Global Microsoft outage follows CHAPS issues
Major news outlets are reporting an outage with Microsoft is affecting banks, trains, airlines, media and major infrastructure. Microsoft itself has said it is taking action to mitigate service issues, which it says started early Friday morning. The outage, which is not though to be malicious, is being reported to be related to two interconnected issues […]
How Estatesearch Supports JMW to Provide Excellent Client Care
JMW is an award-winning full-service law firm established over 45 years ago with offices in Manchester, Liverpool and London. JMW’s team is renowned for expertise in achieving positive outcomes for our clients, both businesses and individuals. Lucy Cresswell, Solicitor, JMW explains: “Building client relationships and providing an excellent JMW experience is at the heart of […]
CTT Group Highly Commended for Best Use of Technology at this Year’s Modern Law Private Client Awards
CTT Group earned “Highly Commended” for use of technology at the Modern Law Private Client Awards for 2024! Since 2003, CTT Group has sought to bring the cutting-edge in technology to the estate planning sector. This attitude of continual innovation has led to the digitisation of processes for both clients and advisers, a huge step […]
Enhancing Security Through Regular Software Updates
In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity is a paramount concern for law firms. The sensitive nature of legal work demands robust security measures to protect client information and maintain professional integrity. One of the most effective ways to enhance security is by ensuring your legal practice management software is kept up-to-date. Guard Against Emerging Threats Hackers […]
Legal Software Suppliers Association expands membership
The Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA) has expanded its membership and welcomes London-based LawNeeds into its growing group of legal technology providers. LawNeeds describes itself as helping provide legal services ‘on the go’ with a mobile app providing ‘personalised and affordable legal services’ to users. The app, which was founded in 2024 by Steve Okolo, […]
The challenge of pension valuations in probate
Some aspects of managing a deceased estate are easier than others, especially when it comes to valuing assets. Putting a value to a property, for example, may appear easy on paper, but finding two surveyors who agree on anything is similar to the old joke about economists: if you have 10 economists in a room, […]
Regional roadshows to showcase Lawtech innovation
A series of regional roadshows are coming later this month to showcase new technology in legal services. Starting in Swansea on 20th May, the events will move around country to Southampton, Oxford, Cambridge, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds; finishing in Newcastle on Thursday 23rd May. The series has been launched by LawtechUK, which is delivered by legaltech […]
Optimising Financial Operations: Strategies for Large Firms
The dynamic nature of the legal industry presents enterprise law firms with distinct challenges in managing their financial operations effectively. From complex billing structures to stringent regulatory requirements, navigating the intricacies of financial management requires strategic foresight and innovative solutions. In this blog post, we’ll explore key strategies that large law firms can implement to […]
Dedicated auction platform for probate property launches
A dedicated probate auction platform has been launched exclusively for probate property, serving executors, administrators, solicitors and family of the deceased. Probate.Auction is described by its founders as the first countrywide auction platform for probate property. It hopes to deliver speed, transparency and certainty for probate properties, reducing the average time to sell from 140 […]
Understanding the true cost of dying
There was some interesting research recently that sought to define the true cost of dying. An annual report from the insurance provider SunLife suggested that costs had reached a record high: funeral costs have risen by 4.7% while the overall ‘cost of dying’ has reached more than £9,500. It’s an alarming figure by any measure. […]
Australian practice management system launches in UK
An Australian practice management system has formally launched in the UK at this year’s Legalex Conference. Smokeball is a cloud practice management platform first launched in Australia in 2008 and since then has expanded in to the USA in 2012. It says it now serves 15,000 clients across various practice areas with the ambition to […]
LPA reform receives Royal Assent
Reforms designed to transition the process of creating Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) from a largely paper-based process to a digital one are to be enacted. The Powers of Attorney Act passed its third reading in the House of Lords last week and has today (19th September) received Royal Assent. The updates are in response […]
Tech platforms failing consumers on legacy settings
Research into the legacy provisions of leading tech organisations has revealed that more work must be done to support users, and loved ones of those who die or become incapacitated. Ten major providers have been assessed and scored on a newly released Digital Legacy Scorecard which rates the platform on the extent to which the […]
How Will writing software helps you mitigate risk
Will writing software is designed to support the estate planning professional in drafting documentation. It cuts out admin, precedent research, data re-keying and more. Lightening the administrative load. But importantly, it also helps protect the drafter and their reputation. Contentious probate claims are on the rise, almost doubling in recent years. The supportive, in-built features […]
The Power of AI – We Asked ChatGPT Why Solicitors Should Use Will Writing Software…. Here’s What it Said
ChatGPT is a new chatbot, built by Open AI. It was launched in November 2022 and it’s become very popular in a short amount of time. Users can ask it all sorts of questions and ChatGPT will give succinct and clear answers. Here at Arken, we’ve been testing it out. We asked ChatGPT why it […]
Only 48% of Estate Planning Professionals Received a Low-Risk Exposure Score
Our Risk Exposure Quiz has produced some interesting results so far. The market is changing, contentious probate claims and cyber-attacks are on the rise. So, amid the challenges, we decided to run a short quiz that quickly calculates your businesses exposure to risks in the following areas: Precedents Processes Data and Records Staff Digital Solutions […]
Lawtech 365 launch revolutionary ID verification tech “DynamicID”
Lawtech 365, a premier provider of legal technology, has announced the release of “DynamicID”, a cutting-edge biometrics identity verification software based on NFC technology. Developed in the UK, DynamicID is the most advanced solution of its kind, providing a secure and convenient method for verifying identities online. The technology is currently incorporated as the primary […]
Why you should be using WillSuite’s client portal
Since the official launch of the Connect client facing portal in January 2022, we’ve been busy making improvements and building on user feedback. With that in mind, I thought It would be a great idea to take a deep dive into the portal, best practices and the benefits of incorporating it into your business. Connect is an […]
Improving service delivery in private client
In this latest Today’s Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie is joined by Arken.legal CEO Dave Newick. A “technologist” in an industry where technology adoption has traditionally been slow, Dave shares his thoughts on whether the private client is ready for a technology revolution, or whether it will be more of an evolution. Add […]
Technical Corner: digital assets, personal property law and “data objects”
Technical Corner, 5th August 2022 – Emily Deane TEP, STEP Technical Counsel & Head of Government Affairs The Law Commission of England and Wales published a new consultation paper on 28th July. It seeks views from legal and technology experts in order to examine how existing personal property law should apply to digital assets. The UK […]
