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Freelance Legal Services

February 10, 2019

The ever-growing trend of freelance services across a multitude of creative industries is starting to set foot in the legal field, offering new opportunities for both solicitors and their clientele.

Who Are Freelance Lawyers?

The path of a freelance solicitor often goes hand in hand with risks of financial instability as well as competition with well-established law firms. This is where, despite their immense popularity in the modern job market, the stigma of viewing freelancers as lacking in the corporate setting comes from. Upon a closer look, however, these risks and stigmas are what keep many legal professionals from pursuing a full-time freelance career, instead opting for it as an additional income source or waiting until they have a decent baggage of credentials. With the high standards of becoming a self-sustainable legal expert, rest assured, corporate experience and professional service is a given when hiring a freelance solicitor.

The Pros and Cons of Freelance Services

Given how closely the corporate and freelance legal spheres are intertwined, it all comes down to which of the options is more efficient and beneficial to the client.

Lesser Costs

Without a doubt, hiring a freelancer will save you additional financial costs attributed to full-time employment or company services and allow you to pay only for the task at hand. Given how costly legal fees can be, freelance lawyers can be more flexible by choosing their own hourly rate or evaluate their services on a case-by-case basis and work out what will best accommodate your wallet.

Specialised Services

With the advances in online work markets, clients now have full control in choosing who to work with and easily find professionals with particular skill sets required for their legal matter, whether it’s business or a personal case in need of expert guidance.

Flexibility and Availability

Having the ability to choose their own work hours and clients, freelance lawyers can manage their workload and prioritise tasks more efficiently, which results in completing more work in time and often being available for their clients at odd hours through online communication.

Risks

In the past, working with freelance specialists was risky for lack of guaranteed quality and liability. Employers would have to invest in lengthy agreements that would protect them from inadequate services and potential losses. Today, most of such risks have been eliminated by intermediary online platforms, which ensure a unified, legal and efficient form of professional collaboration.

Takeaway

The advance of modern technologies is pushing legal service providers to find new ways of reaching out and providing legal aid to the consumers. With the increasing amount of freelance legal services, which is expected to keep growing, independent solicitors have become a promising addition to the industry as an alternative, accessible and efficient way of seeking professional legal advice.

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The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. The author is an Italian lawyer specialising in international trade law. If you require any further information about the services offered by our team, click here or call us on +44 203239 9065.

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