Technology

The Law Society and Indian technology giant Mastek have decided to scrap online conveyancing portal Veyo, at a cost to the profession which has so far been confirmed at more than £3m but is likely to be much higher. The society said it was “deeply sorry” that conveyancers who had “waited patiently” for the product would not be able to use it.

The public believes that the legal system should be modernised faster than is happening at present, with many feeling “the justice system has retained tradition at the expense of efficiency”, new research has found. Education about the law and legal process, and simplifying legal language were also keys to improving access to justice.

A group of London local authorities, a legal software supplier and an electronic data specialist claim to have developed the first “entirely digital” process for court proceedings.

Lawyers routinely over-estimate the current state of machine-learning computers but under-estimate their potential future capabilities, according to the chief executive of ROSS Intelligence, the company building an application billed as the world’s first “artificially intelligent attorney”.

Cognitive computing could be used to suggest which arguments in court might play well or badly with a particular judge at a given time of day, according to a senior member of IBM’s Watson development team, although she outlined a number of more benign uses for the technology.

A report for the Council of Europe has argued that online dispute resolution and use of IT could improve access to justice by “offering solutions to the problems of judicial inefficiency, the high cost of litigation and geographical barriers”.

Lawyers should use artificial intelligence to improve their work, drive efficiencies, increase accuracy and retain clients, the president of the Law Society has said. However, Jonathan Smithers said “expert intervention by lawyers” would always be needed.

Artificial intelligence and associated technologies do not necessarily spell universal doom and gloom for the legal profession, Legal Futures’ latest Insight publication has found. They might also assist lawyers to expand their services, supply them more cheaply, and create new, different kinds of employment for legal professionals.

A personal injury “knowledge hub”, backed by a board of industry experts, has been launched by solicitor and due diligence specialist Zoe Holland. Andrew Twambley and Professor Dominic Regan are among those involved.

Free2Convey, the free conveyancing portal developed by the Legal Software Suppliers Association, is to be available “in the next few weeks”, it has emerged. Julian Bryan, managing partner of Quill Pinpoint, said it would be ready before Veyo.

A claims management company set up as a joint venture between a law firm and two non-lawyer investors is looking to start competition in the personal injury market by offering clients success fees of 15%. Quittance promises to absorb other costs.

Lawyers should not connect on LinkedIn with anyone they have not met or already communicated with, a social media specialist has warned in the wake of the controversy that followed barrister Charlotte Proudman tweeting a comment made to her on LinkedIn.

Veyo is still being tested and there is no fixed date for its national launch, the president of the Law Society told property lawyers last week. Jonathan Smithers admitted that “clearly the publicity ran well ahead of the product”.

The Law Superstore, a new legal services comparison website which will offer consumers lists of approved solicitors, is to be launched next spring by the former chief executive of Minister Law and Brilliant Law.

ReviewSolicitors, the legal review website launched last month, has recruited 300 law firms as premium subscribers through a deal with a leading case management provider. It means clients would automatically be offered the chance to post reviews while ReviewSolicitors would know they were genuine clients.