How automation helps small firms compete on compliance
Compliance isn’t just the responsibility of big firms. With the right partners and the right tools, even the smallest team can meet regulatory demands without sacrificing performance.
What do the regulators expect from small firms?
Regulators won’t give you a break just because your firm is small. Whether you’re a solo practitioner or running a small team, your AML obligations, audit standards, and client protection duties are no different to those of a large corporate.
And in some respects the compliance burden falls harder on firms with a lower annual turnover than on more established players that are better placed to soak up regulatory and reputational damage.
But without a dedicated compliance officer, meeting those standards can seem overwhelming. And if you’re not careful, those essential checks might fall by the wayside, or lead to undue stress, inconsistent documentation, and an ever-growing admin backlog.
Moreover, failing to meet those expectations can do serious reputational damage to small firms whose success rests on reviews and word-of-mouth to win new business.
Where the burdens hit the hardest
The ongoing burden of identity verification, collecting and assessing source of funds data, running sanctions checks, and maintaining audit trails is extremely time-intensive. Even when you’re doing everything correctly, sticking with a manual process is still a serious drain on time and resources.
Whether manual or digital, a disjointed approach to compliance still generates inefficiencies, and soaks up time that could be better spent on winning new clients and improving customer service.
How automation helps you stay compliant
Technology levels the playing field. Checkboard’s solution works for small and large firms alike, but its simple, robust platform is designed with small organisations in mind.
By streamlining and simplifying compliance on a single workflow, Checkboard makes it much easier for busy teams to upload data, identify red flags, and prepare compliant reports for the auditors.
It makes the entire process much faster, more efficient, and simpler to understand, even for staff not specifically trained to handle compliance. And instead of jumping between software, spreadsheets, and PDFs, Checkboard users can:
Send clients one secure link for ID and SoF checks
Receive real-time alerts and screening results
Download full compliance packs, ready for audit
Taking the leaner approach
You no longer need a department to run a compliant operation. For a small firm, having a tool that scales as you grow, automates the essentials, and keeps the whole process visible is enough to keep your clients happy and the auditors satisfied.
In 2025, lean is smart. The firms that adopt lean compliance tools are the ones thriving, not just surviving, in today’s legal market.
A version of this article was originally published on Today’s Conveyancer. This version has been expanded and adapted for the Checkboard audience.
