As our clients’ businesses seek to adapt to ever increasing market challenges, so must the services they retain. It is often difficult for someone in business to know how to choose the right legal services, but the preferred law firm should be the one that strives to understand his particular situation.
Clients should look for the solicitor (and firm) that:
- is innovative – legal services should not be static as our service is our defining quality, not just our knowledge. It is vital to engage with a client in the delivery of our service, be it through greater access to us using technology or by providing bespoke services that fit with a client’s business (e.g. in-house workshops);
- is flexible – being flexible is not just a question of responsiveness but also pricing. Our clients’ businesses have had to take steps to secure and retain work and the legal services sector is no different;
- is value adding – a solicitor should be willing to go the extra distance for their client and continue to be relevant to their client’s needs. This will require the innovative solicitor to think outside the box to deliver solutions and not merely legal advice;
- is technically accomplished – clients expect this as a given but, as we know from other walks of life, quality is variable and legal directories should be used to check this;
- asks the right questions – above all else, the most important skill for a solicitor is to find out what the client actually wants and deliver practical and commercial solutions. A solicitor should help a client identify and understand what they are looking to accomplish and what is involved. You should not fit a square peg into a round hole, just like a solicitor should not push one legal service if it is not relevant to the client’s needs.
The services offered by Barlow Robbins have continued to adapt to our clients’ needs. Whilst engaging with our clients and understanding their needs, we have increasingly taken new approaches with our fees (introducing increased elements of proportionate risk and reward) and sought to allow greater accessibility to our tailored services.
At the forefront of our minds we should remember that not all clients are the same, just like not all solicitors or law firms are the same. The right service to offer is that which is wanted by the client. As easy as it is for a solicitor to forget, the work we do is not about us, it is about achieving our client’s needs.
