Together as One

This week, we officially became OneAdvanced , not just in name or brand, but all throughout our strategy. The changes you will start to see are all in service to our goal – powering your world of work. See how we're changing!

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?? How to support modern lawyers

Burnout, stress, and a high-risk environment are very real factors in the world of law and tackling them stands as a priority for law firms. Finding effective ways to alleviate workload pressure not only enhances the well-being of your team but also contributes to the overall success of your firm.

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Supporting modern lawyers is a multi-faceted endeavour, and law firms looking for guidance on how to support their teams should look to a wide range of solutions from ways to reduce pressure such as technology and training, to ways to improve work life balance such as flexible working, or restructuring the way you review your teams.

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Annual reviews have long been the go to choice for law firms but in the interest of supporting staff, is it time to change? With a few different review structures such as continual reviews that all offer their own benefits, the structure that fits best will depend on a firm by firm basis. However, a blended structure with continual reviews and annual reviews may sit as a comfortable middle, providing teams with regular performance updates while also building a document history for the yearly review.

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? In legal this week

The Solicitors Regulation Authority faces backlash as they increase the fees for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) by 5%. The increase comes less than a year after fees were raised by 11% ‘due to inflation’ and following several weeks during which students have expressed concerns about both the delivery and management of assessments. The concerns over the quality of the SQE may soon be addressed however, as the Legal Services Board makes it decision on the SQE which aims to, among other things, develop new and diverse pathways to qualification.

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As the high rate of fails on the SQE continues, law firms have potential to lose high portions of their cohort before even starting, and as such are looking to new solutions. Going beyond setting conditional offers, with some firms recruiting two years in advanced, making a gap year between taking the SQE and beginning work, in a bid to tackle talent shortages. With lawyer priorities changing, focusing more on their work-life balance, and troubles with the SQE, could the sector be on the cusp of another talent shortage? There is hope however as The Law Society unveils its new learning and development steering group, with the goal of improving the way education and training function, as well as providing advice on content and delivery.

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?? Governing body reports

The National Cyber Security Centre has now published their Cyber Threat Report, which focuses on the UK legal sector. With the aim of making the legal sector aware of the threats and how the sector is being targeted.

The Legal Services Board has published its plans to strengthen regulatory oversight. In response to feedback, the LSB will strengthen its direct regulatory oversight capability. This will ensure that the consumer-focused expectations that the LSB has set for the regulators are being met.?

The Office for Legal Complaints has consulted on and published its Business Pan and Budget for 2024/25, with the new strategy already beginning from the 1st of April, the Legal Ombudsman say the report creates a bigger picture of what’s happening in legal services, what’s going wrong, and what needs to change.

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?? Our legal insights

Documents are no doubt at the very core of any law firm, and even a single error within them in its drafting, distribution and execution can lead to costly consequences both in terms of time and profit margin on cases.?Law firms can take away room for human error with effective automation, guides and advice are available to any practices less confident on making the move to efficiency.

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Time capture can be a continual struggle for some law firms with 61% struggling with the capture of billable hours, but where do time recording practices fall down? Unpack the main issues leading to poor time capture and gain insights into how to optimise time recording processes and maximise efficiency.?

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Law firms constantly juggle a wealth of tasks, all while striving to deliver top-notch service to clients. However, inefficiencies can creep in, slowing down processes and hindering productivity. The key to overcoming these challenges lies in embracing the right technology stack, one that seamlessly integrates various systems to create a smooth workflow.

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As the legal industry continues to evolve, we will keep you informed every step of the way.

Remember to stay up to date with the latest trends and developments. Ensuring that your law firm is secure, and your staff and clients are happy.

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