Comments on: The Misunderstood Virtual Law Office

By: Susan Cartier Liebel

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:49:31 +0000

Joan, well said. To answer our last question, the message isn’t getting out there yet because lawyers have to transition. They can’t transition until they are fully on board with the concept. As the concept is still muddled and there is still misinformation out there (as well as a lingering concern about confidentiality protections) it is hard to educate the consumer. And this lag is what is going to give the Legal Zooms of this world a chance to break out so far ahead lawyers will be fighting to regain lost ground. Again, this is just my opinion but in this particular situation I’m not sure lawyers have the luxury anymore of waiting it out until it’s completely mainstream. Again, just my two cents.

By: Joan Teich

Joan Teich — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:51:38 +0000

Great points! I think it is both an issue of (a) educating the public that personalized legal services will, in many cases, better serve them and be more cost-effective in the long run than the online DIY sites and (b) for lawyers to provide great affordable personalized service, which technology certainly helps us do more efficiently.

I think there is a place for LegalZoom, et.al. but I don’t feel it can or should replace the small firm or solo. The appeal of low cost DIY legal forms is obvious, but the truth is they work best only for the true DIYer who has time and intelligence to use them and a truly straightforward matter. In reality, the majority of people are like me — in theory, I’d like to do my own plumbing and save money but I don’t really have the time to do it, probably don’t want to put in the time and effort to do things right and have a bad feeling that I’ll end up doing it wrong and needing to call in the professional in the end to fix my mess. If small to mid-sized companies and middle class individuals knew they could have a great personal relationship with a reasonably priced attorney who took the time to understand their situation and customize legal solutions for their specific needs,most of them would not hesitate to choose that over an interrnet chinese menu. So the question becomes why is that message not getting out there effecively?

By: Misty Sheffield

Misty Sheffield — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:23:56 +0000

I think we are actually making the same point Jay. By “user-friendly” I mean attorneys becoming more accessible to their clients through the use of technology. I believe this more personalized approach is a positive byproduct of the new competition in the market. Yes, it is a sea of change – a very good one.

By: Jay S. Fleischman

Jay S. Fleischman — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:40:38 +0000

Misty, I’d take issue with your point that DIY services are forcing traditional firms to become more “user friendly.” I believe that technology makes it easier to establish a personal relationship in connection with rendering advice premised on expertise – that’s different.

DIY services make it easy to point and click, but don’t mistake that for “user friendly.” In fact, those services sacrifice personalization for ease-of-use.

My challenge is for lawyers to do both – make it easier for people to do business with out, yet do so in a way that doesn’t compromise your ability to render a professional opinion.

I think LegalZoom forces lawyers to reconsider the way in which they treat their clients. Amp up the service level and act like a human being. That’s a sea change for the profession, don’t you think?

By: Misty Sheffield

Misty Sheffield — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:24:42 +0000

Susan, Thanks for the excellent article. The DIY services are forcing traditional firms to become more user friendly which is a good thing. I agree that the challenge is educating consumers that there are affordable alternatives to going pro se. I see many solos and small firms stepping up to this challenge with consumer-oriented blogs. They are on the right path. I hope others will follow.