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25 January 2007 / Eddie Ryan
Issue: 7257 / Categories: Features , Profession
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The unmet need

Consumer demand will drive the Co-operative Group’s legal services venture, says Eddie Ryan

As far as most individuals are concerned they would be perfectly happy to go through life without ever having to instruct a solicitor or other legal professional.

This is because obtaining legal services is, on the whole, a purchase of necessity or of distress. Circumstances either compel people to use a lawyer’s services so, for example, all the work on a house move can be completed—if the necessary legal work was not completed there would be no new house to enjoy; or people turn to lawyers because something has gone wrong—maybe their family is breaking up, they have been involved in an accident, or they have been arrested. No one wakes up in the morning and thinks: “Today I am going to buy some legal services.”

Since this is the reality of the market-place lawyers operate in, legal providers need to do all they can to ensure their clients get the best possible service, delivered in the most efficient and customer-focused

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Flint Bishop—Charlotte Harris

Flint Bishop—Charlotte Harris

Sheffield expansion continues with appointment of commercial property partner

Browne Jacobson—Paul Duggan

Browne Jacobson—Paul Duggan

Browne Jacobson strengthens banking and finance practice with latest partner appointment Paul Duggan

Ward Hadaway—Chris Piggott

Ward Hadaway—Chris Piggott

Employment partner joins Ward Hadaway

NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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