Solicitors leave staff to cope with e-mails

Solicitors are having less direct involvement with e-mails by passing on the responsibility for dealing with them to other members of staff, research has revealed.The legal services Web site, Interactive Law, spoke to 200 solicitors and found that 60% of them relied on staff to deal with e-mails.A spokesman for the company said this reflected the fact that solicitors wanted to get on with the legal work in hand, while owner Adrian Miles added: Many solicitors leave anything computer-based to their PAs but they must learn to embrace technology themselves.This arms-length approach to technology is reflected in findings that 55% of solicitors maintain they lack essential IT skills and knowledge.

Its encouraging that such a high number are aware of it, said legal IT consultant Delia Venables.The Internet can do a tremendous amount for solicitors, but the training in law firms is inadequate it should be an ongoing thing, but usually consists of a two-day course at most.Despite such statistics, Ms Venables said the use of technology in law firms was still increasing and that developments were moving quite fast.The continuing growth in theon-line marketplace has directly affected Interactive Law, which has received two offers to buy thecompany.

One potential buyer is a US-based publisher hoping to expand into Europe and the other is UK-based.A spokesman for the Web site said nothing further could be revealed at present as the cards are on the table and any disclosure may jeopardise the bid.

LINKS: www.interactive-law.co.ukwww.venables.co.ukAndrew Towler