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Neil Brown’s November 2026 update describes the free software he uses to run decoded.legal, a small English law firm focused on internet, telecoms and technology law. He reports replacing Nextcloud with Syncthing and Radicale, while continuing to use tools including Debian, LibreOffice, Signal, Kimai and EspoCRM. The account is one firm’s experience, not a claim that the setup suits every legal practice.
Neil Brown, a solicitor who runs the small English law firm decoded.legal, has published an update describing the free software he uses for the firm’s day-to-day work. The November 6 report documents changes to his setup, including replacing Nextcloud with Syncthing for file synchronisation and using Radicale for calendar and contacts, while keeping many other tools in place.
Brown says he has run the firm using free software on both client devices and servers for about five years. On his main computer, a ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6, he uses Debian with GNOME. His hardware may need to be replaced: he reports that the laptop’s Thunderbolt and USB-C ports work for power but are unreliable for data. He has not decided what machine to buy next.
For legal documents, Brown uses LibreOffice Writer when he needs to exchange Word files with other lawyers. For other writing, he works in Markdown using Vim, then uses Pandoc and Typst for conversion. His presentations are made with reveal.js from Markdown. Other desktop tools in his account include Thunderbird and mutt for email, Evince and Xournal++ for PDFs, Firefox, Bitwarden with a Vaultwarden server, LUKS disk encryption and Cryptomator for encrypting files before synchronisation.
On the server side, Brown says that all services in his list except Signal are self-hosted. The firm uses Postfix and Dovecot for email, Syncthing for file synchronisation, Radicale for CalDAV and CardDAV, InvoicePlane to generate PDF invoices, Kimai for time tracking and EspoCRM for matter management. He also lists WireGuard for VPN access and Uptime Kuma for monitoring. He says the list covers the main applications rather than every tool in use.
Practical Trade-Offs for Small Firms
Brown’s account offers a concrete example of how a small professional practice can assemble its own software stack across document creation, communications, billing and internal records. It may be useful to lawyers and other small businesses evaluating alternatives to relying entirely on commercial cloud platforms, because it identifies named tools and describes changes made after hands-on use.
The account also shows that using free software does not mean every service is self-hosted or every issue is resolved. Brown joins other people’s Teams and Zoom meetings through Firefox, uses Signal for his own conferencing offer and notes that his laptop may need replacement. His experience describes one firm’s choices; it does not establish that the same tools meet another practice’s security, regulatory, support or client requirements.
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How the Setup Has Changed
Brown says the 2026 post follows earlier accounts published in 2022 and 2024. He wrote the new update after someone asked what he was using, and says most of the setup remains similar, with some changes. The latest report is a personal account from the owner of decoded.legal, which focuses on internet, telecommunications and technology law.
The clearest change he describes is moving away from Nextcloud, which he says caused more problems than it solved for him. He now uses Syncthing for file synchronisation and Radicale for calendars and contacts, and reports being happy with that combination. He also stopped running a Jitsi server a few months before writing the update because it saw little use; he now offers Signal instead. Brown says he remains a Jitsi fan, while explaining that he usually joins meetings hosted by others on Teams or Zoom.
“I just was not getting on with [Nextcloud], and it was causing me more problems than it solved.”
— Neil Brown, decoded.legal
Limits of One Firm’s Account
The report does not provide a full security audit, cost comparison, or assessment of how the setup meets particular legal or regulatory obligations. It also does not quantify time saved, reliability, or the workload involved in maintaining self-hosted services. Those questions cannot be answered from Brown’s account alone.
Several plans and problems remain open. Brown says he may need a new laptop because of unreliable data connections through its USB-C and Thunderbolt ports, but has not selected a replacement. He also says he needs to move the firm’s mail infrastructure at some point and wants to examine Stalwart. The report does not give a timetable for either change.
Mail and Hardware Decisions Ahead
Brown has identified two possible next steps: choosing a replacement laptop and reviewing the firm’s mail setup, including whether to consider Stalwart. He has not announced a decision or schedule for either. Until then, his update describes the current arrangement rather than a planned migration.
Readers considering a similar approach would need to evaluate their own client needs, technical capacity and professional obligations; Brown’s post does not offer a general compliance assessment. The next public update, if he publishes one, may show whether the laptop or mail infrastructure changes and whether the firm’s software choices develop further.
Key Questions
What is the news about decoded.legal?
Lawyer Neil Brown published a November 2026 update listing the free software and self-hosted services he uses to run decoded.legal, a small English law firm.
What changed since Brown’s previous setup?
He moved away from Nextcloud, using Syncthing for file synchronisation and Radicale for calendars and contacts. He also stopped running a Jitsi server and now offers Signal for conferencing.
Is every service self-hosted?
No. Brown says the services in his server-side list are self-hosted except Signal. He also uses other organisations’ Teams or Zoom meetings when invited by their hosts.
Does Brown recommend this setup for every law firm?
The post reports one firm’s experience; it does not establish that the tools meet every firm’s security, regulatory, support or client requirements.
What might Brown change next?
He says his laptop may need replacing because its USB-C and Thunderbolt ports are unreliable for data. He also wants to review the mail infrastructure and look at Stalwart, but gives no timeline or final decision.
Source: decoded.legal
