New QualitySolicitors service remains a mystery

QualitySolicitors has said it will launch a 'change in service delivery', its previously-announced partnership with US-based online giant LegalZoom and a new advertising campaign later this year.

However, there are no details yet of what the new service will be or when the launch will happen.

Craig Holt, co-founder of QS, has been replaced as chief executive by Ian Wheeler and instead will become president. Wheeler has held management and sales positions in companies such as Reed Elsevier, Hertz and Thomas Cook.

Holt told Solicitors Journal that his role was "largely unchanged", but he wanted to spend more time improving the QS legal services offering via its new research and development department.

"The R&D department is responsible for developing new products and initiatives and improving and innovating in the service provided by QS firms," Holt said.

"Its role is to better understand consumer and SME behaviour and 'pain points' when engaging with legal services and to work to make the QS service more desirable."

Holt said the R & D department had identified "significant opportunities", through the application of technology, process re-engineering and unbundling, data collection and analysis.

"The first significant output of the department, due for launch later this year, is a change in service delivery that we believe will successfully address a fundamental issue individuals and businesses have when engaging with legal services," he promised.

Holt said work done in the past six-12 months in preparation for the official launch of the R & D department and of the "new service approach for consumers and SMEs" put QS firms in an excellent position to take advantage of the changing market.

Wheeler said QS had made "impressive progress" in the past three years.

"I've worked in number of industries which have undergone significant change and the legal services sector is no exception," he added.