Are case management systems the holy grail?

Some 15 years ago, one
of my conveyancing solicitors asked me to purchase case management software. I made a choice, but after six months I was not a little dismayed to discover that
it was not being used.

Obviously we looked into the reason why this software was a dud, one of the reasons being that it did not integrate with the firm’s accounting software.

Another reason was the sheer lack of personality in the letters it churned out. Standardised responses have the effect of making the solicitor appear very remote from the customer.

Nevertheless, we have registered our interest in
Veyo. We have gone to the presentations and await further developments. My misgivings, however, refuse to go away.

Several years ago my firm was one of the first in west London to acquire the conveyancing quality scheme (CQS) mark.
This was supposed to be a badge of honour without which no building society or respectable lender would touch you with a bargepole. Yet still there are thousands of firms without this quality mark.

Then there was the Lender Exchange, another quality system designed, I expect, to separate the sheep from the goats. I am also Lexcel-accredited, but that has not exactly taken the profession by storm. So, will Veyo catch on?

Its purpose is to link up firms with customers, so that all parties can monitor what’s going on, which should speed up the process and make everyone happy.

Now, that would be good if there was 100 per cent take-up. Imagine if estate agents could simply login and check when contracts were going to be exchanged. However, will customers want to enter a password, or would they prefer to just pick up the phone and have a chat with their lawyer?

Every time I try to get into password-encrypted systems I discover that (a) I have lost my password; (b) the password is not recognised; or (c) the system has crashed (I’m thinking of the Legal Aid Agency’s client and cost management system here).

What will be the result if only 60 per cent of the profession sign up? Lots of transactions involve chains, and if someone in the chain is not signed up, will
the benefits of Veyo be lost?

Finally, will it reduce costs for the customer? Fees have been cut to the bone over the last few years. I doubt that with the increased costs of Veyo any firm will be able to legitimately advertise lower costs as a result of taking the software on board.
I hope I’m wrong. Conveyancing, along with bereavement and divorce, is one of the great stresses in life. Customers get so worried about losing their dream home or failing to sell a property swiftly. If Veyo can do something to alleviate that stress then it may become a huge success.

And, as my Labrador Cosmo opined, Veyo makes a great name for a dog… SJ

Russell Conway is senior partner at Oliver Fisher