When I was born in 1979, there were 26,000 lawyers in Florida. Back then, lawyers had a job and little debt, and they communicated using phones or letters. Now, there are over 100,000 lawyers in Florida, with many young lawyers having lots of student loan debt. They use iPads and iPhones, and socialize on social media. The biggest problem for the legal profession today is that many people, especially those with moderate incomes, can’t afford a lawyer. Most lawyers are competing for clients who can pay a lot of money, leaving many people without the legal help they need. We can connect lawyers with people who can’t afford legal help by using online platforms. These platforms let people talk to lawyers, get legal documents reviewed, and find lawyers for specific projects. Some of the platforms charge a fee, while others offer free consultations and fixed prices for legal services. This helps more people get the legal help they need. UpCounsel is a place where small and medium-sized companies can find lawyers to help them with legal stuff like contracts and patents. It’s faster and cheaper than going to a big law firm. Many of the lawyers on UpCounsel used to work at those big firms, but now they like the freedom and slower pace of work on this platform. LegalZoom has helped 200,000 people connect with lawyers for help. The CEO says technology won’t replace lawyers, and that it’s important for lawyers to embrace technology. Using online legal platforms can help lawyers find new clients and make more money. Investors have put a lot of money into these platforms. But in Florida, there are some ethics issues that might stop lawyers from working with online legal services. These issues include sharing fees, defining the service as a lawyer referral, and following advertising rules. The Florida Bar is looking at ways to make it easier for people to find legal help online. They might change the rules for lawyers in Florida or partner with a technology company to create an online platform for finding lawyers. This is important because more and more people are using the internet to find legal help. LegalZoom, a popular online legal service, is already taking business away from traditional lawyers. Instead of being afraid of this, lawyers should be more open to using technology to help people with their legal needs. Itâs time for lawyers to embrace change and find new ways to help more people with their legal problems. The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division is led by Gordon J. Glover. They aim to teach their members about duty and serving the public, improve how justice is carried out, and advance the study of law.
Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/online-legal-service-platforms-and-the-path-to-access-to-justice/
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