One initiative for solicitors I have seen recently is the
Quality Solicitors service. A good example of solicitors fighting back (although the founder is a barrister), this site will put members of the public in touch with a suitable solicitor for their problem. It is a free service and can be provided by telephone or email. Those not certain if they need a solicitor can submit a question first and get an answer, after which they have an option whether to proceed or not.
Designed to create a recognisable brand, the website features a small video of founder Craig, who pops up every now and again to explain how the system works. Entertaining at first, it does become irritating after a while, although you can always switch him off (the controls appear if you hover your mouse over the image).
[Note - the web-site has been changed since this post was written]
By way of market research, I had a go at the answer now service - but it was not that straightforward. I was taken to a page telling which lawyers were ready and waiting to answer my question (three of them, not bad at 3.00 pm on a Saturday afternoon), but saying that I had to register with the website first. Once I had done this, I was then taken to a page and, unnervingly, asked to click to say how much I would pay if I was happy with the answer - strangely for a UK service, the prices were in dollars. I decided not to proceed further at this stage, not wanting to commit myself to make any payment, even though I was told that a barrister with bar exams and two years in practice was waiting to answer me now (another barrister?? I thought this was supposed to be for solicitors?). But I am impressed that they are able to provide immediate answers in this way out of office hours.
It is clearly early days yet for the site, as much of the information sections have nothing in them, and they need to fix the question now system so quotations are given in pounds sterling not American dollars.
The FAQ reveal that they currently have 100 solicitors firms signed up who will between them cover all areas of law. The service differs from most lawyer finder type services, as the solicitors do not pay for referrals, so the Quality Solicitor staff are only concerned to match the customer with the right firm for their case, rather than send them to the firm which is willing to pay the highest referral fee. We are also told that Quality Solicitor member firms are inspected and interviewed before being invited to join, and have to sign up to a code of conduct. This is a good guarantee of quality particularly as member firms are also monitored by customer feedback.
Further insight comes from Wikepedia:
The Quality Solicitors Organisation state that their service works in the following way: They employ "case-handlers" who are usually law graduates. Members of the public are invited to telephone or fill out a form on the organisation's web-site. The case-handlers then take details of the person requiring a solicitor along with a summary of their problem/issue. Qualified lawyers are then used to match the case to the best suited solicitor. That solicitor then makes contact with the member of public who can choose whether or not to use them. They have a tag-line of "Finding the Right lawyer for you."
It is good to see this sort of thing taking off and I wish them every success. 100 firms does not seem very many to provide a nationwide service so no doubt they will be looking to recruit more solicitors firms as the service takes off. Solicitors wishing to apply can do this via the web-site.
For more information see this post from Scottish firm Inksters, who are the first firm to be signed up in Scotland.
Susskind - the end of lawyers?
Susskind covers quite a wide range of legal IT related topics in the interview, but it is some of the comments at the end which are most worrying (for lawyers). Both he and his interviewer make the point that lawyers are not (on the whole) natural innovators and tend to be resistant to new developments, particularly if they are making a good income as they are.
However he believes (and I have to say that I agree with him) that technology and the internet will have huge implications for the profession, and it is worrying that the Law Society and the government are planning new rules and regulations for the future of the profession, without really taking these properly into account.
For example one thing he mentioned was shared knowledge on forums and how this may develop in the future. In fact however this is happening right now, as there are a number of consumer forums where people exchange information about legal matters, for example this forum here on tenancy deposits. Shared knowledge of this kind could well reduce the need to use qualified lawyers in the future.
The conclusion, more or less, was that there will always be a place for some lawyers and the subject is an interesting discipline in itself, but that the profession has probably passed its high point and things will never be the same again. He also made the point that new lawyers are entering an uncertain profession and many law students should be prepared to use their law degree for something other than practising as a lawyer.