The Conveyancing Portal is an online service that will help solicitors and licensed conveyancers save money and will speed up the house-buying process for consumers.
Benefits of the Portal include:
- Providing both small and large firms with a simple tool to help the house-buying process.
- Allowing smaller firms to use technically advanced platforms only normally available to larger more technologically enabled firms, enabling solicitors as a profession to maintain the highest standards.
- Strengthening risk management and compliance, and therefore reducing fraud.
The Law Society and Mastek have set up a joint venture company called Legal Practice Technologies Ltd. The joint venture company will launch its testing programme later this year and will be seeking a wide range of participants to test usability of the services prior to full launch.
On launch day, the following features will be part of the package available to members:
- Case management within the Portal: Centralised management of a conveyancing matter into a 'case' containing information, documents and decisions. Cases can be securely archived and recalled when required. Case management will be separate to any internal systems operating within a firm in the first release.
- Workflows integrated with case management: Complies with the Law Society's Conveyancing Protocol and the requirements of the CML, CLC and SRA Handbooks. Checklists, notifications and alerts. Forms will be automatically completed to avoid any re-keying if data has been previously entered (e.g. for Land Registry searches, ID checks, templates). The ability to manage tasks and share work within a team. Basic reporting of information to help you manage workflow (e.g. time spent on each matter by each user).
- Secure, immediate and auditable communication with the buyer / seller's conveyancer: Communication tools to facilitate easier discussion with an audit trail that both parties can see. • Client access: Clients can access a secure area where they can communicate with their conveyancer and submit their own documents.
- Online contract negotiation and exchange: The contract bundle can be created and securely shared and jointly worked upon online with the other party, subject to client confidentiality. An audit of all changes, copies of versions and approvals will be captured as part of the case. • Verification of 'the other side': Verification of individuals within the Portal Directory, Access to Find a Solicitor and Find a Licensed Conveyancer. Verification of client account.
- AML checks: Searches will be performed online with the option of using your own account in compliance with the Law Society's anti-money laundering practice note.
- Chain view: For conveyancing matters managed via the Portal, parties can view the length of the chain, key milestones and related property information. There will be the ability to invite non-Portal users to contribute to, and benefit from, the chain view.
- Searches (not integrated): The ability to upload relevant information onto the case. Searches will be conducted outside of the Portal for the first release.
- HMRC (not integrated): The ability to upload relevant information onto the case. HMRC transactions will be conducted outside of the Portal for the first release.
Read more and watch the videos: Conveyanging Portal - the benefits
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