Practice Management

The Law Society is considering introducing an aptitude test for entry onto the legal practice course that will reduce student numbers, Legal Futures can reveal. Other initiatives being examined are a “warts and all” guide to qualification as a solicitor and incentives for firms to provide training contracts.

Birmingham-based HBJ Gateley Wareing has moved quickly to integrate its new Manchester operation into its network by migrating the office to its LawSoft practice management system by the end of September.

The top law firms are looking to bulk up their business development capacity as they face a major reduction in their fees, a survey has claimed. With partners in the top 10 firms seeing their average billable fees fall by £875,000 last year, recruitment consultancy Ambition says firms have responded by hiring marketing staff.

West Midlands law firm Forum Law is planning to give legal advice over the Internet after buying Capita Assistance’s legal helpline business. Called Legal Assistance Direct (LAD), the service already had contracts to provide legal advice to over five million client customers of various institutions. It currently receives around 35-40,000 calls a year.

The controversial prospect of publishing law firms’ complaints records will be put firmly back on the agenda with a consultation by the Legal Ombudsman, Legal Futures can report.

Almost half of the law firms in the assigned risks pool (ARP) still owe premiums running to millions of pounds, although the ARP enforcement strategy has encouraged some to pay up, it has emerged.

The Law Society has squeezed a minor concession out of the unnamed professional indemnity insurer to whom it complained about giving solicitors just seven days to accept quotes.

IT plays a key role in increasing business efficiency and a change in the way the systems are run can have a great impact on the efficiency of a firm. Below I have outlined two key back-office processes, print management and automation.

Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) complaints two years ago about the way some conveyancing law firms were advertising their prices led the Law Society to issue guidance last week on “headline pricing”, Legal Futures has discovered.

Leading Scottish law firm Harper Macleod is moving towards 100% automated billing after delivering significant time savings and a better service for clients through its increased use of LawSoft Auto Billing from Legal Futures Associate Pilgrim Systems.

QualitySolicitors is continuing to blaze a trail into the future of legal services. Its TV ad that premiered earlier this week demonstrates an intent that needs to be followed carefully. Craig and his team have moved the profession on significantly since their arrival a couple of years ago and we should thank them for that effort.

Quinn Insurance has finally confirmed that it will not be offering solicitors professional indemnity cover for 2010/11. But ex-Quinn sole practitioners will be boosted by the deal done by Legal Futures Associates Travelers and Prime Professions to offer most of them cover.

The rate of new lawyer comparison websites is speeding up, with at least four ramping up in the past month. Arguably the most significant has been the launch of a UK version of FindLaw, the leading free legal information website in the US.

Legal Futures is pleased to announce its first two events, which will both take place in October and be chaired by Editor Neil Rose. Meanwhile, we are also working with publisher Raconteur Media to produce a second supplement within The Times on “Legal Efficiency”.

Devon law firm Toller Beattie LLP this week launched anytime client online access to their files after fully implementing SOS Connect from Solicitors Own Software. Last month the firm picked up the Federation of Small Businesses’ awards for best use of IT and overall Devon county winner.