Not-for-profit organisation Legal IT Innovators Group (LITIG) has teamed up with an in-house organisation counting BAE Systems and Barclays among its members to push for law firms to adopt a new, consistent system for sending deal documents to clients.

LITIG, which is supported by more than 70 law firms across the UK, is calling for firms to use a standardised file system for deal bibles following research carried out by partner group Knowledge Management and IT (KMIT), which includes Barclays legal and compliance group's head of operations Andrew Dey among its members.

The research found that inconsistencies between the UK's top law firms made it more difficult for in-house teams, with LITIG now wanting the legal community to use a standardised filing system in a bid to remove the discrepancies.

Commenting on the deal bible guidance it has issued, LITIG chair Derek Southall – also a partner and head of strategic development at Wragge & Co – said: "Law firms produce deal bibles, which are increasingly in an inconsistent format, so we've decided to produce a standardised method.

"It's too easy to assume we know what the client wants from IT. This is a great example of clients being proactive to help law firms deliver what they really need."

LITIG was launched seven years ago by Southall, Peter Owen from consultancy Lights-on-Consulting, Mills & Reeve's head of information systems Graeme Low and consultant Rosemary Kind. Its members include Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Diageo, British Petroleum and Barclays. KMIT members also include BG Group and Coca-Cola Europe.