The End to the Lawyer?

With new technologies, come new ways to deal with legal issues. Disputes and complaints are being dealt with by online resolution services, draft wills can be downloaded on the internet and strides are being made to introduce electronic signatures in property transactions.

But for the convenience that some of these new process may provide, do they really properly represent fair justice or conclude matters in your best interests? Probably not. At best, it will be a lottery.

There is no substitution for proper legal advice and representation from experienced lawyers who have a duty to act in your best interest and are not simply there to go from A to B. Life should tell you that everyone is an individual and so there are an infinite number of factors that need to be considered in any legal issue. These are human problems that should only be dealt with by humans.

Electronic based processes may take some of the administrative burden away from lawyers to allow them to concentrate on their clients, but they do not and should not replace them. Do you really want to leave some of the most important decisions in your life to a set of code?

That is not to say that there are not alternative methods of dealing with legal issues that can suit you. However, how will know what is best for you unless you have taken independent advice that is tailored to your unique personal circumstances?

To my mind, the end of the lawyer has been greatly exaggerated.