How to Use Orion Legal Software in the Cloud in 2025

This guide will illustrate how to run Orion in the cloud. For all those who run Orion Legal Software for their firm (or will), we will help you understand why and how Orion is better when operated in the cloud.

People who can benefit from this article include:

In our ultimate guide to Orion cloud hosting and moving Orion to the cloud, we’ll bring you up to speed on every aspect to consider when thinking about and operating Orion in the cloud.

If you’re already familiar with Orion, feel free to skip ahead. But if you’re new to the platform—or considering it for your firm—this quick overview will help set the stage.

Founded in 1985, Orion Law Management Systems has long provided law firms with a comprehensive suite of practice and financial management tools.

Orion is fundamentally server-based software, designed to run on in-house servers. However, it can also be deployed in a private cloud hosting environment—a workaround that brings cloud-like accessibility without Orion being a true native cloud application.

Looking at Orion from a bird’s view, it provides some great features.

Here’s a few:

Like many server-based platforms, Orion delivers a feature set that often goes far beyond what a solo or small firm needs. Larger practices tend to get the most out of Orion’s advanced, scalable tools, while smaller firms may find simpler, web-based management software a better fit.

That said, web-based solutions can hit a ceiling as a firm grows. At that point, a more robust system like Orion—though traditionally tied to servers—can provide the depth and flexibility needed.

No two firms operate the same way. Orion recognizes this, offering customization to align its practice and financial management tools with each firm’s unique workflows.

Orion is used to its full potential when utilized in larger firms.

While smaller firms and solo ventures can use Orion Legal Software, they may find that its cost and functionality exceed what they’re looking for.

The cloud has fantastic benefits for law firms.

Aware of this, some law firms that value the convenience and versatility of the cloud feel as though they need to give up the software that they love for the cloud, so they leave their beloved software for a web-based software application.

Orion Legal Software is very functional and efficient. And, it’s even better in the cloud.

Most law firms have a better time when they’re in the cloud. With the various benefits that come with setting yourself up in the cloud, it’s no wonder why law firms such as yours are considering ways to take advantage.

Well, while you once had to decide between using your favorite tools and being in the cloud, you now have the option of doing both. We’ll explain how, but first, let’s talk about why you would want to in the first place.

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Orion was originally built as premise-based software, designed to run on servers inside a law firm’s office. By contrast, true cloud applications are web-native, accessed directly through a browser.

That doesn’t mean Orion can’t run in the cloud. By using hosting solutions, like Practice Go, you can effectively “cloudify” Orion and access it anywhere.

One approach is to publish Orion through a lightweight cloud platform, where it runs as a published or web app. This works best if Orion is the only application you need in the cloud, and the rest of your systems are already cloud-based.

If your firm needs a broader cloud strategy—where Orion runs alongside your documents, email, and other software—a private cloud or virtual desktop solution is the better fit.

Traditionally, running Orion meant running servers. The software was installed on a firm’s in-house hardware, and every desktop in the office connected back to that server. Firms accepted the cost, maintenance, and headaches because there simply wasn’t another way to use robust practice management software.

That’s changed with the Private Cloud.

A private cloud functions like a server—but better. It can host Orion alongside your other critical systems, while also handling documents, email, and storage with greater mobility, security, and reliability than office-based servers ever could.

The fundamentals haven’t changed: Orion still needs a server to run. What’s different is that the server can now live in the cloud, managed by experts instead of sitting in a closet down the hall.

A well-built private cloud, such as one provided by Practice Foundation for law firms typically includes:

Private Clouds are named as such because every law firm (generally referred to as a “tenant” in cloud computing) has their own segregated, dedicated working environment.

This usually entails:

If these technologies don’t sound familiar to you, this is what it means in a nutshell.

Your law firm has its very own private space. You don’t share it with anyone.

On this private space, you store your software, documents, and data separately from others. Therefore, your firm is granted an extra level of data security and privacy.

Related:

Now that we’ve covered the back-end, or behind the scenes, of Orion Cloud-Based, let’s look at the front-end.

This is what you and the team will interact with.

This is what we call a Virtual Desktop.

We’ve covered why Orion works well in the cloud and how a Private Cloud makes that possible. But what does that actually look like for your team? The answer: a Virtual Desktop.

A Virtual Desktop looks and feels like the computer you log into every day—but it’s hosted in the cloud. That means you can access it from anywhere, on any computer, at any time. Inside your Virtual Desktop, you’ll find all the tools you rely on: Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, your practice management and accounting software, and even your document management system.

In short, a Virtual Desktop makes Orion—and the rest of your software—available from any device in the world, not just the office.

This setup is often called Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS), a cloud-based model similar to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

Traditionally, your office computers connected directly to an on-premise server, with each application installed locally. That tied your work to a specific machine in a specific location.

With Virtual Desktops, the software doesn’t live on your device. Instead, your local computer only needs a shortcut to connect you to your cloud-hosted desktop—where all your applications and data reside, securely and consistently, no matter where you’re working.

When you, or anyone on your team, logs into the virtual desktop, you’ll find an environment built to give you access to all of your firm’s software, documents, and data.

Some of these include:

By adopting the Virtual Desktop model, you can easily provide your entire firm with access to Orion (plus all of your other applications, files, and data) from anywhere and on any device.

Give up the days of installing, updating, and maintaining each of your applications on each computer within your firm. Instead, allow a Cloud Service Provider, like Uptime Practice, keep all your software up to date and ready to use.

Related:

The short answer is that under most circumstances, yes.

They bring a multitude of benefits for your law firm, and they are the best route you can take in any of the following scenarios:

Further down the article, we’ll cover selecting the best Virtual Desktop provider for you, and how you can do your due diligence in this process.

For an example of working in a Virtual Desktop, watch our demonstration of Uptime Practice.

We’ve talked about how Orion in the Cloud works, the benefits that come with it, and the functions that you should care about as a law firm. Let’s say for the moment that you’re ready to make the switch.

Good choice! Now we can talk about what it looks like to move Orion to the cloud.

As with any well-managed project, your Orion cloud migration will be most successful if you have a single point of contact.

We call this person an Onboarding Manager but could also be referred to as a project manager.

This point of contact is responsible for setting clear expectations and concisely communicating each of the steps.

Uncertainty has no place here.

Essentially, your Onboarding Project Manager should outline specific timelines, expectations, and what they need from you to complete the migration of Orion.

Good services providers will have some well-defined and documented processes for onboarding your law firm.

Nonetheless, the process is never cookie-cutter and shouldn’t be treated as such. It’s important to tailor the Orion cloud migration to exactly fit the needs of the client (you).

This process involves a deep investigation and assessment of your law firm’s current environment, including:

Following discovery, it’s time to start building.

Your Orion hosting provider will begin by developing your private cloud environment. A good provider should have a well-developed process that they’ve used for other law firms and can probably build your private cloud rather quickly.

The Onboarding Manager and engineering team will install your software, provision your email accounts, and generally build the “shell” of your complete IT platform.

This process includes:

After building, your Orion cloud software provider will start collecting data and information from the current environment.

Each part of your law firm’s software and technology will be moved over, piece-by-piece.

The migration process includes:

The transfer itself should be thorough and harmonious.

All data will be safely transferred to the cloud. Post-transfer of your data, your onboarding manager should guide their team through the testing of every application, computer, and any other related components.

To avoid or minimize any downtime that your law firm could experience, your Orion hosting provider should prioritize efficiency by scheduling and carrying out the migration during an off time. This could be at night, on the weekend, or any other time that would ensure the process is quick and painless.

A successful migration doesn’t end once the last file is moved. In fact, that’s just the beginning.

Your Orion hosting provider should have a clear training plan ready from day one, ensuring every staff member knows how to work in the new cloud environment.

A careful onboarding and support process is the difference between a smooth transition and a frustrating one. With the right provider and preparation, your firm can begin running Orion in the cloud quickly—and confidently.

Hosting Orion in the cloud brings clear advantages: anywhere access, stronger security, and greater reliability. But the financial side deserves just as much attention.

Running Orion on in-house servers often costs more than firms anticipate. Beyond the servers themselves, there’s the supporting infrastructure—backup systems, power redundancy, and security layers—not to mention the expense of hiring IT consultants to configure, monitor, and maintain everything.

Even with careful planning, annual costs for on-premise systems almost always exceed expectations.

By contrast, private cloud solutions bundle hosting, maintenance, backups, and security into a predictable monthly expense. To fully understand the economics, it’s worth comparing these models side by side: the private cloud versus the on-premise/DIY IT approach.

Watch the video below to learn more about the Financial Case for Cloud Computing:

Servers usually last about 3-5 years before the risk of server failure increases past comfort.

So, to measure your upfront costs, we’ll need to account for all costs generated during each server cycle. These costs are buying and implementing server infrastructure.

Including:

The best way to create a budget and understand these costs is to get each one priced and record them in a spreadsheet. This will help ensure that you are not missing anything while providing a way for you to easily add up the costs.

On another related note, it’s pertinent to factor in the software that your law firm uses when determining these costs.

Consider the following: What caliber of servers does your law firm require to run your software correctly and without fail? Does your law firm require numerous, dedicated servers? Will you need VMWare virtualization?

For these questions and more, the answer lies in the software that you use.

Particularly, it’s decided by your Practice Management and Document Management Software. Different applications have different demands to be met.

Try our Cloud Cost Calculator to estimate the relevant upfront costs for your law firm.

We can’t quite end the conversation with upfront costs. We’ll also need to cover ongoing costs because they add up – very quickly.

You will need to analyze the costs generated both monthly and annually (renewals, maintenance, etc.).

Then, you can determine your average costs by month or year.

For most law firms, these costs often include:

When you add up these ongoing expenses, be sure to include fixed monthly costs (like a Managed IT Provider contract) and the costs that are a bit more unpredictable (like hourly IT support).

For the more sporadic costs, you may be uncertain about how to estimate a reasonable budget for something you can’t foresee. In this case, I recommend averaging the past 2-3 years of this expense to get some idea of what you can expect down the line.

After you find the total of these costs, you’ll have your average monthly IT spend.

Unfortunately, you can’t always know what the future holds for IT expenses.

Identifying and budgeting for these costs can save you from some real trouble later on. Of course, you will want to be proactive about IT whenever possible, for it considerably lowers the possibility of IT problems impacting your business heavily.

However, it is nearly impossible to prevent all unforeseen problems, so it’s important to be wary of the forms these may take.

For example, you may encounter:

Essentially, some costs you can predict and plan for because they’re consistent. For others, you still need to plan and budget for, but it becomes increasingly difficult when they’re unpredictable.

With all that considered, adding your upfront costs, monthly costs, and spontaneous costs leaves you with your Totally Cost of Ownership for On-Premise IT.

Now that we’ve detailed the costs of server ownership, the next logical step is to compare them to the alternative – a Private Cloud.

Hopefully you understand and align with our demonstration of the Private Cloud as an objectively better option than keeping it all in-house. In terms of mobility, advanced security, and dependability, the Private Cloud takes the cake.

Still… a solution is better understood and adopted when the bottom line is also considered. So, this leads us to asking, is in-house IT more affordable than cloud-based IT?

The simple answer? No.

A Private Cloud’s costs usually include:

It’s noteworthy that, with a good fit Private Cloud provider, these figures include all technology that you alternatively need to purchase and maintain. On-Premise IT is, as we’ve shown, difficult to budget for due to its hidden and unexpected costs.

Fully-managed Private Cloud have simple, clear, and predictable costs that you can budget for and more easily afford.

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With your understanding of Orion in the cloud functionally, and the benefits of migrating to the cloud, let’s talk about the need to do your due diligence.

With the various methods for migrating Orion to the cloud, it is up to you to decide what is the best way for you to accomplish the transition carefully and efficiently.

As migrating to the cloud has risen in effectiveness and popularity, law firms are faced with the problem of increasingly more companies wanting to serve as their cloud server providers.

While it’s great to have options, it’s important to distinguish those who claim they can handle your cloud migration and maintenance and those who can actually do it.

Just saying “Hey, we offer Orion Cloud Hosting!” isn’t enough to make them qualified to do so. Why?

Migrating, operating, and maintaining Orion in the cloud is not a simple feat.

Hosting Orion requires enough knowledge to ensure that it migrates properly and continues to function as needed.

We could write an entire article on how to be diligent about finding the correct cloud provider, but here are a few key points to consider as you’re comparing providers:

This narrows down a large list into a short list.

From here, do your own homework for each contender.

Here are some ways to accomplish that:

Quick tip:

If you want to see the Google reviews for any company you’re considering, all you need to do is perform a Google search for that company. If you don’t see anything, that company may not be reputable enough to have gained a Google presence.

Otherwise, the Google listing and reviews will show up in the search results sidebar, like so:

Learn more about doing your due diligence:

At Uptime Legal, we host Orion and other legal software for hundreds of law firms across North America.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about Orion in the cloud for your law firm.

Learn More about running Orion in the Cloud.