The private client landscape is shifting, and in its wake are eye-opening client expectation gaps and practice challenges that private client teams cannot afford to ignore.
In the latest Legado report: The Future of Private Client Law, we uncover the significant disconnect between client expectations and the experience that private client law firms currently provide.
The report highlights a widening divide between the expectations of clients and the reality of private client practices:
- While two-thirds of clients consider secure communications “extremely important,” only 20% of solicitors report their firms offering secure channels
- A third of clients experience frustrating delays in case updates, with growing expectations for real-time updates and automated notifications
- Over 50% of solicitors are struggling to manage multiple client interactions effectively with their current tools
- A significant opportunity exists for firms to incorporate secure portals into their client experience, as 90% of clients believe that it would enhance their legal experience
- Despite challenges, two-thirds of solicitors expressed willingness to invest in digital solutions to meet the rising client expectations
These are just some of the numerous challenges and opportunities that Legado’s Future of Private Client Law report brings to light.
Why this matters
For private client legal practitioners, this report is packed with insight into how your clients are looking at your services – and how their perspective often differs from that of the private client firms. Understanding this gap isn’t just interesting – it’s essential for firms looking to improve client satisfaction while streamlining workflows for their fee-earners.
The findings matter for these firms, because they highlight how evolving client expectations, digital service availability, and day-to-day challenges faced by solicitors are reshaping the private client landscape. The firms that understand that change, and are proactive in supporting clients through it, stand to gain significantly in the coming years.
What we discovered
Our research shows that clients increasingly find their experience with private client law firms falling short of expectations. At the same time, firms themselves are finding it more challenging to deliver and manage these client experiences effectively. The report digs into the cited gaps in digital service availability, security of interactions, understanding of actions, and more that make up this experience shortfall.
But there’s good news: the report doesn’t just identify problems – it reveals clear opportunities. Secure digital portals stand out as a significant potential improvement, with 90% of clients indicating such technology would enhance their experience. The report is packed full of insights that inform that forward-looking firm to ready their services for the modern era of client expectations.
From our founder
Josif Grace, Founder and CEO of Legado, highlights the opportunity:
“The challenge facing law firms today isn’t whether they should modernise, but how quickly they can adapt.
The sentiment in the report reflects what we’ve seen in our own legal client base, with firms ranging from Schofield Sweeney to Co-op Legal Services adopting Legado’s digital solutions to give their clients a more modern, intuitive, and secure experience, whilst making that experience more efficient to deliver.
Over time, I think firms like these who are investing in their client-facing technology will establish competitive advantages that will be difficult for others to overcome.”