Moving with the times
6 July 2009
The Law & Legal Affairs section of The Scotsman today features Inksters and our ventures online to attract new customers and talk to peers through social networking sites.
Download a pdf of The Scotsman: Law & Legal Affairs - 6 July 2009 (1MB)
In the article Christopher Mackie looks at our web presence:-
"Despite a relatively low profile in office terms, Brian and his small team, have, over their ten years in business, forged an increasingly high profile with some eye-catching innovations in the way they do business and service clients.
Chief amongst those is a whole-hearted embrace of the importance of their website and the possibilities it offers them as woking lawyers. From online payment facilities for clients, to allowing prospective purchasers to register notes of interest on the website the firm has not been scared to use the internet to operate."
He makes reference to our House of Lords case, Moncrieff v Jamieson, and states:-
"The full story of the dispute is listed in fascinating detail on the inksters.com site, just one facet of a web offering that offers what analysts would call "added value" to the firm's clients as well as interested web surfers.
For Brian Inkster, the information and effort put into his firm's site is not just a marketing tool or way of distinguishing his team from their rivals - it represents the future for legal services."
On Inksters use of Twitter, Christopher Mackie comments:-
"The firm's Twitter profile proudly proclaims to be the first by any Scots law firm, and Mr Inkster eagerly reports that he beat legal soothsayer and advocate of technology Richard Susskind to the social network.
"I have been quite surprised by the power of it," he explains. "Not necessarily in connecting with clients and getting work but connecting and networking with other professionals and solicitors. Suddenly the world seems a much smaller place when you are communicating with solicitors in America, or Tel Aviv ... It has a friendly feeling where people are working together."
The article also looks at Inksters membership of QualitySolicitors.com and the debate surrounding alternative business structures (ABS).
On the question of ABS Christopher Mackie comments that Brian Inkster is sceptical on just how drastic an impact the changes would make:-
"How is it going to affect a practitioner providing family law advice going to court, or a crofting lawyer?" he asks. "It might take away an element of domestic conveyancing, because they might set up some sort of mass project.But even so, domestic conveyancing can have a lot of problems involved wih it. It can be a fraught experience for people when they are moving house. They want somebody who has a good handle on what they are doing and can provide clear legal advice."
Read the full article:-
Download a pdf of The Scotsman: Law & Legal Affairs - 6 July 2009 (1MB)