Lexcel

Lexcel benefits

The Lexcel® standard provides a basic framework. Around this Lexcel framework you can build systems for controlling the quality of your law firm's output and managing its exposure to risk - in whichever jurisdiction(s) you operate and regardless of the types of work you do.

Because it was originally written by a lawyer, Lexcel is couched in terms familiar to those in the profession, making it especially easy to understand and implement Lexcel in a legal services context.

The Lexcel quality mark assures clients and prospects, both individual and corporate, that they can expect services of consistently high quality. So with Lexcel accreditation you can expect to gain and retain better clients who appreciate what you do for them, and improve your profitability with Lexcel.

With Lexcel you will more easily attract high calibre employees, who will enhance the practice's reputation and earning power, because a new generation of lawyers and support staff expects a proper structure and the career development opportunities Lexcel supports.

The introduction of outcomes focussed regulation (OFR) in October 2011 increased the need for practices in England & Wales to develop their own framework of policies and procedures in order to deliver the "Outcomes" required by the SRA, since many of the familiar "Rules" were swept away. We can help you use Lexcel as a tool to build your own systems for achieving outcomes acceptable to the regulator through the use of Lexcel building blocks.

Professional Indemnity insurers know Lexcel's risk management framework is effective because it reduces claims (Lexcel reduces them by 40%, according to independent research). There are obvious links between the risk of claims, PI premiums and your profit. In England and Wales, PI application forms now routinely ask if the practice is Lexcel accredited. Whilst it is difficult to obtain hard evidence, it is very likely that, in many firms, reductions in PI premiums far outweigh the cost of maintaining Lexcel compliance.

More than ever, your practice risks losing prospective clients to competitors, an increasing number of which are Lexcel accredited - especially in these changing times with the Legal Services Act and Alternative Business Structures in England and Wales, ABSs in Scotland and the proposed non-lawyer ownership of US law firms being considered by the ABA. Even If you are an in-house practice, outsourcing is an equivalent threat. Being Lexcel accredited raises your profile and strengthens your bargaining power. Even litigation practices regulated by the Bar Standards Board will be able to benefit from Lexcel.

In 2010, Lexcel joined ISO 9001:2008 and QMS 4 LAW® as an international certification option for legal practices anywhere in the world.

Legal Aid firms in England & Wales can now adopt Lexcel as an approved quality standard for their LSC contracts, enabling them to use Lexcel as a tool to extend quality and risk management to all areas of the practice, not just publicly funded work.

Legal sector regulators are bearing down hard on lawyers. In England they recommend Lexcel and acknowledge the strength of Lexcel's support for regulatory compliance.

Becoming Lexcel accredited doesn't have to be costly either.

Contact us to arrange a free, no obligation discussion with a Lexcel consultant.

Practical help with commercial awareness

Few, if any, other Lexcel consultants take their own medicine! We, however, have been ISO 9001:2008 certified since 2007. You benefit in two ways. Firstly you can be assured of high standards of service. Secondly, because we have to operate an independently audited quality management system year in year out, we can help you design a Lexcel compliant system that is very effective but also easy and cheap to maintain year by year.

It doesn't have to be difficult to get your practice Lexcel accredited. For example, although many firms take literally years to write a Lexcel compliant quality management system, we can normally do it (properly) for you within weeks. This means you start getting the benefits from Lexcel much earlier.

A Lexcel assessor said this in a recent report on the manual we produced for one client:

"The Office Manual is at the centre of the documentation trail. It is a clear and comprehensive document. All relevant aspects of the Lexcel standard are fully included and the regular updates have been recorded. This is an excellent example and worthy of mention. The past work of the advisory consultancy can be seen to have been advantageous in ensuring all aspects of the Standard have been included".

Our clients say things like:

"Our assessor, commended us (and you!) on our excellent manual. [He] indicated that it is the best he has seen."

"We were very pleased to have had your input, support, and excellent Quality Management System in preparation for the Lexcel assessment".

"I am very impressed with the documentation you have produced."

"I am very impressed with the layout and how easy it is no navigate the manual."

Most of our clients choose our browser-based manual design. It far exceeds the requirements of Lexcel, is simple to publish and much more user friendly than a traditional Word document. We even provide an ongoing Hosting, Update Reminder, Lexcel Compliance Checking and Editing service, taking most of the burden of Lexcel compliance off your hands.

Our consultants will travel anywhere in the world to help you with Lexcel - and most of the Lexcel work is done online, keeping costs down.

But systems are not everything. As SRA authorised external CPD training providers, we can train your managers and staff to enthusiastically adopt and maintain a quality managed environment. Lexcel training needs vary from practice to practice, but can include topics like corporate governance, communication, quality management, team building and leadership, effective appraisals, management accounts, web authoring and advanced Microsoft® Word.

Our Lexcel consultants understand the business needs of the legal sector and, as qualified professionals in their own fields, are equipped to help you meet them. Lexcel compliance must never be at the expense of business performance, client service, your hard won reputation or your brand.

For more than a decade scores of firms have enlisted our help as they prepare for Lexcel assessment. You can benefit from all that Lexcel experience. Some of our clients are listed on our Client List Page and some of their feedback (much of which is Lexcel related) can be seen on our Client Feedback Page.

Contact us to arrange a free, no obligation discussion with a Lexcel consultant.

Improve business performance instead of constraining it

100% of the practices we have helped through to Lexcel assessment have passed first time. We don't take the credit though - it is always a team effort. However, getting Lexcel is the easy bit. It is perfectly possible to satisfy the Lexcel assessor whilst, at the same time, binding your practice up with needless bureaucracy and pointless forms.

If you are concerned about growth and profitability, it's important to implement Lexcel in a way that serves your future business needs. Lexcel must serve your business, rather than your business serving the Lexcel assessor (as is so often the case). As well as being Lexcel registered and trained, our consultants are graduates, well qualified business experts and innovative when using Lexcel as a productivity tool. For example, our lead Lexcel Consultant is a Chartered Director - someone who knows about commercial realities, good corporate governance, business performance and risk management - not just Lexcel.

Minimising the pain

You can achieve Lexcel accreditation relatively quickly and easily by adopting our simple three-phase approach.

This means you get Lexcel accredited quickly and start getting a return on your Lexcel investment sooner.

Independent Research Provides Empirical Evidence of Lexcel's Real Business Benefits

Sir Stephen Lander, Independent Commissioner to the Law Society, conducted research into quality marks. He analysed responses from practices with one or more of the 4 key quality marks; SQM, ISO 9000, IIP and Lexcel. The firms varied in size and geographical location. The results highlight some of the benefits of Lexcel.

Is Lexcel Useful?

93% of firms with Lexcel described Lexcel as 'useful or very useful'.

What is the main benefit of Lexcel?

The research examined the range of benefits of Lexcel. According to the survey, the main benefit of Lexcel was as a 'business improvement tool', whilst others highlighted Lexcel's usefulness in terms of 'improved client care', 'lower insurance premiums' and 'effective risk management'.

Does Lexcel improve client care and risk management

Over 81% of Lexcel firms found Lexcel to be beneficial regarding client care, and 79% found Lexcel to be beneficial regarding risk management. This statistic reinforces the earlier finding from the Independent Commissioner that Lexcel firms generated 40% fewer complaints to the Law Society than non Lexcel firms.

Does Lexcel reduce PI premiums?

69% of firms found that Lexcel helped them get lower professional indemnity insurance premiums.

Does Lexcel make firms more efficient?

The research also analysed the reasons why practices apply for quality marks like Lexcel: around 50% gave 'to improve practice efficiency', as their main reason for applying for Lexcel, whilst others use Lexcel 'to improve risk management' and 'to gain favourable insurance quotes'.

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