East Coast Conveyancing's Ashleigh Lumby and Elise Goura


With the recent announcements by the NSW and VIC governments of timelines for completely digital conveyancing by July 2019, practitioners in both states are picking up the pace to transition to electronic. In January, First Class Legal completed the first end-to-end eConveyance with PEXA integration, continuing to spearhead the push to digital in the Victorian market. On 3 March 2017, East Coast Conveyancing became the first NSW firm to complete a fully integrated end-to-end eConveyance using InfoTrack’s IDfy, eConveyancing platform and PEXA integration through LEAP. From conducting verification of identity with IDfy, through to preparing, signing, and exchanging the contract online and settling through PEXA, the whole process was completed electronically in one system. Ashleigh Lumby, Solicitor, represented the purchaser and Elise Goura, Licensed Conveyancer acted on behalf of the vendor. We talked to Elise and Michael Pauling, Director of East Cost Conveyancing, about this milestone and their experience with eConveyancing so far.

How did you get started on this journey?

Elise: I came on InfoTrack’s roadshow around Dubbo and Bathurst and got a good understanding watching John (InfoTrack’s CEO) perform the demos. At that point, we’d been using IDfy for VOI for around 6 months and had been liaising with InfoTrack around eContracts. We asked for a few fixes with the technology and once those were done we just jumped in – nothing ventured, nothing gained. Ashleigh and I had two clients buying from each other so it was a great opportunity and we knew as John said in his demos, there was always the option to parachute back to paper if we wanted to so we felt safe about it.

Michael: We’re always interested in technology and how it will shape the future so we always try to be early adopters at the forefront of innovation.

Did you have any hesitancies?

Michael: We rely on InfoTrack to provide us with a solution that is legal and once we’re assured of that we move ahead with testing fairly confidently.

Elise: I was really nervous about the exchanging the contract electronically, I was actually shaking a bit because I’d never done it before and only seen it in a demonstration. I knew once the exchange was done everything would keep rolling as I’d already gone through the PEXA process before. It was actually stupidly easy in the end – literally the click of a button. I had my client on the phone telling me to just do it!

How would you describe the process?

Elise: Liberating. Time-wise we saved hours and there were virtually no hard copies – when we went to archive at the end we realised there was nothing to archive because everything was done electronically.

Were there any surprises or roadblocks?

Elise: None, I was just surprised at how easy it was and how little work we had to do on it. It was truly liberating.

What were the major advantages for your firm?

Elise: The time savings were amazing. This was a small contract so it probably would have taken around 15 minutes to exchange, but instead it took 15 seconds. I couldn’t put a figure on the time saved on the entire process but it would have been hours – we weren’t on phone to the banks, didn’t have to scan, mail, respond to emails, etc. – there was very little that we had to do in the end. The whole process was streamlined and the most time-consuming part was working on the figures and going through the contract, but even then there’s only one electronic making it a lot easier. We’re already endeavoring on larger projects now – we’re using PlanIT for an 11-lot contract and it will save us hours and hours of work.

Michael: The clients were very happy with it too! It’s providing a point of difference – younger clients particularly will move toward people who provide a product that’s suitable to their needs. We can now service anyone in NSW, we’re not confined geographically anymore because everything can be done online.

How did the other parties react?

Elise: Our clients absolutely embraced eSigning, they thought it was great. The purchasers still came in to review and sign the contract in person, but they then went home and signed it on their iPad because they wanted to.

What was it like using the new PEXA integration?

Elise: We use LEAP so it was nice to be able to see all the PEXA information on the file within LEAP. We could do everything from within one system and didn’t have to go from one to another. It was seamless.

What was the most difficult part?

Elise: Finding a matter that I could do it on and making sure all the stars were aligned – I needed to make sure the banks were on PEXA and the clients were on board.

Have your peers been taking up this technology as well?

Elise: There are some people who are still very resistant to change, they won’t take up PEXA yet either. These are the same people who dug in their heels when electronic stamping and eNOS came into effect. In Newcastle a lot of people are embracing PEXA, eContracts are more groundbreaking but it’s only a matter of time until they’re embraced as well. We’ve only suggested it to a few firms so far and their main hesitancy has just been due to unfamiliarity with the technology.

The NSW government just announced a timeline for fully digital conveyancing by July 2019, in light of this what advice would you give others who are starting to adopt eConveyancing?

Elise: Simply embrace it or get left behind. Soon you won’t have a choice and will be hard-pressed to find another firm that will do a paper transaction. Right now, you have the time to pick and choose and go at your own pace – you don’t have to do everything electronic all at once and can pull the rip cord and right back to paper you go. I think people are either going to retire or start to pick it up.

Michael: It’s really the client experience that’s important – not pressure from the government. First home buyers are now in their late twenties and early thirties; they grew up in the age of iPhones, iPads and all that sort of stuff so convenience is key and they’re always looking for ways to do things easier. There will be a lot of disruption to the market in the next three years and the rate of change will continue at a fast pace so the sooner you begin adopting the technology the better off you’ll be.

Will you be conducting more of your transactions electronically?

Elise: Yes, most definitely. It just comes down to case by case basis and making sure all parties come to the table – that’s the biggest hurdle.

Michael: Yes, once our clients are happy with something we look at introducing it across the board and the response to eContracts has been very positive.









PEXA integration

The market has been asking for true PEXA integration for some time – integration that allows for a seamless flow of information to PEXA to avoid re-keying data and to streamline the electronic settlement process. This is now a reality with InfoTrack’s PEXA integration which maps all of your matter information into the PEXA workspace with the click of a button – no need to manually upload csv files.

Our PEXA integration allows for truly end-to-end eConveyancing all under one roof with greater efficiency, transparency, connectivity, collaboration and service. The integrated workflow pre-populates data, eliminates manual processes, reduces errors, and allows for immediate reconciliation of funds. Using PEXA through InfoTrack, you only have to enter your PEXA password on your first login and all disbursements come under one bill.

Create PEXA workspaces directly from InfoTrack with the click of a button.


Manage and launch your PEXA workspaces using InfoTrack’s eSettlement dashboard.

If you haven't selected us as your PEXA sponsor yet, get in touch with your customer relationship manager to get started.






NSW & VIC governments announce timelines for fully digital conveyancing by July 2019

Last week, the NSW government committed to a timeline to convert the NSW property industry to a completely paperless environment by July 2019. This accelerated transition means paper certificates of title will be phased out completely by 1 July 2019. To learn more about the NSW eConveyancing reforms, visit the LPI website.

NSW has followed the Victorian government's lead as Land Use Victoria announced a similar timeline late last year and is due to publish the next version of the Registrar's requirements for paper conveyancing transactions this month. View our industry updates page for more details on Land Use Victoria's timeline.

We've gathered information on our product usage and roadshow attendance to illustrate how the transition is going forward for InfoTrack clients.








Join us at CPD for Me from 20 - 31 March 2017

We're taking part in CPD for Me's online symposium this year, which allows you to complete CPD requirements online through live interactive webinars and on-demand CPD sessions. If you haven't completed your requirements yet, this is the perfect opportunity to earn your remaining CPD points before the 31 March deadline. Register now.








ASIC company registration now available

We're excited to inform you that you can now register companies with ASIC through InfoTrack. Simply go to Searches > National > Company incorporation to get started or click here to log into the page directly.

Why register companies through InfoTrack?

  • Easily complete the form in minutes and with greater accuracy thanks to smart technology. We've programmed rules into the form to help you fill it out properly and prompt you to correct any errors.
  • We auto-check the company name as soon as you enter it into the form to ensure that it's available.
  • You'll receive a PDF from ASIC within minutes of submitting the form including the certificate of registration and all of the documentation included in the standard company pack.
  • This service is integrated into your regular InfoTrack workflow so all documents and disbursements will be returned to the matter in real time.
  • There are no subscription fees, you simply pay per registration.










Lodge documents electronically with the Magistrates' Court of Victoria through CompuCourt

We are excited to announce that we have acquired CompuCourt and now have a license to lodge electronically with the Magistrates' Court in Victoria. CompuCourt facilitates electronic data interchange (EDI) with the Magistrates' Court of Victoria and offers high levels of security through encrypted messaging over a private network that requires individual login account and password.

Please get in touch with your customer relationship manager to find out more.






Certificate turnaround times now visible

We have some of the fastest certificate turnaround times in the industry and now these are clearly visible on our order screens so you can know how much time you're saving by ordering with us. The order screens now clearly show the standard estimated delivery time (ETD) and the InfoTrack ETD.



Podcast: Cloud strategy for law firms

We recently sat down with Patrick Ng, Principal Consultant at InPlace Solutions and former IT Director of Maddocks, to discuss the continued move to Cloud services within the legal industry. Listen to the podcast here.

We teamed up with InPlace Solutions to conduct our second annual Legal IT Technology Survey. The 2017 results reveal an increasing preference toward Cloud based solutions with the majority of firms already having business approved Cloud strategies in place. The top priority for this year is increasing productivity and many firms have implemented online client collaboration platforms and mobile working environments. You can view the infographic here and download the full report here.






Blog: Reasonable steps and conducting verification of identity (VOI) remotely

Read our latest blog post by Darran Wilson, InfoTrack's Northern Regional Sales Manager, on conducting verification of identity of remote clients. Make sure to subscribe to the blog to keep up to date with the latest industry updates, technology news and opinion pieces straight to your inbox.





Refer a friend for your chance to win!

We're delighted to offer all of our clients the opportunity to be rewarded for sharing their InfoTrack experience. Simply fill out an online form on our referral site for your chance to win. Terms and conditions.