Law firms are failing to make the most of converting callers into clients, with only 1.5% of those firms surveyed following up on the initial call from the prospective client.
The Legal Services Communication Report 2018 by Concert is a mystery shopper survey of 30 law firms, with 90 telephone enquiries in total. The purpose was to secure a quotation for work, focusing on three areas – Will writing, residential conveyancing, and debt recovery.
Overall, law firms are failing to optimise opportunities. Just 51% of calls were connected with someone who could assist, meaning almost half of all enquiries were not; and in most cases the onus was firmly placed on the caller to call back.
Read more: Law Firms Failing to Optimise Client Opportunities
Last year, almost a quarter of drivers admitted to using a handheld device while driving to make or answer a call within the previous 12 months. What’s more, 18% admitted to using a mobile phone to check social media and emails or to send a text while driving. These shocking statistics come from the RAC Report on Motoring 2017.
In an effort to stop drivers using their phones in the car, Norfolk Council is testing smart road signs that are capable of detecting phone use by picking up radio signals emitted by mobiles phones during a call. If a signal is detected, then a smart sign further along the road will flash a warning to a driver, telling the driver to stop using their phone immediately. This does not apply to Bluetooth signals, as Bluetooth connected calls are legal in the UK, and the scanner has been designed to distinguish between the radio and Bluetooth signals.
Read more: Smart Road Signs to Catch Drivers Using their Mobiles While Driving
Estate planning is an area of law that requires a lot of careful thought. There are many important matters to address when writing a Will, and a mistake could lead to a dispute arising at a later date. To help ensure your wishes are fully carried out and your estate is administered in the way you want after your death, here are six crucial things to consider when constructing your Will.
1 – Make sure you use an experienced Wills solicitor. Don’t be tempted by the cheap “DIY” Wills you see online or in bookshops – you could end up inadvertently disinheriting loved ones because of some ambiguous wording or causing unnecessary complications for your family after you’ve gone.
2 – Choose your Executors wisely. Often, parents will choose their adult children who have been estranged from each other or have had a turbulent relationship for many years. This is done in the hope that it will bring the siblings closer together as they deal with their parent’s estate. However, this is rarely the case and often causes a great many difficulties and additional expense and delays for the executors and beneficiaries. Make sure your chosen executors know what is expected of them and that they are willing to act as executor. It is better to choose two executors, rather than one, just in case anything incapacitates the sole executor.
In a recent High Court case, Rakesh Gupta claimed that his late mother’s Will, which favoured his younger brother, Naresh, was invalid due to lack of knowledge and approval. The Court found in favour of Naresh on the basis that, when considering the facts of the case, no suspicious activity had surrounded the creation or approval of the Will.
Their parents had handed over their successful business Rakesh in the 1990s, having purchased a house in which they lived with Naresh and his young family.
Their parents had ‘mirror’ Wills drawn up in 1998. Both Rakesh and Naresh were named as executors but the terms of the Wills favoured Naresh – the family home and a significant cash sum was left to him. Aside from small legacies left to their grandchildren, the rest of Mr and Mrs Gupta’s estate was to be equally divided between their two sons.
Read more: Knowledge and approval claim fails in contested Will case
With England one game away from the World Cup Final, the country is overjoyed at the success England have had so far.
According to a survey conducted by Viking-Direct, 46% of England fans say they would call in sick on the Monday if England win the World Cup on Sunday. How can employers minimise the number of unauthorised absences during the day of the Final, and the day afterwards?
Both Lidl and Aldi have pledged to close all their stores in England at 3pm on Sunday should England be in the final. The early closure will allow their employees to watch the game without having to call in sick or take a day’s holiday.
Read more: Employers and Flexibility for the World Cup Final
