Three levels of Certificate of Title (CT) usage in Australia

With the recent removal of Certificates of Title (CT) in New South Wales, and a consultation period taking place in Victoria, it is a timely reminder to take note of where each State and Territory…

How to manage tight settlement deadlines

Even at the best of times, managing a settlement can be challenging. Between delays, adjustments, difficulty contacting banks, councils, and more, there are many opportunities for time to slip away. On top of this, for…

3 stars, hand holding heart good client experience

How reimagining the client experience creates resilience

In late August, Thomson Reuters released their 2021 Australia: State of the Legal Market report and found that the Australian legal market was “extremely resilient” during the COVID pandemic. “The sudden shift to remote working…

A lawyers guide to shifting from self-criticism to self-compassion

Crushing self-criticism, spiralling anxiety and superhuman standards, does this sound familiar? It’s what Dr Leila hears from many lawyers in her practice, and it’s her passion to support a new narrative. Amanda Mead explains that she felt the…

Build your confidence around caveats

Build your confidence around caveats

Digital transformation in the conveyancing space is reaching its highest peak and 11 October 2021, marked a pivotal date in New South Wales (NSW) as the NSW Land Registry Services (LRS) transitioned to 100% e-conveyancing.  The transition comprised of four significant changes:  Certificates of Title (CT) were abolished; The right to deal (CoRD) framework is no longer required;   3 streamlined…

Electronic conveyancing is becoming the norm, nation-wide

Electronic conveyancing is quickly becoming standard practice across the nation, and mandates are coming into place to cement their future in legal practice.  In May 2020, the Australia Capital Territory (ACT) Government passed legislation to introduce online settlements to the territory, and by the…

How to add a layer of legitimacy to your identity verification process to reduce identity fraud

This is the second part of the SettleIT education series supporting practitioners to navigate the e-settlements and e-conveyancing landscape. See part one here. This article does not constitute legal advice. It is for general information purposes only.   There is the notion…

Combatting the rise of ransomware

As the Victoria and New South Wales governments discuss emerging from lockdown in time for Christmas 2021, a vast majority of legal practices and their lawyers will continue to work remotely.  The question at the…

3 key influences that drive uptake of e-settlements

When e-settlements first came into the Australian legal and conveyancing scene in 2010, there was initially some resistance to their uptake. At the time, with no mandates in place, the appetite for change was understandably low because…

“Small law firms bill 2.02 hours per day.” Are you missing out on revenue?

Multiple large-scale studies have shown that fee earners in small law firms are billing, on average, only 2.02 hours per day. The first time I read one of these studies, I was quick to dismiss…