The ‘cheapest’ products vary hugely between price comparison sites.

News that Moneysupermarket.com plans to add legal business to its online offering is a further landmark on the road to widespread commoditisation of the sector.

‘This is what 21st century, internet-driven consumerism looks like,’ proclaimed legal business guru Professor Stephen Mayson.

Quite so. When two-thirds of Britons use the internet, so-called ‘infomediaries’ were always likely to view this £10bn industry as a natural extension of their market-place. Competitors such as confused.com and gocompare.com will surely follow suit.

Half-year profits at Moneysuper-market have doubled as cash-strapped consumers increasingly look for the best deals on products such as utility bills and mortgages. Soon they could be sourcing legal ‘products’ in much the same way.

However, these sites are far from being some kind of shoppers’ nirvana. A report last month by consumer group Which? found that the ‘cheapest’ products varied hugely between price comparison sites and that, in some cases, it still cost less to buy direct from providers.

All of which will create a dilemma for law firms wondering whether to offer their wares in this way when the opportunity arises. Many will wonder exactly where quality enters the equation.

It is relatively simple to provide a quote for a service, but precisely what that service will incorporate can and does vary widely between providers. The cheapest is not always the best – but will consumers care?