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There have been a number of initiatives over the years to try to 'shine a light' on conveyancing chains; none of them have come to anything. The presumption that all parties to a chain will participate in a web-based system appears to be misplaced and consideration now needs to be given to the protection of client data under GDPR. Having been both a residential conveyancer and a case management system developer, I have found that few firms actually use support systems in the way they were designed to be used. Often, lawyers are reticent about acquiring the skills needed e.g. gaining familiarity with a keyboard and being less dependent on paper files. The 'every matter is different' argument has permeated ever since case management systems first appeared and represents confused thinking. Clients' matters are different - the business process underlying the matters is not. The GDPR storage limitation envisages that personal data should not be kept in a form which permits the identification of clients for longer than is necessary. Piles of paper festering away in off-site storage will become a thing of the past and secure electronic storage of data will be the norm in the 21st century.

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