Macaulay Wray: Modernising traditional legal services with innovative technology.

Macaulay Wray is the largest provincial law firm outside of Belfast, boasting a rich history and a deeply rooted presence within its local North Coast community. With a dedicated team of 10 solicitors and 16 support staff, the firm handles a high volume of work across litigation, probate, and conveyancing.

The firm’s success is built on long-standing relationships, often serving four or five generations of the same families. This remarkable client loyalty is matched by incredible staff retention, with many partners and team members spending their entire careers at the practice. However, as the firm’s client base and case volumes grew, so did the administrative burden.

To future-proof operations and maintain a high standard of client care, Macaulay Wray recognised the need to modernise its infrastructure. By implementing OneAdvanced Practice and Case Management, the firm has successfully digitised it’sworkflows, significantly reduced their reliance on paper, and reclaimed valuable time for their legal professionals. 

The challenge: managing paper mountains and legacy processes

Like many established law firms, Macaulay Wray faced the mounting challenge of physical document storage and manual administrative processes. Before OneAdvanced Practice and Case Management, the office was heavily reliant on paper.

"When I got here, the place was packed to the roof with paper files", explains Seán McKay, Practice Manager at Macaulay Wray. The firm managed thousands of physical document boxes, with over 2,000 stored on-site and up to 5,500 held in off-site storage.

Managing deeds and wills was particularly labour-intensive. Tracking the movement of physical documents required navigating cumbersome physical indexes across dozens of lever arch files. Furthermore, building court bundles for litigation and family law cases meant manually pulling physical papers, photocopying, and paginating, a slow and tedious process. 

The firm needed a secure, reliable digital solution that could: 

• Drastically reduce physical paperwork and storage needs
• Centralise the tracking of critical documents like deeds and wills
• Streamline the creation of complex court bundles
• Enable seamless collaboration, whether staff are in the office, working remotely, or attending court 

The solution: a seamless transition and unparalleled local support 

To overcome these hurdles, Macaulay Wray chose to implement OneAdvanced Practice and Case Management software. The decision was driven not only by the platform's robust capabilities but also by the strength of the local relationship.

"The local team here were my support", Seán notes. "They were on-site, giving us the demos and helping us replicate what we needed in the new system." 

The transition provided an immediate structural benefit to the firm. Instead of relying on manual data entry and fragmented physical files, staff could now securely store, search, and manage case information digitally. Every email sent or received is now automatically logged to the correct digital case file, ensuring complete visibility for the entire team.

The transition was heavily supported by OneAdvanced's responsive local team, who built a deep level of trust with Macaulay Wray's support staff. Seán explained, “The local team did the migration and training with all the staff. They know the product and can help create what we want. The support staff have built up a lot of trust, and they deal with requests in a way we understand.” 

Results: transforming workflows and driving efficiency 

The impact of OneAdvanced Practice and Case Management on Macaulay Wray’s day-to-day operations has been profound.

A 50% reduction in paper 

By digitising its workflows, the firm has massively reduced its physical footprint. "There is still a fair amount of paper, but it's probably reduced by 50% simply because the system is so much better," Seán explains. Files are smaller and easier to manage, making document archiving and shredding a fraction of the work it used to be. 

Streamlined document management 

Tracking wills and deeds has undergone a complete transformation. Instead of logging document movements on physical sheets or fragile spreadsheets, the reception team now enters details directly into the Practice and Case Management solution. Anyone in the firm can instantly see if a document is checked out, saving hours of searching. 

Effortless court bundles 

For the litigation department, preparing for trial is no longer a manual chore. "Because everything is in the system, creating those bundles is now much faster and more efficient," says Seán. "You can literally run everything directly from the software into a PDF and paginate it." 

Enhanced flexibility and collaboration 

Because 80% of a typical file now lives digitally within the system, support staff and solicitors can work simultaneously. If a solicitor takes physical notes to court, their secretary can still access the digital file to continue working without interruption. 

A bright future ahead 

When asked if he would recommend OneAdvanced to other law firms, Seán offers a clear and definitive endorsement: "Yeah. No hesitation."

Through its partnership with OneAdvanced, Macaulay Wray has successfully balanced its traditional, community-focused values with the efficiencies of modern legal technology. "In the last two or three years, it has transformed how we work," Seán reflects.

Looking ahead, Macaulay Wray is ready to embrace future challenges and opportunities, with modern legal technology providing a strong foundation for ongoing success. Their commitment to exceptional client service and deep community ties remains unwavering, ensuring that generations of families across the North Coast continue to benefit from their expertise, innovation, and personal approach.