In a series of Supporters in Focus pieces, we are thrilled to introduce our supporters of The British Wills & Probate Awards 2020.
This year the awards will recognise a sector which has tackled the challenges presented by Covid-19 head on. Alongside headline sponsor Arken.Legal we look forward to recognising achievement, highlighting progression and championing innovation.
This week we profile Best Use of Technology sponsors The Law Superstore.
We’re delighted to have The Law Superstore on board with the third year of The British Wills & Probate Awards. First of all, tell us who you are and what you do
The Law Superstore is a Legal Services comparison site, giving people the opportunity to compare lawyers and prices, whilst also providing quality guaranteed leads for Solicitors and legal service providers.
What have The Law Superstore been doing over the past 9 months since The British Wills & Probate Awards 2019?
We have had a super busy 9 months since the awards in 2019. We continue to grow our panel of Solicitors and legal service providers whilst also developing our technology even further to ensure we continue to be the best option to compare legal services. Most recently we’ve been authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide leads for regulated services: Personal Injury, Employment and Money Matters.
Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak what do you think is the biggest challenge the sector has faced over the last 12 months?
The personal legal industry has changed more slowly than other sectors such as personal finance and retail, particularly in the adoption of new technologies. Although this can be threatening for some firms, we believe it also creates opportunities. Firms can work with partner organisations to exploit these opportunities even if they don’t have the skills in-house. Firms who do not embrace new approaches, which are often expected as requirements by younger consumers, and seen as valuable innovations by many older consumers, risk losing market share to firms that do.
And what innovations were you seeing in the market?
Digital communications services are changing the way people interact with each other and the companies they do business with, throughout the consumer lifecycle.
- More and more people now search for providers online, comparing quotes, reviews and other service attributes, before making a choice.
- People expect to be updated online, rather than having to visit a firm in person, phone up or be sent documents by post, whether by email, logging in to a user portal, or a mobile app.
- Digital signatures, messaging and chat services are driving this change.
- Digital payment can be quicker, cheaper and more secure than traditional payment methods.
- Online reviews are a feature of modern business, and while there clearly doubts over how genuine and reliable many are, they are a valuable source of confidence for potential clients. Firms that don’t manage their online reviews will be disadvantaged.
What has the impact of the Coronavirus meant for The Law Superstore?
With many now working from home as a result of the Coronavirus, more people are looking to technology and digital options when it comes to selecting and using a legal service provider. Being forced to get legal advice remotely has suddenly made the legal industry more geographically diverse, giving consumes a wider choice of lawyers and lawyers access to a much larger pool of clients. Our panel has grown strongly since the virus first hit, with more lawyers looking for new ways to find new clients, and we’re also seeing strong growth in users coming to the site looking for lawyers.
What are your predictions for the sector in 2020 and beyond
We expect the trends described above to continue and accelerate.
- More people will look for lawyers (and other products & services) online,
- More people will expect digital communication with their lawyers,
- Tools such as machine learning and artificial intelligence will generate new insights from historic data which will improve the performance of services being offered, and lead to more efficient ways to provide services going forward
Thank you to The Law Superstore for their support for The British Wills & Probate Awards 2020.
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