Conveyancing solicitors can go paperless without losing control of files by using a proper document management system (or LEAP’s built-in document handling), a consistent scanning and filing workflow, controlled access, retention rules and secure, tested backups. Delivered as part of managed IT, this usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month and makes files easier to find, not harder.
Going paperless is not just scanning everything and hoping. Done badly it scatters files and creates risk; done well it makes a Bishop’s Stortford practice faster, safer and easier to audit. Here is how to do it properly.
Start with the right system
A document management system, or the document features in LEAP, gives every matter a single, structured home for its files, with version history and an audit trail. That beats shared folders and local drives, where documents go missing and no one is sure which version is current.
A consistent scanning and filing workflow
Paper that comes in should be scanned promptly and filed to the right matter using a consistent naming and folder structure. A simple, agreed workflow means anyone can find a document quickly, and nothing sits in a pile waiting to be lost.
Security and access control
Going paperless concentrates sensitive data, so access matters. Files should be protected by multi-factor authentication, available only to those who need them, and covered by the same endpoint and email security as the rest of the practice. Digital files are far safer than paper when they are managed properly.
Retention, GDPR and archiving
Clear retention rules keep you compliant and stop the system filling with files you should have archived or deleted. A good setup archives closed matters securely and makes it easy to retrieve or dispose of records in line with your obligations and the SRA.
Backups you can trust
Once files are digital, backups are everything. Encrypted, isolated and tested backups mean a mistake or an attack never costs you a matter, and being able to recover quickly turns a potential disaster into an inconvenience.
What good looks like
Done well, paperless means every document is one search away, properly secured, correctly retained and safely backed up. Fee earners spend less time hunting for files and more time on client work, and an audit becomes straightforward rather than stressful.
What to ask a provider
A specialist for conveyancing solicitors should be able to answer:
- Have you moved conveyancing practices to a document system or LEAP document handling before?
- How will you structure scanning, filing and naming so files are easy to find?
- How is access controlled, and how are files protected and backed up?
- Do you handle retention, archiving and disposal in line with our obligations?
- Is the price clear and per user, with this included?
Where to start
If your files are spread across shared folders and local drives, start small: agree a folder and naming structure, choose where documents will live, and turn on multi-factor authentication and tested backups before you scan at scale. Getting the foundations right first means going paperless makes files easier to find and safer, rather than scattering them further.
The day-to-day payoff
The everyday benefit is what wins people over. Instead of walking to a filing cabinet or hunting through shared drives, a fee earner pulls up any document on a matter in seconds, from the office or from home, and always sees the current version. New starters find their way around quickly because every matter follows the same structure, holiday cover is painless, and replying to a client or the other side no longer waits on someone locating a piece of paper. Add secure access and tested backups, and the practice is faster, safer and easier to audit at the same time, which is why solicitors who make the switch properly rarely look back.
Why the cheapest option costs more
It is tempting to muddle through with shared folders, but a lost file, a data breach, or a failed audit costs far more than a proper document system and backups. The right question is not the lowest price, but what losing control of your files would cost the practice, and who prevents it.
Why conveyancing solicitors choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including conveyancing solicitors and high-street practices, and we know the software you run every day: LEAP, Oyez forms, eSigner, BigHand, Sage Payroll, PTP and Xero, alongside Microsoft 365. We support conveyancing solicitors in Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, London and across Essex and Hertfordshire. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we have been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want this handled properly for your practice? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT.