Claire Ellis of JJ+H Accounting Services
Claire Ellis FCCA at JJ+H Accounting Services is a chartered certified accountant and legal cashiering trouble-shooter who specialises in helping law firms to fix errors and anomalies with their bookkeeping. As part of the solution, Claire readily recommends Quill’s legal accounting software as an all-in-one complete practice management system. Longer term, she encourages her customers to consider Quill’s outsourced cashiering service.
JJ+H Accounting Services in operation
When practices sign up for Claire’s value-added, short-term accounting support, their book-related problems are as diverse and unique as the businesses themselves. Typically working with smaller-size law firms, Claire reviews their current finance processes, identifies areas for improvement then creates a plan to implement the changes and put the actions into place.
Claire explains:
“My role is to get my customers’ accounts in a good place. It’s rare for my projects to extend beyond twelve months. There’s one primary reason for this – cost. An accountant carries a higher rate than a cashier. The way I deliver true value, then, is by completing my work in the briefest-possible window and transferring into the capable hands of a more economically priced service from the likes of Quill.”
An example joint JJ+H Accounting Services-Quill customer
A law firm approached Claire to take over its legal cashiering role from its secretary, after having a previous bad experience with a bookkeeper without legal expertise. The practice was also keen to move away from its existing case management software, which was old, complicated to use and made remote working difficult.
Describing her involvement in the project, Claire states:
“From the word ‘go’, it was obvious the customer’s incumbent technology was ill-suited to its needs. In my experience, only software designed for law will suffice. The firm and I started a project to source new case management and accounting software. We chose MyQuill.”
The beauty of MyQuill is its comprehensive functionality comprising legal accounts and case management tools in a single system. From a bookkeeping viewpoint, there are all the features necessary for fee earners to log chargeable activity and case-related disbursements with time recording and e-chits tools; cashiers to manage accounts day to day easily with intuitive money and billing screens; managers to oversee the accounting function and avoid breaches with customisable reporting capabilities; and accountants to action year-end submissions and auditing with the free accountant’s licence.
Claire continues:
“Where this shared law firm customer is concerned, I’ve witnessed MyQuill working extremely successfully. With Quill’s software in situ and my cashiering support over the course of a year, every error from the past was put right and strong processes instilled for the future.”
The benefits of add-on cashier outsourcing services
Quill’s different in its provision of legal accounts software and outsourced cashiering services under one roof. For obvious reasons, Quill’s cashiers are the most proficient MyQuill users in the country. With its Pinpoint outsourcing service, customers enter daily records of monies in and out using MyQuill; its cashiers then process client-centric reconciliation, accounting and reporting tasks thereon in.
Claire says:
“When my contract came to an end, I advised moving onto Pinpoint for its accompanying advantages including taking the onus off solicitors, having continuous cover even during summer holiday season, being able to flex the service up or down for increased or decreased caseloads, and having compliance-guaranteed accounts that are audit and inspection ready.”
“To top it all, MyQuill is just so easy to learn and easy to use. It’s a sole application for complete practice management.”
An accountant’s life simplified
Having an accountant’s licence for remote access to accounting data and financial reports in MyQuill, coupled with the knowledge of precision-managed bookkeeping via Pinpoint makes Claire’s period-end services much more streamlined and straightforward.
Claire concludes:
“Under SRA regulation, firms need to review their reports regularly to assess financial stability. Knowing practices are MyQuill and Pinpoint users gives me the reassurance of robust bookkeeping processes, transparent financial information and visibility of everything from afar. I’m able to collate reports effortlessly and efficiently, so partners can complete their monthly review.”
“I’m now supporting a new customer with SRA compliance and introducing MyQuill into the mix. I look forward to collaborating with Quill in the future.”
About Quill
Quill helps law firms run their businesses better by providing simple and easy-to-use practice management and legal accounts software, as well as outsourced legal cashiering, bookkeeping, payroll, typing and post room services. To learn more about Quill, visit www.quill.co.uk, email info@quill.co.uk or call 0161 236 2910.
