A massive transformation is going on underground in the legal industry. Attorneys in all fields are learning to be flexible to attain today's digital marketplace. Young lawyers and even law students must start learning their chances of survival, understand the new look of the legal industry and study the market shift.
In these new trends, lawyers may run the risk of becoming obsolete if they are not aware of the impacts these changes can have on their career. Here are some of the new trends that change the way lawyers do business.
1. Around-the-clock technologies
Technologies are the change agents of any industry, and the legal industry is not excluded. There are merits and demerits to these changes. One of the good changes of technologies is the availability of the lawyer to consult on Skype, Google Hangout and other online platforms. From the side of the people, getting free legal advice becomes handy with sites like Quora, Avvo, NOLO or Google.
But this, in turn, reduces the value and role of traditional law firm or lawyers. Except for the organizations like LegalZoom or Axion Law, technology may further eliminate this demand.
2. The rise of freelancing
More and more freelance sites are popping up on the Internet. What this gives both independent and partner attorneys is the freedom to work any time they want – not to mention the reduction or total saving from high rental overheads when they can complete assignments from any location through the freelance culture. Now, firm lawyers do not have to work tirelessly to stay profitable and relevant.
3. Automation software
With just a few simple tweaks, an automated document can be used time and again every time a deal is closed without paying or consulting an attorney to draft a contract. Now, it is quite simple for consumers to buy legally binding contracts that they can use for related dealings later.
How lawyers can adapt to these trends
While operational efficiency is vital in any successful business, lawyers must begin to adjust to the new trends of the legal industry. They must get used to the technologies and take advantages of them. More people are searching online for legal help, and they must utilize this tool to acquire more clients.
Ultimately, lawyers must operate their practice like a business. This means they must be efficient by providing values to their clients. This way, they are sure of making more money selling their services. Above all, they must be affordable, communicate well with customers and charge reasonable fees.
As the Internet has turned the world into a global village, lawyers and legal firms must grab the merits of the World Wide Web. They must start their own law firm and become entrepreneurs themselves. They will be able to capture the interest of millions of people that flock the Internet on a daily basis.
With social media and blogging, they will be able to have the attention of the people. With blogs, they will drive traffic to their website and build leads even through social media. Above all, even like acquiring clients offline, getting leads through the Internet comes with trust, credibility and connections.