Legal Aid and Recruitment
As a specialist legal recruiter, I need to ensure I’m always up to date with the latest legislation which will affect the current and future legal landscapes. An area of concern for many at the moment is that of Legal Aid.
Legal Aid is the provision of funding to people who may otherwise be unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. There are several things you may be able to get Legal Aid for and a solicitor would generally make the application on your behalf. There have been a number of changes over the last decade, however, which have resulted in the removal of the automatic right for every solicitors firm to undertake legal aid work and have since replaced it with a contracting regime.
With further cuts casting an unwelcoming shadow across both Criminal and Family disciplines, I thought I would take this opportunity to discuss what this means for law firms across the board. The SRA have published a report highlighting the current risk in the legal services sector and have described what they call market consolidation.
“Market consolidation is the process whereby small firms grow, merge or exit the market while larger firms become increasingly prevalent.”
Can we avoid market consolidation? Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on your view point, we can’t. The process is common and expected in many business sectors and is regarded as an inevitable process. But what will the effects of the market consolidation be? Firms may face financial difficulty if they struggle to compete, forcing many firms to merge or leave the market. On the upside, however, a number of opportunities may arise following a merger. A high street firm offering private client services may merge with a smaller commercial firm, offering a broader range of services to the local community.
But what does this mean from a recruitment point of view? Firms who previously relied on the Legal Aid contract may struggle and some unfortunately will close down. But for firms who do merge, there may be new positions created as new departments flourish, resulting in the recruitment of permanent staff. And for those who aren’t sure whether there will be a long-term need for a permanent member of staff, locum recruitment can be a brilliant solution ranging from temporary day covers through to 12 month fixed term contracts.
Whilst we cannot predict exactly what the legal landscape will look like, there is no doubt that market consolidation will take place. Whether you’re a candidate looking for a new opportunity or a client looking to recruit, we can guide and assist you to make it as smooth a transition as possible. For one to one confidential advice, please contact one of our dedicate consultants on 01484 650233.