Posh Law 1 - The Peterborough Law Society Magazine by EPC Studio

SH LAW Z

LAUNCH ISSUE

Transparency in costs Women in the law University Law Clinic opens and more...

ISSUE 1 Spring 2019

CONTENTS M

SH LAW Z

ISSUE 1 Spring 2019 3

Committee Members

17 The National Literacy Trust

Belinda’s News & Views

Looking at transparency

22 Expert Witnesses - Impartiality and balance

Dates for your diary

24 The rise of surrogacy and DNA testing

Buckles‘ Sleepout

Cryptocurrency, Bitcoins and divorce

Peterborough Young Lawyers Group

Resilience, yes - but for whom?

Cyber Essentials now a requirement for Law Society members

Quill’s investment in interactive documents

“No bombs on my watch”

Women In Law

How to build robust relationships with your suppliers

14 The rise of the solicitors 15

Anglia Ruskin University launches Law Clinic in Peterborough

Committee Members 2019 Belinda Smith Belinda Smith & Co President

John Chrisp Serjeant & Sons Parliamentary Liaison Officer

John Wright Hunt & Coombs Vice-President

Jonathan Williams Roythornes Continuing Education Officer

Martin Herson Buckles Treasurer Ashley Sutherland (Mrs) Hegartys Hon Secretary Micheala Drazek Rebecca Rudge Greenwoods GRM Joint Social Secretaries

FINDING YOUR VOICE IN TODAY’S DIGITAL AND PRINT MEDIA

Kirstie Goulder Greenwoods GRM Sarah Adlam Metcalfe Copeman & Pettefar Nick Plumb Sloan Plumb Wood

Jonathan Mumby Greenwoods GRM Social Media & Public Relations Officer

Stephanie Wilcox Greenwoods GRM

Other Committee Members

Jeremy Roberts Jeremy Roberts & Co

Paddy Appleton Hunt & Coombs

Andy Cave Hunt & Coombs

Published by: EAST PARK COMMUNICATIONS Ltd. Maritime House, Balls Road, Birkenhead, Wirral CH43 5RE Tel: 0151 651 2776 simon@eastparkcommunications.co.uk www.eastparkcommunications.co.uk

Advertising Simon Castell / Laura Seymour Managing Editor Belinda Smith Layout David Coffey East Park Studio

Accounts Tony Kay

Legal Notice © East Park Communications Ltd.

Published Spring 2019

None of the editorial or photographs may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publishers. East Park Communications Ltd would like to point out that all editorial comment and articles are the responsibility of the originators and may or may not reflect the opinions of East Park Communications Ltd. Correct at time of going to press.

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Belinda’s News & Views An introduction to Posh Law by our President, Belinda Smith

I am very pleased to be overseeing the launch of the very first magazine for our local Law Society, Peterborough & District Law Society (PADLS), which we have named “Posh Law”. I am the current President of PADLS and am about to start my second year of Presidency, from the date of our AGM on the 18th March 2019. I have had an eventful year and have tried to accept the majority of invitations that come my way. Perhaps during the course of the next 12 months I will not be so enthusiastic! The role of President can be very time consuming. The annual dinners I have attended and enjoyed very much, have been the Cambridge Law Society at the beautiful venue of Jesus College, the Hertfordshire Law Society at another magnificent historical venue, the Old Palace, Hatfield House and most recently, the Northampton Law Society on the 1st March. I have also had the honour of being invited to the Justice Service for the County of Cambridgeshire held at Great St. Mary’s University Church in Cambridge on 7th October last year. I am a great music fan and was thrilled to be in the presence of John Rutter, a very famous living composer who conducted one of his own anthems. I also have to mention, as I was so thrilled by this as well, that the choir sang the “Vivat” to Parry’s “I Was Glad”, by gracious permission of H.M. The Queen as it was the 100th anniversary of Parry’s death that very day. I only hope I am invited to this service again this year as that has been one of my highlights. Not directly connected to being a PADLS President, but during my first year, I did an abseil down Peterborough Cathedral last May (on

Lucy Frazer M.P. Q.C with E.A.R.L.L.S. presidents the occasion of Harry and Megan’s marriage no less), in support of the Cathedral’s 900th anniversary fund raising project. Definitely a never-to-be repeated experience! E.A.R.L.L.S (East Anglia Region local Law Societies) disbanded last year but events at which Presidents from the former member Law Societies are invited to attend, will continue on an ad hoc basis. The first of these was a meeting with Lucy Frazer QC MP, Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, who spoke on 7th September 2018 at Mills and Reeves’ offices in Cambridge. She was rigorously cross examined by the assembled lawyers, who included the local Crown Court Judge, about changes in the legal system and necessary reforms. PADLS is not one of the larger Law Societies and is unique in being one of two Law Societies within the same county boundaries. The Cambridge Law Society is the larger. PADLS represents some 20 solicitors’ firms in towns over the county boundary into Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, including Bourne and Stamford, Oundle and in the Fens, Ramsey, Chatteris, March, Wisbech and Crowland. There is also a thriving junior lawyers section under the PADLS umbrella, the Peterborough Young Lawyers’ Group, which has its own committee and is supported in running its own social and professional events with sponsorship from PADLS.

I believe it is very important to have an energetic and thriving young lawyers’ section. These young people are the future of our profession and will walk in the oldies’ footsteps one day. It is a broad church, including not only trainee and newly qualified solicitors, but also young barristers, paralegals and law students. PADLS was established in 1930 and I am the 75th President but only the sixth female President. I have chosen as the front piece of our first edition of POSH, a photo of myself and the youngest ever President, Kirsty Goulder (formerly Sowter), aged 29 at the time. The two of us together represent two generations of female solicitors. This is very apt because it should be general knowledge that 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the 1919 Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act which finally paved the way for women to practice law. My two year Presidency has spanned two momentous historical years for British women therefore – last year was the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote for the first time (all be it a limited class of women) and this year, the anniversary of the first female solicitor. How very appropriate that our 89th annual dinner is to be held on International Women’s Day! I am very much looking forward to the event, at which the guest speaker will of course be a lady lawyer, Hannah Markham QC.

Belinda and 2018 President of Hertfordshire Law Society, Attia Hussain, at her annual dinner

The dinner is to be held at a new venue for the Society, the Ferry Meadows Centre. It will be a packed evening with nearly 120 guests. I close with a mention of the Society’s selected charity for 2019, the Peterborough Literacy Trust, a cause close to my heart. Rebecca Parsons of the PLT has contributed a piece to the magazine outlining their work locally. Belinda Smith President

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Looking at transparency

Hello Peterborough & District, and a Happy New Year to you all. I am Anna Bradley and I am the new Chair of the Solicitors Regulation Authority Board. I have taken up the reins from Enid Rowlands, who I know looked forward to the opportunity to write for you all. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m honoured to be passed that baton. As the new Chair of the Board, I am looking forward to making a difference to how people think about legal services, so they can find the service they need at a price they can afford and the sector can grow and develop In her last column, Enid spoke about the Price Transparency Rules, which have since come into effect. The rules are part of our work to bridge the gap between the nine out of ten people who need legal services but never access solicitors or barristers, and you, the people best placed to help them. To recap, we have asked you to publish information on prices you charge and what these cover

across a number of common services. If you provide services to members of the public, we want you to give information on conveyancing, probate, motoring offences, employment tribunals (claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal) and immigration (excluding asylum). If you count businesses among your clients, this should be debt recovery (up to ÂŁ100k), employment tribunals (defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal) and licensing applications for business premises. We have published guidance, templates and further information on our website to make life easier for you. We are certainly not trying to tell you what to charge or what pricing models you should use. And we are not suggesting that you would be committed to a specific price before you have even spoken to a prospective client. The information is simply to help people understand the basis on which they would be charged and give them an indication of the costs you are likely to charge

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

for a typical case. We are clear that a more detailed discussion with the client about their specific matters and what you do and what you charge would always be needed at the point of engagement.

Taken together, the extra information and the new badge will help people to engage with confidence. It will make law firms and their services less puzzling and much, much more accessible.

I hope some of you have considered using our new digital badge? Firms asked us for something they could use to show people what sort of consumer protections they get from using a regulated firm, so we worked with the public and the profession to develop a new badge. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voluntary at the moment but we will make it mandatory next year, so that consumers can be really clear about what they are buying.

I know that many of you are already providing good information for future clients, not least because it gives you a competitive edge. For those of you with more to do, my message is jump in and realise the benefits. Good information is good for firms as well as for the people needing legal services. Anna Bradley, Chair of the SRA Board

Dates for your diary Next Event - Annual Dinner The Peterborough and District Law Society’s next event is the 89th Annual Dinner which takes place on Friday 8th March 2019 at the Lakeside Kitchen and Bar, Ferry Meadows. Tickets are priced at £50.00 per head, with a reduced price for trainee solicitors/pupils/NQs (qualified since 1 March 2018) of £30.00 per head. The evening will begin with a drinks reception at 7pm, followed by a sit-down meal at 7:45pm. The dress code is black tie.

This is usually very well contested with quiz master Paddy Appleton of Hunt & Coombs Solicitors creating and hosting the quiz. The current reigning champions and guardians of the Lawrence Bruce Memorial Shield are the team from Peterborough Magistrates’ Court. Previous events Our most recent event was a Christmas gathering at Peterborough Cathedral. Mulled wine and mince pies were enjoyed along with some festive carol singing! Introduction to our social secretaries

Future events Our annual quiz will be held in the summer.

Rebecca Rudge and Micheala Drazek are the current joint social secretaries for the

Peterborough and District Law Society, having taken up the role in 2018. Rebecca is a solicitor in the Private Client department at Greenwoods GRM and also sits on the committee for the Peterborough Young Lawyers Group. Outside of work, Rebecca keeps active through horse riding, swimming and running. She also enjoys trips to the theatre and visiting new places. Micheala is a trainee solicitor at Greenwoods GRM and is currently enjoying her first seat in the Regulatory department. Micheala is also studying towards a masters degree. In her spare time, Micheala enjoys baking anything sweet, especially celebration cakes.

Buckles’ Sleepout success raises more than 2000 pounds to help homeless discomfort endured night after night by those unfortunate enough to not have a home. We would like to give huge thanks to everyone who was able to support us by making a donation.” Others who took part in the challenge found it to be an eye-opening experience. Debbie Carnell said: “Initially, I vowed never to do it again but, in hindsight, I would be prepared to as awareness of people actually sleeping rough should be highlighted more and hopefully one day sleeping rough will be a phrase that no one needs to use.” Adrian Avory added: “We had the luxury of a few layers to keep out the worst of the cold, and it has certainly opened my mind to how bad it must be to sleep rough in the depths of winter. It must also be a lonely existence. We have our family and friends, but they probably have no one to talk to. Buckles Solicitors has helped to raise £2150 in support of the national homeless charity, Crisis, after they completed a ‘sleepout’ challenge on 18 January.

“I would gladly be prepared to sleep rough for such a great cause and do my bit for the charity Crisis.”

Led by Roger Clarke, a partner at the firm, a group of ten employees group slept outside Buckles’ Peterborough office for the night in temperatures hovering around zero. Those taking part who managed to get some sleep, awoke to snow flurries the next morning. Roger said: “We know it was only one night and therefore not the same experience as being homeless. However, it gave us an insight into the

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Peterborough Young Lawyers Group (PYLG) For all the latest news on Peterborough Young Lawyers Group please see our PYLG Newletter page at https://www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk/ pylg-newsletter The PYLG also has a dedicated LinkedIn page. Your PYLG Committee President Jonathan Mumby (Greenwoods GRM)

PYLG is a subsidiary group of the Peterborough and District Law Society (PADLS). It is specifically aimed at the new generation of lawyers in our region (up to 5 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; PQE). PYLG is run by young lawyers for young lawyers from a mixture of local firms. PYLG hosts social events in Peterborough for its members with the aim of providing a support network for those in the early stages of their career and enhancing working relationships across member firms. We are always looking for more people to become involved in PYLG. If you would like to join the committee or have any suggestions for future events, please email Jonathan Mumby jpmumby@greenwoodsgrm.co.uk (President).

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Committee Members Alex Hartnoll (Hegarty Solicitors) Amir Choudhary (Buckles Solicitors) Amelia Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor (Regency Chambers) Emily Malvaso (Buckles Solicitors) James Steward (Hunt & Coombs) Jonathan Mumby (Greenwoods GRM) Melissa Casey (Roythornes) Nicholas McCarthy (Hegarty Solicitors) Rebecca Rudge (Greenwoods GRM) Roxanne Dean (Taylor Rose) Sarah Lidgett (Greenwoods GRM) Shamsher Singh (Greenwoods GRM) Umrah Mirza (Taylor Rose)

Cyber Essentials now a requirement for Law Society members less weight with commercial clients. If your firm mostly operates with private clients, this may not be a concern. However, if your firm has a significant number of clients in the commercial sector, you should consider Cyber Essentials Plus. Whilst essentially the same standard, to obtain the plus certification your firm will need to be independently tested. This is to ensure the technical controls are adequately enforced. ACS technical experts understand the complexity of the requirements. We can meet the assessors needs with minimum cost in a timely way. Since November 2018 Cyber Essentials has been a requirement for Law society members signed up to the popular Lexcel Standard. Cyber Essentials lets everyone know that you take Cyber Security seriously. It informs others that you have measures in place to keep their information secure. As an IASME Licensed Certification Body ACS offers fixed fee packages of consultancy, audit and certification for organisations seeking to secure Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus security standards. Practices must have an information management and security policy and should also be accredited against Cyber Essentials. The policy must incorporate the following controls: • a register of relevant information assets of both the practice and clients • a strategy for the protection and security of the information assets • procedures for the retention and disposal of information • the use of firewalls • procedures for the secure configuration of network devices • methods to manage user accounts • methods to detect and remove malicious software • a register of all software used by the practice • training for personnel on information security • a plan for the updating and monitoring of software.

Get the minimum requirement with Cyber Essentials Basic Cyber Essentials certification involves a self-assessment. This is where your organisation completes a questionnaire confirming and detailing the measures that are in place regarding cyber security. Your self-assessment questionnaire will be verified by a certification body. This is to determine whether or not the standard has been achieved. If successful, your firm will be awarded with Cyber Essentials certification to comply with Lexcel v6.1.

Cyber Essentials Plus will incur a greater cost due to the need for on-site testing. The time and cost will depend on the complexity and size of your firm, the number of offices and whether you require consultancy or support with implementation. Cyber Essentials Plus also requires completing the self-assessment questionnaire. A Cyber Essentials Assessor from the Certification Body will also visit your law firm to carry out on-site testing of your organisation’s cyber security measures.

It pays to get it right first time. ACS will get you ready

Whatever level you choose, your certification will be valid for one year, after which the process must be repeated. ACS will keep you compliant.

The basic level of Cyber Essentials certification starts at £300. This is for a straight forward certification assessment involving verification of a self-assessment. If any issues are identified during the verification, your firm will have two days to correct. Therefore if the issues are not corrected you will have to submit a new self-assessment. Upon this date a further £300 will be payable, and so on. As a result, only someone familiar with the scheme should consider taking it on themselves.

Cyber Essentials is a UK Government backed standard. The scheme guards against the most common Cyber Security threats: • Firewalls and internet gateways • Secure configuration • Access control, e.g. passwords and access levels • Malware and virus protection • Patch management – e.g. ensuring that the latest supported software versions are in use.

Go the extra mile with Cyber Essentials Plus

CALL OUR EXPERT WORKPLACE SECURITY TEAM TODAY ON: 0800 781 6717 OR VISIT WWW.ACS365.CO.UK

Be one of the select few firms in the UK to achieve Cyber Essentials PLUS accreditation with ACS. At the basics Cyber Essentials is well known to be achievable as a self-assessment, and often

Visit our stand at the LAW2019 roadshow on 19th and 20th March at the Kingsgate Conference Centre.

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Women in law As Christina Blacklaws takes the reins as new Law Society president, one of her presidential themes is women in leadership in law. How can lawyers and local law societies in the regions help?

Christina Blacklaws With a mandate to represent, promote and support all solicitors, the Law Society of England and Wales is committed to reflecting the diversity of our society and Christina’s presidential year plan certainly espouses similar themes.

President of the Supreme Court. These statistics and role models are encouraging, yet it is clear that more can still be done. Women are still not making it to partner status in equal numbers to men: our statistics show that of the approximately 30,000 partners in private practice, 72 per cent are men and only 28 per cent are women. Women aged between 36-40 and older, are voting with their feet and leaving the profession - often at the point when they have the skills and experience to become partners in firms. Therefore, while the position of women solicitors has improved, gender inequality remains a relevant issue today and, according to Christina, the time to affect change is now: ‘It does seem that we are ripe to make and embrace step change in our profession. This isn’t just in the interests of female solicitors. It’s not just an issue for 50 per cent of us but for 100 per cent. We have all suffered from the unhelpful and limiting pigeon-holing that has been dominant in our profession for so many years’.

Encouraging progress

One such focus is women in leadership in law; a central theme of her presidency to promote and support gender equality in the legal sector which already has garnered broad support from local law societies across England and Wales It has been almost a century since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act was passed which allowed women to qualify as solicitors, and in that time women have taken the profession by storm. Since 1990 women have represented over 60 per cent of new entrants into the profession, and our Annual Statistics report for 2017 revealed there are now more women than men practicing as solicitors. There are over a dozen female solicitor MPs and peers in Parliament, in private practice there are female lawyers leading the profession, in-house there are female General Counsel at some of the biggest companies in the world, and in the justice system Lady Hale presides as

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

reflecting on the progress made over the past 100 years and president, James Turner, feels there is much more to be done. BLS’ own research on equality and diversity highlighted that whilst 67 per cent of entrants to university courses are female, only 27 per cent account for partners in private practice. The figures hold in relation to trainee positions (62 per cent female) and solicitors admitted to the role (61 per cent). 49.5 per cent of practising certificate holders were women. Whilst these figures on entrance to the profession are encouraging and an improvement for BLS, they tail off with women more likely to be associate or assistant solicitors compared to their male counterparts. James also believes firms need to be more transparent in the way firms are publishing their respective gender pay gap figures, suggesting ‘…it would aid the process for firms… to have included partners rather than taking the opportunity to provide data only for ‘employees’. Nationwide statistics suggest similar challenges to those in Birmingham. Since 1990 women have represented over 60 per cent of new entrants into the profession and yet are only 28 per cent of partners in private practice. The issues go way beyond the ‘maternity penalty’ as women without children or caring responsibilities have also found their careers have been impeded by bias (unconscious or otherwise), less opportunities for good quality client work, promotion and reward. The profession’s statistics around Gender Pay Gap reporting make uncomfortable reading.

Women in leadership in law

James Turner One of Christina’s first presidential events to accelerate this step change will be to meet with key female stakeholders from Birmingham’s legal profession on 23 July. Birmingham Law Society (BLS) are

One look at the office holder rosters of many local law societies painfully highlights a gender imbalance at the very top and progress still appears to be glacial. Nottingham Law Society has only had six female presidents in the entirety of its close to - 150 year history, with two of those assuming presidency in the last two years. Laura Pinkney, current president, is excited at the prospect of working with the Law Society to raise an awareness around the issue:

flexibility. Alongside a series of roundtables taking place across England and Wales with local law societies, the Law Society will also: • provide a practical toolkit of packaged opportunities for women who are participating in roundtables who want to take forward change making activities in their organisation, within their community, on issues relating to unconscious bias, gender pay gap, the history of women in law, male champions for change, and international sisterhood • assess all outcomes of changes made, impact and lessons learned following the roundtables which will be included in a final report for International Women’s Day 2018 Laura Pinkney

‘I am delighted to support Christina’s ‘Women in leadership in Law’ project. As only the sixth female president in Nottinghamshire Law Society’s 143 year history, I am well aware that our profession needs to do more to encourage women in to positions of leadership and influence and improving diversity and social mobility is one of my key themes for my presidential year. I look forward to working with Christina and the Law Society to encourage more firms to embrace the benefits of offering more flexible working and to lobby the government to introduce more equal maternity and paternity rights as these issues are key in helping to keep women in the profession and in senior positions. This will help strengthen our profession and ultimately benefit our clients. It is imperative that as a profession we are as diverse as those we represent’. In fact, Nottingham have been part of an ambitious programme already in flux to empower women to be leaders, to lead as women and to enable men to have more

• commission an international literature review undertaken by the University of Westminster to ensure we harness the knowledge gained through academic research of women in the law which will enable us to gain insight and identify best practice for the future • host an International symposium in London in June 2019 marking the 100th anniversary of women in law.

Working together For the ‘Women in leadership in Law’ project to be successful, participation from women, men and local law societies across England and Wales is vital. To create long lasting change it is necessary for all regions to actively raise the issue of gender inequality within the legal sector. The Law Society is looking to work with all regions to host and help arrange roundtables for women’s personal insight and experiences around progression in the profession. Christina has already led a number of these roundtables across the country which have been met with great enthusiasm and commitments to act. Liverpool Law Society hosted one of the first roundtables with Christina to gather the qualitative information to find out what really prevents women from making the step to leadership in the law. President of Liverpool LS, Nina Ferris feels ‘…issues such as gender equality are so important for our

Nina Ferris profession as a whole that collaboration with TLS is key if we are to invoke change on a national scale.’ And it does not stop there for Liverpool. Its plan of action is to carry out a number of focus groups with their members at all stages in their careers with the assistance of the local WLD and JLD membership to raise awareness of this project. Nina’s view is by doing so will ensure ‘…gender equality remains on the agenda in the centenary year of women solicitors and beyond.’ All this suggests together, in the spirit of collaboration, both the national and local law societies can make some profound change in the area and Christina has a call to arms to all local law societies: ‘I would like all regions to seize this opportunity for activism to lead their organisations and participate in the international efforts to promote women in leadership in law and establish fairer practises for us all. We want to make 2019 the Year of Women in the Law and we need your help and commitment to make this happen. Please be part of the solution!’ If you would like to participate please get in touch with Christina at president@ lawsociety.org.uk.

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Understanding business accounts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what to look out for Lawyers An u

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Anglia Ruskin University launches Law Clinic in Peterborough

Following the success of its law clinics in Cambridge and Chelmsford, with over 500 clients having been helped across these services within the last 12 months, the Anglia Law School at Anglia Ruskin University is launching a pop-up monthly Family Law Clinic in Peterborough. The service will offer a free half-hour of faceto-face advice from a fully qualified and experienced local lawyer, supported by law students.

Buckles Solicitors who have agreed to support the Law Clinic for its first sessions. Full client details are sent to participating lawyers at least 24 hours before their advice session for information and to enable conflict checks to be made. We hope to be welcoming further local practitioners on to the rota in the future.

The Law Clinic will be able to assist clients with problems surrounding divorce, separation and child arrangements and students will take full notes of the advice given which clients can take away with them as a reminder. Advice will be given by appointment only.

The Peterborough Law Clinic is being launched as a response to demand. The clinic in Cambridge receives enquiries regularly from people living in the Peterborough area, not all of whom can make the trip to Cambridge for legal advice. The Law Clinic is passionate about improving access to justice for all which has led to the decision to extend this free service to Peterborough.

We are extremely grateful to lawyers from

We have also been approached by South

Lincolnshire Citizens Advice to give their Polish clients support with completing C100 child arrangements application forms and so our trained students will be running this service alongside the Law Clinic, with a Polish-speaking student on the team to provide assistance with translation. This new Law Clinic will be based on the ARU campus, in the Guild House on Oundle Road. Appointments may be booked through our Cambridge administrative office by calling 01223 698498 or clients can email lawclinic@anglia.ac.uk. Any local practitioners who would like to find out more about the Law Clinic should feel free to give me a call on 01223 698697 or email me on sarah.calder@anglia.ac.uk. Sarah Calder Law Clinic Director

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

“The Rise of the Solicitors”… Just a thought! Phillip Taylor MBE reviews the most recent Bar and Young Bar Conferences today as the lawyers whom clients first meet. The most revealing (and political) speech was delivered by Shami Chakrabarti, Shadow Attorney General (and ex solicitor). She set out some policy objectives for the next Labour government including a sustained attack on the way barristers are trained through the vocational course “racket” as she called it, to some applause which was generally muted throughout the day. David Gauke, Lord Chancellor (and ex solicitor), who couldn’t stay long with us, like Shami, gave us a very civil service speech. Probably it was more relevant to solicitors, but he did announce that he would give us a little bit of extra money for legal aid to help the Young Bar, but not a lot if one is charitable. Of the 150 or so attendees there was not much to smile about including these Treasury crumbs of comfort although the Gauke money made that day’s press headlines. No questions about it, of the many themes at this year’s Conferences, at the centre lurked the rise of the solicitor as both lawyer and advocate- to compliment the senior branch of the legal profession, of course.

The stands were a bit thinner this time round, but it’s always good to see OUP and LexisNexis exhibiting new books and journals. Inner Temple maintained their excellent public relations record with their record on scholarships at their stand.

Themed as “All Bar None: Access… Development… Diversification”, the topics indicated current content and the approach of the Bar Council to our professional issues - the speeches were all good. Both events took place at the Connaught Rooms in London at the end of November 2018 to a well-attended, polite and receptive audience.

What are called “break-out” sessions were all well attended in generally an even split of those attending what are, effectively, specialist areas to cater for what the Bar now does as highly specialist lawyers.

The main Conference was chaired by Lucinda Orr who began proceedings introducing Andrew Walker QC, Chair of the Bar of England and Wales, for his annual address. As with all the main speakers, the speeches are available on the web, so this review looks at what the event achieved this year. Walker’s speech condensed much of what he has said throughout his year which has been quite successful for him and his team at a difficult time. Our keynote speaker was Lord Sumption, just before retirement. He gave an illuminating biography of his early years at the Bar, saying “I wish that I could say that I became a lawyer out of a burning desire to right the injustices of the world and help my fellow citizens”. He went on “There are lawyers who can honestly say that, and I take my hat off to them. My own motives were more mixed, more mundane and perhaps more typical. Top of the list, I am ashamed to admit, was money”. So, let’s get straight to the real theme because he was followed by several ex-solicitors whose contributions were illuminating. We are noticing changes in way solicitors now work, by the advice they offer

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

The Attorney General, Geoffrey “The Voice” Cox, gave a particularly delightful speech ticking all boxes on either side of the Brexit divide, and he never disappoints - he remains very much “our practitioner politician” when so many at the Bar leave once they reach Westminster. The afternoon is always tiring but no-one was asleep – there was no booze this year! But that did not make much difference as the subjectmatter of the sessions, as always, is so relevant to our practices. The final discussion session reverted to our solicitor theme once more with contributions from Lord Justice Hickinbottom, HHJ Anne Molyneux MBE and Jonathan Ames from our sponsors “The Times”. It did sum up what we saw as a modest recognition that the Bar is changing, not just technologically, but practically in front of us. The role of the solicitor, and the Bar’s direct access continue to impact slowly for an altered client-base who seek different things in future. Whether that is with solicitors or barristers in the changed legal aid world we will wait to see. Do come next year and see what we get up to post-Brexit in a changed world! Phillip Taylor MBE

The National Literacy Trust

Unfortunately, many people in Peterborough suffer from a hidden and deeply entrenched problem – they struggle with basic literacy. Last year only half of disadvantaged children in the city left primary school reading well. They are unlikely to catch up in secondary school, severely affecting their employment prospects. As well as impacting their own life chances, should they become a parent, low literacy could prevent them from supporting their

child’s learning, continuing the cycle of illiteracy and deprivation. The National Literacy Trust aims to break this cycle, focussing our work in the communities where the literacy need is greatest. Our approach is different in each place we work because every community has different needs and this is the best way to create long-lasting change. Working with our local partners, the Peterborough City Council and Vivacity, we have created a local campaign called Peterborough Reads to focus on the key priorities in the Peterborough area – helping to improve the school readiness of young children and the enjoyment, engagement and achievement of reading.

We work in a variety of ways, including through nurseries and community volunteers to improve the confidence and skills of parents so they are better able to support their children’s development at home. We also work through schools to help reluctant, unconfident and struggling young readers get access to the support and resources they need to improve their reading. This year we are launching Peterborough Celebrates Reading – a year-long project to engage parents and children in reading through a series of exciting events across the city. The activity in the lead up to, during and after the Year of Reading will be underpinned by a local media campaign that will be delivered in partnership with local broadcast, print, online and

social media outlets and by working with local businesses, cultural organisations, housing associations and sporting partners to distribute messaging. This PR activity will help to raise awareness of literacy through the Year of Reading and beyond, delivering a powerful campaign with a lasting legacy. We are looking for organisations and individuals to get involved with Peterborough Celebrates Reading. To find out more, please contact Darranda Rowswell at 07825 339 285 or visit our website at www. literacytrust.org.uk

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

How to build robust relationships with your suppliers Regardless of the sector you are working in, relationships with your suppliers are essential to your businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health, reputation and growth. Lauren Lieser, account manager at Geodesys, discusses how to form relationships which are robust and last a lifetime. The selection and building of your supplier relationships is a continuous process that strives to balance your business needs with the needs of the supplier. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market, where businesses are consistently prospected, using people and organisations that you can trust and rely on to provide a high-quality service is of critical importance. Choosing a supplier can often be the toughest decision so look for one(s), where they can demonstrate expertise and longevity within the industry. Research the array of products the supplier can offer, compare them to competitors and invest time to meet with them. Price will always be a factor, but the cheapest provider is not always the right one so clearly define what it is you are looking for and do your research into what solution accommodates this need. At the top of the agenda for a strong relationship is communication. If this aspect of the process is neglected, then you could risk complications arising which will lengthen the transaction process and potentially be costlier. Having been an account manager for the past 15 years, I cannot emphasise the importance of the relationship being two-way. If the

supplier does not know about a certain issue, how can they assist in addressing it? Regular interaction will build a trustworthy relationship which allows for open and honest discussions on product and progress updates, as well as the opportunity to demystify regulation updates, compliance, etc. Geodesys hosts a series of topical CPD workshops at various UK locations throughout the year. These well-attended events provide a platform for our clients to hear from industry experts like Kate Faulkner, mingle with likeminded people and touch base with their account managers. As the relationship and the communication between the organisation and the supplier develops, you will find efficiency will improve and potentially increase operational value too. Offering feedback to the supplier is key in ensuring they can provide a service that meets your expectations and drives continuous improvement. Geodesys offers their customers for example, multiple mechanisms for gaining feedback including surveys, meetings and seminars, which helps us continually improve our systems and service.

Conclusion Developing good relationships with your suppliers is not a complicated process. Be communicative, tell them your needs and expectations, treat them fairly, be demanding and be loyal. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that simple. Geodesys is a leading provider of conveyancing searches for residential and commercial properties throughout England and Wales.

W Robbery I doubt t

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

S Robbery Bottom Lane. I doubt t

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Expert witnesses – impartiality and balance In two recent but very different cases, there have been unusually strong criticisms of expert witnesses. They highlight the need for any expert witness to be seen to be independent and impartial and for their evidence to be balanced and not one-sided.

The parties, the main contractor and sub-contractor, were in dispute about a number of issues that boiled down, broadly speaking, to which party was in breach of its obligations and responsible for various delays. Each party relied on the evidence of an expert witness. Neither expert’s independence was in question. However, the judge, Lord Bannatyne, formed a markedly different view of the two experts and their evidence.

Evidence from expert witnesses plays a crucial role in determining many disputes in different fields. For example, in personal injury cases, evidence from a medical practitioner will be required. Or in a commercial action where there are technical issues in question, the court may need evidence from an expert in the relevant field. Without experts to explain the medical, scientific or technical matters, a judge may be unable to understand properly significant aspects of the case and make appropriate findings about them.

Lord Bannatyne criticised the evidence of CGI’s expert witness in unusually direct terms. He stated: “I have come to the view that his evidence was onesided. His approach was I believe not balanced. In addition for various other reasons I believe his evidence was not acceptable.” Over the subsequent eight pages of his opinion, the judge set out numerous matters that had led him to that conclusion. He highlighted, in particular, the expert’s failure to consider whether CGI might have breached any of its obligations. It is also noted that, on one occasion, when faced with the realisation during cross-examination that part of his evidence had not in fact helped CGI, the expert switched from one position to another. This was described as “highly unimpressive in the context of someone who is being offered as giving expert evidence.”

In our adversarial system of litigation, it is for each party to choose and instruct their own experts and adduce evidence from them. A party will naturally want their own expert’s evidence to support their position. Therefore, a party will generally only produce expert reports and call as witnesses, experts whose evidence is going to help that party’s position. However, if an expert is not impartial or gives evidence that appears one-sided, the evidence, although supportive of the party’s position, may turn out to be little or no worth, as demonstrated by two recent cases.

By contrast, Lord Bannatyne noted that Agilisys’s expert “looked at the responsibilities of both CGI and Agilisys” and was “prepared to make criticisms of Agilisys”, which he said were “examples of the essential balance in her approach”. Given his contrasting impressions of the two experts, it is unsurprising that, where their evidence differed, the judge largely accepted the evidence of Agilisys’s expert and rejected that of CGI’s. Conclusions

Armstrong v ERS Syndicate Management Ltd – independence and impartiality The first case, Armstrong v ERS Syndicate Management Ltd, was a low value personal injury claim. The pursuers relied on the evidence of a medical expert with respect to the extent of their injuries. They were awarded damages based on that evidence. The defenders appealed, arguing that the expert evidence should have been found inadmissible or, alternatively, should have been given no weight. The main reason was that the expert’s independence and impartiality was questionable because he had agreed to act of contingency basis, meaning that he would only get paid if the claims were successful. The Sheriff Appeal Court had little hesitation upholding this appeal and finding the expert’s lack of independence and impartiality rendered their evidence inadmissible.

Expert evidence is critically important to many cases. When that is the case, parties need to make sure they have experts whose evidence supports their case. However, as these two cases show, it is not enough to have an expert who will give helpful evidence. The expert must be independent and impartial and their evidence should be balanced and not one-sided. Otherwise, the expert’s evidence may be given little credence or even, if the expert lacks independence, be held inadmissible. Ben Zielinski Senior Associate, Shoosmiths T: 03700 868127

Agilisys Ltd v CGI IT UK Ltd – balanced approach

Ben is an associate in our dispute resolution and compliance team. Ben specialises in commercial disputes and is based in our Edinburgh office. He is qualified as a solicitor in both Scotland and England & Wales. Ben advises on a wide variety of commercial disputes including, in particular, information technology and energy sector matters.

The case of Agilisys Ltd v CGI IT UK Ltd was a very different type of case. A commercial action in the Court of Session, it concerned the termination of a subcontract for the provision of information technology services to a significant public sector client.

Disclaimer The above text applies to Scotland. This document is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given.

This resulted in the pursuers losing those elements of the damages awarded to them that were reliant on the expert’s evidence.

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

The rise of surrogacy and the need for DNA testing Surrogacy is now often in the news, fueled by both our celebrity culture and by increasing awareness of the possibilities afforded by a plethora of new technologies in assisted reproduction. In fact, surrogacy is part of ‘fertility tourism’ where couples or individuals choose to travel to other jurisdictions with a view to accessing services which may be prohibited, not available or too expensive in their native land. Such treatments are reported to number between 20,000 and 25,000 events per annum worldwide. The desire for a child has developed into a significant business sector and with differing international moral/ethical perspectives, the law has evolved quite differently in different cultures, where attitudes towards surrogacy vary from altruism to pure commerciality. There are several reasons why couple may choose the surrogacy option, including; a) couples who cannot, for whatever reason, have their own children, b) same sex couples desirous of a biological relationship with a child or perhaps more rarely, c) by social choice. In the UK the woman who carries the child and subsequently gives birth to the child is seen as the child’s legal mother. If this surrogate is married or in a civil partnership, their spouse could also be a legal parent of the child. In England at least, surrogacy contracts are not capable of legal recognition, which means the arrangements entered into under a compensated (reasonable expenses only) surrogacy are no more than informal agreements that rely on trust for their execution on both sides. For the legal rights of the child to be transferred from the surrogate to the intended parents (who commissioned the surrogate notwithstanding that at least one of them may have a biological relationship to the child), an application for a parental order 1 will need to be made within six months of the child’s birth. In doing so, the applicants are asked if they are “a genetic parent of the child”, a fact that can only be established be use of a DNA test which is conducted by an MoJ accredited provider, such as Complement Genomics and dadcheckgold.

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

In terms of fertility tourism, the current preferred destinations are those where jurisdictions permit ‘paid for’ gestational surrogacy and the intended parents can gain legal rights over the child. This may either be by gaining direct parental rights or by making use of streamlined adoption procedures. It is the case that DNA testing is often required by the home authorities to prove the parentage of one or both of the donors after overseas surrogacy, by use of either a paternity or maternity DNA test, or both. The Ukraine, Russia and Georgia have liberal laws regarding commercial surrogacy (including for foreigners) and are the current destinations of choice. Indeed, many UK couples are choosing the Ukraine 2 since: • The intended parents of the child are considered to be the biological parents from the conception • The intended parents are specifically named on the birth certificate to the exclusion of the surrogate mother or any donor • The surrogate mother cannot by law keep the child after birth • A donor or surrogate mother has no parental rights over the child and no adoption of the child is required • There are no restrictions on the payments. The written and informed consent of all parties and a notarised surrogacy agreement is required (and which can be complex), plus there is the presumption that the intended parents are married, so a translated and notarised copy of the marriage certificate is also necessary. For British parents using a surrogate in the Ukraine it is often more convenient to locally obtain a UK passport for the child once born, although proof of the genetic relationship to one or both of the intended parents is generally necessary. This can be arranged by contacting us using the details below. The progressive approach of the authorities in the Ukraine, Russian Federation and

US has already helped many childless UK couples and the law is highly favourable towards surrogacy in these jurisdictions. For intending parents wishing to go down this route, then appointment of an experienced UK based solicitor and an accredited DNA testing company is essential.. Nicola Lowes, LLM and Neil Sullivan, MBA, LLM, PhD www.dadcheckgold.com To discuss DNA testing for a surrogacy case, please call 0191 543 6334 or e-mail: sales@dadcheckgold.com. Complement Genomics Ltd, the provider of the dadcheckgold service, is accredited by the Ministry of Justice as a body that may to carry out parentage tests as directed by the civil courts of England and Wales under section 20 of the Family Law Reform Act 1969.

Types of surrogacy ‘Traditional’ surrogacy involves insertion of sperm into the fallopian tube of the surrogate mother, who by virtue of using her own egg, is the biological mother of the child. ‘Gestational’ surrogacy, often referred to as in vitro fertilization (IVF), involves implantation into a surrogate of an externally fertilized embryo where the intended parents provide the biological material and of the egg and sperm both, either or neither of which may be from a donor. Importantly, the child and the surrogate mother are biologically independent of one another.

Notes 1 Form C51: Application for a Parental Order (Section 54 Human Fertilization and Embryology Act 2008). 2 Article 123 of the Ukrainian Family Code (as amended 22/12/2006, No 524-V) and Orders 24 and 771 of the Health Ministry of Ukraine.

Mr Sameer Singh MBBS BSc FRCS Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Sameer Singh is an experienced expert witness in personal injury and medical negligence cases relating to his specialist areas of expertise. These include: • All aspects of trauma soft tissue and bone injuries • Sports Injuries • Upper and Lower Limb Disorders and Injuries • Whiplash Injuries His practice concentrates on shoulder, elbow and hand disorders, using techniques that are tailored to patient needs and utilising accelerated rehabilitation techniques to promote faster recovery and reduced time off work. Mr Singh completes over 200 medico legal reports per year and offers an efficient turnaround within 10 days from receipt of all relevant documentation. He can take instructions for cases on behalf of either claimant or defendant. Clients can be seen in clinic locations in Bedford and Milton Keynes.

T: 01908 305127 M: 07968 013 803 • www.orthopaedicexpertwitness.net E: orthopaedicexpert@gmail.com • www.shoulderelbowhand.org

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

W Robbery I doubt t

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Cryptocurrency, bitcoins and divorce

Cryptocurrency has existed for nearly a decade and it’s now estimated that there is €700 billion held in these virtual currencies. Therefore, it is unsurprising that cryptocurrency is now appearing more frequency in divorce cases. Furthermore, the nature of this asset and the relative ease at which it can be hidden may attract spouses to consider using cryptocurrency to hide wealth.

currency resides and how the currency is used to acquire goods, services or assets. The transactions do not require the involvement or supervision by a bank or other third party.

What is cryptocurrency?

Transactions within the system can be hard (but not impossible) to trace. However, the existence of cryptocurrency is often identified when the currency is purchased through a conventional bank account, when it is transferred back into a bank account or when it is used to fund purchases without conventional money changing hands. The currency is extremely volatile and the value can double or halve within a few days.

Cryptocurrency is a virtual currency and there are a number of different currencies including bitcoins, Ethereum and Litecoins. It exists on the cloud and is held in a so called virtual “wallet” that is, in effect, a piece of software. The individual who controls the wallet can direct where the

The currency can be acquired using traditional bank accounts or it may be “mined”. Mining involves confirming and documenting cryptocurrencies for other holders. It tends to be an activity undertaken only by experts but can generate substantial wealth. How should cryptocurrency be dealt

So what are the key points to be considered in relation to cryptocurrency and divorce?

with in a divorce? Cryptocurrency should be disclosed as with any other asset and if there is a suspicion of hidden funds a direct disclosure should be sought. If no disclosure is made, but there remains a suspicion, it may be possible to identify the existence from transactions in conventional bank accounts where the currency is acquired or converted back into traditional currency. If the sums suspected are significant it may warrant forensic analysis by a specialist who will look for digital traces, but it is notoriously hard to find, value and prove ownership. If a party has disclosed the existence of a cryptocurrency reserve, a decision must be made on how to value it bearing in mind the volatility of the value and speculative nature of the currency. It may also be necessary to consider the tax consequences of the holding. Transactions in bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies are proving

hard for tax authorities to categorise. They may be treated as currency or commodities and activity could be deemed as trading, gambling (not taxable) or investment. Finally, in view of the ability to hide the currency it is often used for illegal activity such as money laundering, tax evasion, terrorism etc and therefore advisers will need to consider their wider obligations to the authorities. In conclusion, a decade on cryptocurrency is here to stay and features in divorces where there is significant wealth and perhaps a motive to hide the wealth. It cannot be ignored but specialist input may be needed if the suspected value justifies the cost. By Fiona Hotston Moore Partner, Ensors Chartered Accountants

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Resilience, yes, but for whom? Some years ago I began to notice the word resilience. It started to appear everywhere: online, on the radio, in the workplace. Employers were concerned about their employees and their emotional resilience. They were talking about resilience – what it is, why it is important, what happens if you don’t have it. They were even paying for it. Consultants turned up at away days. Leaders were trained and the learning was cascaded. Perhaps this concern with resilience was prompted by the fallout from the financial crash. Maybe it was just a healthy and welcome stage of our ongoing human evolution. In any case, it seeped into our consciousness and seems to be here to stay. But I have begun to smell a rat. Resilience is the quality of being able to weather adversity while remaining sane and whole and healthy. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? So why is resilience beginning to sound like a panacea for the toxic workplace? Worse still, people who cannot cope in such a place are beginning to sound like the problem. You aren’t resilient enough. You should be able to cope with this. Don’t point the finger at us when it is you who are inadequate. And I have begun to think, “Resilience, yes, but for whom?”. There have always been great demands on solicitors but those demands are becoming more acute what with billing targets, increased regulation and growing competition. Throw in a sadistic boss or the threat of redundancy and you have a toxic mix that calls for mammoth reserves of resilience just to hold your balance. If you fear you might be close to buckling, then my purpose here is to awaken you to that off-sounding note in the resilience discourse. This will help you set about finding and fixing the right problem and, more importantly, save you from punishing yourself if it isn’t you at fault. Sift through the toxic mix with a critical eye and get clear about the active ingredients. Where are the pressures coming from and do you have control or influence over them? Is getting out the only real solution and is that even possible? If you find yourself waking at three every morning because your court commitments show no let up and you are dangerously close to a raft of filing deadlines, then something has to change. You could reach for the sleeping tablets (because they will make your sleep more resilient to stress) and you could resolve to take more work home (because that will reduce the backlog and so the stress). This will save you whining to the boss because she has enough on her plate, you’re a team player and you have your eye on partnership. You want to show a can-do attitude and, besides, your sense of self has always been of someone who delivers. Congratulations, you have been mis-sold resilience! Your solution might just work if it is only needed for a matter of days but that doesn’t sound to be the case. What you have done here is internalise the problem of an excessive workload as yours alone and come up with a, frankly, insane (but commonplace) solution. It may be a simple matter of not taking on new clients for a while and passing the ticking files to other colleagues. It may even be the case that no one but you is preventing this. Sometimes the unreasonable boss is inside our heads.

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

If, however, your assessment that nothing can be done is correct, then you need to think about what’s really going on. Who is all this sacrifice really benefitting? Is there enough in it for you to carry on like this? Resigning might be what you need to do but may not be a financial possibility until you find another job or career. This is where resilience really comes into its own. Resilience is what you need when you can’t change a difficult situation. It is what sees you through while you’re problem-solving. The mere fact of understanding the situation and seeing it for what it is will help you forebear. Remember the sifting exercise? Sometimes we will discover that the problem is indeed within our control. We didn’t prepare well enough for court and took home the persistent, corrosive feeling that we are being judged not good enough. There isn’t much to be done when we make a mess of things but resilience can combat futile and endless ruminating. It helps us forgive ourselves and get over it. Don’t buy into the passive-aggressive message that arrived with the resilience band wagon but do take all the help on offer – training, workshops counselling. It won’t all make a difference but some of it probably will. It will be a start at any rate. Eimear McAllister productivelawyers.com

W Robbery Bottom Lane. I doubt t

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Why Quill’s software development team invests heavily in Interactive Documents By Julian Bryan, Managing Director, Quill

The legal profession is never static. With alwaysevolving legislation, increasingly demanding clients and growing numbers of aggressive competitors, change is never far afoot. To thrive in such challenging conditions, law firms rely more than ever before upon technology. One constant thread in this sea of change is the written word. You see, the law is all about the written word. Every single task performed by a solicitor involves the written word in some form. Law firms are document-intensive by nature and every fee earner is a content factory generating document after document as they progress through live matters, be it a client care letter sent to a new customer, completion statement in a commercial conveyancing matter, divorce petition for a matrimonial case, last will and testament for a private client or anything in between. It thus follows that the primary role of technology is to help legal practices manage the written word effectively. Software’s role is to apply as much automation as possible to generating, storing, transmitting and finding the written word including time recording throughout each of these stages. Speed and accuracy are absolutely essential. The quicker and easier it is to produce, save, share and locate this expanding library of documents, the better for everyone, from the lawyer who can concentrate on client-facing work thereby boosting earning capacity to the compliance officer who can plan for business continuity thereby meeting Code of Conduct obligations. Because of this, no legal software supplier can afford to be complacent about development. At Quill, software development is something we take really seriously and invest considerable resources in doing. We have 12 dedicated employees in our software development team. Led by our IT Director, Richard Salt, it’s their responsibility to research new technologies and industry trends then develop our applications in order to keep Quill at the forefront of innovation and enable our clients to control the written word to the best of their ability. Our R&D staff understand the pressures faced by today’s law firms and continually enhance our Interactive Cloud and Interactive Documents software – comprising case management, legal accounts and document management features – to empower them to work more efficiently, save administration time, spend longer earning fees, reduce operating costs and a whole raft of other benefits which drive both greater productivity (so your clients are happy!) and profitability (so your partners and investors are happy too!). With regards to the written word, Interactive Documents – our intuitive document management module – provides tight integration between Interactive, Word and Outlook – called our Add-Ins – which allows you to spend your working day in familiar Microsoft applications with full links to Interactive’s database, templates and document store.

www.peterboroughlawsociety.co.uk

Technology that constantly advances is a must-have tool for any forward-thinking law firm. Not only because of the productivity advantages delivered, but also for safety reasons. Without ongoing security patches and bug fixes, you’re vulnerable to the rising volumes of threats from hackers and cybercriminals whose sole purpose it is to disrupt (even ruin) your business. Software development, then, is a future-proofing promise that, whatever changes and challenges come your way, your software supplier’s got your back. At its core, our Interactive Documents gives unique integration between Interactive Cloud, Word and Outlook saving users re-entering data as a key, but by no means only, benefit. But more recently a myriad of new features have been introduced to Interactive Documents and we’re going to describe just a few of them here. We’ve created conversion to PDF and attachment as PDF functionality. As you’ll no doubt know, PDF is a secure file format. Documents of this type can’t be edited by recipients. In Interactive, it’s a one button task; job done. Using the Interactive Add-Ins in Outlook makes tasks such as this really straightforward. By simply hitting the ‘New Quill Email’ then ‘Attach From Quill’ buttons located in the top toolbar of Outlook, single or multiple documents can be attached as PDFs even if you haven’t previously converted files to PDF format. At this point, you haven’t formally logged in to Interactive itself either; you’re using the wellknown Microsoft interface instead which you’re at liberty to do all day long, should you please. We’ve established an entire series of document and precedent templates comprising everything from credit control letters and identification forms to requests to extend time and receipt of money acknowledgements. These templates are supplied as standard with Interactive Documents. You can also choose to set up your own bespoke templates, link to merge fields in Interactive then auto-populate content direct from your database. In the same vein, popular forms packs can be purchased too as an optional extra. Linked closely to Interactive, these forms offer even more autodatabase population for documents related to each of the common steps in particular matters. This has to be one of the biggest draws of document management software – the ability to generate documents and letters in minutes. Where Interactive Documents is concerned, the same applies to emails. Ready-made email templates allow emails to be written, recipients selected from handy drop-down lists, documents attached and the entire communication saved straight back to case effortlessly, all from within Outlook itself. In fact, you can even now do so from within Word. Auto-email the document you’ve been working on directly to the client, opposition, expert witness or any combination without switching between systems.

Integrated attendance notes are another enhancement. Either when saving a just-completed document, receiving a document or later, the notes field permits the addition of attendance notes – that’s a description of discussions, meetings or events that have taken place – relating to that specific document. There are two main advantages of attendance notes. One, the important notes are logged both for future reference and to support your accompanying time record so there’s no chance of forgetting further down the line. Two, entering your attendance notes as you go along saves you an extra task and negates the need for double billing which assists with client satisfaction. Time recording generally is worth a mention. Our overhauled Interactive Documents lets you make time entries at various touchpoints when writing, uploading or dispatching case-related documentation and correspondence. With the ability to perform these stages quickly, you can record more units of time than the task has actually taken to bill clients appropriately for actions completed and boost chargeable time in the process. In other words, do less and earn more. These are just a few of many improvements to Interactive Documents. To refer to some others, you can set up calendar events from Word and Outlook with reminders to ensure defined milestones are met; maintain a full audit trail with version-control-stamped documents; assign colours, labels and preview before opening to locate the right documents with ease; access your cloud-stored documents from anywhere with an internet connection to become more mobile; tailor sub folders to your preferences so Interactive mirrors how you work; store unlimited quantities of documents, emails and images without taking up valuable space on your own servers; protect your vital records with industrial-strength security measures and in-built disaster recovery planning; and much, much more besides. The combination of these multiple features means you can run your legal practice competitively, with minimum support staff, at low cost. A ‘Lite’ version of Interactive Documents is provided as part of your Interactive licence fee. Alternatively, an advanced ‘Professional’ version is charged at just £17 per user per month for full integration with the Microsoft Office suite. Exploit our heavy financial investment in Interactive Documents without breaking your bank. The written word; sorted. Julian Bryan joined Quill as Managing Director in 2012 and is also the Chair of the Legal Software Suppliers Association. Quill is the UK’s largest outsourced legal cashiering provider with 40 years’ experience supplying outsourcing services and software to the legal profession.

C W

hile I have no doubt Members of the Worcestershire Law Society are fully

Price