A Closer Look at Subscription Legal Services
Due to the onset of digital availability on-demand, many law firms have tried to keep up with the times and have begun offering a variety of services to make the lives of their clients easier. One of the services offered online is subscription legal services. It works by allowing you to seek consultation for any legal needs several times per month depending on your plan, then charge you monthly for their services.
Some companies provide unlimited legal advice and emergency legal assistance for small businesses at any time of the day. While others have an hourly or transaction limit per month. Still, others specialize in serving business entities to prepare documents or settle contract disputes during their subscription period.
While these services can provide plenty of conveniences for the clients, several downsides may arise from them. Here are some drawbacks that you may get from subscription legal services to determine if it is what you or your company need from a law firm.
No Specific Lawyer Assigned
Since subscription legal services offer various consultation plans for the duration of your agreed period, you can expect to interact with different lawyers each time you call with a request. It means that the attorney who handled the contract for your new vendor may not be the same for your next new vendor.
It can be considered a downfall since you might have to explain your needs each time you call for legal assistance. It may take a lot of time for the discussions instead of moving forward to immediately act on your needs. Additionally, it is highly likely that you will work with someone who has less experience than a seasoned attorney and some lawyers may be more skilled than others in the particular legal matter you have. Unless the legal service provider allows you to make a specific request for your favorite attorney, you may have no chance of working with them in a future case.
Lack of Personal Touch
While subscription legal services are readily available anytime you need legal help, it may not be the best option for you if you want personalized services. It will be difficult for you to form a professional relationship with the legal service provider, unlike the one that you may enjoy with traditional law firms.
If you sign up for a subscription service, they will most likely treat you like a “number” rather than a living, breathing business. Their responses may come from a template, which may not provide the exact outcomes you expect from a legal service provider.
Share Time with Other Clients
Since this revenue concept relies on volume, the service is constantly adding new members. Therefore, if they have over 500 clients but only have 20 lawyers under their firm, it could be impossible for them to operate seamlessly. Even if only half of these clients called at the same time, the lawyers would find it hard to accommodate everyone properly.
These lawyers might have to devise a quick fix to solve your legal problem instead of providing an in-depth solution that could benefit your organization. As a result, you may not get the right solution that you deserve during each consultation.
Are Subscription Legal Services Better than Traditional Law Firms?
Some individuals and businesses may prefer subscription legal services because they can get assistance from a legal professional anytime and anywhere. It also allows them to afford to hire a lawyer since the subscription comes with fixed rates.
However, you need to remember that subscription legal services cannot provide a reliable lawyer-client relationship, unlike what you may enjoy with a traditional law firm. Some law offices, like the ones run by Atty. Craig Ching values professional relationships. The firm’s head strictly follows his philosophy of building client trust and forging better communications between both parties. His terms are flexible and reasonable, and unlike many attorneys, he takes the necessary time required to understand your needs. If he can not help you, he will try to steer you to someone who can.
Craig believes that the clients’ trust and confidence may streamline the process to address all the legal risks and liabilities before it can cause a major disaster. These traits are not typically present in a subscription legal service.
Why not schedule a free “get acquainted” call? Call today or complete the contact form below.