The evolving role of technology in Family Law practice

Family law is, at its heart, a people-centred discipline. It’s imperative for lawyers to support clients with clarity and stability during some of the most challenging and emotionally charged moments of their lives. Yet, behind the scenes, the administrative demands placed on family practitioners have never been greater. From increased caseloads to heightened regulatory scrutiny, the profession is undergoing rapid transformation.

Since joining LEAP, I have been thinking a lot about how technology can now play a bigger role in making the lives of lawyers easier and reducing some of these ancillary tasks, which are generally non-chargeable.

Digital case management tools to streamline client service, compliance, and collaboration

Technology, and particularly cloud-based case management systems like LEAP for family law, can be a valid support for lawyers to continue offering empathetic and efficient service without the risk of burning out or neglecting essential administrative tasks.

As the head of Family Law at LEAP, I’m committed to continuously improving the experience of practitioners using our systems, making their lives easier and helping them support their clients in the best way possible.

Streamlining and enhancing client service

Modern clients expect ease and transparency from their solicitor. They want regular updates, secure communication, and confidence that their matter is moving forward.

LEAP helps family lawyers meet those expectations without compromising the personal touch that defines good family law practice. Legal technology can never replace the solicitor-client relationship, but it can certainly strengthen it.

One example is Settify, an onboarding tool available to family lawyers that enhances the first contract with a prospective client. Settify allows a client to set out their details and situation in their own time and then submit that to the solicitor before the first meeting. This means the first solicitor-client meeting can be more effective, and the solicitor will know how to tailor their approach to the client’s needs.

Supporting compliance and reducing risk

For those of us who began our careers managing paper files, the contrast with today’s digital workflows is striking. Where we once spent valuable time hunting through filing cabinets or locating the right folder just to add a single document, case management systems can now capture and organise emails, documents, and correspondence automatically. Every interaction is instantly stored against the correct matter, removing the risk of misplaced information and eliminating the administrative burden of manual filing. When it comes to file reviews, the key documents (such as ID) are stored and recorded centrally. This seamless digital trail not only saves hours of repetitive work but also ensures that lawyers always have a complete, accurate picture of each case.

By reducing the room for human error, case management systems enable lawyers and law firms to remain compliant and mitigate risk in an increasingly complex and evolving regulatory landscape. Whether it's SRA compliance or AML responsibilities, firms need to maintain accurate and thorough records and audit trails to ensure compliance.

Traditionally, fee earners have had to undertake laborious file reviews. Even in an electronic system, checking whether ID has been collected, confirming conflict checks, and ensuring all mandatory documentation is in place. This would mean trawling through dozens of paper files, and for those long-running matters, there could be entire filing cabinet drawers full of papers.

With the introduction of legal AI, this process becomes dramatically more efficient. LEAP’s Matter AI can scan the entire matter, summarise key compliance information, and direct the lawyer straight to the relevant documents, allowing them to quickly verify everything themselves. Part of my focus at LEAP is to examine the Prompts, allowing lawyers to automatically generate compliance file reviews, leaving them to simply verify the legal advice being provided. This not only reduces risk but also frees practitioners from hours of administrative searching (which is not chargeable), allowing them to focus on higher-value legal work.

Improving collaboration across teams and third parties

Family matters often require coordination with both internal and external experts. Internally, lawyers may want to refer a client to make a new Will, to conveyancing for a house sale/purchase, or a Commercial team for advice on a business. Externally, collaborations with barristers, Independent Financial Advisors, Actuaries, medical professionals and others are crucial. Historically, this meant chasing, copying and posting or faxing lengthy documents, managing different communication channels, and juggling paper files.

Collaboration with other professionals is another area where digital tools significantly enhance family practice. The ability to securely share a document with a barrister whilst they are at court, or to liaise instantly with IFAs (Independent Financial Advisers) to obtain up-to-date mortgage capacity reports, is transformative. This speed (rather than waiting for the fax machine to be available and then hoping the pages don’t get stuck) ensures that the late filing of documents doesn’t negatively impact a client’s matter or give the late filer an advantage.

The ability to instantly share a document with a colleague working in a different office, or even from home, enables more effective collaboration on matters and enhances work-life balance. This collaborative efficiency translates directly into better outcomes for clients.

Freeing practitioners to focus on what matters most

As family law evolves, supporting tools will need to adapt, but the fundamental goal remains the same: to deliver the best possible service to clients.

Within my role at LEAP, I am committed to ensuring that family practitioners have the necessary technology to meet today’s demands and be prepared to thrive in tomorrow’s legal ecosystem.

Over the past two decades, the administrative burden in family law has increased significantly; however, technology is helping to rebalance the equation. By automating routine tasks and centralising information, digital tools give solicitors back the time they need for the work only humans can do.

As the role of legal technology continues to grow, our goal remains to support practitioners in delivering exceptional client service.

About the author

With over 20 years’ experience in Family Law, including as a former Partner at Brethertons LLP, Katie Phillips brings deep expertise in complex divorce, financial remedy, and children law cases. As Head of Family Law at LEAP Legal Software, she combines her practical legal experience with a passion for innovation, helping family law firms harness technology to work smarter, enhance client care, and navigate the evolving justice system.