From our perspective at LawCover, the latter appears to be the answer. To have a successful practice in 1999, partners of firms must not only be good lawyers but also astute business people, good people managers and have well-honed marketing skills. We now practise in a highly competitive, consumer-oriented era. Advancements in communication and office technology have enabled lawyers to provide services to clients on a global basis. However, there are down sides to these developments.
Modern technology separates people and decreases human interaction.
It also increases clients' expectations about the quality and delivery of legal services which can be offered, irrespective of time-zone differences. The fact is that lawyers employed in our big city legal firms have never worked harder or longer. At all levels in the company, from first-year graduates to the managing partners, they can expect to work into the night or over the weekend frequently. Fortunately, for overworked solicitors who make mistakes, the potential outcomes are not as disastrous as they are for medical practitioners. High burnout and staff turnover rates are not restricted to the large city firms.