Your COLP has 200 open matters to supervise. Lexcel requires quarterly file reviews. Nobody has the time.
File supervision is a core SRA obligation — the Code of Conduct for Firms (Rule 4.2) requires effective systems for supervising client matters. Lexcel Section 6 requires documented file reviews at least quarterly, with sample sizes proportionate to risk. CQS requires regular file reviews for conveyancing matters. The SRA expects newly qualified solicitors' files to be reviewed more frequently than experienced partners'. In practice, file reviews in small firms are the first thing that gets deferred when the COLP is busy with fee-earning work — which is most of the time. Your agent reviews open matters against expected milestones, flags stalled files, identifies upcoming limitation dates, checks for dormant matters with residual client balances, and produces the supervision report the COLP needs.
What Your Agent Actually Does
Your agent reviews open matters against milestones, flags stalled files, identifies deadline risks, and produces the supervision reports that Lexcel and the SRA require.
Reviews open matters against expected milestones
Each matter type has expected stages and timelines. Conveyancing: searches ordered, title checked, enquiries raised, exchange, completion. Your agent compares actual progress against expected milestones and identifies matters that are falling behind.
Flags stalled and dormant files
No activity for 30 days? No correspondence for 6 weeks? Client not responding to requests? Your agent identifies stalled files that need attention and dormant files that should be closed — including those with residual client balances that must be dealt with under the Solicitors Accounts Rules.
Identifies limitation date risks
Approaching limitation dates are the highest-risk deadline in legal practice — miss one and it's a negligence claim. Your agent identifies matters with limitation date implications and ensures they're diarised and progressing appropriately.
Checks file compliance against SRA requirements
Client care letter on file? CDD completed? Costs information provided? Conflict check documented? Supervision evidence present? Your agent checks each file against a compliance checklist, flagging deficiencies that an SRA inspector or Lexcel assessor would find.
Produces quarterly supervision reports
A structured report for the COLP showing: total open matters, matters by fee earner, stalled files, compliance deficiencies found, limitation dates approaching, and recommended actions. The documented evidence of systematic supervision that Lexcel requires.
The real numbers.
| COLP/senior partner time on file reviews (hours per quarter) | £2,000–£4,000/year |
| Risk of missed limitation dates (negligence claim) | Variable (average PI claim £10,000-£50,000+) |
| Lexcel/CQS non-compliance for inadequate supervision evidence | Variable (accreditation at risk) |
| Realistic annual cost | £4,000–£8,000 |
| Agent build (one-off, configured to your matter types and PMS) | £2,500–£4,000 |
| Monthly running costs (hosting + AI usage) | £80–£150/month |
| SRA and Lexcel requirement updates | Included in first year |
| Realistic first-year total | £3,460–£5,800 |
File supervision is the obligation that every COLP knows they should be doing more of — and the one that gets squeezed first when fee-earning work is busy. The consequence is files that drift, deadlines that approach unnoticed, and compliance deficiencies that accumulate.
Your agent provides the systematic file review that the SRA and Lexcel expect — without requiring the COLP to spend hours manually reviewing every open matter.
Good fit / not a fit.
This works brilliantly for:
- COLPs with 100+ open matters across the firm to supervise
- Firms where file reviews are overdue or inconsistent
- Practices holding Lexcel accreditation requiring quarterly file reviews
- Firms with mixed experience levels (trainees, NQs, experienced solicitors)
This probably isn't for you if:
- You're a sole practitioner with fewer than 20 open matters
- You already have a robust file review programme with dedicated time allocated
- Your PMS provides comprehensive matter milestone tracking and alerts
Let's talk.
We'll start with your total open matter count, how you currently handle file supervision, and whether Lexcel or CQS require file review evidence. Usually a 10-minute conversation.
hello@nimblecroft.com