Category Archives: News

Hoowla news and updates to our conveyancing platform

Hoowla Launches Wills and LPA Calculator

News

Hoowla Wills & LPA Calculator

Following on from the success of our Conveyancing Quote Calculator, and with demand from customers, we are very excited to announce that we have launched a Wills and LPA Calculator.

As with the Conveyancing Calculator the Wills and LPA Calculator enables firms to streamline their internal process of generating and emailing quotes for wills and lasting power of attorney. Using Hoowla’s quote calculator reduces the quoting time down to under a minute, which is great for firms and prospective clients.

The calculator can also be added to your website, allowing potential clients to request an instant quote at a time convenient to them, improving the start of the client’s journey.

Professionally branded and personalised quotes can be emailed direct to clients or printed to send through the post.

The system allows the team to see when a client has viewed the quote online, easily amend details if required, and contact clients who don’t accept for feedback.

All enquiries made through the quoting calculator are recorded to allow firms to identify conversation rates and adjust marketing strategies as required, meaning you can reinvest your money where it counts.

 

With the SRA preparing rules which will force law firms to publish prices many firms are feeling the pressure to comply.

Using Hoowla’s quoting software means that firms can, at the press of a button, be ready for any new rules while at the same time benefiting from a more efficient and client friendly quoting system.

We have a live demo version of the Wills and LPA calculator on our website.  To try it out for yourself to see how quick requesting a quote can be click the button below.

 

If you are interested in finding out how Hoowla can improve your wills and conveyancing quoting, and to have a free demo, contact us on 01792 687146 or email hello@hoowla.com

Autumn Budget 2017: First Time Buyers Stamp Duty Changes Live on Hoowla

News

 

Hoowla SDLT First Time Buyers Stamp Duty Change

 

The headline point in today’s Autumn Budget 2017 was the announcement that stamp duty will be abolished, from today, for first-time buyers purchasing properties costing up to £300,000.

First time buyers purchasing a house worth up to £500,000 will not have to pay stamp duty on the first £300,000, which HM Treasury estimates will take 80% of first-time buyers out of stamp duty altogether.

 

Hoowla’s conveyancing calculator and SDLT integration have already updated to support the abolishment of SDLT for first time buyers in the 2017 Budget, meaning the 10,000+ quotes each month generated through Hoowla comply with the new first time buyers SDLT rate.

SDLT integrations within Hoowla’s case management software and API partners have also been updated.

Hoowla always responds fast to all changes that affects users, with the amendment to the conveyancing calculator and SDLT integrations going live as the Chancellor announced the stamp duty change.

 

If you want to have a conveyancing quote and referral tool that is always update or want to submit SDLT more efficiently call Hoowla on 01792 687 146 or email hello@hoowla.com for a demo.

 

Case Study: New Start Vanessa Newman Property Lawyers

Customer Stories, News, ,

Vanessa Newman Property Lawyers Hoowla Case Study

Background

Vanessa Newman Property Lawyers are a new start based in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

Vanessa believes that a modern conveyancing firm should offer clients a personal service combined with leading technology to provide the best possible experience and ensure that the transaction reaches completion as quickly as possible.

 

Challenge

Though specialising in conveyancing, Vanessa was looking for a case management system that would enable her to handle all matters.

Vanessa was looking to work with a case management provider who offered her the same kind of customer care that she offers her clients.  As a new start price was also an important consideration.

 

Solution

Vanessa Newman Property Lawyers implemented Hoowla’s Conveyancing Quote Calculator and full Case Management System.

The Quote Calculator has been installed on Vanessa’s website and a dedicated login has also been provided to one of the agents she works with to make quoting simpler for them and enable them to easily pass work through.

 

Solutions Implemented:

– Tailored Case Management System

– Conveyancing Quote Calculator

 

Results

Installing the Quote Calculator on Vanessa’s website allows clients to request an instant conveyancing quote. Dedicated logins for agents allows them to generate quotes for their clients and pass work through to Vanessa.

The case management system allows Vanessa to build her own workflows to suit requirements for different matters.

Hoowla’s integration with the Land Registry and Index Search Providers means she can request documents without having to leave Hoowla or double enter data and the AML integration means she can easily ID check clients.

Vanessa’s clients also love Hoowla as they can track their case online .

 

About Hoowla

Hoowla promotes a modern approach to conveyancing case management software.

The fully cloud based system includes full accounts, precedents and letters, search ordering, online SDLT submissions, dashboard reporting and more.

 

Request A Demo

To see how we can improve your firm’s efficiency and help you keep up to date with industry changes call us on 01792 687146 or visit hoowla.com

Roland Robinsons Fenton Use Hoowla’s Bespoke Case Management Software to Streamline Conveyancing Process

Customer Stories, News, Press Releases,

One of the largest legal practices in the North West, Roland Robinsons and Fenton are proud to be a modern law firm who embrace technology to improve client experience. The expert team covers a variety of work areas, including conveyancing, litigation, commercial, private client and family law.

In keeping with their modern approach Roland Robinsons and Fenton use Hoowla’s bespoke Case Management software within their conveyancing department, making it easy to generate quotes, reducing the time spent on each case, retaining client information for future transactions and analyses matters such as sources of work, average transaction time and monitor how many files are handled during a specific timescale.

Solicitor Alastair Finn explains “We were looking for a more modern, user-friendly system to help us streamline the conveyancing process and compete with other firms in the area, particularly in relation to speed of transactions and management of larger caseloads.
We also wanted something cloud-based so that we could access the system from anywhere. We reviewed a wide range of systems, which were greatly varied in cost, and overall Hoowla offered great value for money. We were also greatly impressed with the willingness of Hoowla to tailor their system in order to suit our firm, rather than providing a finished product to which we had to adapt.”

This willingness to tailor our case management system to the needs of the client is one of the aspects of the business that Hoowla pride themselves on.
We believe that technology should make modern life easier and work closely with the client on set up and going forward to create a system bespoke to them and how their firm works.

Hoowla managing director Adam Curtis says “It’s an absolute pleasure working with the team at Roland Robinsons Fenton. They are a forward thinking firm that place efficiency, a modern approach and great client care at the top of their list. We’ve worked along side the team customising their Hoowla experience so that it fits the way they want to work.”

Alastair says that he would not hesitate to recommend Hoowla to other law firms; “Every aspect of the conveyancing process has been tied together and located in one place, from quotation to closure of a file Hoowla is able to cover the entire transaction and keep everything we need in one place.
Hoowla is an incredibly cost effective approach to case management, incredible user friendly and easy for any member of the team to carry out work on any file at any time, but perhaps the biggest asset to Hoowla is the helpfulness and willingness of the staff to ensure that the firm gets a case management system which suits their needs perfectly.”

Case Study: Rhodda & Co

Customer Stories, News, ,

Clacton on Sea based Rhodda & Co LLP Solicitors have chosen to implement Hoowla’s case management software for their conveyancing department, to continue offering their clients the top class service the firm is known for.

A modern firm with a focus on offering clients a friendly, personal and professional service, Rhodda & Co specialise in wills and probate and conveyancing within the local area and beyond.

Rhodda & Co were using online conveyancing case management software previously but found that the lack of customer support, limitations within the system and difficulty to update documents meant the system was costing them valuable time.

Head of Conveyancing Emma Warren explains “We requested a demo and were immediately impressed. Adam approached the demo, and us, in a very individual way. He showed us the ways the system fits around us, not the way we could fit around the system. We wanted a system which we could tailor to our way of working, that we could easily alter at anytime and that had excellent customer support. It was evident from the demo that Hoowla ticked all our boxes and so our decision was easy thereafter.”

Hoowla is a fully cloud based software solution, providing a modern approach to legal software. Hoowla’s case management software allows legal professionals to manage their case loads efficiently and automatically generate legal documents, submitting information to third parties such as HMRC and the Land Registry.

Updates are frequent, and the Hoowla team works with firms to provide a software solution specific to them.

Hoowla managing director Adam Curtis says “Hoowla is a perfect solution for progressive firms like Rhodda & Co who embrace advancements in technology and utilise them to deliver the best possible service to their clients. We are delighted that they have chosen Hoowla for their case management and conveyancing quoting system.”

Although Rhodda & Co have only been using Hoowla for a short time they are already seeing massive benefits, as Emma explains “Since implementing Hoowla’s case management system the conveyancing team are able to produce documents much quicker, allowing them to do more work in the day. We can alter templates, workflows, documents, reports and letters easily without needing help from the Hoowla team, while knowing they are only a phone call away if needed.

The customer service is second to none; all of Hoowla are there to assist whenever needed but in honesty the system is so simple most issues can be worked out without recourse to Hoowla staff. It’s a simple, adaptable yet professional system with outstanding customer service and I would recommend Hoowla to anyone.”

 

Latest Hoowla Updates: Microsoft Word, Legal Case Documents and Working with Introducers

News, Tips and Tutorials, ,

 

We have updated Hoowla with a number of new features which are now live and ready to use.

This latest release has a large focus around documents, helping you work smarter and more efficiently. We have also included a new feature that helps you work even more closely with your introducers by allowing you to automatically invite them to track the progress of their clients’ cases within Hoowla.

A breakdown of the features released in this update is below, or more information please do get in touch by calling 01792 687146 or via email.

 

Microsoft Word – Case Information

Hoowla Microsoft Word Integration

Hoowla is already fully integrated with Microsoft Word.  With this latest update you can import case information directly into Word documents to allow you to edit the information if you prefer not to use Hoowla’s document editor.

 

Case Documents

Hoowla Case Documents

We have enhanced the document page in your cases. This latest update makes it even easier to manage them, see which ones are currently being worked on, and which ones have been sent out.

 

Automatically Invite Introducers

Hoowla Invite Introducer to Track Case

You can now automatically invite your introducers to track their clients’ cases that you instruct.

If you work closely with introducers and would like to find out how they can refer clients to you through Hoowla then please get in touch with us today and we’ll show you how easy it is to setup.

 

Additional Document Features

Hoowla Legal Case Documents

We have made some changes to our documents which include the ability to quick save a document whilst you are working on it, implemented a new layout for your completion statements generated in Hoowla, included a new setting that ensures a document can only be printed and posted and there is now to option to delete documents from the case document list.

 

Hoowla Wins LawTech Award

News, Press Releases

 

Hoowla are delighted to be named as the winner of the Operations LawTech Startup Award at this year’s Legal Geek Conference.

The inaugural LawTech Startup Awards, run by the organisers of Legal Geek, acknowledges and celebrates the hard work and innovation of startups within the legal industry.

Adam Curtis, Hoowla founder and managing director, said: “We are all delighted to have won this award. There are some exciting new companies within the legal startup world and the competition for this award was very high, with Hoowla competing against 21 other startups in our category.

Our team are passionate about what we do and this award recognises the impact we are starting to have on the legal industry.”

hoowla-legal-geek

Adam Curtis, Edd Turtle & Tom O’Brien

 

Winners of the LawTech Startup Awards were determined by an independent panel of judges from leading legal companies, international law firm Freshfields, Thomson Reuters and The Law Society.

Founder of Legal Geek, Jimmy Vestbirk says, “Legal Geek bridges the gap between the legal profession and startup innovation. We always strive to create structure around the unstructured startup climate and this conference facilitates the continuous development and advancements currently taking place in the startup world. The awards recognise the best and brightest companies making waves within the legal industry.“

New Hoowla Conveyancing Calculator Features

News, Tips and Tutorials, ,

 

We’ve introduced a number of new features to the Hoowla conveyancing calculator to help save time and win more instructions. All these new features are included at no extra cost to your existing Hoowla conveyancing calculator account and are now live and ready to use.

Below is a full list of the updated features on the conveyancing quote calculator, which include the option to link your Hoowla account to the Land Registry to automatically pull in a property’s title and tenure, the option to have postcode exceptions for areas where your legal fee differs and the ability to add a message to your quote to give a personal touch.

We add new features to Hoowla based on feedback from our customers. If you have any questions or feedback then please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.

 

Quotes include Title and Tenure

Hoowla Conveyancing Calculator Land Registry Title Tenure

Our conveyancing calculator now uses the Land Registry’s ‘Enquiry by Property Description’ service when raising a quote.

By linking your Land Registry account with your Hoowla account the calculator automatically pulls in the tenure of the property and the title number, saving you time entering this data and meaning you know that the information provided is correct.

 

Create Postcode Exceptions

Hoowla Conveyancing Calculator Postcode Exception

You can now define postcode areas in your quote calculator where your legal fees differ. The new fee will be used when generating a conveyancing quote for a property that falls within that area.

 

Quotes are Sent from your Firm

Hoowla Conveyancing Calculator Features

Be more personable with quotes sent out using contact details of the member of staff that raises it.

 

Dynamic Referral Fees in Quotes

Hoowla Conveyancing Calculator Quote

Quotes raised by, or attributed to, your referrers can have your referral fees automatically included in them.

 

More Control Editing Quotes

Hoowla Conveyancing Calculator Edit Quotes

You now have access to even more options when editing quotes, including updating the address, modifying introducer referral fees, adding supporting documents and more.

 

Personalised Message in the Quote

Hoowla Conveyancing Calculator Add Personal Message

When raising a quote you can now add your own custom message to accompany it, allowing you to provide a more personalised service with all the benefits of our automated conveyancing calculator.

 

Hoowla Integrates PSG Connect Into Conveyancing Case Management Software

News, Press Releases, ,

Hoowla PSG Connect Integration

 

Hoowla are delighted to announce their partnership with leading conveyancing search provider PSG. The Property Search Group’s ordering platform, PSG Connect, is now fully integrated with Hoowla’s conveyancing case management software.

 

The Benefits of PSG Connect and Hoowla

  • Automatically create your letters and legal forms. Send your client care pack in seconds
  • Integrate with Outlook. Add incoming emails and attachments to the system in two click
  • Integrated Land Registry and HMRC portals
  • You are logged into PSG Connect automatically and your searches are returned to your Case Management dashboard
  • No more double entering clients details

 

PSG launched their new property search ordering platform in January, receiving fantastic feedback from clients.  The new search ordering software has been built with integration and collaboration in mind to bring further efficiencies and additional benefits to clients wherever possible.

Hoowla user and PSG customer Leona Bulmer, solicitor at Roland Robinsons and Fentons LLP said “The integration with PSG is excellent and will prove to be invaluable to us. Many of the systems we looked at were extremely expensive, Hoowla is not. The team (at both PSG & Hoowla) are very willing to alter the system to meet our needs and work in a way that is better for me and my team.”

 

The integration with Hoowla enables conveyancing solicitors to seamlessly order Title Insurance, Conveyancing Searches and risk management products such as Lawyer Checker and AML Checks without the need for double keying client and property details.  All reports are delivered directly back to Hoowla’s conveyancing software and immediately accessible by the client.

 

Richard Dawson, Group Managing Director for PSG, commented:  “We talk to our clients regularly to ensure we are meeting their needs and we identified integration with case management as a common requirement for many.  Hoowla share a common objective with PSG; putting the client first and focusing on excellent customer service.  We are delighted to now be fully integrated with the Hoowla system.”

 

Hoowla provides cloud software to the legal industry, developed in the UK using the latest technology. We help law firms of all shapes and sizes around the country to modernise their conveyancing offering, process more matters, improve communication and collaboration, reduce risk and manage compliance whilst providing a great customer experience along the way.

To find out more, call us on 01792 687146 or email.

 

Williamsons Solicitors say Implementing Hoowla’s Conveyancing Calculator could not have been simpler

Customer Stories, News, ,

 

Hoowla Review Conveyancing Calculator Williamsons Solicitors

 

Williamsons Solicitors pride themselves on being approachable, sympathetic and understanding and have built a fantastic reputation through putting clients at the centre of everything they do. Their team of 120 highly regarded and experienced staff are based in offices in Hull, Beverley, Driffield and Bridlington.

The use of technology within the firm is highly important to bring increased efficiency for their customers and enable them to take the business forward.

 

Williamsons Solicitors use Hoowla’s conveyancing calculator to provide prospective clients with a conveyancing quote face to face and over the phone. They have also installed a customised conveyancing quote button on their website to allow clients to request an instant and accurate conveyancing quote at a time convenient to them.

Jane Cousins, Senior Solicitor and Head of Conveyancing explains why they choose Hoowla’s conveyancing quote calculator. “Implementing the conveyancing calculator provided by Hoowla could not have been simpler.  The service provided by them from beginning to end was professional and understandable.
Our clients can access our quotes quickly and without complication at any time.  This saves our employees a great deal of time and makes our services efficient.  We enjoy using the service and can rely on the quotation produced to be accurate.”

 

To try the Hoowla conveyancing calculator yourself and see how quick and easy it is for your clients to request a conveyancing quote click the button below.

 

For further information on any aspect of Hoowla, or for a demo of the calculator and/or the case management software please call 01792 687146 or email tom@hoowla.com