Frequently Asked Questions
See our answers to some of the most common questions we receive about Lending Assist.

Does Lending Assist use cloud computing?

Yes, Lending Assist is hosted entirely in the cloud. Cloud hosting is provided by the Microsoft Azure platform, using their Canada Central (Toronto) resource location for all hardware resources.

Is my data safe?

Lending Assist uses leading cloud-based data centers that meet the needs of the most secure organizations, with full ISO 27001 compliance. All data is stored within Canada, with daily backups to ensure your data is never lost. All data and documents shared between your firm and Lending Assist are encrypted using a secure SSL connection.

Your data is stored in its own firewalled server, and all your documents and files uploaded or generated using Lending Assist are stored in its own firewalled Azure Storage Container.

Microsoft is dedicated to the security of data stored on their servers, and as described by Microsoft, their “global incident response team works around the clock to mitigate the effects of any attack against our cloud services”. More information regarding the security measures in place to protect data stored on Microsoft servers and their commitment to compliance can be found here.

Can we still use our existing document management software?

Yes. All documents produced by the system (including PDF results pulled directly from various government sites) can be downloaded directly to your computer, and can be manipulated or stored in any existing systems or document management software your firm uses. Documents can also be re-uploaded to Lending Assist from the user’s computer to ensure a complete collection of all documents pertaining to a particular file is stored in one central location within Lending Assist.

Does Lending Assist require modifications to our existing systems (e.g. downloading and updating the software on computers)

No, Lending Assist does not require modifications to any of your existing IT infrastructure. Lending Assist is designed to be entirely cloud-based, not only to allow 24/7 access to the program from any location, but also to ensure the use of the Lending Assist does not interfere with any existing platforms used in an organization.

Lending Assist can be accessed on any computer with an internet connection, and there are no installations of third-party applications required to use Lending Assist. All features of the system are accessed directly from a browser via URL, and any updates are deployed in the Azure environment automatically with no requirements on the part of your internal IT department.

What documents do you update?

Our team at Lending Assist works closely with contacts at financial institutions to receive the most up-to-date precedents. When these precedents have been modified, we apply the updates to the documents in Lending Assist to ensure your firm also has the most recent copies.

If your firm uses documents from contacts (e.g. private lenders) not currently in our scheduled document update list, we will work with your firm to receive updates from a contact, or will update documents as requested by your firm directly. This also includes any personal documents your firm uses that require periodic modifications (e.g. clause updates, additions or deletions, etc.).

Why switch from our generic doc prep system?

Lending Assist isn’t your ordinary document preparation program. Most programs on the market are “cookie-cutter” solutions that would require expensive modifications or workarounds to be customized for your practice, and even then, most cannot handle the complexities of the work you do. Lending Assist has been designed from the ground up with expert lawyers in the commercial and corporate practice areas, so you can be assured it’s been designed with you in mind.

Lending Assist also features integrations into government registries, saving hours on due diligence preparation and costly errors, and our team codes and updates all legal and lending documents on your behalf, saving you document maintenance costs and headaches. With Lending Assist, you’ll be able to forget all the tedious busywork and focus on growing your practice!

Where is our data stored?

All personal and customer information will be stored on Microsoft Azure’s Canada Central (Toronto) server. Microsoft may copy customer data between regions within Canada (the Canada Central Toronto location or the Canada East Quebec location) for data redundancy or other operational purposes, but will not transfer data outside of Canada.

What are the minimum IT requirements?

To gain access to the application, a computer with network connectivity is a necessary requirement. Aside from this, there are no other specific hardware requirements for the computer itself except for human interface components (e.g. monitor, keyboard, and mouse).

It is required that one of the following OS versions are used for the application:

  • Microsoft Windows 10 or higher
  • Mac OS X 10.15 (Catalina) or higher

In addition to this, it is also required that one of the following browsers are used to gain access to the application:

  • Preferred: Google Chrome
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Mozilla Firefox

Does Lending Assist provide accounting reports?

Yes. Lending Assist can be configured to send reports to your accounting team at intervals specified by you. Reports include searches pulled broken down by file, search type, user searching, and disbursement costs charged to the client, in addition to files your firm opened in Lending Assist for disbursement purposes.

Do we still need credentials to search and register at government registries?

Yes. Lending Assist is designed to be compliant with all legal requirements imposed by government registries, including the need for proper government-issued credentials in order to perform certain searches and registrations. For instance, only users with the proper credentials to complete registrations at the Personal Property Registry will be allowed to do so within Lending Assist. However, the collaborative features of Lending Assist allows all users working on a file to view the searches within Lending Assist once they have been searched by a user with the proper credentials.

Personal or firm-wide credentials can be easily configured in Lending Assist. Once your credentials are entered, you never need to enter them again when pulling searches and registrations, and can update them as required.

What documents are available, and can we use our own documents?

Yes! Our team at Lending Assist maintains documents from major financial institutions, private lenders, and a comprehensive set of general precedents developed by leading commercial and corporate lawyers. However, if your firm has documents you would like added to Lending Assist, our team can code those documents for you to use and can keep them updated as you request changes.

What if we need help getting started?

We provide a comprehensive onboarding plan for your team, including: on-site visits, unlimited webinars, and 1-on-1 training sessions with your team members walking through actual legal files – as many times as you need until you’re comfortable using the program. We also help your team transition from existing programs by assisting to find the best way to integrate Lending Assist with existing systems such as document management systems, and migrating all your documents into Lending Assist.

We also provide ongoing phone, email, and webinar support for our clients, so if a new team member joins, or if an existing team member needs a refresher, we are always here to help! 

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