SERVICES: some young adults would use law firms to source estate agents and insurance


Young adults may want to turn to law firms in the future for more than just legal help, according to research published this week.



A survey of 1,000 people aged between 16 and 34 found that more than four in ten would use estate agents sourced through their lawyers, and almost the same number would use insurance services from the same source.



The study, conducted by IRN Research for Central Law Training (CLT), found that there may be a direct link between what kind of legal service 'generation Y' will use and what extra products law firms offer to attract them.



The young adults surveyed also said that they valued ease of contact, cost of service and speed of delivery over face-to-face contact and having local offices. The most important factor, however, when choosing a legal adviser is their experience and qualifications.



Richard Barnett, head of bulk conveyancer Barnetts Solicitors, told the Gazette that the report does not mean law firms can sit on their laurels. He agreed that it proves some Internet-age rules for post-Clementi law firms.



'Ease of access, reputation and price are all factors, as is the ease of delivery by the law firm,' he said. 'The "Y" generation is becoming more used to buying on and communicating via the Internet - firms will have to deliver electronically.'



Mr Barnett also agreed that household-name businesses entering the legal market will seek to bundle products, so that 'conveyancing, mortgages and estate agency will be one transaction, albeit split by delivery'.



CLT programme director Simon Dieppe said: 'It is certainly not all doom and gloom for the small and medium-sized law firm. This age group is not usually considered to be a heavy user of legal services, but the survey shows that there are opportunities to sell more to these users.'



Firms need to acknowledge the role that branding plays, he added.



Rupert White