As the firm continues to grow, its leadership recognised that delivering an outstanding client experience requires more than great legal expertise. For Maxine Rendell, Chief Operating Officer at Dexter Montague, it also demanded technology that could support the firm’s future growth, improve visibility across departments and create a more connected way of working. "Our vision is to continue growing and to be known as the law firm that delivers the most exceptional client satisfaction in the county." 

The challenge: bringing disconnected systems together 

Like many established law firms, Dexter Montague had gradually adopted different software solutions across individual departments over many years. While each system served a purpose, they weren't designed to work together, creating operational challenges and limiting visibility across the business. 

"We needed a stronger solution because all of our departments had been using different solutions." 

With teams working across multiple systems, processes became increasingly fragmented. Information wasn't always easy to access, reporting required additional effort, and it could be difficult to gain a complete picture of matters progressing across the firm.  
 
This lack of visibility presented challenges beyond day-to-day operations. Teams found it difficult to monitor the progress of matters across departments or access the right data during auditing preparations, highlighting concerns around compliance. It was also harder to identify opportunities to provide additional services to clients across the firm. 

The solution: a single connected platform for future growth 

When evaluating new legal technology for the firm, Maxine knew they needed legal technology that would simplify the way their people worked rather than add further complexity. They needed a modern, cloud-based platform that could bring together workflows, improve collaboration and support the firm's long-term ambitions. IQ for Legal stood out because it offered exactly that. Its integrated platform, combined with seamless connectivity to familiar tools such as Microsoft Outlook, meant staff could continue working in applications they already knew while benefiting from a single source of truth across the business. 

For Maxine, despite the anticipation around needing to migrate existing data, the decision to adopt new technology was about investing in a platform that could evolve alongside the firm: "We needed something that would truly work for us”. 

A smooth transition backed by trusted support 

Moving to new software that can manage your entire practice can often feel daunting, but Dexter Montague's experience proved otherwise.

Working closely with our implementation and migration teams, the transition to IQ for Legal was smooth from the outset. The combination of expert guidance, responsive support and ongoing knowledge resources gave the team confidence throughout their journey. 

"The transition was seamless because of the team's help and support with the migration. I'm confident that I'd be able to just pick up the phone and someone would be there to support me with my queries." 

Maxine also highlighted the value of the OneAdvanced Knowledge Hub, which has helped the team continue developing their understanding of the platform as they embed new ways of working. 

"I love the support platform and the knowledge side of it. I'm always learning about the platform, especially being new to IQ. I find the knowledge platform a great tool." 

The results: greater visibility, faster workflows and more time for clients 

Since implementing IQ for Legal, Dexter Montague has transformed the way its teams work together. By replacing their separate solutions with one connected platform, the firm has significantly improved collaboration, streamlined workflows and created greater visibility across every matter. 

Document production is now considerably faster, helping legal professionals spend less time on administration and more time supporting clients. Visibility has been improved across the firm so matters can be more closely monitored; this has also strengthened compliance and auditing processes, giving management greater confidence in the firm's day-to-day operations. Reporting has also become dramatically simpler: "Month-end would’ve taken me a good day to report on previously with my old solutions; now with IQ, it's just one click." 

For a firm of Dexter Montague’s size with up to 10 lawyers operating, even 20 minutes of saved time could add up to over 840 billable hours per annum, resulting in an additional £250k of revenue year on year. Those noticeable efficiencies are already having a greater impact on the client experience too, reflected in an increase in positive Google reviews as the firm continues to strengthen its reputation for exceptional service. 

"IQ has helped us to deliver exceptional client service through faster service, better efficiency and having core systems like Outlook embedded so it is available at the click of a button. We also have more time now to speak to our clients." 

Looking ahead: unlocking the power of data and AI 

Dexter Montague sees its investment in IQ for Legal as only the beginning of its modernisation journey. With Bring Your Own Business Intelligence (BYOBI) forming part of the firm's future plans, Maxine is already anticipating significant efficiency gains through smarter reporting and AI-powered insights. 

For example, professional indemnity insurance renewals, which previously required between four and six weeks of preparation, are expected to become substantially quicker by automatically bringing together the required data into a single report. 

"When I've previously renewed my professional insurance, it would've taken me about four to six weeks to prepare. I know that IQ is going to halve that with the BYOBI tool." 

For Dexter Montague, AI isn't about replacing legal professionals; it's about enabling them to spend more time where they add the greatest value. 

"The impact of AI is much more efficiency for our lawyers and support staff, and again it gives us more time to spend with our clients." 

As the firm continues its growth journey, it now has a connected technology platform capable of supporting its ambitions, improving operational efficiency and helping deliver the exceptional client satisfaction that sits at the centre of its vision.