Accessing Legal Services
Out with the Old Model
Twenty years ago no one would have considered the idea of providing legal services anywhere other than in an office, whether on the high street, in a serviced office block or in a gleaming skyscraper. The old legal services model is a highly labour intensive model firmly focused on lawyers and their lifestyles. In some firms you will have hundreds of partners trying to manage thousands of lawyers and achieve maximum profitability by encouraging greater billable hours. With money seemingly no object the costs of huge reception areas complete with abstract art and designer furniture are undoubtedly being passed on to the clients. The model has worked well for the legal profession as a whole, but no so well for commercially inclined clients and their budgets.
In with the New Models
The old model is just not sustainable and the legal world is finally waking up to this fact. With many clients just emerging from the effects of a world recession it has become clear that the status quo cannot be maintained. The rising costs of conducting business from a bricks and mortar structure had to be reconsidered when clients began demanding reasonable fees and a more effective service. For any law firm to be competitive under one of the new models they must offer better connectivity, better service and lower prices. More law firms have been forced to attend beauty parades and demonstrate not just their legal knowledge, but also their technological nous and cost saving methods. Technology and legal process outsourcing has replaced a lot of the work that previously had to be done in a formal setting. Lawyers can now use tools like Skype to consult with clients or conduct interviews via audio or video. Dictation and transcription can be done by investing in good quality voice-recognition software. Tech savvy lawyers are more productive lawyers. Smaller boutique firms have also emerged to challenge the long established old model. Many of these can be run from home with no discernible difference in service quality to the client. Documents can be signed electronically and transmitted by email in a matter of minutes as opposed to by post. Some clients will also benefit from having a lawyer based on the client’s own premises using compatible software with that of the law firm for smooth transactions. This is a form of legal project outsourcing or legal process outsourcing which can benefit both parties particularly where the client is granted access to the law firm’s knowledge management database. The emergence of virtual law firms has been noticeable in recent years.
A virtual law firm does not really have an office and prefers to invest in technology which allows their clients to talk to the lawyers in real time, and access their files and their billing. The operation of a virtual law firm is encouragingly transparent as the client has full connectivity with the lawyer, and is able to know exactly at any time of the day what is happening on their file and what needs to be done. Some may even offer the facility to contact the lawyer via Skype or instant messaging. Some law businesses are now offering precedents and forms that allow the client to “do it yourself”. A client can complete his own partnership agreement or business lease by inputting answers to standard questions online. This software allows the client to contact a virtual lawyer when difficult questions arise and the client can return to completing the form when the lawyer has given the necessary advice. There will be a cost for this instant access, but ultimately the client will enjoy an overall cost saving benefit. Lawyers will never be totally superseded by artificial intelligence and an effective, informed lawyer is always a valuable resource for clients.
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You Legal is a boutique law firm specialising in legal consulting. At You Legal we are committed to improving our client services by using modern efficient technology to the greatest extent possible.
* This blog is for general guidance only. Legal advice should be sought before taking action in relation to any specific issues.