Casetext shut down April 1, 2025.
CoCounsel now requires a Westlaw subscription,
significantly more expensive than Casetext’s standalone pricing.
Key Takeaways
Casetext shut down on April 1, 2025 — it is no longer available for any users.
CoCounsel now requires a Westlaw subscription — pricing increased 5–10x vs Casetext’s standalone model.
NexLaw is the only alternative built specifically for US litigators — includes full case prep, medical chronology, and courtroom tools that Casetext never had.
The Facts
What Happened to Casetext
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| August 2023 | Acquired by Thomson Reuters for $650M |
| April 1, 2025 | Shut down less than 2 years later |
| Post shut down | CoCounsel technology absorbed into Westlaw ecosystem |
| Impact on solo/small firms | Acquired by Thomson Reuters for $650M |
What was lost
What Lawyers Lost When Casetext Shut Down
| What was lost | Reality |
|---|---|
| Research history | No export tool — everything gone |
| Saved searches and annotations | Shut down less than 2 years later |
| Affordable standalone pricing | Westlaw subscription now required for CoCounsel |
| Workflow built for small firms | CoCounsel rebuilt for enterprise, not solo/small firm litigators |
The Replacement
What NexLaw Does That Casetext Never Could
Casetext got you to the research. NexLaw gets you to verdict.
Nexa
Direct replacement for CARA AI
Citation-backed legal research across all 50 states and federal courts. Every answer is verifiable. Zero hallucinations.
Use case: Ask NeXa to find controlling authority on duty of care in a PI case in Texas — get cited results in under 2 minutes.
NeXa product page
ChronoVault
Casetext never had this
Automated evidence timelines and medical chronologies. Built for PI and litigation teams.
Use case: Upload 200 pages of medical records — ChronoVault generates a treatment gap timeline automatically, flagged by date.
ChronoVault product page
CasePrep
Full case prep workspace
Witness outlines, argument builder, case strategy reports. Built for litigators, not BigLaw associates.
Use case: Input your case facts — get a full witness outline, argument structure, and trial strategy in one workspace, ready to take to court.
CasePrep product page
Migration Mapping Table
Migration Mapping Table
If you used Casetext for these things, here’s what replaces them in NexLaw
| Casetext Feature | NexLaw Replacement |
|---|---|
| CARA AI research | NeXa — citation-backed legal research |
| Research memos | NeXa — automated memo drafting |
| Case timelines | ChronoVault |
| Trial prep | CasePrep |
| Document review | NeXa document insights |
Full Comparison
Casetext vs CoCounsel vs NexLaw
| Feature | Casetext (discontinued) | CoCounsel / Westlaw | Nexlaw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | ✗ Shut down April 2025 | ✓ Active | ✓ Active |
| Price | ~$65/mo (was) | Westlaw subscription required | From $99/mo |
| Built for litigators | Partial | ✗ No — enterprise / BigLaw | ✓ Yes |
| Legal research | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ Nexa |
| CARA AI equivalent | ✓ (Was) | Partial via CoCounsel | ✓ Nexa |
| Citation verification | Partial | Partial | ✓ Full Verification |
| Trial preparation | ✗ | Partial | ✓ CasePrep |
| AI drafting | Partial | ✓ | ✓ Nexa |
| Case analysis reports | ✗ | Partial | ✓ |
| Jurisdiction coverage | All 50 states + federal | All 50 states + federal | ✓ All 50 states + federal |
| Medical chronology | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ ChronoVault |
| Courtroom tools | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Courtroom Assistant |
| Hallucination risk | Medium | Medium | Low — citation-backed |
| Data retention | N/A | Enterprise only | ✓ Zero retention (enterprise) |
| Free trial | Was available | ✗ | ✓ 7-day, no credit card |
| SOC 2 compliant | Was | Yes (enterprise pricing) | ✓ SOC 2 Type II |
Already Tried CoCounsel After Casetext?
Already tried CoCounsel after Casetext? Here’s what litigators found
| Casetext Feature | NexLaw Replacement |
|---|---|
| CARA AI research | NeXa — citation-backed legal research |
| Research memos | NeXa — automated memo drafting |
| Case timelines | ChronoVault |
| Trial prep | CasePrep |
| Document review | NeXa document insights |
Already Tried CoCounsel
After Casetext?
Here’s what litigators found
CoCounsel requires a Westlaw subscription — it is not a standalone product
Pricing significantly higher than Casetext’s previous model
No data portability — research history, saved searches, annotations all lost
No trial prep, no chronology, no courtroom tools
NexLaw starts at $99/mo, 7-day free trial, no contract
Run NexLaw on a real case
Honest Assessment
NexLaw vs CoCounsel
Where NexLaw Wins
Trial preparation — CasePrep has no CoCounsel equivalent. No competitor has it at this price.
Medical chronology — ChronoVault is entirely absent from CoCounsel/Westlaw.
Courtroom tools — Courtroom Assistant is NexLaw-only.
Pricing — NexLaw starts at $99/mo vs Westlaw enterprise contracts.
Built for solo and small-firm litigators — CoCounsel was rebuilt for enterprise after the Thomson Reuters acquisition.
Free trial — 7 days, no credit card. CoCounsel has no free trial.
Where CoCounsel Wins
Westlaw integration — if you already pay for Westlaw, CoCounsel’s research depth is unmatched.
Enterprise document workflows — large-volume diligence and multi-document analysis at scale.
Established brand — for BigLaw associates whose firms mandate Thomson Reuters tools.
Breakdown
Practice Area Breakdown
| Practice Area | Primary NexLaw Tool | What It Replaces from Casetext |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Injury | ChronoVault (medical chronology) + NeXa (research) | CARA AI research — plus adds chronology Casetext never had |
| General Litigation | NeXa + CasePrep full workflow | CARA AI research + adds full trial prep |
| Criminal Defense | NeXa case analysis + argument builder | CARA AI research and case memos |
| Civil Litigation | NeXa + CasePrep + Courtroom Assistant | Complete Casetext workflow replacement |
| Solo Practitioners | Full NexLaw suite at $99/mo | Casetext standalone — same price range, more features |
| Small Firm (2–20 attorneys) | Team plan — shared workspace + all tools | Casetext firm accounts — with trial prep added |
Who Should Choose NexLaw vs CoCounsel
| Choose NexLaw if… | Choose CoCounsel if… |
|---|---|
| You were a Casetext user and need a direct replacement | You already pay for Westlaw and want AI built on top of it |
| You are a solo practitioner or small firm litigator | You are at a BigLaw firm with a mandated Thomson Reuters stack |
| You need trial preparation tools, not just research | Your primary need is large-volume document diligence |
| You handle personal injury and need medical chronology | You need Practical Law templates and Westlaw case law in one tool |
| You want a 7-day free trial before committing | You have an enterprise legal ops budget and need vendor support SLAs |
| You do not want to pay Westlaw prices | Price is secondary to seamless Westlaw ecosystem integration |
Here’s what litigators found
How to Switch from
Casetext to NexLaw
1
2
Upload your existing research documents, discovery files, or case materials
3
Run NeXa citation-backed research on your active case
4
Generate a ChronoVault timeline from your discovery documents
5
Build your trial prep workspace in CasePrep
What Litigator Say About Our Legal AI Assistant
Hear what professionals are saying about our Legal AI Assistant and how it supports their work
" It is good. It's a strong product that's very focused on legal research. It's more legally accurate than ChatGPT or Gemini - NexLaw usually gets citations right and summarizes cases correctly. "
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore answers to frequently asked questions about Nexlaw
Is Casetext still available in 2026?
No. Casetext officially shut down on April 1, 2025 following its acquisition by Thomson Reuters.
What happened to Casetext after Thomson Reuters acquired it?
Thomson Reuters acquired Casetext for $650M in 2023, then shut down the standalone product in April 2025, absorbing CoCounsel into the Westlaw ecosystem.
Is CoCounsel the same as Casetext?
No. CoCounsel now requires a Westlaw subscription and is significantly more expensive than Casetext’s standalone pricing. Built for enterprise and BigLaw.
What is the best Casetext alternative for litigators?
NexLaw — the only Casetext alternative built specifically for US litigators, combining citation-backed research with full trial prep, medical chronology, and courtroom tools.
How much does CoCounsel/Westlaw cost compared to NexLaw?
CoCounsel requires a Westlaw subscription, significantly more expensive than Casetext’s previous pricing. NexLaw starts at $99/mo with a 7-day free trial, no contract.
Does NexLaw replace Casetext’s CARA AI?
Yes. NexLaw’s NeXa provides citation-backed legal research across all 50 states and federal courts — same function as CARA, with full trial prep on top.
Can I get a free trial of NexLaw?
Yes. NexLaw offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required.
Is NexLaw SOC 2 compliant?
Yes. NexLaw is SOC 2 Type II certified with AES-256 encryption and a zero data retention policy for enterprise users.
This comparison is based on publicly available information including product websites, official pricing pages, Thomson Reuters press releases, Westlaw documentation, and attorney community feedback from practitioner forums. Casetext shutdown date and Thomson Reuters acquisition price sourced from official press releases. Pricing estimates for CoCounsel/Westlaw are based on publicly available industry data — exact enterprise pricing varies. Readers should request a quote directly from Thomson Reuters for current figures. NexLaw pricing sourced directly from nexlaw.ai. Information current as of March 2026.
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