Someone once said “Nobody like changes except a wet baby”. As dawn breaks on Alternative Business Structures, it appears a phrase that many legal professionals are able to relate to. Having been king of the legal castle for centuries, the fortress would appear under threat by giants named Tesco and other such power houses.
But it was Benjamin Disraeli who said “Change is inevitable” and, rather than crying like that wet baby, it should be embraced.
The analogy used in the opening paragraph may have sounded a little fantastical but it is how many look upon those in the legal profession; a daunting and potentially unapproachable service with (be them founded or unfounded) negative associations of expense and self-importance. Alternative Business Structures were borne to dissolve these stereotypes and make legal services more accessible.
While the jury is still out on whether consumers will be comfortable to take out a mortgage at the same time they complete their weekly big shop, the fact remains businesses must adapt in order to survive the change.
Chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel, Elisabeth Davies agrees:
“Consumers are demanding more of their legal providers – the businesses which succeed post-ABS will know what their customers want and deliver services that meet their needs.”¹
Goldsmith Williams are offering a helping hand to embrace this change. Sign up for a free Alternative Business Structures consultation with senior partner, Edward Goldsmith.
¹Law Gazette (Oct 2011)