Challenges for lawyers in a post-COVID world

The Covid-19 pandemic presented huge challenges to people all around the world. Almost all of the world is in lockdown and only the necessary services are available. It also has presented many challenges for lawyers. Surely, after the pandemic ends a lot of things will change.

The financial difficulties and economy collapsing we faced will be and taken care of post Covid. The world will have so many financial crisis and the goal will be to focus on getting the economy to step up again.

The global aspect has taken a huge blow because of the coronavirus pandemic. Countries across the world will have to revise and revisit the political and financial aspects of their policies. In the post-COVID time, we will have more reformed policies to work with.

Challenges faced by lawyers

Social and economy

In a post-Covid, unpredictable world, the lawyers in the law firms will have to face various social and economical changes caused by the pandemic.

The Covid19 after-effects are not only going to leave an impact on the function of the Bars and Benches but also on the mediocre lawyers, the in-house counsels, the secretarial and auditing professionals, the law students, the junior advocates, small law firms, the not so wealthy clients, the court workers in and out of the premises; all in all everyone who is even slightly related to the law profession.

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The practice area of the lawyers; the sectors such as the labor and employment have had a hard time during the Covid pandemic. The carrying out of such cases will be concentrated on very different situations in even more difficult sectors; like transport, travel and healthcare.

Every law firm has a different outlook on the opinion for the client type, the sectors and the practices that they have to do.

Digitalization

Post Covid-19, digitization is taking over and thus electronic contracts are also increasing and making their way in the economy. E-Contracts are agreements you can make in an electronic form through a software system different to the traditional contracts documented on paper and signed using the ink.

There are various types of E-contracts that are entered through emails and other similar platforms which is receiving recognition.

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Digital signatures is introduced so that the contracts can be signed digitally and rules of social distancing will not be broken. The government is also taking initiatives to open online portals for the payment of stamp duties for such contracts. 

The clients and overview

On going forward, it seems necessary for lawyers to get your newly adopted insights on the new technologies; because it is not likely that your clients will want to go back to the things being done in the traditional ways.

New health and safety rules are going to change the business done in the traditional ways. Hence, the traditional way of maintaining the law firm may become financially difficult. Whatever it is, your firm has to do it in a client-centric way.

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The shift in the paradigm of the courts is a proof that the courts can efficiently take care and expertise to act without any given limit at any hour of need.

“This is an inflection point for the legal profession in India. Till now, the mindset was one of resistance to change, or at best, incremental change. The situation caused by Covid–19 has put forward challenges that can be best countered with wholesome changes; by the adoption of online courts with limited or no hearing but based on brief written submissions. ”

CS Vaidhyanath, Senior Advocate

On the plus side, the pandemic has made its way in forcing our age-old legal practice to go digital quicker, which shall hopefully continue even post the pandemic.

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Are you ready for the future?

Working on your skills to improve employ ability and adapting to the changing work environment brought on by the coronavirus. Your changes are not only practical.

Your law firm management technique is going to increasingly influence the attitudes and the ethical points of your potential future employees, demonstrating role suitability between employee experience and capabilities, and your firm values; which will put pressure on you to make good on your promises to sustainable development among other things; to attract the best talent.