The problem
Additional enquiries from the other side's solicitor land on the file and each reply means re-reading the contract pack and the title. If two conveyancers answer 60 sets a month and each takes 45 minutes, that's 2,700 minutes, 45 hours a month.
What the AI does
Smokeball is law-firm practice management software with matter, document, time and billing tools. Its Archie add-on works inside a matter to draft, review and answer questions; the vendor says nothing needs uploading. A conveyancer asks Archie for a first draft reply to an enquiry, then checks it against the contract, title and what the client has told you before sending. Smokeball says lawyers remain responsible for checking and approving final work.
A worked example
A two-conveyancer firm in Cardiff uses Smokeball Prosper+ for its matters, with Archie on both seats. Together they answer about 60 sets of additional enquiries a month, and use Archie for first drafts of the replies they are able to answer from the file.
Before
45 minutes to draft and check each set of replies: 45 hours a month
After
About 30 minutes with a first draft from Archie: 30 hours a month
What it's worth
About 15 hours a month saved (15 minutes x 60 sets = 900 minutes), worth around £900 if conveyancer time is worth £60 an hour. That is on an assumed 15 minutes saved, which you should test. Smokeball prices per user: Prosper+ £89 plus Archie £29 is £118 a seat, so £236 for two conveyancers.
How to set it up
- Ask Smokeball for a demo, the contract term and where your data is hosted.
- Ask what Smokeball's security documentation says about data protection and AI, and record the answer for your COLP.
- Start with one conveyancer on live but low-risk files for two weeks.
- Ask Archie for a draft reply, then check each statement against the contract and title yourself.
- Write a rule that nothing Archie drafts goes out until a fee earner has read and approved it.
What goes wrong
- A draft can state something the file doesn't support. A wrong answer to the other side's enquiry can bind your client, so check each point.
- Smokeball's pages don't state UK data hosting. It states AWS hosting and ISO 27001 certification, so ask where your data is and check it against your UK GDPR duties.
- Prosper+ is priced from £89 per user and Archie £29 per user, so every extra seat adds £118 a month. Get a written quote for your seat count.
- Check the contract term and whether Archie can be added for some users only.