Tuesday’s Tip: Adapt to the Changing Legal Marketplace

The legal marketplace is quite different than it was a decade ago. Today’s attorneys are no longer just competing against other local practitioners, they are competing against a global pool of legal talent.

A growing number of legal services are offered by non-lawyers such as paralegals and legal technicians. The Internet has opened the door to a host of online legal providers and services ranging from downloadable self-help legal guides and do-it-yourself kits to fill-in-the-blank legal forms and other legal aids. Virtual law firms and virtual legal assistants are growing in number. Many clients are finding it easier (and less costly) to seek legal help from the Internet than their local law office.

In addition, the advent of legal process outsourcing has spawned a host of legal vendors across the globe. Attorneys and paralegals in India, China, Australia and other countries offer legal services at a fraction of the cost of domestic law firms. From legal research and document management to patent, contract and immigration work, more U.S. clients are sending their legal work to offshore providers.

Lawyers no longer have a monopoly on the law. Your true competition is not just the law office down the street. Therefore, it’s important to think outside the box in delivering legal services, setting fees and meeting client needs.