The legal marketplace in experiencing significant change. In this presentation we consider the drivers of this change, why we as lawyers and law firms need to change and why, in this changing marketplace, processes such as Collaborative Practice are thriving for family lawyers.

3. 1. Change is upon us but what
is driving this change?
2. Do we need to change?
3. Why are processes such as
Collaborative Practice
thriving in this market?

5. 1. Marketplace driven
– Clients are seeking
‘Value’
2. Technology driven
– Information age
– The rise and rise of
social media
3. Changing of the guard in
the Profession

7. ALPMA study
this year-
•Almost 50% of clients
demanded better value
from their lawyers.
•Despite this, only 18% of
firms reported a major
focus on changing their
pricing strategy

8. What do our
clients want?
Are they buying an
‘experience’ & ‘relationship’
before information?

9. Tell me about
technology!

11. From this to this….

12. The rise & rise of
social media
It was noted by the
President of the Law
Council of Australia in
February 2013 that
technological changes in
law & firms were a
fundamental shift in our
profession. This
included the use of
social media.

13. Changes from within!
As the profession changes
in age, values & skills we
are all having to change!

14. Better Health
Recent research suggests that 1
in every 3 of us will suffer
depression during our career.
2011 paper- ‘The Pace of
change in the Australian Legal
Industry’ attributed this to
poor work life balance & stress
associated mostly with meeting
billable targets. It was
suggested we need to remove
the stigma associated with
suffering depression.

15. What do you think is
driving change?
Improvement to Psychological health and
well-being of legal professionals: In March
2014, the National Attrition and Re-
Engagement Study (NARS) found that
50% of women, and 1/3 of men in the legal
profession were bullied or intimidated at
some point in their legal career.
Shortly following, the Tristan Jepson
Memorial Foundation Guidelines were
published (May 2014), to promote healthy
workplace practices and reduce the rate of
depression in the legal profession.

16. • ALPMA also reports
that non-lawyer staff
are playing a
significant role in
driving change within
law firms. To use their
precise words:
• “Progressive firms
identify and respect
the skills of the non-lawyers
amongst
them and ensure they
apply the right people
to the right situation.”

18. m

20. Collaborative Practice
1. Creates value for clients beyond
what most traditional legal
processes are able to provide.
2. Enables practitioners to be
creative problem solvers in a
team environment that is free
of most of the stressors often
associated with traditional legal
processes.

21. What is Collaborative
Practice?
Perhaps it is really just a fancy
name for a ‘structure’?

22. The 5 stages of a
Family Law Matter?
• Diagnose
• Gather Information
• Educate
• Resolve
• Document

23. Collaborative Practice
simply ensures that
your client & their
spouse & even your
opponent are moving
through each of those
stages together and
working towards
common goals (legal
and non-legal).

24. The common
misnomers-
1. I do this everyday!
2. Why would I sign a contract
that ‘gives’ away a client?

25. A central difference
between CP and
other legal processes
is the focus on the
clients interests &
values.
The ‘juice’ not
‘the orange’

26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF_5NXVX3zk

27. Thank You!