Law Society Legal Aid Conference 2015: 19 March 2015 ROGER SMITH

Technology and legal aid❖ Legal aid is being cut.❖ Digital delivery is

developing in at least five distinct ways.

❖ Any chance of linking the two?

Law is national: technology is global - there are lessons abroad.

1. The Spread of virtual legal practice

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Using electronic communication, the web, document assembly, fixed

fees, unbundling, online communities, specialist perspectives (eg

dads or mums online), links with online communities.

Unlocking the ‘latent legal market’, linking with ABS and de-

regulation.

Bringing down the price.

Professional Legal Advice Online.

Slater & Gordon Lawyers offers expert legal advice for all your legal matters – on- and off-line.

2 From static information to dynamic advice

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Information that is moving to interactivity and, where allowed, to individualised advice

(integrated with face to face options)

Rechtwijzer 1.0

MyLawBC

Advicenow.org.uk

(adviceguide.org.uk)

Search our site

A to Z index England home Benefits Work Debt and money Consumer Relationships Housing Law and rights Discrimination Tax Healthcare Education

Advice from Citizens Advice Brings you the self-help information you need to solve your problem

http://www.advicenow.org.uk/

3. The potential of guided legal processes

❖ Avatars get real.

4. Maximising the interface with skills

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Pleading not guilty Have you decided to plead not guilty? This video provides information about going to court and pleading not guilty. It will show you: • how to prepare for court • what to do and say at the mention, including where to

stand, and what to say to the magistrate or registrar • how to work out who will give evidence to support your

case.

LawAssist - Pleading not guilty

5 The Potential of end to end services: Rechtwijzer 2.0, Civil Resolution Tribunal (BC), Susskind

Possible modules (Rechtwijzer):

1. Diagnosis and Information (intended to be free);

2. Intake (intended as fee-based);

3. Dialogue between the parties (free);

4. ‘Trialogue’ - an opportunity for online mediation [or could be legal advice] (fee-based);

5. External online review (fee based).

6. Online adjudication if required (fee based also and conceived as part of the ‘trialogue’);

7 ‘After care’

Caveat 1: to government

Caveat 2: sometimes you cannot beat printA reminder from Connecticut.

Caveat 3: digital exclusion❖ Digital inclusion and exclusion - physical, skills and cultural.

❖ The challenge of mobile.

❖ Exclusion more likely to be lack of skills (IT, language, cognitive) than physical

❖ Pockets of exclusion in some communities in population - elderly, immigrant, for UK those with a disability.

❖ Research reports 14 per cent of UK users would prefer not to use the internet (Oxford Internet Survey).

❖ Cannot assume in UK more than 50 per cent access in lowest income groups. Digital needs integration with face to face - both internally and externally.

The consequences for legal aid❖ Can digital delivery be useful for legal aid’s traditional

clients?

❖ Can digital delivery reduce costs sufficiently to encourage the reappearance of government in legal services to the poor?

❖ Can private practice reinvigorate itself through new ways of incorporating digital delivery?

❖ How possible are ‘end to end’ legal services for small claims?