Chadwick Lawrence: their digital journey

The Digital Conveyancing Maturity Index was first initiated in 2022. Highlighting the positive outcomes of the adoption of technology by conveyancing firms, the project allows them to understand how they are progressing and how they compare to their peers in the industry. The Index is a valuable new resource for law firms looking to learn and benchmark their progress. Breaking down results across each element of the conveyancing process, it enables firms to truly understand where opportunities exist and where they are performing well.

The Digital Maturity Scores measured by the Index are compiled by assessing a firm’s processes and available tools from the least to most digital options. To put this in context, the average Digital Maturity Score across all the firms who participated was 43%.

Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors rounded out the top five highest-ranking firms in the survey, also coming third nationally for mid-sized firms scoring an impressive 84%. InfoTrack caught up with Chadwick Lawrence’s Head of IT, Dan Bell to find out more about how and why they performed so well.

Who is Chadwick Lawrence?

Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors is a modern Yorkshire-based law firm known as “Yorkshire’s legal people”, with eight offices throughout West Yorkshire. Supporting both private and commercial clients for more than 170 years, they have taken digitisation in their stride to ensure they can deliver professional and supportive legal advice. 

At the heart of their success is the nurturing of trusting, collaborative relationships with clients and with each other. Dan says:

“It’s an ethos we relentlessly pursue by creating exceptional experiences, outcomes, and growth for the clients we work with and the people we work alongside.”

Chadwick Lawrence's ethos

Innovation is the driving force behind Chadwick Lawrence’s attitude toward digital adoption, prioritising it as one of the company’s values. Dan comments:

“We pride ourselves on creating a culture that embraces change”.

Motivation for innovation lies in a four-point approach to benefitting everyone involved in the transaction from clients and staff to the improvement of productivity and securing their digital assets. The team confirm that “technology underpins how we deliver services to our clients”. The greatest shift in the firm’s approach toward tech adoption came following Managing Partner Neil Wilson’s appointment in 2014. After a rigorous consultation period, the wheels were set in motion for a digital overhaul in late 2016. This is where their digital transformation journey really took off.

The formula for success

So how did Chadwick Lawrence do so well in the Digital Maturity Index?

The firm performed well across the board and took full marks in two areas – post-completion and new business. Their attitude toward adopting the latest digital tools for conveyancers has been particularly strong from the start of a transaction, using dedicated portals to digitise their client onboarding process, not only for their ID verification, Source of Funds checks and TA forms, but also for the entire new business management process from the very first interaction. This sets the tone for the level of technology clients can expect throughout their transaction and has led to enhanced security and risk mitigation.

The team’s appetite for innovation has seen them become early adopters of newer digitised processes, including digital contract packs and portals that centralise and manage the enquiries process. This adoption also extends to digital dashboards that provide increased transparency so the firm can identify trends earlier, manage key dates, and quickly extract reports for preparing for their PI renewal, significantly reducing hours spent on administration.

Digitisation is a continuous journey

The progress Chadwick Lawrence has made so far is owed to their dedication to continued improvement. Understanding that digitising the conveyancing process isn’t an overnight success has helped them to stay the course. Dan notes:

“We are consistently assessing the technology market in line with requirements from the business.”

The firm is on a mission to deliver an end-to-end digital conveyancing experience for clients with the end goal to create long-term client satisfaction and engagement. The team are constantly reviewing the latest technology, how it is performing for clients and staff, and what they can learn from every experience. But most importantly, they celebrate their successes. Knowing why they are making the changes, committing to delivering results, and reviewing their progress are all key to their successful digital adoption strategy.

It’s a team effort

Dan tells us that the success the firm has found on their digital conveyancing journey is down to a joint effort. The technology strategy is led by the tech team in conjunction with the board. The team always welcome input of new ideas from across the firm and from professional partners. With everyone on board, it’s an ongoing journey and Dan says the pace of change isn’t slowing down.

When asked how they received the news of their high scores, Dan said:

“This is a huge achievement and demonstrates the commitment from everyone within the firm. Everyone deserves credit because the impact is felt throughout.”

A word of advice

We asked Dan what his recommendations were for other firms embarking on their digitisation journey, and he was clear in his response. “Don’t miss out on the review process” is sound advice for those unfamiliar with shifting to digital. He says it’s one of the easiest elements to miss out, but it’s essential to ensure when things do go wrong that you learn from it and prevent making the same mistakes. There is no seamless route to immediate overnight adoption of digital conveyancing, but ensuring you have a solid plan that you believe in will provide the necessary foundations for success.