Over the last fifteen years conveyancing has changed a lot. Pricing has become deregulated with the abolition of the conveyancing scale of fees, advertising fees is allowed and has become common. There has also been a significant increase in conveyancing volumes due to the number of properties being built and changes in the way we live.
During this time computers have greatly improved. Opportunities for automation have also improved with electronic access to titles offices, state revenue offices etc.
Due to these factors, specialised conveyancing software has gone from theoretical experiments with limited use to highly efficient, practical and affordable systems that are used by most firms that are serious about conveyancing work.
The Basics
Conveyancing software is designed to maximise productivity, in addition it should improve accuracy, quality of documents and customer service. It should also reduce errors and stop things from being forgotten. The overall result is that a small team of people should be able to do a good job of a remarkably high volume of work. High volume at high quality is the key to generating profit in conveyancing.
Database
In a high volume conveyancing practice there is a great number of people and organisations to keep track of. The database allows a group of staff to effectively keep track of and service a large number of external parties.
Linking the database to document automation is the key to efficient document production. Importantly it also ensures the database is accurate because staff can not produce their documents efficiently if the database is not filled in properly.
Document Automation
A core function of any conveyancing system is efficient merging of precedents with the database to produce final documents. Systems differ greatly in the way they do this. It’s important that the database is correctly designed to handle all the variances in conveyancing transactions. It’s also important that the merging process is fast, reliable and flexible. Many systems have failed or been substantially impaired by using databases, such as legal accounting systems, that were never really designed to do conveyancing.
The other key to efficiency is the bank of precedents. Most conveyancing systems come with a set of precedents. These include all forms such as titles office forms, contracts etc. They also normally include a set of letters. In most cases the firm will want to add to and substantially change these letters. It’s important that the system will allow precedents to be easily added and modified. If this process is difficult it will significantly impair the system and raise its cost of setup and maintenance.
Standard forms change regularly and it’s a lot of work to maintain them yourself. It’s important that the conveyancing system has an effective and easy way of providing updates to these forms. Some systems have on line updating systems that not only tell you if an update has occurred but will also make the update process very easy.
Calculations
Calculations like settlement adjustments, stamp duty, government concessions and even your bill can be easily automated by a computer. Conveyancing systems not only do the calculations but automatically create good looking documents for you at the same time. The best example is the settlement adjustment sheet. As quickly as you enter the basic parameters it can calculate and create a document so clearly laid out that you rarely need to spend time explaining it to your client or the other side. If the settlement date changes you only need to change the date in the system and it will instantly update the adjustment sheet.
Management and Client Reporting
Utilising an accurate database, you can easily;
- Monitor matters to avoid fines for not paying stamp duty on time.
- See how much work each of your staff members are doing.
- Estimate future cash flow by viewing up coming settlements.
- Provide high volume clients such as property developers with any reports they ask for.
Recent Advancements
In the last few years the next level of conveyancing technology has arisen. Some, but not all, systems have these features.
E-mail Management
E-mail conversations with agents, financial institutions, the other side and some clients is becoming increasingly popular. It is very efficient for conveyancing staff to use e-mail because it means they can read and write e-mails while waiting on the phone to talk to bank staff etc.
When working in a team environment one of the problems with e-mail is that you cannot see the e-mails sent and received by others. It is possible for a conveyancing system to integrate with e-mail to attach e-mails to matters. This means that anyone in the firm can see the full e-mail correspondence, regardless of who sent or received the e-mail, by simply opening the matter.
Fax Management
Faxes will be a part of conveyancing for many more years. Some systems now allow faxes to be sent from the system without the user needing to get up. They can also receive all faxes electronically and store them on the matter.
Integration to Government Systems On Line
Over the last few years there have been four companies that have started providing both conveyancing software and on line searches. This has ensured that the provision of title searches, ASIC searches, property enquiries etc. will become a significant part of conveyancing software.
The benefits are;
- The user can order the search without leaving the system or entering a user name or password.
- Information such as property details can be used to automatically complete the on line ordering forms.
- The result of the search is stored within the system for easy retrieval.
- Some systems are able to create a cost recovery in the accounting system for automated billing.
Integration to the NSW OSR has now allowed documents to be stamped on line. The extension of these electronic services will surely continue.
Calendar Integration
Conveyancing generates a significant number of client appointments and also settlement and exchange appointments. Conveyancing systems store these appointments in their databases. Some systems allow these appointments to be automatically replicated to an Outlook diary.
Full Electronic Matter
With the integration of all of the above functions, conveyancing databases end up holding almost everything. Some systems now allow you to attach low cost scanning devices. Using a scanner you can scan any mail received and therefore create a fully electronic matter.
While the electronic matter does not replace the paper file, it means that the paper file is rarely needed. This can substantially increase customer service levels because information is at your fingertips. It can also reduce costs by reducing the need to retrieve files from storage.
Automated Processing to Predefined Agendas
Some conveyancing systems can now be configured to prompt users to follow predefined tasks to complete a matter. This can improve efficiency and keep tighter time frames.
Automation of Other Areas of Law
Some conveyancing systems are also capable of automating other areas. This can simply be property transactions such as leasing, mortgage processing or subdivisions or it can be all common areas of law allowing them to be used throughout a practice.
When choosing a conveyancing system it is important to consider if you also want it to cover other areas. Many firms are of the view that they do not want too many systems to maintain. Others are happy to use a best of breed approach.
Website Publishing
Certain property areas such as subdivisions, shopping centre leases, or mortgage processing can greatly benefit by providing a website for clients to view their matters. This is usually greatly received by the client and can be a key way to attract new clients.