Modern Law Magazine Issue 67

Power of Together Survey
New survey seeks to assess post COVID cultural and employee
communication challenges in UK legal firms
A new survey is launched this week by digital
consultants Pancentric Digital and HUB, their
leading intranet solution. It seeks to understand the
cultural and employee communication challenges
faced by UK Law Firms post COVID. The survey is
supported by Modern Law Magazine.
As the dust settles on hybrid working policies, global
evidence is emerging of cultural and job motivation
challenges across all types of businesses.
According to research firm Qualtrics, job motivation
jumped 10% during COVID but has since fallen to
below pre-COVID levels.
This new survey - called the Power of Together survey
- seeks to understand the state of play in the UK legal
sector specifically. It asks UK Legal Firms about their
current policies on work from home, what impact post-
COVID working policies are having on culture, team
connection and individuals; and what impact is being
felt on productivity and operations. Are their concerns?
Are firms adopting new approaches to their internal
comms? What are the priorities going forward?
Modern Law Magazine encourages leaders and
managers across the legal sector to participate in the
survey. The widest possible set of views is welcomed.
The survey can be completed online by following this link:
www.pancentric.com/the-power-of-together-survey
and only takes a few minutes. Modern Law Magazine
will publish the results later this year. A free copy
of the full findings is available to all those that
participate
Pancentric Digital is committed to climate action and
sustainable workplaces, so has partnered with the
reforestation charity One Tree Planted to plant a tree
for every survey response received.
Plus, one lucky recipient will receive a yearly Flourishy
subscription worth £160, to help transform their
garden into a diverse haven for bees and wildlife.
For more information visit:
The Power of Together Survey | Pancentric Digital
Simon Fenn, Director, Pancentric Digital
Businesses are facing increasing
pressure to minimise their
environmental impact, and the
legal industry is no different.
But navigating a path towards a
reduced carbon footprint shouldn’t
be a challenge.
One part of the solution is going
paperless. A concept that some firms
have enthusiastically embraced, others
have only dipped their toes in. The thing
is, going paperless creates so many more
advantages that go beyond reducing your
carbon footprint. It improves accessibility
and drives productivity for firms – a winner
all round.
Law firms have traditionally used a lot
of paper. Files fill cabinets and in-trays,
documents are posted, and even scanned
copies are stored away. A digitised
conveyancing process is helping firms to
almost, if not completely, remove paper
from the process.
EDITORIAL
BOARD
Digital Onboarding:
Better For Productivity,
Accessibility, And The Environment
Let’s look at the benefits firms can access
by taking their client onboarding process
paperless.
1. A reduced carbon footprint
Client onboarding has been a typically
paper-heavy process, with client care packs
and forms being printed, posted, returned,
and scanned in. It’s time consuming and
uses a lot of resource, from reems of paper
to the emissions created during the postal
process. But firms using digital onboarding
are ditching paper and drawn-out
onboarding timeframes in favour of more
environmentally friendly solutions.
2. Improved accessibility
Digital onboarding means clients can
provide crucial information any time, from
anywhere. Whether it’s in another county
or another country, digital ID checks,
source of funds checks, and electronic
signatures are all more accessible and more
secure online.
3. Increased productivity
Digital onboarding eliminates a lot of
unnecessary admin. Printing, posting,
scanning, and assigning those scanned
files – it’s all time that could be better
spent on more impactful tasks. Digitising
the process lets technology take care of
those bits so you have more time to focus
on the things only experienced teams
can do. Ultimately, you’ll see increased
productivity among your teams by cutting
out paper.
Going paperless is not only going to
improve the green credentials of your firm,
but also have a lasting impact on your
business and client relationships too.
“One part of the solution
is going paperless.”
Bronwyn Townsend,
Senior Marketing Manager, InfoTrack
Debate and discuss the Law
Commission’s law of wills reform
proposals in Manchester this month
Later this month, Estate Research are
delighted to be supporting an event
debating the biggest reform proposals
in the law of wills since 1837!
On the afternoon of 23rd November,
Law Commissioner Professor Nick
Hopkins will be joined by a panel of
Private Client experts, to discuss the Law
Commission’s wills project and its proposed
supplementary consultation paper covering
the topics of predatory marriage and
digital wills.
Will disputes and the increasing
challenges of mental capacity issues are
undoubtedly having a significant impact
on the landscape of wills. This event
will offer delegates the opportunity to
debate whether it is time for the law to
be modernised as the landscape shifts as
well as influence the evolution of Wills &
Probate legislation for future generations.
Taking place in the heart of Manchester
at John Rylands Rooftop terrace in
Manchester Hall, the afternoon will offer
real discussion and debate around these
topics - with panel sessions and the
inclusion of delegate questions throughout.
Estate Research are honoured to be
working alongside the Law Commission,
STEP, Nicholson Jones Sutton Solicitors
and Rothley Law in hosting this event. We
look forward to welcoming 200 delegates
to an event that has the rare yet real
potential to shape fundamental wills
legislation.
Speakers include:
• Professor Nicholas Hopkins, Commissioner
for Property, Family and Trust Law, Law
Commission of England and Wales
• Stephen Lawson TEP, Head Of
Contentious Probate at Nicholson
Jones Sutton
• Professor Robin Jacoby, Emeritus
Professor-Old Age Psychiatry,
University of Oxford
• Helen Forster TEP, Director,
HTF Legal Limited
• Andrew Bishop, Partner, Rothley Law
• Julie Bell, Consultant, Read Roper and
Read Solicitors
• Dominic Hendry, Head of Private Client,
Estate Research
• Elis Gomer, Barrister, 5 Stone Buildings
• Sarah Harrison, Barrister, Parklane
Plowden Chambers
This event is not to be missed and is
completely free to attend! Places are
limited and early registration via the STEP
website is advised to avoid disappointment
at: www.stepevents.org/event/cf388d71-
ded9-4071-9a4a-c95cedb1e0ba/summary
Dominic Hendry,
Head of Private Client, Estate Research
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