Lexcel accreditation – what does it mean for our clients?

As our annual Lexcel assessment approaches, I started thinking about what this means to us as a firm, the staff and more importantly the clients.

What is Lexcel, does it mean anything or is it a box ticking exercise?

Lexcel is a legal practice quality mark issued by The Law Society and covers all areas of the firm with a particular focus on client care. It holds us to account and provides reassurance and guidance on policy and procedure.

Not only do we have to demonstrate that we have good governance, but an external assessor will visit the firm to speak directly to our people, and look at our files, to make sure that we are putting the policies and procedures that we have, into practice. The opportunity to have an external audit of the firm is a welcome one.

A number of firms feel this is just another level of bureaucracy but I disagree, it points to commitment within a firm to hold themselves to high standards across the firm and how it operates. We put client care at the heart of all that we do, and pride ourselves on delivering excellent client care at all times. The Lexcel accreditation is a commitment to these standards.

This should go a long way in demonstrating to clients how serious we are about providing a first class service to them when at their most vulnerable and that we are not just paying lip service to the commitment we make to them to deal with their case effectively and fairly.

It also keeps staff on their toes and provides structure for the firm. Not only that, but it also proves that whilst we have procedures and practices in place, our people actually know what they are, understand them and follow them.

So the answer to the question is Yes it actually means a lot and No it is not just a box ticking exercise.