Technology

Just four law firms featured in the top 60 most visible websites returned when people searched legal terms used Google, research has discovered. An analysis of the 1.2 million searches for legal terms in February found Irwin Mitchell the highest-ranking law firm at 12th, followed by Merseyside personal injury firm Camps (21st), home counties firm Brethertons (48th) and Fentons, a PI firm in London and Manchester (53rd).

Though websites have a number of uses – marketing, PR, client services etc – that often demand regular redevelopment, the pace of change in the legal sector has slowed. Intendance’s Fast Fifty 2010 Update can reveal that only eight law firm websites that featured in last year’s Fast Fifty report have changed.

Research this week from Plan-Net showed that 42% of UK businesses are planning to roll out Windows 7 in the next 18 months. However, only 6% of the surveyed City organisations with at least 250 users have already installed Windows 7, while 24% are not thinking about rolling out Windows 7 at all and 20% have not decided what to do. This raises important questions about upgrading infrastructure and refreshing hardware which was skipped in the year of the credit crunch.

A majority of consumers expect good law firms to offer their services online in the next couple of years, a survey of over 2,000 people has shown. It also showed that nearly half of consumers would be more likely to choose a firm that offered online access.

North Yorkshire firm Coles turned to technology to make its services more accessible and affordable, explains Epoq, a Legal Futures Associate.

The experience of north-west law firm Farleys shows how an online service delivery capability can help law firms meet the challenges presented by the Legal Services Act, explains Epoq, a Legal Futures Associate.