Process Management Software for Law Firms

A conflict of interest check is the one process in legal services that must be run before any other step: specifically, before any confidential information is received from a prospective client and before an engagement letter is issued. If a conflict is identified after confidential information has been received, the firm may be prevented from acting for either party and from disclosing what it knows to the affected party, a position that creates both professional and commercial damage. The SRA’s conflict rules (paragraphs 6.1 and 6.2) apply to individual solicitors under the Code of Conduct for Solicitors and to the firm under the Code of Conduct for Firms, which also requires the firm to have effective systems and controls for complying with them. A conflict check that depends on the fee-earner’s confidence that no conflict exists is not a conflict checking system. It is a gap in one. CheckFlow structures the conflicts check as a required, documented first step of every matter intake, with a completion record that demonstrates the check was performed before work commenced.

The SRA’s supervision activity on AML compliance has increased substantially in recent years (its anti-money laundering report for 2024/25 records 151 enforcement outcomes, up from 78 the year before), with enforcement actions focusing specifically on whether firms can demonstrate that their AML procedures were applied consistently and documented contemporaneously, not just that they have a policy. CheckFlow supports SRA AML compliance through structured, evidenced execution of the AML workflow for every new client and matter: the specific verification steps taken (identity documentation obtained, business verification method, source of funds assessment), the risk classification applied, whether enhanced due diligence was triggered, and the fee-earner and date attributed to each step. The record created is contemporaneous: produced at the time the check was performed, not assembled retrospectively when the SRA requests the file. The government has decided that the FCA will take over AML supervision of legal services once legislation is passed; until then the SRA remains the supervisor, and the same records serve either. Note: CheckFlow structures processes and creates records; it is not a source of legal or regulatory advice. Always consult qualified compliance counsel for specific AML obligations.

Practice management systems (Clio, LEAP, Osprey, Actionstep) manage matters, time recording, billing, document storage, and client communications. CheckFlow manages operational processes: the structured checklists and recurring workflows that run around and within the matter. The intake sequence that governs how every new matter is opened, the document review workflow that governs how every client document is reviewed and approved, the supervision process that governs how every matter is periodically reviewed by a supervisor. The two categories are complementary: practice management systems track the matter; CheckFlow ensures the processes around the matter are followed correctly and with a documented record of completion.

Yes. CheckFlow supports multiple distinct process templates running simultaneously: a firm’s conveyancing practice can maintain an intake process that includes the specific source of funds requirements for property transactions, while the employment practice runs a simplified intake for employment tribunal matters, and the corporate team runs a more extensive due diligence workflow for M&A mandates. Each template is independently version-controlled, so regulatory updates or practice area changes can be applied without affecting other workflows. Templates can also be differentiated by seniority level, so a trainee follows a more comprehensive guided checklist while a senior associate follows a streamlined version of the same process.