does not accept GCash or Maya. DueCounsel is built specifically for Philippine practice — with Philippine courts, reglementary periods counted from receipt, holiday exclusions, peso invoices with 12% VAT, and local payment methods.
Choose DueCounsel if…
- Philippine courts, agencies and case types built in
- Deadlines counted from the date of receipt, with Philippine holidays excluded
- Peso invoices with 12% VAT computed automatically
- GCash, Maya and bank transfer payment recording
- AI summaries of your documents and plain-language search
- Two-way Google Calendar sync and Outlook integration
- Philippine-based onboarding and support
- Transparent tiered pricing in pesos, no setup fee
Choose CoreMatter if…
- Integrated accounting and billing in one system, including trust accounting and ledger management
- SST/GST/VAT compliant for Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines
- Multiple timers for capturing billable time
- Matter approval workflow for partners to vet incoming cases
- Disbursement voucher claims with two-level approval process
- Mobile app for iOS and Android at no additional charge
- Integrates with iManage and NetDocuments for document management
- Used by 600+ firms across 11 countries
Feature Comparison
A side-by-side look at what CoreMatter and DueCounsel each do for a law office. “Not stated publicly” means the provider does not say either way on its own website — it does not mean the answer is no.
| Feature | DueCounsel | CoreMatter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Management | |||
| Complete practice management system | Yes | Yes | |
| Case and matter management | Yes | Yes | |
| Client, counsel and party records | Yes | Yes | |
| Secure document storage | Yes | Yes | |
| Document folders and version history | Yes | Not stated publicly | |
| Search your records in plain language | Yes | No | |
| Task assignment and tracking | Yes | Partly | |
| Firm-wide legal calendar | Yes | Partly | |
| Deadlines & Philippine Practice | |||
| Deadline reminders by email | Yes | Not stated publicly | |
| Deadlines counted from date of receipt | Yes | No | |
| Philippine courts, agencies and case types | Yes | No | |
| Philippine holidays excluded when counting deadlines | Yes | No | |
| Billing & Financial | |||
| Billable time recording | Yes | Yes | |
| Invoices in Philippine pesos | Yes | Partly | |
| Multi-currency invoicing (PHP, USD, EUR, and more) | Yes | Yes | |
| Per-currency billing summaries | Yes | Not stated publicly | |
| 12% VAT computed automatically | Yes | Partly | |
| Invoices in your firm colours | Yes | Yes | |
| Payment recording and balance tracking | Yes | Yes | |
| GCash, Maya and bank transfer payments | Yes | No | |
| Trust account management | Yes | Yes | |
| Retainer agreement tracking | Yes | Not stated publicly | |
| Client & Team | |||
| New client intake with conflict checking | Yes | Yes | |
| Staff access levels | Yes | Yes | |
| Per-case access control | Yes | Partly | |
| Activity history for every case | Yes | Yes | |
| AI & Research | |||
| Legal research | Partly | Not stated publicly | |
| AI summaries of your documents | Yes | Not stated publicly | |
| Integrations | |||
| Two-way Google Calendar sync | Yes | Partly | |
| Outlook and Microsoft 365 sync | Partly | Partly | |
| Export deadlines to calendar or spreadsheet | Yes | Partly | |
| Infrastructure & Compliance | |||
| Google Verified Publisher | Yes | Not stated publicly | |
| Works on phone and tablet | Yes | Yes | |
| Pricing published openly | Yes | Yes | |
| Support & Migration | |||
| Transfer of your existing records | Yes | Yes | |
| Philippine-based onboarding and support | Yes | No | |
Philippine Law-Firm Suitability
CoreMatter is a Southeast Asian platform that supports Philippine BIR VAT compliance and is used by firms across the region. However, it does not know Philippine courts or case types, does not count reglementary periods from the date of receipt, cannot exclude Philippine holidays, does not issue peso invoices with 12% VAT computed automatically, and does not accept GCash or Maya. Philippine firms would need to work around each of these gaps manually.
Pricing and Implementation
Pricing
CoreMatter pricing starts at USD $29.99 per user per month (standard) and goes up to USD $49.99 per user per month (premium), plus a one-time professional services fee for setup. DueCounsel pricing starts at ₱599/month for the first user with volume discounts, or ₱5,990/year with annual billing (17% savings), with no setup fee and free migration.
Implementation
CoreMatter offers paid professional services for deployment, including consultation, database setup, role definition, and training (6 hours). DueCounsel provides free transfer of your existing records, guided setup, and staff training at no extra cost.
CoreMatter Strengths
- •Integrated accounting and billing in one system, including trust accounting and ledger management
- •SST/GST/VAT compliant for Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines
- •Multiple timers for capturing billable time
- •Matter approval workflow for partners to vet incoming cases
- •Disbursement voucher claims with two-level approval process
- •Mobile app for iOS and Android at no additional charge
- •Integrates with iManage and NetDocuments for document management
- •Used by 600+ firms across 11 countries
CoreMatter Limitations
- •No Philippine court structures, case types or agency deadlines
- •Cannot count reglementary periods from the date of receipt
- •Cannot exclude Philippine holidays when counting deadlines
- •No GCash, Maya or Philippine bank transfer payment integration
- •No AI summaries or plain-language search across your records
- •No two-way Google Calendar sync or Outlook sync
- •Pricing in USD ($29.99–$49.99 per user per month), not pesos
- •One-time professional services fee for setup on top of subscription
- •Support based in Malaysia, not Philippine-based
Can These Products Be Used Together?
No. Both are full practice management platforms serving the same core function. A law firm would typically choose one or the other. DueCounsel offers free migration from CoreMatter.
Who Each Product Is Best For
CoreMatter is best for
Firms in Malaysia, Singapore and the broader Southeast Asian region that want an integrated practice management and accounting system with SST/GST/VAT compliance and trust accounting.
DueCounsel is best for
Philippine law firms that want their cases, documents, deadlines, tasks and billing in one place — with deadlines counted from the date of receipt, Philippine holidays left out, peso invoices carrying 12% VAT, and a support team in the same time zone as you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does CoreMatter support Philippine court structures?
No. CoreMatter is built for Malaysia and Singapore courts. It does not know Philippine courts, tribunals or case types, and it does not count reglementary periods under the Rules of Court.
Can CoreMatter issue peso invoices with 12% VAT?
CoreMatter is VAT-compliant for the Philippines BIR and supports multi-currency invoicing, but it does not compute 12% Philippine VAT automatically on peso invoices the way DueCounsel does. Pricing is also in USD, not pesos.
Can I migrate from CoreMatter to DueCounsel?
Yes. DueCounsel brings your CoreMatter cases, contacts, documents and deadlines across for free.
This comparison relies on what each provider states publicly as of the date shown. Features, availability and pricing may change, so confirm anything you intend to rely on. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners, and DueCounsel is not affiliated with the providers compared here.