LawBid Appoints Manager for Scotland

UK News

21
Jul
2017

Editor

LawBid, the subscription-based business development system for solicitors, has appointed Edinburgh communications specialist Simon Walton to oversee roll out of the service.

Currently there are member firms in Scotland’s four major cities, and all across England & Wales. Mr Walton has set an ambitious remit to grow both public awareness and legal community membership during the coming year. 

Launched in 2016, LawBid is designed to address the issue, identified by a recent Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) report*, that only around one fifth (22%) of clients seeking legal advice made any prior comparison between service providers.  

In their own report, the Law Society of England and Wales** observed that “business as usual is not an option for many, if indeed any, traditional legal service providers. Innovation in services and service delivery will be a key differentiating factor.” LawBid provides an innovative online tool for introducing solicitors and clients to each other, broadening the potential business base for legal firms, and giving clients much greater choice.  

Mr Walton said that ease of use was crucial in the digital age. “Individuals and businesses expect a comprehensive service provided online, from searching for a solicitor to instructing one. LawBid easily connects solicitors with relevant clients, so that firms do not miss out on opportunities to win business online, and clients overcome the issue of stating their case repeatedly, something that’s clearly daunting and time consuming.” 

Kid Harwood, the founder and managing director of LawBid, whose background is with a Manchester and Midlands based law practice, welcomed Mr Walton to the team. He said he was confident that the service would rapidly gain membership interest from the legal community and attract clients hitherto dissuaded by concerns such as time, complexity and cost.  

Mr Harwood said that uncertainty was a problem for both solicitors and clients alike. “There is growing evidence that the legal sector can benefit from being more transparent with pricing and services. Similarly, it’s not always possible to predict costs without information about the case. LawBid allows solicitors to ascertain all the details needed, before estimating a price for the work. That way, they can be clear and transparent with clients from the outset.”