The world is experiencing constant change. From the volatile political spectrum to shifts in the global economy, emerging technologies, industries and more, it already looks a very different place from ten years ago. It’s no different for the legal sector, which along with experiencing the introduction of new laws and bills, has other factors to deal with.

In the future there are various elements that could further impact on legal services. As RSM lays out, such timing disruptions can see things change quickly. A stepping stone strategy, whereby small changes are made on a gradual basis, should help many legal services adjust to deal effectively with what the future holds.

Embrace Technology

Technology is changing the way individuals, businesses, governments and everyone lives and works. The legal sector is not exempt from that and already there are numerous examples of the impact it has had. One of the main ones is through communication, with clients and colleagues this is now mostly done via email and video calls, rather than written letters, face to face meetings and phone calls.

As technology continues to advance, those working for legal services need to adopt all relevant, new technologies and use them effectively. These can range from using big data analysis for legal purposes to preparing systems that can automate the process of drafting documents for different clients.

Then there’s the rise of smartphones and the importance of tapping into that market. Mobile apps can be utilised to provide affordable and simple legal solutions, beneficial to both clients and law firms. Developing and implementing this will take time though.

React to Economic Pressures

Many corporate and financial companies are still suffering somewhat from the global financial crisis and slowdown, including legal services. As an effect of this, a lot of clients are now doing their best to cut spending, scrutinising bills and attempting to get more for their money. Due to this, some legal services have begun to outsource legal work to places where costs are cheaper.

There are also emerging markets that offer good opportunities for growth, which has led many legal companies to open new offices overseas. These are stepping stone strategies, building up to such moves based on analysis, research and planning, in preparation for a big shift in the industry.

Open New Skills Opportunities

The overwhelming influence of technology is the main point that suggests there will be a greater need for legal services to start hiring employees with different skillsets. Technical staff who can introduce and educate around using new technologies, develop fresh processes and systems that will advance the company could be seen across all legal services in the future.

With the growing use of big data as well, hiring people with strong analytical skills will become more common in the legal services industry. This means that recruitment departments need to adjust and plan ahead to prepare for changes internally and with their strategies for finding and attracting new staff from different walks of life.

Stepping stone strategies should be used effectively as legal services advance and adapt for the future challenges and opportunities they will experience.