James Denby

Integrating Money Claim Online with Proclaim

What is Money Claim Online (MCOL)?

Money Claim Online (MCOL) is a method of settling a dispute or disagreement by initiating a County Court claim for a fixed sum of money. It is a straight forward way to commence Court proceedings for small claims which amount to less than £100,000.

These types of claims should be issued by one Claimant, against no more than two defendants. The HM Courts and Tribunals Service have set out guidance on making a money claim online, including which types of dispute this method can be used for, and how to accurately complete the Claim Form. The guidance also sets out the rules for making a MCOL, such as the requirement to be aged over 18, have a valid email address, and be based in England or Wales.

Proclaim Integration with MCOL

As more and more Solicitors are beginning to offer assistance with MCOL, we have noted an increase in enquiries relating to the integration of the Eclipse Proclaim Claims Management System and Money Claim Online.

The good news is that Proclaim can be integrated seamlessly with the MCOL system as the data is available on an open government licence, giving you the flexibility to manage your money claims, alongside the rest of your case load, all within the one system. The benefit of this type of integration is that processes become more streamlined, and efficiency is improved as a result.

How Can Legal Practice Support Assist?

At LPS, we are skilled in developing and optimising your Eclipse Legal Proclaim system to fit 100% with your business needs. If your law firm uses the Proclaim system, and is offering assistance with MCOL, we are able to develop your Proclaim system to allow for MCOL integration with Proclaim.

If you would like to find out more about Proclaim integration and how a Proclaim Developer from the Legal Practice Support team could assist your firm,  please do not hesitate to contact james.denby@legalpracticesupport.co.uk for further information.

Proclaim Go – Work Anywhere with Proclaim

What is Proclaim Go?

Eclipse Legal have launched a new mobile and tablet friendly app which will help fee earners access important information whilst on the go. Proclaim Go was developed for legal professionals who find themselves travelling often or requiring access to live case information whilst in client meetings.

This innovative new solution allows fee earners to undertake a number of tasks on the go, such as viewing future tasks, logging phone calls, recording time, recording meetings, updating vital information in real time, and creating memos. As long as fee earners have access to the internet, and a smartphone or tablet, users can access history details of any case, including all previous correspondence and documents, whilst away from their computer.

The new solution also offers an optional two-factor authentication to increase accessibility whilst maintaining security. The extra flexibility provided by this app will see an increase in fee earners’ productivity and will help them provide an excellent service to their clients as all information can be accessed instantly.

Proclaim Go may also be of particularly useful during the Coronavirus outbreak as many employers have been forced to adapt to working from home. This new app gives Proclaim users another efficient method of accessing case information remotely. To find out more about how Proclaim can assist your employees in working from home, have a read of our recent article.

Eclipse Proclaim, is the most popular legal case management system which has been endorsed by the law society and is used by many types of legal service providers. The addition of Proclaim Go to Eclipse’s case management solutions will only add to the popularity of the system due to its ease of use and adaptability.

How Can Legal Practice Support Assist?

Legal Practice Support can provide information to law firms on this new app. We also assist law firms in accessing their Proclaim, and other case management systems remotely.

We are experienced in taking out-of -the-box Proclaim legal software and developing it to automate processes and reduce administrative tasks, both of which are of great use when having to work remotely.

Having been active in the Legal IT industry for over seven years, we have valuable experience managing IT systems for firms as small as 30 people all the way up to enterprise clients with over 300. Furthermore, we are accustomed to working with multiple other stakeholders to resolve any IT problems that might arise.

If you would like to discuss how a Proclaim Developer from the LPS team could assist your law firm, please do not hesitate to contact james.denby@legalpracticesupport.co.uk for further information.

Working Remotely Using Proclaim Legal Software

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, many employers are now advising their employees to work from home to help prevent the spreading of the virus throughout the workplace. One of the main challenges that businesses are faced with is the ability to ensure all processes for an employee working remotely, are streamlined in the same way they would be if the employee was working in the office. Law firms using software, such as Proclaim Legal Practice Management solutions, should find the transition fairly simple.

As many law firms still use paper files, they will face difficulties in providing the same level of service to clients when faced with having to self-isolate, due to the risk of contracting Covid 19. As the Proclaim Case Management system is a paperless system, which can be easily accessed from home, business can continue as usual, from the home of solicitors and file handlers.

Eclipse Legal system’s software, Proclaim, is the most popular legal case management system which has been endorsed by the law society and is utilised by many types of legal service providers, including family law practices, conveyancing departments and personal injury claim firms.

One of the main benefits of the Proclaim legal software is that it provides a paperless system, which makes it easier for file handlers as all their files will be accessible from one central database. All information relevant to cases and files can be accessed using the system, limiting the need to take paperwork out of the office.

How Can Legal Practice Support Assist?

Legal Practice Support can provide assistance for law firms in accessing their Proclaim, and other case management systems remotely. We are also experienced in taking out-of -the-box Proclaim legal software and developing it to automate processes and reduce administrative tasks, both of which are of great use when having to work remotely.

Having been active in the Legal IT industry for over seven years, we have invaluable experience managing IT systems for firms as small as 30 people all the way up to enterprise clients with over 300. Furthermore, we are accustomed to working with multiple other stakeholders to resolve any IT problems that might arise.

If you would like to discuss how a Proclaim Developer from the LPS team could assist your law firm, please do not hesitate to contact james.denby@legalpracticesupport.co.uk for further information

Eclipse Legal Proclaim Case Study

Introduction of a Paperless System

The Problem

A client recently approached us as they had encountered numerous issues when using paper files to manage their cases. They had no idea on where to start when going paperless, but they had considered using the Eclipse Legal Proclaim system.

The problems encountered by this law firm included an untidy office, a lack of storage room for files, as well as a huge lack of efficiency amongst staff. When referring to old files, the staff in the firm found it both difficult and time consuming to have to go through a mountain of paperwork to find relevant documents.

This firm also feared that loss of paper files through fire, theft, or just through general carelessness leading to staff misplacing documents would present the risk of files being lost forever and impossible to replace.

The Solution

LPS assisted the law firm to incorporate the Proclaim practice management solution from Eclipse. It is a case management, legal software system which has been endorsed by the Law Society. Following the incorporation of Eclipse Legal Proclaim, we were able to develop their out-of-the-box system and tailor it to meet the needs of the firm. We were able to integrate the system with their third-party IT systems, as well as improving workflows and process automation within their systems to boost efficiency and maximise profits.

The Benefits

The client experienced a range of benefits following the introduction and development of their Eclipse Legal Proclaim system.

All files are now stored securely and can be accessed remotely, so there is now less worry about losing important files and information. Files can be accessed easily and quickly, through use of a fully searchable, central document library and knowledge / precedent store. This reduces the need to search through large amounts of paperwork to find important documents.

Through integration with external parties and IT systems, all processes became more streamlined and efficiency was improved.

They were able to integrate their system with their ATE provider, providing the ability to automatically export data directly into their system, using secure web technologies. They also found the ability to provide MI Reports, by exporting data into excel and PDF formats, extremely beneficial to their firm. More information on the benefits of integrating Proclaim with external parties can be found in our recent article.

How Can we Help?

At LPS, we are skilled in developing and optimising your Eclipse Legal Proclaim system to fit 100% with your business needs. In the increasingly competitive and challenging legal industry, full optimisation of your system is vital for maximising your businesses efficiency.

If you would like to find out more about Proclaim integration and how a Proclaim Developer from the Legal Practice Support team could assist your firm,  please do not hesitate to contact james.denby@legalpracticesupport.co.uk for further information.

InCase Legal App Integration with Proclaim

The InCase Legal App, created by the firm, InCase, can be integrated with a law firm’s case management systems to keep clients updated on the progress of their claims.

The main benefit of using this app is that it can help with your firm’s levels of customer and client satisfaction levels. Customer services and client satisfaction is a high priority for many law firms as having a good reputation will assist in business growth.

One of the main benefits of using the Proclaim Case Management system is the fact that it can be easily integrated with third party systems, such as the InCase Legal App.

Some of the main features of the InCase Legal app are:

• Use of the app helps Solicitors communicate effectively with their clients – messages, letters and e-mails can be sent to clients instantly.
• It helps clients feel informed throughout their case as they have access to the InCase Legal App at all times.
• Use of the app can improve staff efficiency.  As clients are kept updated through the app, this reduces the need for client calls and e-mails requesting updates on their files, meaning file handlers can focus their time on progressing cases.
• Profits can be increased using the app.  Client calls and e-mails with questions and update requests can often add to the workloads of file handlers and increase the need for hiring more staff. Use of the app reduces the need for more staff as file handlers can use their time more effectively.
• Incorporation of the app can improve client feedback.  As use of the app helps clients feel satisfied by the level of service received by their Solicitor, this will in turn help improve feedback from clients, helping to boost the reputation of the firm.

How Can LPS Assist?

Legal Practice support can assist law firms in the integration of the InCase Legal App with the Proclaim Case Management System. We have recently assisted a personal injury law firm with the integration of this app with their Proclaim system.

f you would like to discuss how to incorporate InCase Legal App into your Proclaim system, or to discuss general Proclaim development, please do not hesitate to contact james.denby@legalpracticesupport.co.uk for further information.

Benefits for Law Firms Using Eclipse Touchpoint

What is Eclipse Touchpoint?

Eclipse Touchpoint was developed by Eclipse legal Systems, who are responsible for the creation of the Proclaim case and practice management solution. It is a self-service and communication system which utilises real-time data from Eclipse’s core Proclaim case management system to provide a “device-independent, interactive experience” for legal service providers, their business partners and clients. Eclipse have released an online system (TouchPoint+ system) as well as an app which both provide a range of useful functions for solicitors and their clients.

Why is Eclipse Touchpoint useful for Clients?

Eclipse Touchpoint provides clients with a large amount of real-time information which can be accessed at any time by clients. Clients have secure access to relevant data about their case using the “FileView” function. This keeps the client up to date on the progress of their case and reduces the need for them to call requesting an update.

Client’s can remain informed about their file via a document viewer which allows them to see relevant word, excel, pdf and image files on their case. There is an integrated search capability which allows clients to view whichever data they wish to see in a streamlined and seamless manner.

Using the FileView interface, solicitors can make some Proclaim fields editable by the client which means clients can confirm all details on the file are accurate, for example, they may need to edit the spelling of names or update address details. Clients can even send messages to their file handler using this interface.

Why is Eclipse Touchpoint Useful for Law Firms?

With large caseloads, many fee earners are overburdened by an increasing workload. Client calls and e-mails with questions and update requests can often add to these workloads, increase stress in the workplace and increase the need for hiring more staff. As Eclipse Touchpoint reduces the need for client update requests, this will usually lighten the load for file handlers and means they can focus on progressing cases more efficiently.

Eclipse touchpoint allows law firms to manage the information, which is made available to clients, meaning they can display as much, or as little Proclaim information as the like to clients.

Touchpoint also has a SecureDocs function which allows information to be sent securely to clients. This function eliminates the risk of sending confidential and sensitive information to the wrong e-mail address as the intended recipient will already have the login details to view the document. Clients can add a digital signature to documents using this function and they can also be declined by the client.

How can Legal Practice Support Assist?

As with all Eclipse software, Touchpoint can be easily integrated with your Proclaim case management system, Accounts system, as well as other third party systems.

If you would like to discuss how to incorporate Eclipse Touchpoint into your Proclaim system, or to discuss general Proclaim development, please do not hesitate to contact james.denby@legalpracticesupport.co.uk for further information.

James Denby is Head of Proclaim Development at Legal Practice Support and possesses in excess of eight years’ experience, both in-house and as an external consultant, in developing legal case management systems.  James is also uniquely in the position of having worked as a Senior Manager within a law firm, and as having conducted his own caseload as an experienced Paralegal.  As a seasoned Proclaim Developer, James understands the requirements of any IT system/workflow/task from the view of the user, as well as from an IT perspective.

The New AML Rules – Can Proclaim Assist?

Money laundering is a crime which puts law firms at high risk of becoming a target due to their credibility. It is not a victimless crime as it is usually responsible for the funding of other crimes including drug trafficking and the financing of terrorism. The UK anti money laundering (AML) rules are in place to prevent money laundering within all businesses.

There have been some major changes to UK anti money laundering (AML) rules which came into effect on 10th January 2020 with the introduction of The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019. These regulations provide an update to the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLR 2017).

The new AML regulations provide strict rules and guidelines which all financial institutions and businesses should adhere to in order to prevent financial crime. The prevention of money laundering and counter terrorism are now a top priority for law enforcement so the new AML rules should be of utmost importance to all businesses at risk of being used for money laundering and terrorist financing.

How can Law Firms Ensure Compliance with the New AML Rules?

The SRA has recently targeted hundreds of law firms and more than 40 solicitors were struck off or suspended in the last five years for failing to have adequate anti-laundering checks in place. As the AML rules impose strict sanctions for businesses who do not comply with The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019, it is within the interest of everyone that all Solicitors introduce or update existing policies for identifying, monitoring and reporting suspicions of money laundering.

There are many ways in which a law firm can ensure that they comply with the new AML rules. It is a legal requirement for solicitors to carry out risk assessments to avoid the risk of money laundering when dealing with clients.

It is essential that all law firms have a vetting process in place to check for money laundering risks when taking on new clients. Any high risks or warning signs should be reported to am manager or the appropriate person within the business.

The AML rules require that a  Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) should be appointed within a law firm. This is usually a senior member of the firm who has access to all files so that they can effectively design AML compliance systems and processes. All file handlers within the firm should be aware of the warning signs and they should know who to report suspicious activity to.

How can Proclaim Help?

To assist with the compliance of the new AML rules, Legal Practice Support’s Proclaim Development team has created a process to ensure a strong anti-money laundering process can be implemented for all case types within the Proclaim software itself. We have set up the following to ensure compliance of AML is made as easy as possible for your law firm:

Vetting Process

LPS have developed an anti-money laundering process to ensure all new clients are vetted for money laundering risks. This process can be set up to mandatorily form part of any case type. As firms are required by legislation to have a risk assessment in place, it is therefore of paramount importance that you have fully compliant processes in place.

Following the AML rules and the guidance set out by the SRA, the process created by Legal Practice Support mandatorily requires any new client to have been fully risk assessed. There is also a requirement within the process for warning signs of money laundering to be checked and for all ID documentation to have been provided from the outset.

Any high risks, or warnings signs identified are then flagged to the relevant person within the business.  From here, instructions can either be approved, rejected, or further information requested.

Reporting

To ensure compliance with the AML rules, a single report can be provided to offer a summary of Management Information. This will ensure that full money laundering checks are completed by all staff.  The report will flag all cases that have not had checks completed, or those with which there are outstanding Manager approvals.  This ensures no case is left unaudited, and that there is no way of cases ‘slipping through the net’.  This ensures a fully compliant anti-money laundering process is in place for all cases.

Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR)

Suspicious Activity Reports inform the National Crime Agency of any known or suspected criminal activity such as money laundering or financing terrorism Submitting an SAR will protect your firm against the risk of laundering the proceeds of crime.

Proclaim can be useful with SAR’s as it can be developed to provide the ability to prepare SAR’s to authorities when required by your law firm.

How can Legal Practice Support Help?

If you would like to discuss how to incorporate rigorous anti-money laundering processes into your Proclaim system, or to discuss general Proclaim development, please do not hesitate to contact james.denby@legalpracticesupport.co.uk for further information.

James Denby is Head of Proclaim Development at Legal Practice Support and possesses in excess of eight years’ experience, both in-house and as an external consultant, in developing legal case management systems.  James is also uniquely in the position of having worked as a Senior Manager within a law firm, and as having conducted his own caseload as an experienced Paralegal.  As a seasoned Proclaim Developer, James understands the requirements of any IT system/workflow/task from the view of the user, as well as from an IT perspective.

Proclaim Integration: How Is It Useful to your Law Firm?

In a recent article, we discussed how the Proclaim Development team assisted an ATE insurer to merge their 3rd party data directly into their Solicitor clients’ Proclaim case management system. This is just one of many examples of how our team of developers can implement proclaim integration to assist in optimising the efficiency of your law firm by synchronising your Proclaim system with a number of other third party systems allowing you to enjoy full and seamless bespoke IT solutions with Proclaim as the data hub. How else can Proclaim integration with third party systems assist your law firm?

Proclaim Integration with External Parties

Do any of your existing partners have a digital environment of their own? Proclaim integration with the systems of key suppliers, such as ATE insurers, medical agencies and counsels, will ensure that data from these partners can be automatically exported directly into your system using secure web technologies. This can all be done on the pressing of a button saving a significant amount of time for fee earners and all involved.  Proclaim integration with third parties can help ensure that you never lose another medical report or ATE policy in the email abyss. Having all data and correspondence accessible, directly in your Proclaim, from the moment your partners send it to you, will help your business run a lot more smoothly and efficiently.

A Proclaim data import can be useful when receiving data, such as new client details or a medical appointment, from an external party. This type of Proclaim integration provides us with the ability to move all external data directly into the proclaim system. The main benefit of this is that it eliminates task of manually keying the data into your Proclaim system.

Proclaim Integration with Basic IT Software

Did you know you could synchronise Proclaim with basic software such as Microsoft Excel? Integration with this type of software can help provide MI reports by exporting data into excel and PDF formats to provide you with vital information.  Financial, Management Information, Dashboard, KPI and Trend Reporting are some of the key areas in which Proclaim integration with third party software can be extremely useful. At Legal Practice Support, we have years of experience creating versatile and detailed reports to provide a range of different business functions.

How Can we Help?

At LPS, we are skilled in designing software solutions that fit 100% with your business needs. In the increasingly competitive and challenging legal industry, full integration and harmony for your IT real estate is vital for maximising your businesses efficiency. LPS can help synchronise your Proclaim system with many other third-party systems. We can also help manage projects that enable you to access real-time data within Proclaim, working alongside 3rd party development companies to achieve your goals.

If you would like to find out more about Proclaim integration and how a Proclaim Developer from the Legal Practice Support team could assist your firm,  please do not hesitate to contact james.denby@legalpracticesupport.co.uk for further information.

Proclaim Development – Document Automation

Solicitors spend an extraordinary amount of their time preparing routine letters and standard forms/Court documents, all of which contain a significant amount of generic information.  Document automation increases the efficiency in preparing these items whilst reducing errors, and improving the client experience.

What Can Document Automation with Proclaim Achieve?

Generic information is repeatedly inserted into routine documentation.  Such information can be in the form of party details, title, address amongst many other things.  Proclaim is able to automatically enter a document template and insert the relevant fields within the same.  Through document automation, an extensive array of letter/document templates can be created with minimal effort.

In addition, with the burdens placed on Solicitors in modern litigation, it can be easy for a file handler to forget to provide clients with updates at certain points of litigation. Proclaim can, therefore, be developed to ensure clients are provided with routine updates on a regular basis, and at specific points during the life-cycle of their case/claim.

What Benefits Does Document Automation Achieve?

Information of any individual or party will only ever need to be entered once into the Proclaim Case Management System.  This inevitably means that masses of time can be saved on routine tasks, such as preparing client care packs, or providing routine updates to a client.  If developed correctly, document automation can ensure that Court documents are prepared with default settings that can be altered by a file handler if required.

Document automation also vastly reduces the level of errors that arise in documentation through human error, and significantly improves the client experience, ensuring all clients are properly updated whenever they reach certain trigger-points of their instructions or claim.

How Can We Implement Document Automation into Proclaim?

Increasing the level of any aspect of automation within Proclaim will vastly reduce the administrative element of your team’s workload, and increase their efficiency and profitability as a result.

To learn more, get in touch with our Head Proclaim Developer, James Denby, at Legal Practice Support here

James Denby is Head of Proclaim Development at Legal Practice Support and possesses in excess of eight years’ experience, both in-house and as an external consultant, in developing legal case management systems.  James is also uniquely in the position of having worked as a Senior Manager within a law firm, and as having conducted his own caseload as an experienced Paralegal.  As a seasoned Proclaim Developer, James understands the requirements of any IT system/workflow/task from the view of the user, as well as from an IT perspective.

Can Proclaim Assist in Preventing Money Laundering?

Money laundering within the legal profession has faced significant legal press exposure in recent months.  Legal Practice Support’s Proclaim Development team has therefore created a process to ensure a strong anti-money laundering process can be implemented for all case types within the Proclaim software itself.

SRA Targets Hundreds of Firms

The SRA has recently pulled up a large number of firms for having inadequate anti-money laundering checks in place, with more than 40 Solicitors struck-off or suspended in the last five years for failing to have adequate protections in place.

Vetting Process

LPS have developed an anti-money laundering process, that can mandatorily form part of any case type to ensure all new clients are vetted for money laundering risks.  Firms are required by legislation to have risk assessments in place, and so it is of the utmost importance that you have fully compliant processes in place.

Following the guidance set out by the SRA, the process created by LPS mandatorily requires any new client to have been fully risk assessed, for warning signs of money laundering to be checked, and for all ID documentation to have been provided from the outset.  Any high risks, or warnings signs identified are then flagged to a Manager or the COLP.  From here, instructions can either be approved, rejected, or further information requested.

Reporting

To ensure that full money laundering checks are completed by all staff, a single report can be provided to offer a summary of Management Information.  This will flag all cases that have not had checks completed, or those with which there are outstanding Manager approvals.  This ensures no case is left unaudited, and that there is no way of cases ‘slipping through the net’.  This ensures a fully compliant anti-money laundering process is in place for all cases.

Find Out More ……

If you would like to discuss how to incorporate rigorous anti-money laundering processes into your Proclaim system, or to discuss general Proclaim development, please do not hesitate to contact james.denby@legalpracticesupport.co.uk for further information.

James Denby is Head of Proclaim Development at Legal Practice Support and possesses in excess of eight years’ experience, both in-house and as an external consultant, in developing legal case management systems.  James is also uniquely in the position of having worked as a Senior Manager within a law firm, and as having conducted his own caseload as an experienced Paralegal.  As a seasoned Proclaim Developer, James understands the requirements of any IT system/workflow/task from the view of the user, as well as from an IT perspective.