Someone once said to me, ‘there isn’t enough room for lots of people who aren’t doing an actual job’. We were talking about the divorce ‘industry’ and specifically the role of divorce consultants. I was trying to persuade them that consultants had a valuable role in guiding clients and adding value where lawyers couldn’t. More particularly, I was trying to introduce them to a good networking opportunity. They didn’t agree.
I’m not saying I was right (I was - obviously, I was) but what’s interesting is how quickly the role has evolved and how central a good divorce coach/consultant is to any balanced team. Even the big boy lawyers are referring to them (and seriously competing for the referral back).
Next up - AI.
Together with a respected divorce consultant, AI can deliver accessible practical, emotional and legal help at a fraction of the cost of lawyers. The army of consultants are getting organised - unafraid to access the help their clients need through AI, mostly recognising their limitations and referring on anything that needs legal input from qualified lawyers.
The result? There are new options for people who are separating. Cheaper options than lawyers. Less corporate options than lawyers. Help, guidance and advice from people who may have been through what they are going through. Who speak a more compassionate language.
Lawyers need to stay agile and accept their evolving place in the eco system of divorce professionals. Indignant and patronising responses won’t keep them relevant. Fear of being usurped won’t stop it happening. They need to look at what they’re offering and how it’s being delivered. A movement away from the billable hour is inevitable - not to fixed fees based on hours spent, but fees based truly on value delivered. The value of our relationships with the court staff, our experience of processes and the careful balance of when to push for an outcome and when to let things go.
We’re not there yet, but maybe clients will react well to a payment structure whereby they pay a monthly sum, to have senior legal guidance on hand as well as hourly rates for more junior input preparing statements and correspondence. This works for solicitors as well and encourages senior lawyers to maximise their time away from billing targets.