Today, the legal sector is a fast-paced and evolving sector where the competition for talent...
Today, the legal sector is a fast-paced and evolving sector where the competition for talent is fierce. Whether you're struggling to close the skills gap, meet project deadlines, or scale your firm, these pain points can set you back from progressing. If you're facing any of these challenges, don't worry, there is a solution - and it comes in the form of legal process outsourcing.
There are many benefits of outsourcing legal services, from it being a great way to save time and money and access a broader range of legal expertise. In this blog, we'll explore some of the main advantages of outsourcing recruitment within the legal space. However, before we delve into that, first, let's answer the question what is legal process outsourcing?
Legal process outsourcing (LPO) involves law firms utilising the services of external contractors and third-party companies to handle specific responsibilities typically carried out by the internal legal team and its attorneys.
Outsourcing legal services is a common recruitment-based practice by law firms, who turn to the process to counter time-consuming and labour-intensive tasks such as extensive research being delegated to paralegals, document reviewers, or trainees. By adopting this strategy, businesses can effectively address various legal challenges that arise daily, promoting efficient productivity.
Below are some of the everyday tasks firms will outsource to support their legal efforts.
Additionally, the legal outsourcing approach enables law firms and businesses requiring legal support to save time and financial resources, enabling them to prioritise their clients’ requirements whilst enhancing their service quality and reputation. Typically, legal process outsourcing involves a contractual agreement between the company needing the outsourced legal talent and the service provider or contractor.
Now that you understand what legal process outsourcing is, it's time to look at the benefits of outsourcing recruitment.
From its cost-effectiveness to its flexibility, there are many reasons why so many firms turn to the solution of legal outsourcing recruitment to support their hiring needs and internal challenges. We've outlined five of the most significant benefits of outsourcing legal services.
One of the main benefits of outsourcing legal services is that it can save firms a significant amount of money. But how?
Well, the main reason behind this is that outsourcing firms typically have lower overhead costs than in-house legal departments. This is because an outsourced legal talent isn't an official employer; they work on behalf of your firm, typically via a legal services agency. Therefore you don't have to consider the costs for things like office space, equipment, training, and benefits that you would usually offer a full-time employee - the service provider or independent legal contractor covers this.
When you partner with an outsourced legal service provider, you essentially only pay for the time you need the support for or the duration your internal budget can afford. So rather than expending your finances on a permanent hire whose full-time assistance you don't necessarily need, outsourcing legal services is an ideal solution if you have a tight budget or only need to make a temporary hire.
Suppose your resources are limited, and you don't have the funds to keep up with the latest technology within the legal sector. In that case, a legal outsourcing provider can give your in-house team access to industry-leading technology. From providing investigative tools to high-end data storage services and software, legal process outsourcing can help your firm become more efficient and effective when dealing with clients.
As an example, an LPO company could introduce you to the latest technology that helps protect sensitive documents, ensuring your confidential information is kept safe. Another example could be if your law firm doesn't have a timekeeping system. You could outsource this task to a company specialising in timekeeping software to improve your firm's efficiency. All of this and more can be achieved through outsourced legal recruitment.
Using external legal personnel can help you expand your internal team, overcome your hiring challenges and reduce the turnaround time for critical legal projects.
From a recruitment perspective, legal process outsourcing often comes with a shorter hiring time because outsourcing firms have a large pool of qualified candidates equipped with the specific skills you need and ready to join your business as soon as you need them. An LPO can quickly and efficiently screen and interview candidates and onboard them into your firm at a moment's notice.
Additionally, suppose your legal firm is falling behind on a deadline for a specific project. In that case, an LPO provider can connect you with a legal contractor to pick up the project and get it completed in time.
Moreover, legal outsourcing services work around the clock and have access to offshore professionals across the globe. So an offshore legal team can work on your project outside your regular office hours to finalise the assignment ahead of your deadline - saving your team the time of working out of hours and the worry of failing to hit your deadlines. Additionally, with legal talent working around the clock, your firm has the potential to support more clients and take on more projects.
Let's say you're looking to temporarily fill a skills gap or don't have the resources to support internal training and upskilling schemes. In a scenario like this, outsourcing legal work to external specialists can give you access to a broader pool of trained professionals who have the specific skill sets, experience, and industry expertise you need within your firm.
As mentioned, LPO firms will have access to global professionals within the offshore legal recruitment space. So instantly, by turning to a legal outsourcing provider to support your internal team, you will be met with a wider talent pool that you may not have previously had access to or been aware of.
Typically, legal contractors and talent working for an LPO firm will have at least the same, if not more, experience than many of your full-time employees. They will be familiar with the assignments you require their support for, no matter how niche. Their deep knowledge, skills, and industry expertise will allow them to fit seamlessly into your business and immediately impact your operations.
One final advantage of legal process outsourcing is that it is a flexible solution for firms. For example, you may only require the support of a legal advisor for a set period of time, let's say six months. In this case, you could utilise the services of a contractor via an outsourced legal services provider to fill your contract position for the duration of six months. That's the beauty of legal outsourcing recruitment; it gives you the flexibility to pick and choose whom you need when you need them and for how long.
The flexibility of outsourcing legal services also reduces the risk of you making a poor hire. Of course, sometimes firms will make the wrong hire, either because the candidate is not qualified for the position or the position is not a good fit for the candidate.
With legal outsourcing services, you have the flexibility to let the contractor go or once the temporary contract is over. So again, whether it's six months or even six days, you can part ways with the individual without the hassle of going through the exit processes involved in a permanent hire.
More often than not, the legal contractor will exceed your expectations leaving you wanting to utilise their services in the future. With outsourced legal recruitment, you have the flexibility to do just that by simply renegotiating another deal with the provider or independent contractor.
In many ways, the flexibility outsourcing legal services provides almost allows you the chance to trial-run talent before making a long-term commitment, reducing the chances of making a long-term hiring decision that doesn't meet your needs.
There are many reasons why your business needs legal process outsourcing, from it being a cost-effective and flexible solution that saves your company time while allowing you to connect to the latest tech and access a wider talent pool. So, if you're looking to take advantage of the benefits we’ve delved into in this guide, there’s never been a better time to consider using legal process outsourcing to support your firm.
Whether you're looking to fill a temporary contract vacancy, close a skills gap or scale your business, we can help you bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. We work with clients and candidates within the global legal recruitment space, taking a partnership approach to match you with the best talent on the market.
To discover more about how our consulting service can help your firm grow, get in touch today.
