- Legal Futures - https://www.legalfutures.co.uk -

Lever & Co chooses Virtual Practices based on positive relationship with SOS

When experienced private client lawyer Angela Lever decided to set up her own firm last year, she had no hesitation over which legal software system to choose.

As a partner at Pothecary Witham Weld Solicitors, she was well acquainted with using ’s SOS Connect system for accounting, document and practice management.

So once Bishop’s Stortford-based Lever & Co was launched in November, she wasted no time in adopting SOS’s Virtual Practices [1] system, after visiting last year’s Legal IT exhibition in London.

Virtual Practice’s ‘always-on’ service simplifies the process of keeping a law firm’s accounts up-to-date and provides the reassurance that the accounts comply fully with Law Society regulations. It generally costs less than employing a full-time legal cashier, making it an attractive option for start-ups.

Angela, who specialises in wills, probate, trusts and estate planning, said: “I had a conversation with Natalie Jennings, who heads up Virtual Practices, at the Legal IT event and was quickly convinced that it would be ideal for me.

“The system is used by smaller and start-up law firms around the UK and is a perfect fit for Lever & Co. I am a lawyer, I am not by any stretch of the imagination a ‘techie’ person, but Virtual Practices is so easy to use. What really sold the system to me was the ability to access accounts support remotely – having a virtual accounts person, if you like.

“I also like the fact that I receive regular reminders about financial outgoings, so it is impossible to lose track of anything, and that there is always a fast response from the VP staff whenever I have a query.”

Virtual Practice’s low-cost, pay-per-seat subscription model means that Lever & Co can quickly add to its four existing users if and when the need arises.

Angela Lever adds: “My main emphasis for the firm at the moment is on continuously improving our quality of service to clients, rather than constant or rapid growth. That said, I do want to bring in more fee-earners when the time is right and having Virtual Practices will help with that process in terms of keeping our overheads down to a minimum.”

Natalie Jennings, who heads up Virtual Practices, which is a division of legal software supplier Solicitors Own Software, said: “Angela had been an enthusiastic user of SOS Connect so it made sense for her to opt for the Virtual Practices system when she set up Lever & Co. More and more start-up and spin-off law firms like hers are turning to VP as part of an agile, low-overhead business model.”