1. The Problem: Too Much to Do, Too Few People to Do It

Let’s be honest – being an Insolvency Practitioner in 2025 is a bit like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle on a tightrope… in a wind tunnel. The pressures are real, the stakes are high, and the margin for error is shrinking by the day.

Across the sector, IPs are creaking under the weight of:

• Ever-tightening deadlines, especially in pre-packs and complex administrations.
• Recruitment challenges, with experienced staff harder to find than a helpful HMRC employee answering the phone in under 45 minutes.
• Staff burnout and poor mental health, driven by relentless workloads and the rising tide of AML, regulatory and ethical demands.
• Rushed or inconsistent work, leading to partner review bottlenecks, rework, and reputational risk.
• Increased AML and KYC expectations, with regulators demanding more detailed documentation and scrutiny.
• Case complexity, especially with corporate structures becoming more international, asset tracing more technical, and directors more… let’s say “creative.”
• Lack of forward visibility, making it hard to balance staff capacity against fluctuating case intake.

And that’s before you get to the pressure of clients, introducers, and creditors expecting faster turnaround times, better communication, and lower fees.

In short: there’s too much to do, not enough time, and not enough skilled people to do it. Something has to give.

2. The Traditional Options

For years, firms have tried to cope with:

• Hiring more staff (if you can find them, train them, and retain them).
• Squeezing more out of the existing team, which works… until it doesn’t.
• Offshoring certain tasks, which can save money but often adds communication and quality headaches.
• Spreadsheets, shared drives, and “clever workarounds”, which are often clever until they break.
• Telling clients “we’re doing our best”, which wears thin fast.

While each of these has its place, they’re not enough to meet the scale of the modern insolvency workload – or the expectations of regulators, clients, or staff.

3. Enter Generative AI – Including VAi

This is where AI, and in particular VAi, can change the game -not by replacing people, but by making people more effective, more consistent, and less stressed.

VAi is a productivity partner for IPs. It can:

• Draft emails, file notes, and letters in seconds – saving hours of typing and retyping.
• Assist with case reviews, by summarising key facts or suggesting next steps from your notes.
• Automate repetitive tasks, freeing up your skilled staff for genuinely skilled work.
• Bring consistency and accuracy, reducing the risk of missed details or sloppy shortcuts.

All of this still requires a human in the loop. VAi doesn’t replace thinking – it supports it. The IP stays in control, making the judgement calls, signing off on documents, and steering the ship.

But with AI on board, that ship isn’t taking on water. It’s speeding up, straightening its course, and avoiding the rocks.

4. Conclusion: The Future’s Already Here

We understand the hesitation. AI feels like a buzzword. Some worry what clients will think. Others fear being replaced.

But here’s the truth: clients don’t care what tools you use – as long as the job is done better, faster, and at a sensible cost. They’ll notice if your reports are smarter, your emails clearer, and they get better value for money. They won’t notice the ghost in the machine (unless you tell them).

And VAi isn’t about replacing people. It’s about giving good people their time back. So they can do their jobs better. So they don’t burn out. So your firm thrives, even in the stormiest seas.

If you’re an IP feeling the strain – and let’s be honest, who isn’t – then maybe it’s time to give VAi a go.

Call Paul on 07813 102014 or email him at paul@vaisolutions.co.uk. Let’s talk about what’s keeping you awake at night – and how AI might help you breathe again.

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