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be upset that they are paying so much per hour with the very manual bespoke processes that lawyers currently have. People tend to only go to lawyers when they absolutely have to, so there is scope for some law firms to do things better – compete a bit more and let it be known that they work differently for better value.”
TECHNOLOGY
will have time to think about and customise what you are providing for your client.” But are lawyers who use the technology charging less? Not necessarily, but in some areas of work they aren’t getting the full hours spent on work anyway, so the software can help offset this lost income. “One of our clients tells us they save at least 8-10 hours per job. In many cases, a $5,000 job can take $7,000 worth of time, but the law firm only charges $5,000. Saving 10 hours can help avoid those write-offs. It also gives certainty of fees. If lawyers can guarantee a fixed fee of $5,000, that work will be of really high quality, and be delivered in a day – then there is value in that,” Mr Turner says. “An estimated fee does work in favour of those who might want to work a bit more slowly, but only while clients accept an estimate and nobody else is offering a fixed fee alternative.” Gene Turner believes the use of
▴ LawHawk founder Gene Turner
technology might enable firms to get away from the hourly rate. The need would then be to work out the value of the job, rather than the hourly rate. A job that once took eight hours may, with technology, only take half an hour, but it would still have more value than a half hour hourly rate. “The conversation will shift to working out a fixed fee that is good for everyone.”
Where to start? While there is increasing interest in technology, people are struggling
Less need for lawyers? “It’s estimated that 85% of people with a legal problem don’t go to see a lawyer,” he says. “Technology means that lawyers can price things at a lower point and make more money. There won’t be less legal work, but it might be done by different people.” Technology will enable people to work more efficiently and more accurately. While the technology is not perfect, it can certainly make lawyers a lot more effective. “You
❝ It provides an end-to-end service – from helping to identify the opportunities; analysing and improving the underlying documents and processes; training; and providing the underlying technology via a secure cloud portal ❞ 67