Sally Danby, Advanced
By Legal Futures’ Associates Advanced
Every law firm, whether large or small, are experiencing the same challenges when it comes to keeping up to date with legislation changes in the UK this year.
Brexit and the pandemic are accelerating regulatory change. Covid-19 is driving additional short notice changes impacting everything from tax and how courts work, to repossession deadlines. Whilst, Brexit has now occurred, many pending changes haven’t happened yet, since the deal detail is only now available. These will include, for instance, changes to corporate law e.g. the impact of where directors are domiciled; and to divorce law, e.g. where are the assets? Intellectual property law is also heavily tied to EU legislation.
To have a hope of keeping on top of all of this firms need a legal forms library. Here are the reasons why.
1. Ensure lawyers are using the most up-to-date forms
Form libraries reassure firms that users are always using the right form. They relieve the firm (and users) of the now considerable task of continually checking what’s new.
2. Access forms, anywhere at anytime
When your forms library is cloud-based, it ensures remote access to forms, at any time, on any device. This is essential now that most firms are working remotely.
3. Be prepared for upcoming changes
The point is that firms need to keep up with this blizzard of change as efficiently as possible, yet undoubtedly remote working makes that harder. Firms can still conduct CPD and ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions, albeit remotely. But people get their understanding of what’s changing in a number of ways and it’s nearly impossible to duplicate the “water-cooler grapevine” of office chat when people are dispersed. For these reasons, legal form libraries have become more useful and important than ever.
4. Reduce costs
Form libraries also eliminate the costs of rejections, resubmissions and non-compliance. This is because, form libraries reassure firms that lawyers and users are always using the right form. In the long run, this could bring large savings for law firms.
5. Benefit from enhanced functionality
And finally, it’s also advisable to seek out Cloud-based legal form libraries that provide enhanced functionality. For example, utilising a “news feed” channel that includes pending updates, so people are prepared for upcoming changes; and systems that gives users the option of continuing on with a superseded form or changing to the latest version.
The advantages of using form libraries have always been apparent, but in today’s perfect storm of circumstances the case for using them is even stronger.
How can we help?
Trusted by law firms across the UK, Advanced Cloud Forms, takes the trusted functionality of our market leading Laserform and OyezForms desktop applications and combines them with Cloud technology. This has created one single application that packed with features, including the preparation of forms for both paper and digital submission. Learn more here https://bit.ly/3jxHhdy
