As a regulator with a proud history of supporting innovation in the delivery of legal services, we’re keen to support lawyers who want to find new ways of responding to changing client expectations and who harness new tools to do so. That’s why we have set up a collaboration with Legal Geek and its network of legal tech entrepreneurs. We are excited to explore with them how the delivery of legal services is likely to evolve over the coming months and years so that we are ready to support innovation in the interests of consumers, licensed conveyancers and other lawyers.

Solicitors are a very honest, law-abiding bunch, as they should be. All but a tiny handful carry out their duties with absolute propriety and never stray from compliance with numerous professional rules, or break the law. That said, anecdotally, there has been an uplift in recent years in the number who falsify documents, sometimes to cover up small but consequential errors that are difficult to admit to clients or colleagues. So what might explain it?

How good are law firms at communicating with their clients? It’s a deeply intriguing question which has certainly given us pause for thought; and inspires us to conduct our secret shopper research each year. This year’s research suggests that there’s still an anti-sales mentality in many law firms. In fact, our contact details were taken on just 36% of the secret shopper calls we made to law firms about a new enquiry. And we received a sales follow-up on less than a quarter of these calls! Although our research found some progressive firms, these are in the minority; the sales function must be an integral part of the modern law firm if it is to survive and compete with them. So how come law firms still don’t have effective sales communications?

Investment in IT is necessary for forward-thinking law firms looking to succeed in today’s market. However, the value of IT is often under-appreciated and seen as just another overhead by senior management. It’s therefore important to understand how to write a convincing business case that helps decision makers understand why IT investments are necessary and the potential impact on the firm’s ability to compete.

Are you feeling the effects of being back at work yet? Holidays are over for most and we are instead daydreaming of the summer gone… I can still smell sun tan lotion. But the autumn is now upon us. And with it, the subconscious knowledge that a busy period is around the corner. This is the watershed moment in our working year that occurs in September: when the holidays are over and everyone gears up for the return to work rested, refreshed, with a ‘must do’ attitude.