subject: Why Are So Many Law Firms Reluctant To Outsource? [print this page] With so many companies, both large and small, choosing to outsource, the question is why are so many law firms the complete opposite, and reluctant to make the most of outsourcing services?
Outsourcing has been reported to be a crucial part in law firms surviving over the next few years, but with few law companies actually looking to outsource, their future seems uncertain to say the least. In a recent poll, 77% of companies acknowledged the importance of outsourcing, but only 52% of them had ever outsourced any of the companies back office functions.
It seems that legal professionals need to understand how outsourcing can help them, as well as understand that not every part of their role needs to be carried out by them. For example, a lawyer doesnt need to do absolutely everything in their job role, and instead they need to see that they cant possibly continue to provide a high level of legal service whilst also keeping on top of their paperwork and relevant IT developments. Instead, it makes sense to outsource back office work, such as the daily admin they may have, in order to allow legal professionals to do what they do best- legally advise.
Whilst legal professionals are great with their legal advice, they arent business people, and therefore there are third party individuals and companies out there who could carry out a selection of their everyday tasks to a high standard, and for an extremely competitive price compared to that found on the high street.
This is a problem thats evident all over the world, not just in the UK. Outsourcing law firms in countries such as Canada are also few and far between, as a result of being confident they can continue tackling their ever-increasing and ever-developing workloads by themselves.
However, other company types are much more interested in the outsourcing process lightening the load of many companies, whilst also saving them money at the same time. Although some companies are more willing than others, maybe in the future well see more law firms jumping on the bandwagon and making the most out of such a beneficial concept.
Outsourcing is now widely available in the UK, with many websites set up solely for this purpose. Companies are able to post a job on the site, along with the budget they have available for the completion of the task, and then simply wait for bids from freelancers and companies to be received- from all those who have the skills needed to complete the job and are interested in doing so. Additionally, with a free messaging service and payment system available to use, outsourcing sites really couldnt make it any easier for companies to save money.
