Challenges of the Legal Services ActPosted by Flindt Cheng on January 15th, 2021 The imminent introduction with the Legal Services Act presents new challenges for high-street firms mainly because it enables companies besides solicitors to deliver legal services under what is known as an Alternative Business Structure (ABS). redirected here means that individuals can visit an ABS for various legal services, like, wills, probate and conveyancing. Already companies for example Co-op, the AA and Saga are becoming ABSs in direct competition with the traditional high street solicitors practice. The problem facing a lot of solicitor's practices is large companies will clearly have a commercial advantage on the street legal practice that used to dot every traditional. Going forward conveyancing melbourne ' will get custom regardless in the quality of these legal service merely due to their reputation in other areas. They also reap the benefits of economies of scale, so can undercut the of smaller traditional solicitors and advertise aggressively, knowing that their smaller rivals cannot compete. In addition, they have got the main benefit of convenience; why visit a solicitor when you can get a will written while doing the weekly shop? A survey by Yougov has shown that 60% of those surveyed would buy legal services from the known retail brand as opposed to a local solicitor. This makes the near future look very gloomy for your average high-street solicitors practice. You only ought to glance down a high-street to view the lack of independent retailers due to being priced out by large corporate brands. By visiting a similar brand for legal services, the legal profession should go exactly the same way. Discover More , critics reason that it'll damage the independence in the profession. Solicitors often be employed in small partnerships, independent from the clients they serve, striving to offer top quality legal services building client confidence, loyalty and client recommendations. However, attract a serious retailer with interests in several sectors along with the outlook changes dramatically. Solicitors are responsible for their very own reputation that is earned from the service they offer, causing them to be personally liable for the work they undertake. Larger retailers accomplish donrrrt you have the identical a higher level liability; if a mistake is made no customize the company with a national scale. With large companies addititionally there is the possibility that they will just be interested in the easy tasks in order to make some quick money, leaving the riskier and much more expensive benefit their traditional competitors. If an ABS may offer routine legal services without what can happen to become a hefty price tag, why select a high street firm? Firstly, there is a personal service and client relationship; a lawyer can raise your strong relationship with a client over several years, thus better learning the needs of every situation. In law, because of the vast diversity of situations, there just cannot be an effective one size fits all model (the likely approach with the likes with the AA, Co-op etc). Instead of a mass-produced product, a street solicitor can provide you an approach tailored to meet your needs. Most solicitors firms are employed in a team of highly qualified specialists to deliver a quality service instead of one solicitor heading a big band of paralegals or unqualified legal assistants. Put simply, high-street firms offer quality over quantity. To ensure their future street attorneys must maintain their professional standards. It applies that street firms should accommodate possess a chance of competing with big business. However, the days from the sole practitioner has decided to be gone. For the smaller firms to outlive they might no alternative but to merge along with other professional services, like, accountants and IFA's to deliver all business and personal services under one roof. No matter what steps they take, traditional solicitors must demonstrate that they may be equally as accessible and approachable because the big brands. Ultimately, receiving legal services is a service: you make payment for for that quality you will get. Buying a house or deciding who inherits your worldly possessions is an important decision. Why scrimp to save weight whenever a quality personal service is inevitable waiting to aid?Like it? Share it! More by this author |