When it came to choosing legal software for his new pensions trustee firm, Steve Southern turned to former colleagues for advice – and the overwhelming recommendation was the Virtual Practices (www.virtualpractices.co.uk) (VP) hosted legal software and outsourced cashiering service.
Having worked as a pensions lawyer for an international law firm for several years, Steve decided to set up his own independent trustee business, Steve Southern Trustees Limited, in 2012.
Based in Saddleworth near Manchester, Steve acts as a trustee for occupational pension schemes across the UK.
“This area has grown hugely over the past six or seven years due to the way pensions law has changed. It has brought potential conflicts of interest to light for many FDs and CEOs and this has created a gap in the market for independent trustees such as myself,” says Steve.
“When I set up on my own I wanted to find a much more efficient way of capturing time. Along with time recording, there is no doubt that invoicing capability was the main draw when it came to choosing new legal software.
“Several former colleagues had used Virtual Practices and all of them said it was fantastic. I didn’t look at any alternatives because I trust their opinion and I haven’t been disappointed.”
Natalie Jennings, who heads up Virtual Practices, which is a division of legal software supplier , said: “Steve Southern Trustees Limited is a slightly different kind of client for us, in that it is a non-legal firm.
“However, VP remains an ideal solution for someone like Steve, who can utilise the agility and flexibility which VP provides while getting on with running his own business.”