Flexible legal support, similar to legal process outsourcing, has been supporting firms with their mission to maximize efficiency and boost client experience.

Integrating their support has a list of benefits which promises a successful future for many firms. 

In this article, we will talk about the demand for flexible legal support, how this is supporting businesses worldwide, its benefits, and the different types of legal support.

Following that, we will discuss the potential future trends, choosing the right support partner, and why firms should work with Expert Legal Outsourcing.

So, fasten your seatbelts as we dive into the storms of Legal Support.

The Growing Demand for Flexible Legal Support in The Legal Industry

Traditionally, businesses have required an inhouse team and law firms for support with legal expertise. While large firms hire larger in-house legal teams while small firms hire a group of solicitors who help oversee law firms. 

However, in the past few decades firms have been required to implement new strategies in order to scale according to demand. As a result, flexible lawyers have come to attention.

It’s the age of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals. Following this approach ensures that your goals are clear, attainable and trackable.

In today’s industry, flexibility, credibility and affordability are factors in demand among leaders. Thus, hiring an experienced flexible lawyer would be more cost-effective compared to an in-house legal staff, both with equal skills. Moreover, flexible lawyers bring in specific skills which attract leads. 

As the demand for flexible service providers rises, so will the fluidity in the UK legal services market. Research says there will be an upsurge in the demand for this strategy as long as there is flexibility, credibility and affordability. 

Here is Why Having Flexible Legal Support is Beneficial!

Benefits	Explanation
Tailored Solutions	Designed to meet the unique needs of a business. So, the legal advice and services are more relevant and directly applicable to the unique challenges and situations you are faced with.
Scalability	As businesses grow, so do their needs. Flexible legal support can scale up or down based on your business’s needs. This ensures legal services are always aligned with current needs.
Focus on Core Business Activities	Hiring flexible legal support will give business owners the opportunity to focus on core business activities.
Adaptability to Market Changes	The world is evolving everyday, so it’s important to be able to adapt to the changes as quickly as possible. Flexible legal support assists businesses with staying compliant with the new changes and other legal areas, protecting the business from potential pitfalls.
Cost-effectiveness Without Compromising Quality	This service is a pay-as-you-go or fixed-fee basis.It allows businesses to manage legal costs better, without the traditional expenses associated with in-house legal services.
Preventative Measures for Long term Protection	It is important to be able to identify potential legal threats before they become problematic
Access to Expertise	Flexible legal support provides the necessary expert advice and services, even when the business is lacking resources of a full-time department. This ensures that businesses are at a disadvantage due to lack of in-house legal expertise.
Risk Management	With Flexible legal support, businesses can manage and mitigate risks linked to contracts, employment, compliance, etc. This will protect businesses from potential legal pitfalls.

Different Types of Legal Support

1. Virtual Legal Assistants

Virtual Legal Assistants are taking over the crowd of modern day law firms. These remote experts are providing the skills that an in-house team would but at lower costs without jeopardizing the quality of output. 

Benefits of Virtual Legal Assistants:

• Cost Saving
• Increased Productivity
• Flexibility
• Improved Client Service 
• Access to Global Talent Pool

Tasks Performed By Virtual Legal Assistants

• Email Management
• Calendar Scheduling
• Client Communication
• Billing and Invoicing
• Drafting Document
• Social Media Management

2. Paralegal Support

Paralegals are another type of legal support solution that is known to enhance the efficiency of law firms. These trained experts assist in various legal tasks, lightening the workload on attorneys. Despite the years of debate of whether Paralegal can work from home, they have been helping firms streamline their legal tasks and support attorneys prep for trials.

How?

• Handle Legal Documents
• Conduct Legal Research
• Draft Legal Documents
• Client Communication

3. Legal Research and Documentation Services

Outsourcing Legal research and documentation tasks will not only save costs but also a significant amount of time. When done the traditional way, these tasks can be time-consuming. 

It is important to remember that without accurate research, building a strong case can be challenging as a result so will making informed decisions. 

Benefits of Outsourcing Legal Research

• Time Saving
• Resource Optimization
• Access to Highly-skilled Experts
• Scalability
• Litigation Support

Types of Tasks

• Case Law Research
• Preparing Legal Briefs
• Reviewing Contracts
• Drafting Documents
• Proofreading and Editing

4. Client Communication Management

To maintain strong client relationships, effective client communication management is vital. Outsourcing client communication tasks helps law firms keep leads and maintain client satisfaction.

Tools Used To Help Maintain Client Communications

• CRM Systems such as Legal CRM Software
• Regular Updates

Benefits

• Improved Client Satisfaction
• Reduced Workload
• Regulatory compliance
• Operational Efficiency 

5. E-filing and Legal Process Support

These legal process support services are necessary for law firms to streamline their operations. These solutions ensure that forms and documents are filed accurately and within the deadlines. Implementing these support solutions reduces risk of errors and delays.

In the modern day, documents and forms are submitted electronically to courts or regulatory bodies. Thus, having e-filing and legal process outsourcing support makes the process faster and more efficient. 

Benefits 

• Reduced Errors
• Time Efficiency
• Compliance
• Focus on Core Business
• Flexibility and Scalability

6. Compliance and Regulatory Support

Compliance and Regulatory support helps maintain integrity, reputation and client trust. This support solution keeps track of any changes and updates firms accordingly. As a result, this helps avoid any kind of penalty or legal action.

Benefits 

• Enhanced Credibility 
• Reduced Risk of Legal Issues
• Improved Customer Trust
• Improved Quality and Productivity

Let’s Talk About The Future Trends of Flexible Legal Support

Legal Industry Trends #1: Legal Process Outsourcing & Remote Work

Remote work has changed the world for the better. With greater flexibility at work, employees are happier resulting in better productivity and quality of work. Moreover, with remote work, companies have access to a greater pool of global talent when looking to recruit. 

Meanwhile, legal process outsourcing companies are on the rise as they are saving firms even more time by doing the recruiting themselves. Each highly trained expert is assigned to each lead according to their needs. 

Legal Industry Trends #2: Digital Advancements

With the ever evolving world, adoption of technologies and remote working practices are not more optional. It’s the best way to stay on top of trends. These advancements are promising greater collaborations, efficiency and productivity. 

As technologies keep evolving, firms will need to adapt to the changes.

Legal Industry Trends #3: Strategic Investments 

Firms will need to make strategic investment in key areas such as legal Technology, security and training of employees. This will require a budget planning for law firms, LPOs or in-house legal teams.

Firms; for instance, are expecting an increase of approximately 6% – 10% in their spend on technology out of their yearly revenue. 

Legal Industry Trends #4: Reliance on Remote Working Software and Collaborative Tools

With AI and Technology collaborating, firms are utilizing these tools to enhance and cross their limited capabilities. These tools will help firms create more client-oriented solutions and help their remote workers feel more part of the team. 

Choose Your Flexible Legal Support Partner Wisely

Needs Assessment

Type of Legal Support: First note down what kind of support you need such as project-based support, administrative support or ongoing legal advice.

Area of Expertise: Then mark down which specific areas you need support in such as drafting contracts, legal research, contract review, proofreading, litigation, etc.

Project Scope: Now, define the scope of the project and set an estimated time/deadline for the project or legal need. 

Budget: Make sure to establish a realistic budget for legal support.

Partner Evaluation

Experience and Expertise

• Qualifications: First you need to search for highly skilled legal experts who have relevant legal experience.
• Specialization: You have to ensure that the service provider or legal partner has expertise in the specific legal area that you need help with. 
• Track Record: Before hiring a candidate or a legal partner, it is mandatory that you research their past performance and client testimonials.

Communication and Collaboration

• Clear communication: when choosing a legal partner clear and effective communication is vital.  
• Responsive: Ensure that they are responsive to your inquiries and needs.   
• Collaboration: Your partner should value teamwork and willing to work closely with your internal teams or other legal professionals 

Pricing and Fees

• Transparency: Before confirming, ensure that the pricing structure is transparent and has no hiddens that might create unnecessary conflicts in the future.
• Flexibility: Hire a partner with flexible pricing models such as  hourly rates, fixed fees, or subscription-based options.  
• Value for Money: Make sure that you are getting quality legal services for your budget and align with your business goals.  

Flexibility and Scalability

• Adaptability: Choose a legal support partner who will be able to adjust to your evolving legal needs, no matter how the project changes or grows. 
• Scalability: eventually you will scale up your business, so ensure that the partner you choose can scale their services up or down depending on your business needs or growth.  

Technology and Tools

It is vital that when choosing a legal partner you make certain that your provider uses modern tools for e-signature, real-time collaboration, and secure communication. These tools need to be able to streamline legal workflows and increase efficiency.

For example, legal spend management software can be used to keep track of your spendings and help maintain a budget. 

References and Reviews

This is the golden rule!

No matter the legal provider you choose to work with, it is mandatory that you ask for references and client reviews to get honest feedback about their experience.

Third party platforms and case studies can also offer valuable insights into the legal partner’s reliability and client satisfaction. 

Why Work With Expert Legal Outsourcing?

Expert Legal Outsourcing, a reputed LPO company, specialises in helping firms by providing legal experts that deliver: 

• 24/7 Availability
• Transparency
• Security & Confidentiality
• Increased Flexibility
• Enhanced Client Satisfaction
• Access To New Markets

They provide an abundance of services that could help businesses or firms succeed.

Their experts are trained to meet clients’ needs. Moreover, they implement strategic approaches which allows firms to manage workloads efficiently without any disruption in the ongoing processes. 

Parting Thoughts

Ambitious law firms need to embrace flexible legal support options in order to stay competitive, agile, and responsive to client demands in an ever-changing market. 

After this guide, we have a clear understanding of Flexible legal support, the growing demand, why business leaders and law firms are choosing this solution.

Furthermore, we discussed the different types of flexible legal support available, the trends circling around this strategy, and how to choose the right legal partner. 

Now that we understand the impact flexible legal support has on businesses, what are you waiting for?

It’s time for you to enhance your business processes and rise in the legal industry.