Virtual reality

Grahame Cohen discusses the results of a recent survey, which found that consumers expected their law firms to be providing cutting-edge legal services online within the next couple of years

Recent research has revealed consumer demand for more convenient legal service delivery, with 56 per cent of the consumers surveyed saying that they expect good law firms to offer their services online within the next two years.

According to the study, consumers saw online services as an opportunity to reduce their legal fees and 43 per cent or respondents agreed that they would switch law firm if an alternative one offered a reduced fee in return for the consumer providing initial details on their matter online. Furthermore, 47 per cent said that they would be more likely to choose a law firm that offered the convenience of online access to legal services and documents over one that had no online service capability.

More than 2,000 people from across the UK took part in the survey, which was carried out by YouGov on behalf of legal servicers provider Epoq Legal. Below, Grahame Cohen, CEO at Epoq discusses the results.

Fifty-six per cent of respondents expected legal services to be delivered online – can an entire transaction be done in this way, or is the face-to-face element still important?
It’s an interesting point. I’ve had lots of interactions with lawyers in the past where the entire process has been conducted either over the telephone or by e-mail – and it’a always been very efficient and well organised. A lot of people don’t necessarily have the time to travel to their lawyer’s office, when they can discuss the same issue online or with a quick phone call.
With the technology available today, you can share screens and use online meeting spaces, so it’s almost like sitting together.
I think that people’s perceptions of what is possible are changing and the tools available on the market place are making developments such as this more mainstream – so expectations are high. There is a generation that has grown up with texts and instant messaging and see it as a very natural way to communicate.

How deep does the technology available go?
If you were producing an employment agreement, for example, it’s possible to capture very granular information, such as wages, working hours and so on using DirectLaw, which includes a document automation programme. The client could be interviewed online and the system could actually help to reduce errors by recognising certain key documents and information and matching these to the information being uploaded to the first draft. Depending on the complexity of the transaction, you could let the system produce the first draft for you.
If you include a secure interface between the lawyer and the client, such as a client space or extranet (which is becoming more prevalent) a client can log in and access their documentation, check progress on the matter, communicate with the lawyer and provide instructions on other matters.
Law firms need to establish which services their clients would like to be available online – which tools or features would be useful to them.

So online services could be seen as a key differentiator?
It’s a fantastic way to capture new business and also to reduce your costs and save time.
Of course, a complex M&A transaction can’t really be managed entirely online, but it is possible for a significant percentage of work. Clients will also see the firm as modern and forward thinking – which can help to attract new business. Now is a great time to be doing it as you’ll be ahead of the curve. Eventually – as with everything – this will be a natural, universally accepted method of working. The differentiation will then come back to the quality of work and other factors, such as location.

What are the key challenges of online service provision?
The main issue is cultural – a certain mindset in that some firms or people within firms will shy away from this way of working as it doesn’t feel natural to them – rather than taking into account the requirements of their clients.
There is also a structural factor in establishing how the systems will be implemented.
We are in the middle of a revolution akin to the introduction of railway lines or telephone cables. There are new opportunities and ways to transact using web tools that aren’t necessarily that expensive.
In the legal space there will be lots of companies who can be smart and make use of these tools. For example, in the US, LegalZoom is sucking up some of the revenue that might traditionally have gone to law firms. Therein lies the opportunity and the threat.

For more information about the research or DirectLaw visit http://www.epoq.co.uk/ep/directlaw.cfm