The cost of fragmented tech: why onboarding friction hurts conveyancing margins
Homebuyers notice delays. When Lyons Bowe Solicitors surveyed 1,000 recent homebuyers, 65% said conveyancing and other legal procedures were the slowest part of buying their home.
Some of that time goes before the legal work begins. A client accepts a quote, then gets an email asking for identity documents. A separate link takes them to a source of funds form. Later, someone calls to ask for a clearer photo of their driving licence. A week can pass before the team has everything it needs to proceed.
Firms often add tools to solve individual problems. One system handles identity checks while another collects bank evidence. The client care letter may arrive through a separate process. Without a clear route through onboarding, clients juggle different requests and fee earners pull the information together.
The work behind disconnected tools
When systems don’t share information, fee earners are forced to become the link between them. They download PDFs from one portal, upload them to a practice management system and re-enter client details. If information changes, they may have to repeat some of that work or one system is updated but the others are missed.
This takes time away from underlying legal work and supporting client needs. Every document chased and every detail rekeyed is time a fee earner isn’t spending on the file, and across a full caseload it adds up.
Separate requests can also make onboarding harder for clients to follow. If a client isn’t sure which link to use or what evidence the firm needs, the team may have to explain the request again. That can delay the point when a fee earner has a complete file to review.
Manual transfers between systems create another point where information can be entered incorrectly. A clear process helps partners, fee earners and admin staff see what has arrived and what still needs attention.
Make the process easier to follow
Start with a single route through onboarding – clients should be able to verify their identity, connect to open banking and upload supporting information and other important onboarding documents in the same flow. They can then review and agree to the client care letter without switching between separate requests.
The Practice receives the information in one place, ready for review and fee earners can spend less time saving, renaming and chasing documents. Instead, they can focus on the evidence that needs a professional decision.
A connected process also makes it easier to see where a file stands. If something is missing, the team can follow up with a clear request rather than asking the client to start again. The client knows what to do next and the fee earner can see which checks remain.
Give your team time for legal work
Improving onboarding starts with removing the manual steps that slow it down. Bringing the process together can improve consistency, record keeping and help staff spend less time moving information between systems and more time reviewing files and supporting clients.
A smoother start won’t remove the need for decision-making and human judgement but it will give fee earners a clearer file to work from and a more straightforward way to see what has been checked. That helps the team keep the client informed while carrying out the work the transaction requires.
Graham MacKenzie, Director of AML and Economic Crime Risk, Amiqus
More on Amiqus’s source of funds check: https://amiqus.co/source-of-funds
This article was submitted by Amiqus as part of an advertising agreement with Today’s Conveyancer. The views expressed in this article are those of the advertiser and not those of Today’s Conveyancer
