When Renee and I started Kare Lawyers two years ago, we inadvertently crashed a party we did not even know was starting.

There is a buzz surrounding legal services at the moment.  Everyone is talking about “AI”, “New Law”, “Digital Disruption” and similar ideas.   It seems that there are a plethora of boutique law firms emerging promising to do things differently.

Of course, these ideas are not limited to the law.  We are all hearing about the impact of digital disruption in various industries.

It is an exciting time and we have met some wonderful lawyers who are engaged and motivated to improve things.  However, the question is often asked even among ourselves – what does this all mean for consumers of legal services?

The impact of innovation in legal services depends on the area of law.  I think the most exciting development is the increase in consumer choice.

My friend Andrea at Law Right is investigating and developing digital legal products to improve access to justice.  That is where I see the most potential.  Every lawyer encounters clients with legitimate claims which are not commercially viable.  Andrea is looking at ways to ensure that those clients do not miss out.  This is particularly relevant for the most vulnerable people in our community.

Some firms are offering contract “in house counsel” type services for small and medium business.

We decided to offer fixed fees rather than the more traditional hourly rate.  We see this as a better way of calculating value and our clients seem to agree.

More and more lawyers are leveraging technology to reduce overheads and improve value for their clients.  The challenge we face is finding a happy medium between using technology for the more routine tasks and not as the primary interface with our clients.  Nothing beats the reassurance of knowing there is a lawyer rather than a robot on the phone.

Legal practice is evolving in many ways not just in the use of technology.  It is a brave new world but overall I can only see benefits for consumers.