Students participating in the University of Lincoln’s Graduate Skills Builder programme have submitted a report of their market research project to Team Lincolnshire member Sills & Betteridge.

The aim of the research was to better understand consumer experiences and perceptions of traditional law firms, and to respond to consumer expectations of such firms to deliver legal services online.

Sills & Betteridge has engaged with the university throughout the academic year and became involved in the research following an 18-month period of experimentation with various digital solutions, including interactive driving and employment law chatbots, led by partner and legal tech enthusiast Andy Kerrigan.

Andy is excited by the prospect of further digital innovation in the firm. “The research supports online engagement as a means of building rapport with clients, and while legal content, insights and case tracking are common on law firms’ websites, provision of actual legal advice and documents online including paid subscription services has, to date, been very much the domain of online-only organisations," he said.

"However, the results of this research support my belief that firms like Sills & Betteridge also need to offer an online facility for some practice areas, as an alternative or additional service.”

While many of the participants to the research project hadn’t used an actual online legal provider for a transaction or for advice, they had consulted various websites for initial advice and signposting on various legal queries.

The most common reasons participants said they would use an online legal service were to resolve their legal issue or draft documents without the intervention of a solicitor, or to complement the service provided by a solicitor.

The students also reviewed the firm’s website and made recommendations about speed and user experience, which the firm has taken forward with the development of its new website which launches this week. Sills & Betteridge is developing a digital agenda for 2020/21 which will look to build on the work already undertaken and will aim to develop practical online resources for our clients.

Andy Kerrigan commented: “There is a gap between the expectation of what law firms might deliver digitally and the limited services currently available. Sills & Betteridge has committed to working on digital projects that are truly accessible and provide practical solutions.

"The input of the students has been invaluable in helping shape our vision. I was particularly impressed with how they adapted to the change in circumstances when lockdown started during the project. The explosion in the use of video conferencing during the lockdown proves the students’ recommendation that we should aim to provide more services and resources via video and video conference platforms. I look forward to continuing to work with the university as we develop our digital strategy.”

Mark Stow, Head of Careers & Employability the University of Lincoln, said “This project is a real exemplar of what we aspired to achieve in instigating the Graduate Skills Builder Initiative. It clearly shows how our students are drawing on their skills and abilities to add real business value to organisations across our region.

"This project had students from multiple degree disciplines including psychology, computer science and business management, all working collaboratively to solve a real business challenge. We are thrilled by the results of this project and would like to thank our employer partners such as Sills & Betteridge for investing their time in this initiative.”