Clients still value face-to-face meetings

Lawyers have been urged not to leave face-to-face communication with clients behind as they emerge from the covid-19 crisis, following a recent survey on divorce trends.

A recent report from financing provider Ampla Finance Legal followed a YouGov survey of 1,005 divorced adults in the UK. The survey explored issues such as the importance of the professional relationship between family law clients and their solicitors, including the continued relevance of face-to-face communications in an increasingly digital age.

According to the report, Londoners expressed the strongest preference for digital methods of communication with their lawyers, while individuals from the North – and in Wales – strongly preferred face-to-face communication.

A key conclusion of the report was that clients still prefer to speak to their family lawyer face-to-face instead of over email or over the phone, but this is quickly changing. It also said firms need to adapt to meet the needs of generations that are more comfortable with technology, particularly for younger people who “are less likely to seek help from independent legal professionals”. The report added: “For the forwardlooking law firm, this means expanding channels of communication and refining digital.”