BACKGROUND
Accident Solicitors Direct (ASD) is a respected personal injury firm with deep roots in Sheffield.
Like many growing law firms, their internal systems hadn’t quite kept up with the demands of modern case handling.
While they had a practice management system for billing, much of the day‑to‑day admin still relied on manual processes that were starting to feel more like a liability than an asset.
1101 worked with ASD to identify future opportunities, streamline the practice, and improve visibility by utilising tools they already had access to.
CHALLENGE
ASD’s back‑office processes mirrored what many law firms still experience today. Multiple spreadsheets were used to track cases, tasks and deadlines, each maintained by different staff members.
Documents lived in traditional on‑premise folders that could only be accessed through a VPN, and standard letters were drafted manually and often required retyping the same client details again and again.
This patchwork approach created several predictable but increasingly problematic issues. Case visibility was limited, particularly across different work types, which made it difficult to track progress at a firm‑wide level.
Version control was inconsistent, leading to duplication and uncertainty about which document was the latest. Administrative time ballooned as staff repeatedly entered the same information and manually checked key dates.
Manual deadline tracking brought unnecessary risk such as a misplaced reminder or spreadsheet error could easily result in a missed court date. And during client meetings, fee earners often found themselves torn between building rapport and scribbling notes, which diluted both efficiency and client experience.
As ASD grew, the approach was becoming unsustainable and increasingly time‑intensive.
SOLUTION
After a detailed discovery process, we designed a modern, cloud‑based system built around Microsoft 365 and SharePoint to streamline case handling from start to finish.
Improved case creation with Microsoft Forms: Fee earners now complete a quick, structured digital form whenever a new matter is opened, live when sitting with the person who is appointing them. This automatically creates a new case in SharePoint, generates a consistent folder structure, and adds the case to reporting dashboards.
Standardised SharePoint case structure: Every case now starts with predictable folder layouts, secure access from any device, no VPN required, easier navigation for all staff, and reliable version control. ASD now has the ability to leave notes on the case file, log time against the case where appropriate, and collaborate on live working papers.
Automated standard letter generation: A case‑linked letter tool removes unnecessary admin by auto‑filling client and case details, producing digital or printable versions instantly, reducing retyping and human error, and speeding up client communication.
Automatic deadline alerts: The system now tracks and reminds fee earners of court deadlines, submission dates, and key milestones.
Better client interaction: To support more focused client meetings, we introduced ASD to Teams transcription to reduce note‑taking, and CoPilot prompts for faster file review and structured information retrieval.
RESULT
ASD cut admin time by around 30% by automating case creation, letters and deadline tracking, allowing staff to focus on legal work instead of paperwork.
Standardised documents and structured case storage improved accuracy and compliance, while automated alerts strengthened deadline management.
Visibility across live cases increased dramatically, giving the firm real‑time oversight and easier performance reporting.
Client service improved too. Fee earners can now stay fully present in meetings, pull up documents instantly from any device and respond faster.
By moving away from spreadsheets, ASD now has a scalable, hybrid‑ready platform that supports modern AI tools and keeps the firm both compliant and competitive as it grows.
Lydia Topham, Practice Manager said:
“Working with 1101 has fundamentally improved the way we run the firm day to day. By streamlining our processes and making better use of the Microsoft tools we already had, we’ve significantly reduced administrative burden and gained far better visibility across our cases.
The system is intuitive for our team, reduces risk around deadlines and documentation, and ultimately allows our fee earners to focus more on clients and legal work rather than paperwork. It’s a scalable solution that genuinely supports the way we want to grow as a modern practice.”
Contact our team to reduce operational drag and claim back time.