Bell Lamb & Joynson boosts efficiency and client care while cutting costs
The firm implemented eCOS from InfoTrack for its ability to integrate with its case management system — all tasks effectively completed within a single, unified platform.
Bell Lamb & Joynson Solicitors, one of northwest England’s oldest law firms, has built a reputation for delivering high-quality legal services across various practice areas, including criminal law, family law, conveyancing, and wills and probate. Founded in 1821, the firm has grown to encompass four offices in Liverpool, Runcorn, Maghull, and Warrington, employing around 80 staff, including eight partners.
Despite its long history, the firm has embraced modern technology with enthusiasm, continually seeking ways to enhance the efficiency and client experience through digitisation. Central to this transformation is the adoption of InfoTrack’s eCOS.
Laura Cartwright, head of residential conveyancing, and Cath Mills, client relationship executive, outline how their client onboarding operations have evolved since implementing eCOS in 2021.
The challenge: Evolving client onboarding operations
Before adopting eCOS, the firm’s clients were required to visit the office in person to complete forms and provide documentation, which was often inconvenient and inefficient. Cartwright found this approach to be increasingly out of step with evolving client expectations, explaining: “Fewer clients want to deal with paper forms or come in face-to-face anymore. With an app, clients can complete their tasks at home, whenever they’ve got the time to do so, whereas before people were often taking time off work.”
The rapid growth of Bell Lamb & Joynson, including the opening of a Maghull office in April 2023 and an expansion from 27 to 82 staff members over the past seven years, made consistency in the onboarding process increasingly crucial. As the number of clients increased, the firm needed a solution that could manage high volumes efficiently while minimising risk of errors. Cartwright stresses: “Consistency in conveyancing is so important because it avoids mistakes, especially when you’re dealing with a high volume of transactions.”
Compliance was also a top priority for the firm when searching for an onboarding solution: “Compliance permanently evolves due to regulatory changes, and there is so much more our lawyers need to do. Using technology brings new challenges, and as a firm we needed a solution that continually adapts to the changes in regulation,” she says.
The solution: Onboarding clients digitally with eCOS
The firm’s commitment to putting client experience and journey first meant they needed a solution that was both client-friendly and compliant with stringent legal and regulatory standards. The goal was to find a platform that could integrate seamlessly with existing systems, reduce the risk of errors, and handle the increasing volume of new clients without compromising on service quality.
One of the most significant advantages of eCOS was its ability to integrate seamlessly with the firm’s existing case management system, LEAP. Mills explains the current process: “We start by generating quotes in Perfect Portal, then transition to LEAP to convert these into files. After that, we use eCOS to send out all the necessary forms. While this might seem complicated to new team members, once they see it in action, they’ll realise that everything is seamlessly connected, and all tasks are completed within a single, unified platform.”
Another key feature of eCOS is its information gathering, which has helped the firm to ensure it’s asking the right questions and receiving all necessary information upfront. Cartwright shares: “eCOS quickly identifies any further queries we need to be making at the onboarding stage, rather than previously needing to source it throughout the course of the transaction. For example, when clients complete their forms, eCOS flags critical information, such as whether the property is sold by an executor rather than an owner, if it’s under a Power of Attorney, or if someone has passed away and the property was held in joint names.
“It also highlights whether there’s a mortgage or a second charge on the property. For purchases, questions are asked about the property that a buyer might raise early on, allowing the conveyancer to begin investigating potential issues at the start of the transaction.”
Outcome: faster, better informed client onboarding
Bell Lamb & Joynson currently processes over 280 onboarding orders per month, and the firm attributes the ability to manage this workload to eCOS.
“The process is a lot more streamlined. We’re able to open a file up within a couple of minutes and provide a fixed fee quote in just 60 seconds,” says Mills.
Cartwright further illustrates the impact of eCOS on efficiency, noting: “Using eCOS compared to paper forms can save us anywhere from one to three weeks throughout the onboarding journey. Coming from a previous firm that didn’t use eCOS, and seeing how quick the turnaround times can be, I could now never imagine not using eCOS.”
The success of eCOS in the conveyancing department prompted the firm to expand its use to other practice areas, such as private client and family law. Each department has unique requirements, but the flexibility of eCOS has allowed it to be tailored to the specific needs of each, ensuring consistent onboarding processes across the firm.
eCOS has also enhanced the client experience, which is at the heart of the firm’s business. The platform offers a user-friendly app that clients can use to complete their onboarding remotely and at their convenience.
“I’ve had clients that will say ‘I’m no good with technology’, and then I go in and the forms are 95% complete. It’s not just the younger, tech-savvy clients who appreciate it; even older clients have adapted quickly,” notes Mills.
“It’s also putting you on good footing with clients instantly, because you can show that you’re up to date with modern methods of working.”
The introduction of InfoTrack’s payment-on-use promise and flat-fee pricing model has further enhanced the firm’s efficiency. Reconciling invoices for incomplete onboarding tasks was previously a time-consuming process. With the flat- fee model, the firm now knows exactly what it’s paying for, reducing administrative overhead and allowing the team to focus more on delivering client services rather than managing costs.
“The payment-on-use promise has been a massive game changer. If we do require extra ID for example, we can just log on and request it there and then. There’s no extra cost,” Mills notes.
Adoption of eCOS has transformed how the approaches client onboarding. The firm has leveraged the platform to streamline operations, improve compliance, and enhance the overall client experience. As a result, it has maintained its competitive edge in the legal market, offering clients a modern, efficient, and user-friendly service that meets the demands of today’s digital age.
Why Bell Lamb & Joynson trust eCOS for their digital onboarding
For other firms considering a move to digital onboarding, Bell Lamb & Joynson’s journey illustrates how embracing technology can lead to significant operational improvements, cost savings, and enhanced client satisfaction — crucial factors in the competitive legal landscape.
“eCOS offers numerous benefits such as improving client experience, operational efficiency and compliance. It also helps to reduce admin burdens. By adopting eCOS, law firms will improve their clients’ journey which will lead to increased client satisfaction and improved productivity,” says Cartwright.
