Clio’s 2021 Legal Trends Report has been released, offering helpful insights for the legal profession. As always, NextChapter wants to highlight a few particularly notable stats the report revealed. Here’s what you need to know.
Clio Legal Trends Report Stats and Facts
The report showed how important trends like remote communication, flexibility, and payment options are staying at top of mind for legal clients. Let’s look at a few key insights:
Flexible communication options
The report found that 79% of respondents saw the option to work with their attorney remotely as an important factor when searching for legal help, which would positively impact their decision to hire someone. This means lawyers should consider offering methods that clients are most comfortable with, from phone calls to video calls to even traveling to the client for a meeting.
Online payments
Today’s consumers strongly prefer the option to pay for services online. When making payments, 66% of consumers prefer online payments, 61% want automated payments, and 61% say they like using a mobile app to pay. Law firms should consider offering some kind of option to make it easier on clients.
Modern technology is used by most law firms
85% of attorneys used some kind of management software, even before COVID-19 hit, and 95% plan to continue using it beyond the pandemic. 58% of law firms say that technology helps them improve their work-life balance. And, these tools are especially common for growing firms, which are 46% more likely to use client intake and CRM solutions.
Texting is continuing to grow
Law firm texting is a big plus for lots of today’s legal clients. 53% of respondents say that texting is a preferred method to use when reaching out to a law office.
Video conferencing is preferred
Over half of respondents (58%) say that they prefer video conferencing for the first meeting or consult, and 61% prefer this format for communications about key decisions.
As law firms continue to embrace technology and pivot because of the pandemic, these trends are likely to stick around for a while. Consumers want flexible options for meetings, document sharing, communication, and payments, and attorneys should offer these methods to stay competitive.
Using a legal software like NextChapter allows you to incorporate client texting, easier intake, document creation and management, and much more. Make sure you’re sustaining a modern practice with the right technology solutions.