In Touch The Official Magazine of Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
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Contents
Editor Matthew Cameron Features Christine Kettle Advertising Simon Castell
Design Matt Wood - East Park Studio Accounts Tony Kay
Media No. 1111 Published September 2018 Legal Notice
© East Park Communications Ltd. 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. The appearance of advertising copy in this magazine does not constitute an endorsement of the individual advertisers by the Suffolk and North Essex Law Society.
Issue 16 Autumn 2018 Articles in blue are indepedant advertorials and not neccessarily the opinions of the Society
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A Message From The President
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From The Council Chamber
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From The Editor
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Suffolk Law Centre News Update
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Who Should Lead Your Law Firm?
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Rules, Rules and Fewer Rules..
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When You Need To Find Out About Care Services For Yourself Or Someone You Care For
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PRO/PLO Report
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AGM 2018 Review
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2018 President’s Annual Dinner
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The Law Society - Women In Leadership In Law
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An Ever Changing Risk Landscape...
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Legal Sector Joins Forces To Celebrate Remember A Charity Week
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Making It Easier To Make Money
Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
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Officers of the Society President Denise Head Bates Wells & Braithwaite, Ipswich Tel: 01473 219282 Fax: 01473 230804 Email: denise.head@bates-wells.co.uk
Deputy Vice President Chris Andrews John Fowlers, Colchester Tel. 01206 576151 Fax 01206 761916 E-mail chris@johnfowlers.co.uk Honorary Secretary
Ivana Radovic Gotelee Solicitors, Ipswich Tel: 01473 211121 Fax: 01473 230387 Email: ivana.radovic@gotelee.co.uk Honorary Treasurer Louise Cardwell Ashtons Legal Tel: 01473 261320 Email: louise.cardwell@ashtonslegal.co.uk Honorary Council Member Roger Buston Birkett Long, Colchester Tel: 01206 217335 Mobile: 07770 305 977 Email: roger.buston@birkettlong.co.uk. Joint PRO/PLO Fiona Bailey Louise Goodenough Haywards Solicitors, Stowmarket Tel: 01449 613631 Fax 01449 613851 Email: louise.goodenough@haywards-solicitors.co.uk Education & Training Officer Amanda Timcke Birketts 24/26 Museum Street Ipswich Suffolk, IP1 1HZ DX 3206 IPSWICH E-mail address: Amanda-Timcke@birketts.co.uk Administrative Secretary Christine Kettle Whitegate Cottage Coddenham Green Ipswich IP6 9UN Tel/Fax: 01449760731 email: snels@topcopysec.co.uk
This is my first editorial as President and I would like firstly to thank Jon Armstrong not only for his sterling year as the outgoing President of SNELS but also for keeping the ceremonial bling safe and shiny and which I was both proud and a little trepidatious to receive at our AGM in June. Even though this clashed with England v Belgium, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and the trophy was convincingly won by none other than my own firm ably assisted by David Wilson and Kate Barnes (I was not in their team!). We heard from Simon Davis, Deputy Vice President of the Law Society and I was pleased to hear from him that there are still some elements of the LS in London which realise that there are other lawyers who may not work in the city but whose interests also need to be vociferously represented. This becomes ever more important as the Government of the day continues to wield its axe in the ongoing battle for access to justice.
Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
Vice President Matthew Cameron Ashtons Legal, Bury St. Edmunds Tel. 01284 727016 Fax: 01284 764214 e-mail Matthew.Cameron@ashtonslegal.co.uk
A Message From Our President
I write this as the summer days become shorter and the evenings slightly cooler. This did not stop a dedicated crowd attending the Pétanque evening at the Hare and Hounds in East Bergholt on 7th September for an enjoyable evening, a fierce competition and a veritable spread laid on by the pub. And no rain! And the competition was won ..... by my firm (a theme developing!) Matthew has followed in the SNELS’ tradition of organising a seminar as VP – this year on the rel-evant topic and much debated Brexit, and how the Law Society is addressing this. This took place in the idyllic setting of Finborough Hall which took our minds off, at least temporarily, the political debates and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the yet to be done-deal. And of course, the date has been set for the unmissable Annual Dinner which this year will take place on Friday, 9th November 2018 in the glorious grounds of Seckford Hall with music from The Mementoes. Tickets are selling fast so please reserve your tables soon so as not to be disappointed.
I am pleased that this year, SNELS will continue to have the support of its excellent committee and my role is very much in conjunction with and alongside Matthew Cameron as VP and Chris Andrews as DVP. We hope that we can continue to strengthen and develop SNELS and to make sure that it is relevant and useful. I am the first one to complain if I think that either I am not receiving value for money or that events laid on are timed wrongly or serve no useful purpose. We would very much like to hear from you therefore, with your views about SNELS and how you would like to see it move forward and progress so that it is relevant to not only the more mature practitioner but to the younger generation too whose interest needs to be piqued if we are to evolve as an organ-isation. Please contact me or Matthew or Chris if you would like to chat about any ideas or if you have any comments generally and we will be very happy to hear them. In the meantime, I hope to see as many of you as possible on 9th November.
Denise Head
President, Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
www.snels.org.uk
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From the Council Chamber
SNELS Council Member Report Chancery Lane - September 2018
CM Brief As Constituency Member for Suffolk and North Essex I represent SNELS and members generally both on TLS Council and also on The Conveyancing and Land Law Committee (CLLC) and on the Property Section Executive Committee (PS).
CM Activity The next TLS Council Meeting is on 25th – 26th September 2018, then 24th – 25th October 2018 .The last Conveyancing and Land Law Committee (CLLC) was on 5th September 2018 and next is (currently) 17th October 2018. The last Property Section Executive Committee Meeting was 12th July 2018. The next is on 13th September 2018. The National Conference is on 11th October in Chancery Lane. Having now spent eight years sitting on the Council Members Conduct Committee (CMCC) and the rules say that I am not allowed to sit for another term, so have relinquished this post as of 31st August 2018.
Summary SRA Activities On 14th June the SRA announced a series of decisions following its consultation ‘Looking to the future: phase two of our Handbook reform’, which took place last year. This marks the end of the major programme of SRA Handbook reforms carried out over two consultations - and paves the way to farreaching changes to the way solicitors and their firms currently practise. On 8th August SRA submitted the proposed changes to the Handbook to the LSB for approval. Subject to the LSB’s approval, the SRA anticipates implementing the changes in April 2019. TLS continues to oppose these changes and has lodged a formal objection to LSB: asking them to reject these elements of the SRA rule change application. TLS is concerned that the changes will increase uncertainty for the profession, erode vital client protections, lower standards, confuse clients and diminish the solicitor brand. In TLS view the SRA has not provided sufficient evidence to justify such radical changes, so TLS has lodged a formal objection stating our concerns – which could lead to a two tier profession.
The Code of Conduct The SRA proposes to replace the current Code of Conduct with two shorter, less detailed Codes – a Code for Solicitors and a Code for Firms. The change paves way to two tiers of solicitors, with those working in regulated entities having to bear a greater regulatory burden than those in unregulated entities – irrespective of the risk to the client. The new Codes will not have the outcomes or indicative behaviours provided for in the present Code, with much of the detail expected to be moved to new guidance. The SRA plans to publish the guidanceprior to implementation. The high-level codes with less prescriptive rules may lead to compliance challenges, particularly in relation to ‘grey’ areas, open to interpretation. It should be said that the continued absence of guidance at this stage of the process does not assist members in understanding and preparing for the significant changes. The outcome of phase two is aimed to set new rules on:• Authorising firms;
• Authorising individuals; • Suitability test for admission to the Roll; • Transitional arrangements for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam; • Specialist rules on overseas practice, property selling, financial services and appeals; • Enforcement strategy; • Transparency rules. Other changes to the Handbook announced include:• Introduction of two separate principles ‘act with honesty’ and ‘act with integrity’;
By way of a pour memoire, during the first phase the SRA proposed:-
• Widening the practising address requirements beyond England and Wales to anywhere in the UK and Dispensing with the requirement to re-approve partners of firms, and other Legal Services Act regulated professionals;
• Removal of practice restrictions on solicitors delivering non- reserved services;
• Tightening the ‘qualified to supervise’ rule and streamlining character and suitability requirements;
• A new reduced set of principles; • A new shorter Code of Conduct for Solicitors; • A new shorter Code of Conduct for Firms.
• A revised policy on multi-disciplinary practices and Setting out new training requirements; • Changes to specialist rules, a New approach enforcement strategy and New transparency rules.
to
The SRA changes pursue a ‘less prescriptive’ approach to regulation with the Handbook size reduced by about two thirds. The SRA argues that the intention behind the changes is to simplify the regulations, make them more targeted and future6
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proofed, and at the same time offer solicitors more flexibility and freedom in the way they choose to practise.
Stop Press: Professional Privilege
To assist clients in making choices and determining what type of regulatory protections they will have, the SRA is introducing new transparency rules. TLS has developed a separate briefing ‘Looking to the future: Better information, more choice’ (https:// www.lawsociety.org.uk/Support-services/Advice/Articles/srahandbook-reform-briefing-for-members/) to provide members with detailed information about those changes.
It had earlier been ruled in the High Court that documents including working papers and notes made by lawyers could not enjoy privilege because they had been created before a point before criminal legal proceedings were contemplated. The company, which strongly denied any wrongdoing, says it was investigating unsubstantiated allegations against businesses it was seeking to acquire. The earlierruling rejected claims of litigation privilege and allowed legal advice privilege only for one category of documents, presentations to the company’s board.
TLS maintains the changes will increase client confusion. The legal services market is inherently complex and most clients are infrequent purchasers of legal services. That is whyit is unrealistic to expect them to understand these fine distinctions. Rather than having choice, clients are likely to be put at risk. The SRA did however take account of consultation responses in some areas and amended their original proposals as follows:-
• The ‘qualified to supervise’ rule will be tightened and replaced with a requirement for SRA-authorised firms to have at least one manager or employee who has practised for three years. • Self-employed solicitors will be required to have three years’ experience prior to delivering work, but ONLY for reserved services. They will also be required to maintain adequate and appropriate professional indemnity insurance for reserved and non-reserved work.
TLS intervened in the case of SFO v ERNC, in an Appeal to protect the scope of litigation privilege and to seek to address the long-standing restrictions on legal advice privilege that are the legacy of the Three Rivers (No 5) decision (which TLS held to be wrongly decided).
Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
This ‘flexibility’ means a significant shift from the status quo where the ‘solicitor’ title guarantees a consistent level of client protection. Under the new rules clients will be expected to know and understand the difference between solicitors working in SRA-regulated firms, freelance solicitors and solicitors in an unregulated business.
It was here ruled that in-house advice prepared prior to court proceedings is as protected by privilege as that given in the defence of proceedings. In this much awaited ruling in the CA, the President of QBD Sir Brian Leveson, Chancellor of the High Court Sir Geoffrey Vos and Lord Justice McCombe backed an Appeal over the High Court ruling that a business under investigation by the SFO should turn over materials prepared for an earlier internal investigation. It is a boost for the principle of lawyer-client confidentiality. Roger Buston - TLS Council Member SNELS, Bikett Long Office : 01206 217335 Mobile email
: 07770 305977
: roger.buston@birkettlong.co.uk
• The early decision on character and suitability will be retained for aspiring solicitors.
Corporate Manager Owners The SRA proposes a new authorisation rule that requires firms they authorise to intend to deliver legal services. The change is likely to impact on Corporate Manager Owners. It means that in the future firms with Corporate Manager Owners would most likely need to be authorised as Alternative Business Structures (ABS)
Self-employed Solicitors Sole solicitors and Registered European Lawyers (RELs) will be able to provide reserved services without the need to be authorised as a recognised sole practice or to work through a regulated firm. This is subject to specific conditions such as being self-employed and engaged directly by a client, not having any employees and not practising through a service company. Self-employed (freelance) solicitors must have three years’ practising experience prior to delivering work but only for reserved activities. This means they will be able to deliver non-reserved work without any requirement for practising experience. Self-employed will not be able to hold client money except for payments on account of costs and disbursements for which the solicitor or REL is responsible. In response to concerns, the SRA decided to require freelance solicitors to maintain ‘adequate and appropriate’ professional indemnity insurance (PII) cover for both reserved and nonreserved work, though they will not need to comply with the SRA’s minimum terms and conditions (MTCs), which are also now under review. Freelance solicitors’ clients will have access to the Compensation Fund
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From the Editor Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
Hello, and welcome to this edition of In Touch, your journal for Suffolk & North Essex Law Society. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Denise Head well in her role as President for the year. I hope you can take some time to read through this edition. If I or any of the other officers of SNELS can offer any further guidance, do please feel free to contact us. SNELS is intended for your support, and if any of you have thoughts as to what we may do to assist, Denise or I would be interested to hear.
This edition of In Touch will be released after our annual Seminar, where we were pleased to welcome Mickaël Laurans, Head of the Law Society’s International Section. The main topic of the seminar was The UK’s departure from the EU, and how the Law Society is involved in that. Clearly, this is a topic of particular relevance at the moment to us all – and not just those of us who practise French law! As well as being of fundamental importance to us all, this is a highly changeable subject, but it is reassuring to know that the Law Society remains closely involved, and at a high level. If you have any comments for me during my year as VicePresident, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Thank you.
Matthew Cameron - Vice-President & SNELS Editor
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Dates for the Diary 9th November 2018:
President’s Annual Dinner, Seckford Hall Hotel, Woodbridge (see Page 18)
Future Council Meetings: 29th October 2018 21st January 2019 18th March 2019 20th May 2019 16th September 2019 November 2019 (date to be confirmed) If you would like any specific items discussed by your Council, please notify our Admin. Sec. (snels@topcopysec.co.uk) to ensure they are included on the agenda.
As you may have heard our exciting news, Suffolk Law Centre has appointed its first, full time housing lawyer, Paul McManus, and now offers advice and assistance to people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness who are eligible for Legal Aid.
The housing team at Suffolk Law Centre is now able to act for people in and around the county under the government’s Legal Aid scheme. Paul’s email is paul@suffolklawcentre.org.uk
Paul has come to Suffolk after spending the last five years working at law centres in south west London.
(Suffolk Law Advice Clinics & Tackling Discrimination in the East) ISCRE
His work in London gave him a wide range of experience acting for publicly funded clients with housing issues, including homelessness appeals, possession proceedings and evictions.
46a St Matthews Street, Ipswich Suffolk IP1 3EP
Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
Suffolk Law Centre - An Update
Audrey Ludwig, Director of Legal Services Suffolk Law Centre
Tel: 01473 408 111Fax: 08723529201 email: audrey@iscre.org.uk web: www.iscre.org.uk
Legal Aid Housing at Suffolk Law Centre Housing advice and assistance is now available at Suffolk Law Centre under Legal Aid, which pays some or all of the client’s costs. Broadly, housing work under Legal Aid can be carried out for people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.
4. Eviction and unlawful eviction
1. Homelessness
• Clients can be assisted in setting aside a warrant of eviction.
• Assistance is available to help clients with their homeless applications.
• Help is also available to bring a claim for unlawful eviction.
• This includes requesting reviews of negative decisions or requesting reviews of suitability of accommodation.
5. Disrepair
• If required, work can be carried out to appeal homeless decisions in the County Court.
• Work can be carried out to pursue a claim for disrepair where there is a serious risk of harm to the health and safety of a client or their family.
2. Re-housing
6. Judicial Review
• The definition of homeless can include people living in unsuitable accommodation that is not reasonable for them to occupy.
• Funding is available for housing judicial review cases when government departments have failed in their statutory duties.
• Clients can be helped to apply for re-housing.
Financial eligibility
3. Possession claims • Clients can be advised and represented in possession proceedings brought by local authorities, housing associations and private landlords. • Work can be undertaken for counterclaims, including disrepair counterclaims. • Funding is available regardless of the grounds for possession provided there is a defence. •
Assistance for urgent mortgage repossession cases is also available. These cases are classified as ‘debt’ cases and clients must first apply through the government’s telephone gateway.
A financial assessment is required to confirm someone qualifies for Legal Aid, even when the applicant is in receipt of Universal Credit, Income Support, Income-based JSA or Income-related ESA.
To check online whether someone may be eligible for Legal Aid visit:civil-eligibility-calculator.justice.gov.uk/ For more information and to make an appointment, please call: 01473 408111 or email: office@suffolklawcentre. org.uk.
• Legal Help is available as soon as possession is being sought, that is when a notice is served. www.snels.org.uk
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Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
WHO SHOULD LEAD YOUR LAW FIRM? Law firms are facing unprecedented uncertainty. They need to embrace digital innovation and automation, attract the best talent in a competitive market, stay abreast of increasing regulation and all this with a backdrop of a vulnerable economy and Brexit looming. Therefore, more than ever, regional law firms must have a client focused offering which is understood by the market and embraced internally. But will the role of managing partner change? Most regional firms continue to have a ‘part time’ managing partner who retains client responsibilities. However, to take the firm forward in this new environment will require a substantial time investment and leadership skills not necessarily evident in successful client facing professionals. To be successful, managing partners need to demonstrate the following leadership skills: • treat all partners as equal and part of the team (cliques must be actively discouraged and keep your own independence); • lead by example; • communicate the strategy to all and ensure there are no hidden agendas; • deal with disruptive individuals; • focus always on development and sales which will be the key driver of success; and
Today’s firm needs a leader who is dynamic, inspiring and brave so they can challenge the status quo and take their teams with them. However, one of the key obstacles to appointing the right person is the appointment process. The appointment of the managing partner is unique to professional firm’s leadership and distinct from corporates. For example, whilst a fair proportion of the partners may claim to wish to see their firm develop in reality they may lack the confidence to change and wish to stay in their comfort zone. These partners will seek to appoint someone who they trust not to challenge their personal status quo. In addition, fixed term appointments allow the partners to revisit their choice but it is important that leadership is about the next generation rather than the next election. The key skill for the managing partner, despite working in a firm of technical specialists, is their people skills and ability to influence other partners without relying on their title. The individual must support their immediate team and allow them the autonomy to get the job done. Ultimately, the measure for a successful managing partner is however unchanged. The leader will be judged by their ability to deliver the financial results and a sustainable firm.
• have courage Fiona Hotston Moore Forensic accounting partner & accredited expert witness Ensors Chartered Accountants M: 07770 642 491 | E: Fiona.hotstonmoore@ensors.co.uk | @hotstonmoore Member of NIFA & The Academy of Experts 10
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By Fiona Hotston Moore – Ensors Chartered Accountants
Rules, Rules and Fewer Rules.. The new rules are awaiting LSB approval but no major changes are anticipated so we should see an implementation date sometime in 2019. This represents a major shift from the old prescriptive regime covering 50 pages to a far more concise 7 page document plus accompanying glossary focusing on the core purpose of keeping client money safe. In the original proposed rule changes money received on account of costs and disbursements did not have to be treated as client money. After a number of unfavorable responses those initial proposals have been watered down. Now only those firms that do not maintain a client account and the only client money they hold is advance payments for fees and unpaid disbursements, will be exempt from the requirement to hold such receipts in client account.
A couple of points to remember here; • Any firm wishing to take advantage will presumably need to close down all client accounts to ensure they do not ‘maintain’ one. It appears that a firm that occasionally holds client money or may do so in future and wishes to keep the client account open will have to continue to treat such receipts as client money; • The receipt of such monies into the office account will trigger a tax point for VAT purposes. That means output VAT will need to be accounted for in the period the money is received if this is in advance of the bill being raised. So those firms will need to ensure their accounting systems are set up to deal with that. Other changes include an exemption for Legal Aid Agency receipts from having to be held in client account and the end of the requirement to automatically have to obtain a ‘Cease to Hold’ Accountants’ Report (although the SRA may still request one).
The old Rule 17.3 which required firms to transfer costs to office account within 14 days of delivering a bill is gone. Interestingly though the new Rule 4.3 (b) makes it clearer that the bill must be given to the client before the transfer is made. The old rule 17.2 used the words ‘give or send’ implying that as long as it was sent the transfer could be made.
Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
This summer saw the long awaited release of the draft SRA Accounts Rules 2018.
Another major change is the introduction of Third Party Managed Accounts (‘TPMA’). This provides an alternative solution for firms that do not wish to directly hold client money. Currently the number of providers is fairly low although the SRA have indicated that they are keen to see more products developed. The SRA fully expects that firms that are fully compliant with the old rules will be fully compliant with the new. This is a reasonable assumption and it will be interesting to see how many firms take advantage of the new rules to make changes to their systems.
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One day you may find that you could do with some support. Life is not as easy as it used to be. Household chores are becoming difficult and you feel uncomfortable and anxious about taking a bath while you are on your own in the house. You have had a couple of falls, nothing broken but you have not mentioned it to anyone, and the falls they have worried you. Food shopping which used to be a pleasure now is a chore and you ask family and even neighbours to get you bits and pieces but really you don’t like asking. The thought is there that you could do with a little help and support. Where should you start looking for information? Who can tell you about what support is available? How much do care services cost? Can you get any financial help?
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Do you need to ring social services, or should you ask at the surgery? These are some of the questions that individuals and families ask when faced with the possibility of themselves or someone they love not being able to care for themselves as they used to be able to do. Domestic ability is declining, support with personal care would be welcome and a little bit of company is always welcome. There are many charities and voluntary organisations that have a wealth of information that will give you the answers to questions you may have. One of these is the national organisation Age UK. They have hundreds of support branches and a website that has around 50 Fact Sheets giving comprehensive information that is relevant to older people and their families. If you want information about local care homes or local care agencies, ring them up, visit them to ask the questions you would like answers to and base any care decision you may make in the future on information you have accessed yourself. Able Community Care is a care provider offering care services to people who have high dependency care needs. Since 1980 we have provided over 70 million hours of Live- in Care enabling people to stay in their own home. Our live- in carers provide domestic support, personal care support, companionship and opportunities for activities outside of the home. Able Community Care provides Home from Hospital Care, Planned Respite Care and for people who would like a holiday but need care support, our Holiday Care
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PRO/PLO Report Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
Since the last edition of the In Touch Magazine we have held our AGM which appointed Denise Head of Bates, Wells & Braithwaite in Ipswich as our new President. We thank Jon Armstrong for his time and commitment over the past year as outgoing President and give a warm welcome to Denise. Matthew Cameron of Ashtons Legal in Bury St. Edmunds now becomes our new Vice President with Chris Andrews of John Fowlers in Colchester being our newly appointed Deputy Vice President. On the strength of last year, the Council decided to coincide the AGM with a Quiz night. A raffle was also held raising money for a Charity of the President’s choice. Hopefully next year’s AGM will be just as exciting and even more attendees coming along. We were recently very honoured to have Mickael Laurans, Head of Law Society International, come and present to SNELS Members the vital role the Law Society is taking in Brexit. Thank you to Matthew Cameron for organising this event. SNELS next major event is of course the President’s Annual Dinnerwhich is taking place on Friday 9th November. This year it is being held at Seckford Hall, Woodbridge. Entertainment is a live Suffolk band called ‘The Momentos’ as chosen by our President. I am sure you will come along and join in this fun
evening. Tickets are now on sale so please contact Christine Kettle before they sell out! SNELS have also reserved a special room rate for any attendees wishing to stay the night. Sponsors of this year’s President’s Annual Dinner so far are Index, J M Finn, Executor Solutions and Kimberly Williams. Details of all our events, training events and news can be seen on our website www.snels.org.uk or follow us on twitter @SNELS_UK Louise Goodenough Louise.goodenough@haywards-solicitors.co.uk
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Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
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AGM 2018 Review Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
This year’s AGM & Quiz was held at the Ipswich Hotel, Copdock, on Thursday, 28th June. Following his successful year as President, Jon Armstrong handed over the Presidency to Denise Head of Bates Wells & Braithwaite, Ipswich. Our guest speaker was Simon Davis, the Deputy Vice President of the Law Society of England and Wales. Our thanks go to Juliet Harvey for organising another great quiz, the winners of which were Bates Wells & Braithwaite assisted by David Wilson and Kate Barnes. Haywards once again won the wooden spoons!
Jon, Denise and Simon at the AGM in June
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Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
2018 President’s Annual Dinner
Sponsored by Executor Solutions, Index, JM Finn & Williams~Wroe
Friday, 9th November 2018 at Seckford Hall Hotel Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP13 6NU, 7.15 p.m. for 7.45 p.m. Dress code: Black Tie Tickets are just ÂŁ55.00 each, to include a pre-dinner drink, three course meal, wine and coffee/tea. The informal evening will conclude with live entertainment provided by Suffolk band, The Momentos and a there will be a dance floor for the more energetic. A cash bar will be available until 11.30 p.m. The number of places is limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. Tables of ten are available. When booking, please mention any special dietary requirements. Tickets must be ordered before Friday, 12th October. A number of hotel rooms is available, but these must be booked well in advance. Please mention SNELS when booking to obtain a discount. Tickets are available from: Christine Kettle, Administrative Secretary E-mail: snels@topcopysec.co.uk 18
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Tel. 01449 760731
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Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
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The Law Society, Eastern contact details Relationship Manager: Jack Dunkley Email: President@LawSociety.org.uk.
Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
Women in Leadership in Law
The Law Society of England and Wales is currently embarking on an ambitious project to ‘move the needle’ in order to level the playing field for women and ensure fair chances to progress into leadership positions. Led by Law Society President, Christina Blacklaws, the ‘Women in leadership in Law’ project builds on work which began in 2008 to assess the role of women in law. Christina commented: ‘The Law Society is committed to representing the legal profession, and diversity and inclusion is at the heart of this.’
Why now? As we approach the first 100 years since women in England and Wales were allowed to practise as solicitors, it is necessary to take stock of the progress that has been made in the profession. Since the first female solicitor, Carrie Morrison, was admitted, it is fair to say that women have taken the profession by storm,withwomen making up over 60% of new law graduates and new admissions and 50.2% of practicing solicitors.
Statistics However, if we look at the statistics a little closer, it is clear that more still needs to be done regarding women’s representation in leadership levels. Women are still not making it to partner status in equal numbers to men, accounting for only 28% of the 30,000 partners in private practice. Businesses are losing talent as women from ae 36 are leaving the profession, often at the point at which they have the skills and experience to become partners. We also know that equal pay remains a problem with pay differentials exceeding the national average. Christina also pointed out that ‘it is essential that the legal community recognises the contribution women can make, and where they are losing talented women, take steps to retain their knowledge and experience. For individuals and business to be truly successful – and desirable to work for – equal treatment and gender balance is a must, to the extent that it is becoming a generational issue.’
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Next steps To better understand why women are not making it to the top of the profession at a rate comparable to the numbers who enter the profession, the Law Society decided to explore the issue further. Starting in November 2017, a survey of women in law was launched to gather perceptions on the issues affecting women. Translated into French and Spanish, over 7,700 responses were collected in three months from men and women across the world. The three primary barriers to women’s progression were considered to be: 1. Unconscious bias (52%) 2. Unacceptable work/life balance demanded to reach senior levels (49%) 3. Traditional networks/routes to promotion are male orientated (46%) On a more positive note, the best practice highlighted by the survey was identified as: • Access to mainstreaming of flexible working for everyone at all levels • Mentoring and sponsorship • Networking opportunities • Engaging with men in the equality debate • Promotion and celebration/ increased visibility of leading women in law • Role modelling But the Law Society isn’t stopping there. Acknowledging the importance of equal treatment and gender balance in the workplace,the Society have produced a toolkit which is aimed at helping all legal organisations, large and small alike, to accelerate the pace of change. The toolkit empowers
women to become change makers in their organisations by including robust business cases for a number of areas as well as providing tangible actions which members can take to support gender equality. The results of the international survey have also provided a launchpad for a series of events to raise awareness and address the barriers which need to be removed to achieve true gender equality. A target of 100 focused roundtable discussions will take place across England and Wales this summer to gather qualitative information and lived experiences on the key issues identified in the survey. A guidance document has also been created to support those who would like to host their own roundtables for this purpose. Between October and December, the Law Society will be hosting men’s roundtables for men in senior roles who have the ability to make an impact in their organisation. A number of international roundtables are also scheduled to take place over the next nine months. And to celebrate the centenary of women in law, and to release the findings from the Women in leadership in Law project’s research, an International Symposium will be held in London in June 2019, tickets for which will be available from the Law Society later this year. Anyone who would like to be part of the Women in leadership in Law Project, or who would like to receive copies of the toolkit and roundtable guidance, is asked to contact President@LawSociety.org.uk.
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An ever changing risk landscape… The risk landscape law firms are faced with today continues to grow and evolve, and the regulatory regime along with new legislation play their part too. Like many modern businesses, law firms are becoming increasingly more reliant upon technology, whether to improve connectivity with clients, to improve processes and efficiency, to help mitigate risk through the use of case management systems, or to access things on the go. This means the cyber risk to the legal profession is on the rise. Only banks or financial institutions have greater sums of money passing through them than the legal sector. When you also factor in the amount of highly confidential information passing through law firms, it is no wonder that the Legal profession is a target for cyber criminals. While the SRA requires law firms to carry an appropriate level of coverage to protect their clients, there is no consideration as to what coverage will protect the law firm itself. The Legal Profession of England and Wales have one of the broadest policy wordings in the professional indemnity marketplace, yet despite this breadth of cover it is important to appreciate that PII cover provides third parties (generally a law firm’s clients) with protection in the event of an error act of omission. PII is not designed to provide first-party coverage e.g. business protection. Whilst Professional Indemnity Insurance should respond to a “Friday Afternoon Fraud”, “Phishing”, and other types of social engineering to put your clients back into the position they were previously, PII will not respond to all of the cyber risks that the legal profession is faced with today. Some of these risks include but are not limited to: • Denial of access to your systems – A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack prevents any connection to the internet and is increasingly combined with malware that corrupts the corporate network data. This is where the criminals have scanned the vulnerabilities remotely and found many weak points. They identify that the business relies on always being connected to the internet. The then use ‘exploit kit’ to bypass off-the-shelf firewalls and anti-virus protection. The cost to the criminal is modest compared to the prize of the ransom that people will pay to get their business up and running again.
• Loss of client data - Could result in fines or penalties being imposed by regulators such as the SRA or ICO, which given the new powers of the ICO could cripple a firm but if the financial impact of the fine did not, the reputational harm could be irreparable. • Impersonation - An average-level criminal will be able to manipulate your clients or member of staff quite easily because it is brutally effective for their aims and it really undermines the trust they place in you. This may happen because you do not have encrypted communications, or a protected website that has security certificates or email controls e.g. DMARC, or perhaps you allow private emails on home computers. There are many examples of these and most remain unreported in the public domain. You need to be available to your clients, but it’s worth noting this can encourage them to trust nonsecure interaction. • Reputational harm following the spread of a virus. A law firm may be liable if found to be the cause of transmitting malicious code to others. It is important to appreciate there is always a human being at the other end of a cyberincident. The level of sophistication adopted increases along with the ability of the malware that they may use. This is now a big business and it shares many characteristics with established commercial ecosystems – there are sales pipelines, money transfer services or “money mules” and some markets on the dark web looks like Craigs List or Ebay style shopping sites to cater for all types of nefarious intent. The patience that these criminals are willing to show means that we need to be on our guard at all times. The level of success that they can achieve is largely down to the core security controls you put in place. A number of controls will not be too difficult or expensive to put into place either. It is however imperative that you do not rest on your laurels and you evaluate your security control with some level of frequency. It is important to understand that outsourcing IT functions does not mean you outsource your responsibility. You are still a data controller and there is no system available, however robust it may be that will be 100% secure, as the cyber incident at the Pentagon revealed. If you do outsource your IT function, it is important to understand how much support can and will they provide to you in your hour of need, after all response times are key to mitigate the damage
but also as there is only a finite window to meet your regulatory obligations. You cannot expect clients and staff to identify all of the fake emails during the course of daily business, and trying to understand how the hackers were able to monitor and intercept the email traffic is, at this point, of secondary concern. The single most powerful way to combat this is to create a unique link between the index numbers and the plain text name of your email domain (what appears after the @ sign in an email) to prevent such impersonation. This type of authentication is already available with the free to use DMARC control, therefore we encourage every law firm in the UK to engage their IT team or service provider in discussing this topic further after which I think it is prudent to explore what insurance is available to support your business. Also, as a fairly recent development, some banks are now requiring DMARC controls across their entire supply-chain and some insurance companies are asking for it too. There are many cyber products available, which vary quite considerably in the scope and quality of cover they can offer. Lockton is an independent broker and has access to the wider insurance market but we also have a suite of products that have been designed specifically for the Legal Profession of England and Wales. This includes a product called Inter Lock which is the only fullyintegrated solution combining your SRA-approved PII policy with regulatory defence cost, cyber and first-party crime coverage. There is no regulatory requirement to do so, so why should you look into this? If you were going on a driving holiday or expedition would you do so without break down cover in place? If not why would you run your business without appropriate business owner’s protection in place that can protect your cash-flow and reputation? A good Cyber policy provides you with access to the appropriate experts to minimise the damage, help you identify and rectify the problem but perhaps most importantly getting your business operational swiftly. What is clear is that risks are guaranteed. Protection, however, is optional and you can’t assume a cyber attack will never happen to you. by Brian Boehmer If you’d like to learn more about Inter Lock or speak to a member of our team please email solicitors@uk.lockton.com or phone 0330 123 3870. Visit www.locktonsolicitors.co.uk for more information.
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Legal Sector Joins Forces To Celebrate Remember A Charity Week Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
This September, the legal profession is joining forces with over 200 charities to raise awareness of gifts in Wills and making clients aware that they have the option of doing so. Although only around 6% of estates currently include a charity in their Will, legacy donations generate over £2.8 billion for good causes annually, funding vital services across the country. Remember A Charity in Your Will Week (10-16 September 2018) celebrates the impact of legacy giving and highlights the critical role of the legal profession in making clients aware of the opportunity of leaving a donation in their Will, after taking care of their family and friends. Solicitors and Will-writers within Remember A Charity’s network of 1,400 legal supporters will promote the concept of legacy giving to clients, displaying campaign materials in their offices.
According to Remember A Charity’s latest solicitor and will-writer benchmark study , six in ten advisers sometimes or always mention the option of including a charitable gift to will-writing clients, but the potential is far greater. The campaign describes these conversations as ‘critical’ with research from the Behavioural Insights Team showing that the legacy giving donation rate doubles
when solicitors ask clients if they would like to consider leaving a charitable gift.
Rob Cope, Director of Remember A Charity, says: “Charitable bequests have shaped much of the world around us, with education programmes to medical research, schools and emergency services all having been funded directly by gifts in wills. Simply by including charitable donations in will-writing discussions, this can have a critical impact on donations, while enabling the public to ensure their final wishes are met.
“As it stands, not all legal advisers are completely comfortable talking about legacies with their clients and that’s something that we’re hoping to change. Unless solicitors – those who are at the frontline when it comes to speaking to the public about their final wishes – feel confident raising the issue, the risk is that good causes can be forgotten. He continues: “Remember A Charity Week is a chance to celebrate the huge impact of charitable bequests and ensure all clients are aware that they have the opportunity of leaving a gift in their Will, no matter how large or small.” Solicitors and Will-writers are encouraged to help raise awareness of charitable
bequests, informing relevant clients about how they can include a charity in their will.
2018 marks the ninth year of Remember A Charity Week, during which charities, government and stakeholders will all come together to highlight the importance of legacy giving. The campaign’s consumer awareness drive features the launch of a new ‘charity-powered’ search engine, called ‘Human’. Combining charities’ unique knowledge and expertise, the search engine enables the public to select from over 100 of life’s biggest questions and to hear directly from charities, supporters and beneficiaries what they are doing in response. Questions include ‘How can we cure the deadliest common cancers?’ and ‘How do we ensure no one has to sleep rough?’
Cope adds: “This campaign has been designed to showcase just how vital charities are in responding to many of the world’s biggest problems and how legacies can help combat those issues. We hope that it will encourage the public to think about their deepest concerns for the world we live in and to consider leaving a gift in their will.” For more information see Remember A Charity’s new Impact Report at www. rememberacharity.org.uk
Providing Life Retired Horses Charity Number 1106722
Our Aim The Heartbeat Home for Horses Limited is a registered charity, whose aim is to care for horses who otherwise would face a very uncertain future. Our aim is to provide a lifeline for these needy, homeless animals, allowing them to relax in comfortable surroundings in retirement, with lots of tender loving care.
Do you agree? Many hundreds of horses every year face an uncertain future when their careers come to an end. They come from all walks of equine life; exracehorses, riding horses, or ponies just being discarded when their ‘useful’ life is over.
needing to retire Every Pound Helps. Heartbeat horses are often large, 16hh+ It can be difficult to find a retirement home for them Heartbeat Horses are NOT re-educated, or re-homed, or adopted Heartbeat Horses retire to enjoy a good quality of life Heartbeat will not put a healthy horse to sleep We need to expand, due to the long waiting list of horses waiting to retire, or worse None of our staff are paid in our shops or farm. All the money raised or donated goes on the horses.
To make a donation please contact us at:
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Heartbeat Home for Horses Brick Kiln Farm, Halesworth Road Heveningham, Suffolk IP19 0E
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Email: woodyates@hotmail.co.uk web: www.retiredhorses.org.uk
WE MADE A PACT TO HELP ANIMALS I N 1995 A SMALL GROUP OF DEDICATED PEOPLE WITH AN ENORMOUS LOVE AND RESPECT FOR ANIMALS MADE A PACT TO HELP THEM. THEY SET ABOUT THE TASK OF RESCUE, REHABILITATION AND THE REHOMING OF THE UNWANTED AND ABUSED IN NORFOLK. NOW IN 2016 PACT IS THE LARGEST ‘ALL ANIMAL’ SANCTUARY IN EAST ANGLIA. PACT NOW CARES FOR OVER 1400 ANIMALS IN THE SANCTUARY AND IN 2015 MADE A DIFFERENCE TO ANOTHER 2200 LIVES OF ALL SPECIES HALF WERE WILDLIFE INCLUDING 580 BIRDS AND 550 HEDGEHOGS.
PLEASE WILL YOU NOW MAKE A PACT TO HELP ANIMALS WITH A LEGACY TO PACT? T he P ACT is als o be twe e n anim als and pe o ple as T he H e nry H allam T he rapy Ce ntre at the s anc tuary is de dic ate d f o r dis able d pe o ple and tho s e with e mo tio nal and le arning dif f ic ultie s to be ne f it f r o m a s anc tuary whe re the y c an inte rac t with anim als , and g ain o r re g ain c o nf ide nc e and s e lf - re s pe c t witho ut the ne c e s s ity o f c o ming into c o ntac t with many pe o ple . P ACT is als o ac kno wle dg e d to be t he be s t training g ro und f o r s tude nts o f anim al we lf are in the c o unty and e ac h y e ar we g ive wo rk e xpe rie nc e to 80 s tude nts f ro m lo c al s c ho o ls and ag ric ultural c o lle g e s .
PACT HAS A STRICT ‘NO KILL’ POLICY AND TRIES NEVER TO TURN AN ANIMAL AWAY BUT THE PRESENT FINANCIAL CLIMATE IS SUCH THAT WE ARE FULL AND THE ANIMALS DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP.
PACT ANIMAL SANCTUARY PEOPLE FOR ANIMAL CARE TRUST (PACT) RIVER FARM WOODRISING, HINGHAM, NORFOLK NR9 4PJ CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1154444 TELEPHONE 01362 820775 www.pactsanctuary.org
Making It Easier To Make Money A successful legal services business is still essentially about human relationships and building trust, however utilising automated processes via artificial technology will make it easier to make money.
Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
Understanding how law firms make money is critical to generating revenue. Making money is not as simple as landing clients and working on their matters. Lawyers have to think about the ‘revenue cycle’ and ensure that everyone in the firm understands what this means. This cycle looks different for flat-fee, and other alternative-fee based offerings in that they skip the time recording component, but no matter what, law firm revenue cycle is comprised ofthe following steps: 1. Clients are aware of your firm and choose you to represent them for your expertise. 2. Time recording (if chargeable hours)
you
work
by
3. Invoicing on a regular basis. 4. Receipt of client payments. All stages of this revenue cycle must be strong, as if just one element is weak, revenue will decrease. For most firms, streamlining invoicing and receipt ofpayments, combined with more accurate time recording, (if your firm stillcharges hourly) is the quickest way to boost revenue. Unfortunately, most
small law firms don’t do a good enough job collecting payment for the work they have already performed. Managing both employee and client attitudes to invoicing, and the payment of fees is key to a consistent flow of revenue into the firm. Introducing client monthly payment plans, recurring billing options, as well as enabling clients to pay via credit card, will significantly simplify invoicing and fee recovery whilst boosting law firm cashflow.
improve performance by recognising the patterns between words and behaviours. AI software learns to spot mistakes and inconsistencies and can process facts faster than humans. This can be useful in a Technology Assisted Review of documentation, automated searches of case law and statues, document analysis, proof reading, organising case work documents, and processing mundane administrative tasks.
It is surprising how many law firms still don`t share financial performance information with their employees and miss the opportunity to teach lawyers how to read spreadsheets and accounts. Understandably many junior lawyers do not make the correlation between law firm revenue and employee renumeration. If they were better informed about the firm’s financial performance, they might be less lackadaisical about accurate time recording, regular invoicing and the recovery of fees.
All good for enabling lawyers to concentrate their effort into other areas where needed such as strategic problem solving, training and mentoring colleagues, and strengthening client relationships.
It is important in the pursuit of making money to find the easiest way to do it. Law firms can help themselves by adopting Artificial Intelligence software designed to
Clients benefit from more consistent results, and If the experience is more enjoyable, employees and clients are less likely to leave. If you require assistancewith any law firm management issue, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
kwilliams@williams-wroe.com Tel: 0781 4499375 www.linkedin.com/in/ kimberleywilliamswroe
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We always have lovely cats looking for loving homes. We rescue 200–300 cats every year. No cat is euthanased except on veterinary advice. We feed the cats a variety of wet food and biscuits and they are kept in heated accommodation, either in large individual pens or a shared area with an outside compound for exercise. Please leave us a gift in your will.
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Friars Orchard, The Street, Little Whelnetham IP30 0UH Bury St Edmunds
Martyn Slyper IT DISABLILTY EXPERTS
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www.snels.org.uk ITDE Quarter Page.indd 1
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Cloud-Hosted Managed IT
Practice Management
Legal Accounts
Case Management
Document Management
Time Recording
Digital Dictation
Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
Interaction is key to getting the most of your CPD Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an integral part of any conveyancer’s progression and aptitude, as well as being an effective way to sharing expertise and best practice. Regulatory bodies such as the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and Solicitors Regulation Authority expect property practitioners to undertake CPD activities, as well as reflect on their learning and apply to their day-to-day working life. Any approach to gaining CPD points is valid so long as the legal professional can demonstrate that it contributes to the service they are offering. Today, participants are overwhelmed with choice as there are a host of activities to choose from, including webinars, coaching / mentoring, courses, research and events – so how best can a solicitor invest their time in CPD? Geodesys – part of Anglian Water and a leading provider of conveyancing searches for residential and commercial properties throughout England and Wales – regularly hosts a series of complimentary CPD events for conveyancers across the country.
Worth three CPD points, the popular, interactive events feature industry experts like property market analyst and commentator Kate Faulkner and provide highly informative seminars looking at a mixture of topics such as the threats the modern conveyancer is exposed to and the best tools for remaining compliant. Jane Moir, Associate Solicitor for Sprake and Kingsley claimed one of the events to be: “The best CPD event I’ve attended!” “Taking time out of the office is often considered an inconvenience for busy professionals, but actually stepping away from the desk away from distractions, mingling with peers and being in a learning environment, means our events offer a wealth of benefits,” says Jonny Davey, Conveyancing Product Manager for Geodesys and regular presenter at events.
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•
Interaction. Delegates are encouraged to contribute to discussions which helps them benefit from shared knowledge about the industry, legislation and products available to them.
• Real-life scenarios and case studies are an excellent way to apply learning back in the workplace and show what solutions are available for particular situations.
• Event takeaways. Event organisers usually give participants a copy of the presentations and examples discussed to help embed learning when back in the office. • Networking. Events provide the opportunity for delegates to network with one another as well as the presenters, extending the learning potential.
• Mix it up. Cover a number of areas and topics in one fell swoop by attending a CPD event which features a mix of different topics. Conveyancers are extremely busy individuals so it’s important their time is used wisely when investing in CPD training. Events are a powerful way to interact and learn from many different professionals as well as boosting networks, confidence and knowledge.
Geodesys offers a range of conveyancing CPD options including housing industry updates, regional housing analysis, legislation updates and product training. Look out for their regional events and don’t forget they also organise in-house training to suit the needs of your team. Find out more by calling their customer services team on 0800 085 8050.
Suffolk & North Essex Law Society
Sharing our expertise. CPD
CPD from Geodesys. All you need to know. Geodesys offers a range of conveyancing CPD options including housing industry updates, regional housing analysis, legislation updates and product training. Look out for our regional events and don’t forget that we also organise in-house training to suit the needs of your team. Find out more: call Geodesys customer services on 0800 085 8050.
www.geodesys.com/events
www.snels.org.uk
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Outsourcing your cashiering ? Why choose Quill? By Julian Bryan, Managing Director, Quill
Once you’ve decided to outsource your legal cashiering, any supplier will do, right? After all, the way these outsourcing providers manage your accounts and support your business is the same, isn’t it? Surely the only difference will be the price you pay for the service, won’t it? The answer to these conundrums is a resounding ‘no’! There are an increasing number of outsourced cashiering suppliers – legal software companies are forming partnerships with outsourcing bureaus to expand their offerings; new bureaus are being established; freelancers are setting up as virtual cashiers to work from home – so you’ve certainly got plenty of choice when it comes to outsourcing your back office accounts function. While there are some familiar threads running between these various suppliers, in comparison to Quill, they’re poles apart. We’re going to show you why…
Commonality: Shared use of Interactive
spotted and resolved straightaway, giving you confidence in error-free bookkeeping. No other cashiering bureau can boast access to such management information intelligence drawn from one central software platform. Where speed’s concerned, any law firm knows about the strictly enforced deadlines for filing month and year-end accounts, including those all-important VAT returns. Our system also holds key compliance dates specified by each firm’s designated regulator (SRA, CLC or Law Society of Scotland) to generate management alerts of overdue tasks. For example, we can identify sites not being closed quickly enough at month end which is set as the 7th of each month by the CLC and track that VAT submissions are lodged in time for the relevant quarter. Close monitoring, and intervention if needed, ensures accounts are submitted on time, every time. On the volume side of things, this behind-the-scenes management information also tells us how many e-chits are being processed by each cashier. This helps us to allocate the right mix of sites to our cashiers so everyone’s got a similar balanced workload and no one’s being overworked. For end users, you can be reassured that your assigned cashier’s got the capacity to give your accounts their proper attention. By not being stretched too thinly, we’ve got your back. There are a plethora of reports within Interactive, accessed by the Pinpoint management team, supporting the delivery of consistency across hundreds of clients. This starkly contrasts with other bureaus which lack the same control mechanisms thereby compromising consistent standards, and allowing opportunities for mistakes and bad habits to creep in.
Have a quick browse through the ILFM’s Software Guide and you’ll see the long list of legal accounts systems available in the market. This isn’t an exhaustive list either. These competitive systems contain effective tools to help legal cashiers maintain accounts in a compliant, secure, due diligent manner. But the way you perform an accounting task on one, let’s say posting your daily transactions, will vary on another.
Collaboration: It’s a team effort
Also, not all systems will contain warnings and notifications for actual and potential breaches of legal accounts rules. The range of functionality makes one system a very different beast to another.
It’s likely you’ll interact with your named cashier every working day. As such, you build a strong relationship. Pinpoint clients repeatedly tell us how their cashier feels like another employee, just someone not based in the same office. We rely on you to log all transactions. You rely on us to keep your accounts in order. By each fulfilling our side of the bargain, it’s a successful partnership.
As well as being the toolkit for in-house cashiers, these same systems are operated by outsourcing providers too. And, as any workman knows, his work is only as good as his tools. In other words, the ensuing service you receive will fluctuate pretty drastically from one supplier to the next, depending upon the legal accounts system opted for. The inconsistencies between them can be fairly extreme. In terms of our software, Interactive is backed by a dedicated software development team based in our Brighton office so new and enhanced functionality is constantly being rolled out, benefiting end users whose daily work is made easier, more efficient and categorically compliant as a result. Interactive’s also a recognised market leader, having been around for 40+ years and boasting two ILFM software awards. Not only is our software high quality, which enables us to work better than other outsourcing providers, it’s used universally by Quill cashiers. It’s a common platform, facilitating common procedures, maintaining common standards, empowering a common experience for all users of our Pinpoint outsourcing service. No deviations. No inconsistencies
Overseers: Monitoring by senior staff
As an additional guarantee of quality service provision, our cashiering operation is closely monitored by experienced, knowledgeable team members who cast a trained eye over completed tasks, checking for accuracy, speed, volume and consistency, reinforced by metrics from our powerful quality and performance management Interactive system, interpreting data processed by all the cashiers. Our cashiers work in teams of six with a supervisor heading up each group. Any anomalies or discrepancies, including items highlighted by Interactive, are
Pinpoint is a close alliance between you and us. We’re connected together by Interactive. You enter daily e-chits into Interactive – which is essentially a daily record of monies in and out to your client and office accounts – and we pick up from there. We literally do everything else – billing, reporting, VAT returns, ledger and bank account management.
There’s a point to be made about team working within Pinpoint as well. You see, our cashiers don’t operate in isolation. If your assigned cashier doesn’t know how to rectify any accountsrelated problem, he/she will simply call upon the help of his/her colleagues and supervisor. As the largest outsourced cashiering bureau in the UK employing some 50 legal cashiers, they possess a combined total of approximately 300 years’ experience. And that’s a conservative guess. We’ve seen it all before. No issue is novel. You can bet your bottom dollar that we know the solution. Automatic absence cover is provided with the service too. If your cashier is off work on holiday, sickness, maternity, paternity or other leave, as everyone is from time to time, his/her designated deputy will manage your accounts instead. Obviously you don’t get these advantages with a one-man-band type bureau.
Next step: Find out more
If we’ve sharpened your appetite for more, read our earlier articles on the subject of outsourced cashiering, published on the Internet Newsletter for Lawyers website. There’s ‘Outsourced cashiering and your bottom line’, ’Ten reasons to outsource your cashiering’ and ‘How outsourced cashiering works’ for beginners.
To find out more on our Pinpoint outsourced legal cashiering service, please visit www.quill.co.uk/ Outsourced-Legal-Cashiering, email info@quill.co.uk or call 0161 236 2910.
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QUILL IT!
0161 236 2910 info@quill.co.uk quill.co.uk/quillit
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