File audits
Is panel firm casework exposing you to claims?
A legal firm's true quality lies in its casework, not in its policies. Our file auditing service provides you with key insights into panel firms’ performance and identifies errors at their source before they become claims.
Independent assessment of casework quality
We audit a sample of files from your panel firms against a bespoke scorecard designed around your specific risk appetite – analysing their real-world performance. You get a clearer view of casework quality, early warning of errors or risks, and the strategic intelligence needed to drive up standards across the board.
PII/ATE insurers
Funders
Investors
Brokers
We’ll give you a true picture of casework quality month on month across your panel firms.
Whatʼs included in the audit?
We’ll help you understand the quality of casework across your panel, identifying costly errors before they impact your bottom line – whether caused by individual failings or panel-wide trends.
Our comprehensive audit process includes:
Monthly targeted file audits
Consistent, scheduled file audits tailored to your requirements and areas of focus or concern.
Thematic reporting
Reporting on recurring themes and systemic risks discovered during the auditing process.
Practical recommendations
Clear, actionable feedback and suggestions to enhance the quality and compliance of case files.
Actionable outcomes
Working with Complex Risk gives you an objective and granular view of the quality of work being produced by your panel firms. Once our audit cycle is complete, you’ll have the insights you need to identify the root causes of errors, raise standards, and manage your portfolio proactively.
Early detection of issues
Visibility of systemic problems
Reduced regulatory and insurance risk
Evidence of proactive file management
Consistent standards
Worried about file errors at your panel firms?
Speak to Complex Risk today. Our comprehensive file audits provide ground-level intelligence on panel firms’ performance, identifying errors at their source before they can escalate into claims or funding losses.
Frequently asked questions
If you don’t find the answer to your question here, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.
We conduct file audits monthly. The process of auditing the files received from the panel firm will vary in length depending on the package selected and the specific nature of the audit, the themes we have been directed to report on and the number of recommendations we make in response to issues identified. However, this is performed independently – from a firm’s viewpoint, the only key deadline is the delivery of the monthly report.
The advantage of using an independent auditor like Complex Risk is that the audit can be customised to your specific risk criteria – not the firm’s self-defined areas of focus. We conduct file audits against a consistent, best-practice framework aligned with your policy requirements, enabling you to benchmark firms objectively and identify systemic risks that may not even be visible to internal audit teams within the firms themselves.
Our engagement establishes a clear, dual-reporting protocol for critical issues. The law firm is notified immediately so they can take corrective action on the file. Simultaneously, we alert you directly and confidentially, providing a concise summary of the issue and its potential impact on your financial interests. This ensures you are never surprised by a loss that could have been foreseen.
Our service delivers value in two ways. On an immediate level, it provides early warning of errors, compliance gaps, or process deviations that could lead to costly claims or funding losses. Over time, having access to regular objective audit data allows you to manage risks proactively across a portfolio of firms – by spotting and addressing common root causes, training needs or breakdowns in how your policies are communicated and understood.
We’ll work with you to adapt the audit to the areas most relevant to you. For example. funders often want a deeper view of budget adherence and cost-benefit ratios, whereas PII insurers may be more focused on metrics around client care letter compliance and limitation date management. Whatever your requirements, we’ll design an audit with the appropriate scale and scope to deliver the objective insights you need.