Technology

The UK is in the sights of a Canadian company that has developed an app aimed at simplifying the divorce process for self-represented couples, including automated completion of divorce application forms and the documents needed to make a separation agreement.

The London Litigation Solicitors Association and the Law Society are pushing for a lower £10,000 limit for cases in the Online Court. In his interim report, Lord Justice Briggs proposed a limit of £25,000. The LSLA said that there should be fixed or capped costs for litigation between £10,000 and £25,000.

Global law firms could in future recruit teenagers to their brands like football teams sign up junior apprentices, if an online recruitment platform that is targeting large employers takes off. The founders claim to be in advanced talks with magic circle law firms about adopting it.

Tribunals are set to embrace online dispute resolution (ODR) in step with Lord Justice Briggs’ plans for an online court for civil cases, with the principle of ‘digital by default’ to the fore, the Senior President of Tribunals revealed yesterday. A pilot is to run in the Social Entitlement Chamber as a matter of priority.

Tech-savvy law students were last week invited to pursue careers delivering legal services via technology businesses instead of the conventional route of joining a legal firm, at a meeting of IT executives committed to establishing London as a global hub for lawtech start-ups.

Commercial law firms have a limited “window of opportunity” to adopt new delivery models which is unlikely to “remain open forever”, a report has warned. Jomati Consultants also revealed that four City firms are on course to receive almost £8m in government grants as a result of opening low cost centres.

Lord Dyson has launched an extraordinary attack on the Ministry of Justice over the introduction of enhanced court fees. The Master of the Rolls described the research carried out by the MoJ as “hopeless”.

More than three quarters of general counsel lack separate budgets for process and technology services, despite exactly the same percentage identifying a “compelling need” for them, a survey has found. “To have a compelling need, but have no budgetary control is potentially ‘creek, canoe, no paddle’ territory”, it said.

Free2Convey, which began as a free rival to failed conveyancing portal Veyo, is to formally launch to all conveyancers at the start of next month. Matt Lancaster, chair of Legal Software Suppliers Association, said the aim was to “create a trusted community”.

The bill for the Law Society’s failed conveyancing software project Veyo is likely to be £7m, its chief executive has revealed. Catherine Dixon said she and president Jonathan Smithers pulled the plug because “the amount of time and further investment needed to get Veyo to a successful launch was too great”.