A Solicitors Regulation Authority Report has found that unbundling legal services could make legal help more affordable for those on low incomes and increase the client base for law firms. Unbundling is a process where the tasks that make up a service are divided between the consumer and provider, allowing clients to carry out some of the less complex areas themselves, reducing the overall cost and retaining control over how quickly their matter progresses. The research aimed to identify any regulatory barriers that stop the process of unbundling.
There were concerns over the work that clients took on – solicitors worried that that they weren’t always capable of doing it within the necessary timelines. Other issues raised related to insurance and negligence claims, and the need for new technology to help manage the process.
Other findings from the survey were that not all consumers or providers understood the concept of unbundling and therefore do not look for this type of service, nor offer it. Firms do not advertise unbundling as a matter of course – even when they say that they would like to expand their unbundled services work – because they do not always have the resources to provide it.