HoudiniEsq Downloads
Practice Software for Today’s Busy Professionals
2.0.909 Oct 31st 2024
License
License Details
This is an on-premise install only
This is not Freeware or Open Source. HoudiniEsq is licensed software.
HoudiniEsq helps Attorneys, Paralegals, Law Libraries, Law Schools, Investigators, State, Federal Agencies, and Consultants of every nature manage their daily practice.
FREE Solo Practitioners License If you are a solo practitioner you may download and use HoudiniEsq Solo (on-premise) and our support and training services for free perpetually. No fine print. No hoops to jump through. No data size restrictions, Ads, or BS. Download and get yourself organized today. You’ll be glad you did.
A Solo license is a single user login using the product. You may purchase a Practice License (multi-seat) at any time if you need to add users.
A few advanced features are disabled in a Solo license such as Chat and OCR otherwise the feature set is identical to our all-inclusive Cloud offering.
Requirments
Installation & Getting Started
You install HoudiniEsq on a single machine that will act as the host. There is no software that needs to be installed or maintained on a user’s PC. All that is needed is a web browser. HoudiniEsq runs as a service on the host machine. You and your staff connect to HoudiniEsq using the web browser of your choice.
Windows, OSX, and Linux-based systems are all supported. Use any browser, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, or Edge.
Please note, although you will use a web browser to interact with the software your data resides on the host machine HoudiniEsq was installed onto at all times.
You do not need an expensive server
Any computer you can pick up from BestBuy for $400 will do such as the Dell Inspiron. Keep in mind that all your data, emails, attachments, and documents will be stored on this device so a large hard drive of 500 gigabytes of storage or greater is very important. At least 8 gigabytes of memory are also suggested. Using an SSD for your primary storage has huge benefits all around and HoudiniEsq is no exception. If you have a choice always opt for an SSD as your primary drive.
If you plan on using an existing machine to host HoudiniEsq you should install a fresh operating system on the device or wipe it completely clean prior to installation.
The host machine should be dedicated to hosting HoudiniEsq and securing your data, nothing more.
If you are a solo practitioner (no other staff will be using HoudiniEsq) installing it onto your personal computer or laptop is fine as long as you keep your laptop secure.
Best Practice
If you are not a Solo Practitioner, (you have staff) then it is best practice to install HoudiniEsq onto dedicated hardware. Your staff will use their web browser to connect to the host machine and HoudiniEsq.
If you want to connect to your instance of HoudiniEsq remotely via an iPad or your cell phone when on the go, working from home, a courtroom, or from any device outside your local network, then you should install HoudiniEsq onto a standalone computer in your office, not your personal laptop. Think 24/7 access.
Securing your data starts with the host machine
It can not be overemphasized. The host machine should be dedicated to hosting and securing your data. Nothing more. This includes performing routine daily backups and using Antivirus software. We suggest American-made Anti-virus software. DO NOT USE products developed outside the USA such as *McAfee, *Norton, or *Kaspersky. We suggest and trust PC Matic for Windows users and Bitdefender for OSX users.
The host machine is where you will be storing all of your critical information and should have limited access to staff, external apps, devices, local and external networks. Generally the outside world. This includes remote access. For more see the Remote Access tab above.
Data security starts and stops with you. Follow best practices. If you have a question we are here to help.
Warning Internet Explorer 11 aka IE11 has a major exploit that allows hackers to steal Windows users’ local data. Microsoft was informed of the vulnerability by security experts but to this day have “declined to consider the bug for an urgent security fix.”. DO NOT USE Internet Explorer 11. Consider dropping support for it and get it off all your staff computers completely as soon as possible.
Remote access to your data
Secure remote and private cloud access will require a static IP address which you can obtain from your Internet Service Provider. Think of an IP address as a phone number to a computer on the Internet. You will also need a Domain Name and a 256Bit SSL Certificate. Think of a Domain name as the speed dial name of the phone number you want to call. It is easier to remember a name such as mylawfirm.com. The SSL Certificate is required to secure the connection (encrypt your data) from a man in the middle attack. All of the above is the best practice.
Secure Remote Access You can forgo all the hassles and sign-up for a HoudiniEsq Cloud account and start today. With a Cloud account, we manage everything for you including tiers of backups, security, hardware, and all software updates and you always have secure 24/7 access from just about anywhere in the world.
HoudiniEsq is trusted by large organizations and agencies. The preferred choice of organizations with large legal teams that work as many as 100,000 cases annually. However, size does not matter. If your team is small that is ok.
Many features are enabled by default but can be disabled until you need them. HoudiniEsq is comprehensive and includes a robust feature set. You can use the product with little initial setup or you can choose to go full out and customize the system to fit your unique needs.
Don’t Get Intimidated. HoudiniEsq is easy to configure and use.
HoudiniEsq may be comprehensive and feature-rich but it is a breeze to use. The interface is easily customized. For example, dropdown fields throughout the product contain just the basics. To add to the list of values in any dropdown field simply enter the new value and hit the enter key. Wala! It’s that simple.
Help
HoudniEsq includes context-sensitive help and tutorials. Click any of the graduation-cap icons throughout the application to reveal tutorials and videos for the area you are in. If you are stuck or have a question contact support toll-free at 1.888.366.2280 Mon-Fri 9Am-9Pm eastern time or via email at support@houdiniesq.com or you can click the Support link at the top of this page to get answers to the most common questions
Important — reading is fundamental. Everything has a tooltip. Hover your mouse over any icon or field to reveal tips, hints, and tutorials.
Whether you plan on growing a practice or manage your team’s caseload more efficiently HoudiniEsq is the best practice for your practice.
Downloads
Installers, Plugins, Reports, and Templates
 |
New Install This is for new installs only. For the Update-Installer see the Update Tab above. |
This will install the most recent revision of HoudiniEsq. Existing users see the Update Tab.
Important Reading is fundamental. Follow the installer’s directions, read every screen, and write down your passwords for a quick painless install.
|
Update |
This install updates HoudiniEsq to the most recent revision of the software. New users see the Full Install Tab.
Note You must have HoudiniEsq 1.9.9.3 or greater to update, upgrade or patch.
 |
Plug-ins |
 |
MS Outlook |
Manage email, contacts, and your calendar from within Outlook and HoudiniEsq seamlessly and bidirectionally.
Supports
Email
Contacts
Calendar
Record and bill your time
Bi-directional sync your Calendar, Contacts, and Email. Bill for composing or reading an email. Link matter related correspondence to matters with a click or drag-n-drop to Matter folders right in Outlook. Mater related emails are organized in Matter folders in Outlook for you automatically. Emails and attachments are automatically full text indexed. Emails appear in the associated Matter’s email and docs tabs in HoudiniEsq.
Install
Step 1: Exit Outlook completely
Step 2: Uninstall the Outlook add-in if it currently exists
Step 3: Download Outlook Installer for Windows and run
Step 4: Start Outlook to launch the HoudiniEsq setup screen
Follow the onscreen setup instructions. You will have to provide the same information used to log in to HoudiniEsq. In addition, you will need the plug-in URL and the IRIS file vault login credentials. You will find this information in HoudiniEsq under Config-Administrator. Use the Plug-in URL value and the value under Private Iris Password.
IMPORTANT The default URL for all plugins is http://localhost/houdini/esq. Take note of the /esq at the end of the URL. The reason for this is legacy support for older versions of the product.
The HoudiniEsq IRIS File Vault password is an extra security measure and must be supplied to access reports or documents since these artifacts contain some of the most sensitive information.
Uninstall
From the Windows control panel, add/remove programs, look for HoudiniESQForOutlook, click Remove.
 |
MS Word |
Open, edit, and save documents in HoudiniEsq from within Word.
Supports
Data merges
Manage Templates
Generate documents
Full-text indexing
Record and bill your time
Install
Step 1: Exit Word completely
Step 2: Uninstall the add-in if it currently exists
Step 3: Download Word Installer for Windows and run
Step 4: Start Word to launch the HoudiniEsq setup screen
Follow the onscreen setup instructions. You will have to provide the same information used to log in to HoudiniEsq. In addition, you will need the plug-in URL and the IRIS file vault login credentials. You will find this information in HoudiniEsq under Config-Administrator. Use the Plug-in URL value and the value under Private Iris Password.
IMPORTANT The default URL for all plugins is http://localhost/houdini/esq. Take note of the /esq at the end of the URL. The reason for this is legacy support for older versions of the product.
The HoudiniEsq IRIS File Vault password is an extra security measure and must be supplied to access reports or documents since these artifacts contain some of the most sensitive information.
Note Windows only. For OSX see our Office365 add-in
Uninstall
From the Windows control panel, add/remove programs, look for HoudiniESQForWord, click Remove.
 |
AcrobatPro & DC |
Open, edit, and save documents in HoudiniEsq from within Acrobat Pro. Track and bill for your time while working on PDF files effortlessly.
Install
Step 1: Exit Acrobat Pro completely
Step 2: Uninstall the add-in if it currently exists
Step 3: Download Adobe XI Installer or Download Adobe DC Installer for Windows and run.
Step 4: Start Acrobat to launch the HoudiniEsq setup screen
Follow the onscreen setup instructions. You will have to provide the same information used to log in to HoudiniEsq. In addition, you will need the plug-in URL and the IRIS file vault login credentials. You will find this information in HoudiniEsq under Config-Administrator. Use the Plug-in URL value and the value under Private Iris Password.
IMPORTANT The default URL for all plugins is http://localhost/houdini/esq. Take note of the /esq at the end of the URL. The reason for this is legacy support for older versions of the product.
The HoudiniEsq IRIS File Vault password is an extra security measure and must be supplied to access reports or documents since these artifacts contain some of the most sensitive information.
Uninstall
From the Windows control panel, add/remove programs, look for HoudiniESQForAcrobat, click remove.
 |
WordPerfect |
Open, edit, and save documents in HoudiniEsq from within WordPerfect.
Install
Step 1: Exit WordPerfect completely
Step 2: Uninstalled the add-in if it exists
Step 3: Download WordPerfect Installer for Windows and run
Step 4: Start WordPerfect to launch the HoudiniEsq setup screen
Follow the onscreen setup instructions. You will have to provide the same information used to log in to HoudiniEsq. In addition, you will need the plug-in URL and the IRIS file vault login credentials. You will find this information in HoudiniEsq under Config-Administrator. Use the Plug-in URL value and the value under Private Iris Password.
IMPORTANT The default URL for all plugins is http://localhost/houdini/esq. Take note of the /esq at the end of the URL. The reason for this is legacy support for older versions of the product.
The HoudiniEsq IRIS File Vault password is an extra security measure and must be supplied to access reports or documents since these artifacts contain some of the most sensitive information.
Uninstall
From the Windows control panel, add/remove programs, look for HoudiniESQForWordPerfect, click remove.
Note WordPerfect does not support the HoudiniEsq Open Document Format (ODT files).
 |
Office365 |
Open, edit, and save documents in HoudiniEsq from within Office365. Track and bill for your time while you work.
Supports
Matter data merge
Generate documents
Record and bill your time
Office365 Desktop Install
For Office365 Desktop on OSX and Windows, all that is needed is to install an XML file. Tell me more
Download from the Microsoft Store
Follow the onscreen setup instructions. You will have to provide the same information used to log in to HoudiniEsq. In addition, you will need the plug-in URL and the IRIS file vault login credentials. You will find this information in HoudiniEsq under Config-Administrator. Use the Plug-in URL value and the value under Private Iris Password.
The default URL for all plugins is http://localhost/houdini/esq. Take note of the /esq at the end of the URL. The reason for this is legacy support for older versions of the product.
The HoudiniEsq IRIS File Vault password is an extra security measure and must be supplied to access reports or documents since these artifacts contain some of the most sensitive information.
Office365 Online Install
Download from the Microsoft Store
Note This plugin works with Office365 desktop on OSX and Windows as well as Office365 online.
 |
MS Excel |
Open, edit, and save documents in HoudiniEsq from within Excel.
Install
Step 1: Exit Excel completely
Step 2: Uninstalled the add-in if it exists
Step 3: Download Excel Installer for Windows and run
Step 4: Start Excel to launch the HoudiniEsq setup screen
Follow the onscreen setup instructions. You will have to provide the same information used to log in to HoudiniEsq. In addition, you will need the plug-in URL and the IRIS file vault login credentials. You will find this information in HoudiniEsq under Config-Administrator. Use the Plug-in URL value and the value under Private Iris Password.
IMPORTANT The default URL for all plugins is http://localhost/houdini/esq. Take note of the /esq at the end of the URL. The reason for this is legacy support for older versions of the product.
The HoudiniEsq IRIS File Vault password is an extra security measure and must be supplied to access reports or documents since these artifacts contain some of the most sensitive information.
Uninstall
From the Windows control panel, add/remove programs, look for HoudiniESQForExcel, click remove.
 |
QuickBooks |
This connector allows you to post to QuickBooks seamlessly from HoudiniEsq.
Supports
Client details, Invoices, Payments, Credits, Expenses, Trust deposits, Trust withdrawals, and Trust earned
No duplicate data entry and no importing or exporting to QuickBooks. If item descriptions or clients don’t exist in QuickBooks, HoudiniEsq will create them for you.
Install
Step 1: Exit QuickBooks
Step 2: Uninstalled the add-in if it exists
Step 3: Download QuickBooks Installer for Windows and run
Note This add-in is for the QuickBooks desktop and should be installed on the QuickBooks host machine.
Uninstall
From the QuickBooks' host machine delete the HoudiniEsq QuickBooks connector.
The OpenDocument format is a ZIP-compressed XML-based file format for spreadsheets, charts, presentations, and word processing documents. It was developed with the aim of providing an open, XML-based file format specification for all office applications.
Below you will find the default Document Templates used in HoudiniEsq. You can download and edit these templates to your liking and then upload them into HoudiniEsq.
Invoice Templates
Default Invoice Template
With all tokens, totals, balances, etc.
Revision 2.0.890 Feb 2022
Default Invoice Excludes Item Memos
Default Invoice, no. 9 Envelope
Default Statement, Invoice, no. 9 Envelope
Default Invoice Transactions. Payments, Trust Earned, and Adjustments by matter.
Sample Templates
Sample docs with matter and client tokens, etc.
The following sample templates demonstrate how to generate a document that includes a particular note, todo, custom form, or event record. Upload any of these templates and click the Gen Docs button from any note, todo, event, or custom form.
IMPORTANT
Use descriptive names so your templates are easy to find and quickly identifiable. Make sure all field tokens are complete e.g. <<Matterref0885016997>>. If your template has any errors no document will be produced so if your document template does not work check your token syntax.
Although many office applications including MS Word support the OpenDocument format we highly suggest using LibreOffice to edit these templates as they were created in LibreOffice. Only edit templates in Word that were created in Word. Simply put, adhering to standards is not Microsoft's forte. So avoid the headaches and use LibreOffice for creating your templates. LibreOffice does support doc and Docx files so you can open existing templates in LibreOffice, insert HoudiniEsq data tokens, save the template with an ODT extension, and then upload them for use in HoudiniEsq.
LibreOffice is free and widely supported. You can download it here.
Managing Templates
Document templates are managed under Config-Document Templates. Please note, you must be a member of the Admin group to have access to config settings.
To upload or replace existing templates use the upload button.
To view the available field tokens click the Fields button above the document template list to open the Field Token Reference window as depicted in the screengrab below. These tokens can be manually placed within your document templates such as invoices, statements, motions, pleadings, and general correspondence. You can also access these tokens via our free Word plug-in so make sure you check that out under the Plug-ins tab above.
HoudiniEsq BIRT Reports
BIRT
BIRT reports installed into HoudiniEsq can be visualized as PDF, HTML, Excel, Word, and Open Doc formats.
Below you will find supplemental BIRT Reports for use in HoudiniEsq. You can download and upload these reports into HoudiniEsq.
Downloads
Revision 2.0.896 Aug 2022(Add total columns)
Parameters (parameters are case sensitive)
1. Name: matterParam Label: Matter Control Type: Matter (required)
2. Name: startDate Label: Start Date Control Type: Date
3. Name: endDate Label: End Date Control Type: Date
Revision 2.0.890 Feb 2022
Parameters (parameters are case sensitive)
1. Name: matterParam Label: Matter Control Type: Matter
Revision 2.0.898 Nov 2022
Parameters (parameters are case sensitive)
1. Name: matterParam Label: Matter Control Type: Matter
2. Name: typeParam Label: Type Control Type: Text
3. Name: staffParam Label: Staff Control Type: Staff
4. Name: startParam Label: Start Date Control Type: Date
5. Name: endParam Label: End Date Control Type: Date
Revision 2.0.896 Aug 2022
Parameters (parameters are case sensitive)
1. Name: matterParam Label: Matter Control Type: Matter
2. Name: startDate Label: Start Date Control Type: Date
3. Name: endDate Label: End Date Control Type: Date
Revision 2.0.896 Aug 2022
Parameters (parameters are case sensitive)
1. Name: conType Label: Contact Type Control Type: Type
If you can't find the report you need in HoudiniEsq or here, send a request to support@houdiniesq.com.
We can create the report for you, or you can download the free BIRT Builder tool and create your own reports for use in HudiniEsq. Here is the BIRT Builder docs.
Tutorial
How to install a BIRT Report
IMPORTANT You may be asked to provide a username and password. It is asking you for the IRIS File Vault Credentials. Anytime you access a document, invoice, or report you are required to provide the IRIS Credentials. This is a security measure because documents contain very sensitive information. This info can be found under Config - Administrator - Private Iris Password.
Read the tooltip for a complete description.
The good news is once you enter these credentials into the browser, your browser will remember it as long as you don't clear the browser's cache.
Step 1.
Click the Reports Tab then the BIRT tab
Step 2.
Click the New button. You will be presented with the 1st phase of the config screen. Upload and Name your report. Select the report to upload by dragging the file over the Upload Area or select it by using the Add File button then click the Upload button. Phase 1 is done.
Step 3.
Click the Show Param button. You will be presented with the 2nd phase of the config screen. Adding the required parameters the user must use to run the report. Enter the Report Parameter Name, Label, and Control Type for each parameter. Click Save.
Step 4.
Test your report. Search for your report and select it. You will be presented with a panel displaying the parameters of the report and a Run Report button.
Step 5.
Fill out the parameters and click the Run Report button. Your report is installed and ready for use.
 |
Utilities |
Helpful utilities.
 |
Notepad++ |
Similar to the Unix tail -f command and OSX’s Console, the view is updated in realtime as the log is written to by HoudiniEsq. This eliminates the need to continuously reload a log file to see what was added to it as HoudiniEsq executes.
Download Notepad++ for Windows
How to use
To monitor the HoudiniEsq log download and run this application and point it to any file located in c:\Program Files\HoudiniESQ\logs folder, for example, houdiniesq-stdout.log
 |
Add-in Utility |
Fixes issues on older Microsoft Windows platforms missing required lib files.
Older versions of Windows may report missing lib files when installing Plugins in Outlook, Word, etc,. This utility will install the required Microsoft Windows libs.
Download Microsoft Windows Lib Utility
How to use
Install this utility and restart the plugin installation