Tracy Blencowe, Business Solutions Director, Eclipse Legal Systems
Eclipse Legal Systems, the Law Society’s sole endorsed software provider, has announced the release of a dedicated Subject Access Requests (SARs) workflow system.
As of May 2018, all organisations will be required to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the new legal framework which seeks to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the EU. More wide-reaching and onerous than the existing Data Protection Act, GDPR also carries the threat of severe financial penalties for firms found to be in breach, with maximum fines being 20 million Euros, or 4% of the firm’s global turnover – whichever is higher.
Under GDPR, the process around SARs – the mechanism by which individuals can request from an organisation what data is held about them and why – is set to change, with organisations expected to respond quicker and waive any charges they may have once made. As a result, SARs are expected to grow in volume and create an administrative overhead.
Eclipse has created a dedicated SARs workflow solution, seamlessly integrated into its market-leading Proclaim case and practice management software system. The new SARs workflow is available either standalone for non-Eclipse customers, or as a unified toolset for current customers. The SARs workflow will manage requests and automate their handling, reducing cost and aiding compliance with ongoing legislation.
Eclipse’s business solutions director, Tracy Blencowe, comments:
“GDPR needs to be taken seriously, and existing processes need to be engineered around ensuring that law firms are compliant. We are dedicated to helping law firms make this transition as painlessly as possible, by providing ready-made tools that make compliance a much less onerous task. The SARs workflow joins our recently-released ‘Information Asset Register’ tool and together they provide a robust and scalable platform to enable law firms to enter the new GDPR era with confidence.”
