Why this must be the year of the client

After 12 months of wholesale changes to the legal sector, most people in the industry have welcomed 2014 with open arms, embracing the opportunities that this new-look legal industry has to offer.

Even this year won’t be without its challenges, though. Of course, we have the continuous slashing of legal aid fees, but there’s another less obvious matter that should be the top priority for law firms amid this fast-changing landscape: keeping clients centre stage.

In nearly 50 years in law, I have never known such a frenzy of changes, reforms, innovations and cuts – all combining to jolt a profession notoriously averse to change. However, we must not forget or lose sight of the client.

Quite rightly, we are seeing a broader and more sophisticated digital offering in the sector, but it’s not all about the relentless pursuit of doing things faster through ‘open all hours’ services. For some clients, it will bring benefits of ease and it will certainly help some firms to grow work.

But there is a tendency to undervalue the importance of the personal touch in these busy times. Common sense methods that have served the legal profession loyally for countless generations are still valid.

For instance, our clients appreciate the opportunity for face-to-face meetings with their legal adviser. We know this because they tell us so. One of the biggest sources of new work is returning clients and recommendations. These statistics alone speak volumes for the need to invest in client care for the long haul.

Knowing when to use technology is the key. Initial contact may come via a website. In some circumstances, video conferencing between solicitors and clients may be appropriate. However, we mustn’t shy away from the more traditional methods of marketing communications. It’s about achieving balance and understanding our clients and target market.

The industry continues to face a wide range of pressures: to deliver a top quality service under difficult conditions in the pursuit of justice and to make legal services easily accessible to all and of maximum benefit. It’s all time-consuming and challenging. But failure to deliver will be at our peril.

Any legal firms under the misapprehension that we can relax a little now that 2013 is out of the way will be sadly mistaken. Over the next 12 months, I believe we will see further consolidation of the legal sector, with law firm casualties across many disciplines (including some household names) as consumers move away from impersonal legal set-ups towards boutique and niche practices.

There will undoubtedly be countless debates over the best ways to counter the difficulties ahead. But I’m sure that those who, like me, have had the benefit of much experience in the legal sector will agree that there will always be challenges and pressures.

If, throughout it all, we put the client centre stage and listen to their concerns, we will not only survive these difficult times but also emerge stronger than ever before. SJ

David Kirwan is managing partner of Kirwans