What should conveyancers look out for when selecting an IT/CMS system – from a conveyancing process standpoint?
Post by Richard Mathias |
Conveyancing is always seen as a legal process that can be automated and there’s no doubt that technology can process a case. So that’s all very true, but don’t get carried away with technology doing the whole job. A simple philosophy to follow here is the traditional 80/20 rule.
There’s probably 80% of routine conveyancing work, which given the correct process and input, the case could be “fully” automated. Case Management Systems now exist that guide the conveyancer to tick the right boxes, answer the questions and requests, validate the responses and then process the case – they’re great and really help the volume conveyancers shift the conveyancing legal work.
There’s then the 20% of non-standard conveyancing work. The goal with this 20% is to avoid spending the 80% (or more!) of technology time and resource trying to tackle these cases. Once these non-standard cases have been identified from the data capture in the case management system, my advice is for these cases to “drop out” of case management and be handled with legal care and skilled conveyancing resource!
And so in selecting your case management, think about how much technology really needs to work for you. Are you a volume conveyancer, is it process driven or is it levels of complexity that you want to identify and handle those cases with personal care and attention? Avoid the mistakes when technology could not have coped with the obscure legal transaction.
Your case management system should help your team work your routine cases very efficiently, but not eliminate their skill. So let your case management system adapt your working policies rather than invoke technical solutions for what are sometimes non-technical answers.
About the Author: Richard Mathias
As Sales and Marketing Director, I have been with LFS since day one. Previously working as Practice & Marketing manager for two West Yorkshire law firms, I have gained 25 years’ experience of working in the conveyancing sector. Over the last few years, I have taken the responsibility to develop the LFS Conveyancing Conference and Awards into the major event in the conveyancing world. Outside of work, I am married with two sons, a keen sports fan, although watching Leeds United is arguably more torture than sport.
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