Rob Gurney, Managing Director, Ochresoft
As the year end approaches, it’s time to take stock on the 12-months that have passed and to take our new learnings and ever-improving best practice into the coming year.
For those lawyers operating in the residential property market, I am sure I am safe to say that the industry is looking forward to a bit of much-needed stability. The sector has shown a great deal of resilience, having to adapt and handle huge peaks in transactions throughout 2021, therefore a more predictable and, dare I say, manageable level of workload will be warmly welcomed. The traditional seasonal spikes, such as the pre-Christmas rush, will forevermore feel like child’s play after what everyone has been through in recent months!
They do say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and 2021 is probably a good example of that. If you’ve successfully navigated your way through the last 18-months, it certainly stands you in good stead for the year ahead. Use the start of the year as an opportunity to take a step back and thoroughly review your offering. Consider what has changed with customer needs and expectations, as well as with internal operations; what needs addressing, what is working well, what isn’t working so well, what could you be doing more of and where is external help potentially valuable?
A big theme for lawyers across all legal disciplines in 2022 will be integrity: security, risk-reduction and regulatory compliance. It will not only be a growing concern for clients who will have been reading about fraud and security issues in the press, but we know regulators and PI insurers will be focussed on these areas.
This is where technology can really make a difference. We already assist law firms in proving their regulatory compliance and consistency of file conduct through case management workflow software. When facing time pressures and increased caseloads, it provides peace of mind – comprehensively walking lawyers through each and every step that is needed so nothing is forgotten, and compliance is fully achieved.
I believe that converting to (and the reliance upon) high-integrity software is only likely to increase to further support business legal professionals. In fact a recent survey conducted by Landmark found that 83 out of 100 residential property lawyers agreed that they were able to continue delivering a seamless service during the pandemic as a direct result of their case management solution.
For those firms not already using content-rich, up-to-date case management workflows, I would urge you to seriously look at the advantages they bring, since being able to de-risk transactions will be a significant priority for all stakeholders in 2022 and beyond.
