As the social web gains more attention and usage by businesses more and more creative usage of the technology will be discovered throughout 2009.Virtual practices for numerous market segments are gaining momentum as business leaders begin to recognize the opportunities to reduce cost without sacrificing market presence, customer service and revenue growth opportunities.
Stephanie Kimbro writes: My predictions for virtual law practice in 2009:
1. Attorneys will continue to question web-based, hosted software providing law practice management tools. However, companies providing saas legal products will band together to establish standards regarding the security of their products for the benefit of the legal profession and the reputation of the companies and the saas business model.
2. The ABA will more forward with proposing standards or policies for the delivery of legal services online. The Elawyering Task Force as well as the Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services will both play a critical role in establishing these guidelines.
3. Attorneys hit hard by the downward economy will seek out ways to minimize their law practice overhead using technology. Some will use piecemeal software solutions to minimize overhead in law office administrative tasks. Others will consider opening completely web-based VLOs to get rid of the law office lease and expand their client base statewide or nationwide depending on their practice areas.
4. More attorneys will realize that customer service is the key to growing a successful practice and that the public is demanding more efficient and convenient legal services through the use of technology. This will prompt more attorneys to provide unbundled legal services online to clients either as the sole form of virtual law practice or in addition to their traditional law office practice
Beside law practices we will see emerging trends for use of virtual offices, virtual assistance and virtual services from other service oriented market segments such as real estate, accounting, consulting and numerous others.We will endeavor to share with you examples and specifics as we report throughout the year on these emerging trends.
Will you adopt similar practices and lead your industry or will you follow as others pave the way. The choice is yours.
