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Our Services
01.Compliance support for small law firms
Four things, mostly. Independent file reviews, mock Lexcel and SQM audits, Reg 21 AML audits, and the tender and training work that goes with them. Each one exists to take a job off the desk of someone who should be fee earning. All of it is done by me, Ashley Barwick - not subcontracted, not software. You'll know who is reading your files.
02.Independent file reviews
A sample of your files, read against the standard the SRA, your assessor or contract manager will apply, with a written note of what would be flagged and what to do about it. Self-review is the weakest form of review. As an outside reader, we see the gaps that habit has made invisible. You get a written report, findings by file and priority action fixes. Book ahead of an assessment or Legal Aid audit, or as a monthly/quarterly routine so nothing accumulates. Firms usually start with 10–20 files.
03.Independent Reg 21 AML audit
The independent audit your practice is required to carry out under the Money Laundering Regulations. A partner auditing their own firm's client matter files isn't independent - a point supervisors have become noticeably less relaxed about. You get a review of your risk assessment, policies and controls, client due diligence on a sample of matters, and a written report with recommendations you can evidence at your next visit. When to book it? Annually, and before any supervision visit.
04.Staff Training
Short, practical sessions for junior fee earners and support staff on GDPR, client care, file management and money laundering basics. Delivered so that people remember them, which is the only test that matters.
05.How to work with us
The free health check. Thirty minutes, no charge. We identify the most pressing risk and you leave with a short list of priorities, whether or not we go further. A single piece of work? One mock audit, one AML audit or one review round - an agreed fixed scope, fixed fee quoted after the health check. A retained arrangement? No problem. We can agree the terms, used for whatever you choose: reviews, assessment prep, mock audits. Useful for firms that would otherwise buy this in a panic!
06.What else?
Are you independent of our firm? Yes. I'm not your compliance officer, your software supplier or your insurer. I have no stake in the answer. That independence is also what makes the AML audit count. How long to do the tasks? Less than doing it yourself whilst freeing you to fee earn and bill. Do you cover our area? Of course - most work is done remotely, with visits where a visit is worth it for your needs.