Society and ESPC combine to create e-conveyancing platform

A one-stop-shop digital platform for property solicitors in Scotland is set to go live this spring, through a partnership between the Law Society of Scotland, Edinburgh Solicitors Property Centre and BDP Estate Agency Software.

The system, known as Altis, aims to speed up the Scottish conveyancing process as well as provide a secure and transparent environment to store all the information relating to clients and their properties.

Testing with Scottish conveyancers has resulted in a working platform that is ready to launch across the country in the next few months. Registers of Scotland and the Council of Mortgage Lenders have also been involved and are said to have provided positive feedback. The system was demonstrated to members of the Society's Council in December, and has now been given the final signoff by the board.

Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society, commented: “We can see huge potential benefits in having an e-conveyancing platform and we know there is appetite for this among the profession. Recent legislation allowing solicitors to use electronic signatures on documents alongside the rollout of the Law Society digital Smartcard, which all solicitors will have in the next few months, means there is an opportunity to introduce an online service which will help to speed up conveyancing processes as well as providing an accurate and fully accountable system, benefitting both solicitors and their clients.

“We launched an open tender process in April last year to source a suitable product that would meet the needs of property solicitors and I am delighted to announce our partnership with Altis. We are looking forward to working with them in the final development stages of this new service for our membership.”

Paul Hilton, ESPC chief executive, added: "Altis is different to other e-conveyancing platforms. “The system we have created offers an unrivalled level of capability. Not only has it been carefully designed to be user friendly, it has the ability to greatly improve risk management, assuring all parties of a secure and supported experience.

“Our commitment to improving the efficiency of the conveyancing process extends beyond our ESPC membership and we look forward to working with the SPCs and conveyancers across Scotland to allow them to benefit from this intuitive online system.”

It is hoped to provide further information in the February Journal.