Eclipse announces new functionality to cater for the Precedent S Electronic Bill of Costs

Eclipse Legal Systems, the Law Society’s endorsed legal IT provider, has announced updated functionality in its Proclaim solution to enable firms to utilise the new Electronic Bill of Costs.

In April 2018 a new format was introduced for the billing of personal injury matters, mandated for completion via the new ‘Precedent S’ electronic bill. The intention is that electronic bills will provide greater transparency regarding the value of costs being claimed, be easier to compile, and less expensive to prepare by using automated calculations. It is also intended that costs incurred in a claim will be easier to understand (especially where there has been a costs budget agreed).

Eclipse’s Proclaim case and practice management solutions have been updated to enable the management of these changes to time recording, as well as providing users with the ability to produce the new Precedent S Electronic Bill from the history of the digital file. All data is arranged into the relevant mandated categories of phase, task and activity.

Tracy Blencowe (pictured), business solutions director at Eclipse, comments:

“Mandated changes to existing ways of working are always a challenge for practitioners, and we see our role as enabling them to adapt to change as smoothly and as easily as possible. Our new Precedent S solution is already rolled out to those clients of ours that have requested it, allowing for a minimum of disruption for them to transition to the new electronic bill. To make our solution as widely available as possible, we can even provide three different ways of implementing the enhancement in order to suit firms of all shapes, sizes, and complexity of caseload.”

The Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Conveyancing Awards 2018 – nominations open!

The Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Conveyancing Awards are taking place on 12th July at The Rum Warehouse, Liverpool.

Eclipse is proud to be headline sponsor of the event, which celebrates excellence in client care, and will recognise those taking the lead in innovation; those who have achieved successes as teams or individuals; and those championing client care.

The winners will be chosen by an esteemed panel of judges, who have been carefully selected based upon their knowledge and experience within the industry.

Click here for a full list of the award categories, and to make your nominations before the deadline of Friday 27th April!

MJV & Co effortlessly increases efficiency with Eclipse’s Compact practice management system

Established family-run law firm, MJV & Co, is implementing the new Compact solution from Eclipse Legal Systems, the UK’s leading legal software provider.

Based in Blackpool, MJV & Co boasts 50 years’ combined experience across a range of legal services for both private and commercial clients. The firm prides itself on its ability to offer a truly tailored service, often providing out of hours’ appointments, home visits, business visits and a fixed fee pricing structure to suit client requirements. 

Due to an increased workload, MJV & Co recognised the need for a robust practice management system to efficiently manage all incoming cases and deliver an enhanced client service.

After researching the market, the Compact solution was selected and will be implemented to provide MJV & Co with the core functions of Eclipse’s Law Society Endorsed Proclaim Practice Management system. Of specific importance for the boutique firm was task management, and with Compact’s ability to link tasks with all case activities and provide automated reminders, the team at MJV & Co can ensure important deadlines and events are not overlooked.

Furthermore, Compact’s integration with Eclipse’s practice accounting solution means MJV & Co will benefit from instant access to live financial data, serving to provide a detailed analysis of the firm’s operations and boost efficiency.

Michael Vincent (pictured), Co-founder and Partner at MJV & Co, comments:

“We needed our core practice management software system to be as efficient as possible and it was clear from the outset that Eclipse offered the best solution, enabling us to build upon our existing reputation of excellence. Compact will mean that not only are we able to continue providing a high standard of service, but we can do this effortlessly, and without the need to increase staff numbers or hours.”

Legend Solicitors selects market-leading Proclaim Case Management Software solution to replace its current system

London law firm, Legend Solicitors, is implementing the Proclaim Case Management Software solution from Eclipse Legal Systems, the sole Law Society Endorsed legal software provider.

Legend Solicitors boasts an experienced team of solicitors that specialises in immigration, conveyancing and personal injury. Operating from its East Ham office, the firm offers a professional, friendly and reliable client service, and has earnt a reputation of expertise within the local community.

After an extensive selection process, a range of in-depth demonstrations and a number of meetings, Legend Solicitors saw Eclipse’s Proclaim Case Management system as the best on the market. Initially, the firm decided to implement another system based upon costs, but quickly realised that it was not fit for purpose and following this, selected the Proclaim software solution to cover its conveyancing, immigration and personal injury work areas.

Once implemented, Proclaim will provide all departments with a centralised and consistent desktop application, whilst enabling the firm to streamline its processes and significantly reduce administrative overheads. As a result, fee earners’ time will be freed up to focus on exceptional client service. Additionally, thanks to Proclaim’s flexibility, Legend Solicitors will be able to seamlessly integrate the financial accounting and practice management system in a staged roll-out.

To further drive efficiencies within the personal injury department, Legend Solicitors has opted to implement Eclipse’s full A2A (Application-to-Application) software integration with the MoJ Claims Portal, which will provide the team with a seamless method of submitting claims and eliminating duplicate data entry.

Aravind Sreevalsalan, director of Legend Solicitors, comments:

“Eclipse is the clear market-leader when it comes to legal software and its Proclaim system stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of functionality and adaptability.

“Overall, Proclaim will help us to streamline our case progression, and reduce the time we spend processing cases, therefore helping us to maintain our enviable reputation with our clients.”

Eclipse launches Subject Access Requests workflow to aid law firm GDPR compliance

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 (pictured), 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.”

Eclipse Legal Systems, the Law Society’s sole endorsed software provider, has today announced the release of TouchPoint App – a native app enabling law firms and legal organisations to offer self-service control to their customers via their mobile phones.

TouchPoint App complements Eclipse’s existing TouchPoint+ self-service portal, which is a device-independent and interactive online experience for legal service providers, their business partners and clients, using real-time data from Eclipse’s core Proclaim Case and Practice Management solution.

TouchPoint+ provides a broad self-service toolset enabling online tracking, document signing, direct messaging, and real-time graphical MI. TouchPoint App refines this suite into tools most suited for smartphones, enabling law firms and legal service providers to offer multiple access points for their customers, dependent upon need and context. An optimised experience is designed specifically for iOS and Android smartphones, and enables:

Push notifications —update messages automatically sent to a customer’s phone at defined points in the case and matter workflow
Display of key stages reached, and what further tasks need to be completed
Contact options, including the ability to attach a message or image to the specific file being worked on
A customisable environment carrying the firm’s colours, logos and branding
Eclipse’s Marketing Director, Darren Gower (pictured), comments:

“TouchPoint App is the latest development to empower law firms and really enable them to create a customer-centric service model. Our goal is to provide technology to our customers that helps them to do things better, faster, smarter, and more cost-effectively. TouchPoint App is deliberately positioned as a low-cost option for our customers so that there are no barriers for them to provide the highest levels of service and transparency.”

The Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Awards 2017/18 – the winners!

Congratulations to all who took part in the Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Awards on the 18th January at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, headline sponsored by Eclipse.

The awards, which offer the perfect opportunity to showcase best practice across the diverse landscape of law, were hosted by comedian Tom Allen and saw over 500 guests attend.

The full list of winners, as chosen by a cross-industry panel of high profile judges, can be seen below:

ABS of the Year
Excello Law

Law Firm of the Year
Osbornes Law

Chambers of the Year
Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Lawyer of the Year
Angela Jackman, Simpson Millar LLP

Barrister of the Year
Katie Gollop QC, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Rising Star of the Year
Amy Clowrey, Switalskis Solicitors Ltd

Innovation of the Year
rradar ltd

Best Marketing Campaign of the Year
Keystone Law

Client Care Initiative of the Year
Roberts Jackson

Outstanding Commitment to Training
FBC Manby Bowdler LLP

Best Use of Technology
iManage

Business Growth Award
JDX Consulting

Combatting Fraud Award
BLM

Crime Team of the Year
The David Sellu Appeal Team – Birnberg Peirce Ltd Solicitors / QEB Hollis Whiteman / Garden Court Chambers

Corporate / Commercial Team of the Year
ARC Pensions Law

Property Team of the Year
Wedlake Bell LLP

Personal Injury Team of the Year
Switalskis Solicitors Ltd

Private Client Team of the Year
Simpson Millar LLP

Supporting the Industry 1-25 Employees
O’Connors LLP

Supporting the Industry 26+ Employees
CILEx Law School

Outstanding Achievement Award
Dinah Rose QC, Blackstone Chambers & Shantha David, UNISON Legal Services

Lifetime Achievement Award
Tony Fisher, Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP