What are Unbundled Legal Services?
Will my State’s Bar approve of Virtual Law Practice?
How do I know this service is secure?
What happens to my VLO data if I decide to cancel my VLOTech service?
How much time will it take me to learn how to use the VLOTech application?
What happens if my Internet connection goes down and I cannot access my VLO?
How do I establish the Attorney/Client Relationship Online?
How will I market a VLO to the public?
How many online clients may I expect to retain from a VLO in the first month?
Can I collaborate on a VLO with another solo or small firm?
What prevents unauthorized practice of law with a VLO?
What access would VLOTech have to my VLO data?
How well does the service operate? Can I try it out for free?

What are Unbundled Legal Services?

With “unbundled” legal services, an attorney or law firm creates the legal document or provides the legal advice, but the clients themselves are responsible for either filing the legal document or ensuring that the document is properly executed and handled according to the instructions provided by the attorney. The VLO permits an attorney to tap into this vast market need for accessible and affordable legal services by offering unbundled legal services online.

Many state bar associations have published articles about the need for attorneys to offer unbundled legal services and more affordable and accessible legal services to the public. Some states, such as North Carolina, have specifically published ethics opinions permitting virtual law office practices. VLOTech may provide customers with recommendations for best ethics practices for operating a VLO and suggests that customers contact their state bar’s ethics committee if they have any specific questions regarding the marketing or operation of a VLO.

“The highest leadership of the ABA knows we need a catalyst for lawyers to adapt and flourish in the new technology-driven economic order. The Internet presents us with unparalleled opportunities and powerful new tools to provide legal services. Innovative law firms and web-based companies (many run by lawyers) have already cast off — successfully — into these uncharted waters. They have set up web sites that go far beyond a list of partners, practice areas and a map to the law firm.” American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section: E-Lawyering Task Force.

Will my State’s Bar approve of Virtual Law Practice?

Web-based virtual law practice has only recently expanded the opportunity of the legal professional to conduct legal services online that extend beyond form-generated legal forms. There are web-based virtual law practices operating in the following states with the acceptance of their state bars: Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Among the state bars that have published opinions regarding virtual law practice, the concern with ethical or professional responsibility in web-based virtual law practice focuses on the use of nonsecure email as the primary method of communication or on “shopping cart” websites selling legal documents. Some state bars, such as the Maryland State Bar, do not make their ethics opinions public so the virtual law practices of the attorneys in those states are themselves defining the standards for operating a virtual law practice in their states.

Many attorneys seeking to operate virtual law practices are in the process of seeking formal approval from their state bars. Others are operating their VLOs with the guidance already provided by their state bars regarding other uses of technology in law practice. Because of the flexibility in the way that a VLO may be set up by individual legal professionals, it is difficult for state bars to issue more than an opinion expressing concern for ethics issues that may arise in virtual law practice. In the event that a state bar issues an opinion, it tends to be vague regarding the technology and focuses on ethics concerns that often arise in any form of law practice.

For states that do not currently have virtual law offices, VLOTech recommends that prospective clients check with their state bar before setting up their virtual law practice. VLOTech will also provide prospective clients with research and other documentation regarding the benefits and ethics considerations of operating a virtual law office so that the prospective clients may approach their state bars with this information.

How do I know this service is secure?

VLOTech provides clients with the same methods of protections used by banks and government agencies. Data is encrypted at both the communication and storage levels using proven algorithms offering the highest degree of protection.

The software is developed using secure programming techniques, regular auditing and continuous updates to protect you in the ever changing online environment. We are committed to adhering to the strictest standards of data management from Electronic Discovery to Personal Information Security and beyond.

As proof that we are serious about the security of the software we use the same services to manage our business and protect our data.

What happens to my VLO data if I decide to cancel my VLOTech service?

We have a procedure in place to protect our customers. All of the data contained in your VLO will be either encrypted and emailed to you or mailed via certified mail on a CD or other medium, depending on the size of the file. The goal will be to have the data to you within 72 hours but no later than one week. The time it takes to get the data to you will depend upon the circumstances and the size of the data.

How much time will it take me to learn how to use the VLOTech application?

As with any software, this depends on your personal experience and comfort with learning new software applications. The VLOTech application was created to be simple to use. The design is clean and the features are not “cluttered.” In addition, your online clients will easily be able to use it in the same way that they are used to banking online or handling other major online purchases.

If you can navigate your email program, it should not take you long to become familiar with using your VLO. The application allows you to turn off the features that you do not want to use so you can function with a very simple setup or a more complicated one, depending on your comfort level. VLOTech provides training and tech support to its customers.

What happens if my Internet connection does down and I cannot access my VLO?

If you are unable to access your VLO due to the unreliability of your Internet connection, VLOTech suggests having a business account internet connection or alternate connection methods available.

How do I establish the Attorney/Client Relationship Online?

Each VLO is operated differently based on the attorney’s practice and the state bar regulations in the state where the attorney practices law. During the registration process, each prospective client is required to read through and accept the terms and conditions of the VLO. These terms and conditions will be drafted by the attorney operating the VLO. VLOTech may provide a sample terms and conditions statement. Additionally, attorneys are able to upload retainer agreements to prospective clients, request retainer fees and further define the scope of the attorney/client relationship on the client’s individual homepage.

How will I market a VLO to the public?

VLOTech may provide its client with suggestions for optimizing their VLO, including blogging, online advertising and lawyer referral sites. As with the marketing of a traditional law office, it is important for our customers to abide by the rules of professional responsibility and ethics mandates established by the ABA and each state’s bar.

How many online clients may I expect to retain from a VLO in the first month?

The amount of business a VLO generates will depend on two main factors: 1. the area of law the client practices, and 2. the experience the client brings to the VLO practice. Setting up a VLO is similar to hanging your own shingle on a traditional brick & mortar law office. Building an initial client base from scratch may take several months and the success will depend on how well the attorney manages advertising the VLO and targeting their online clients based on the specific practice area.

The economic benefits of implementing the VLO into an existing law practice are diverse and play out in a number of potential business methods. Running a virtual law office practice broadens an attorney or law firm’s scope of practice to the entire state or states where the professionals are licensed to practice law.

Configuration of the VLO to an existing firm’s website may be handled as part of the VLOTech customer setup. Existing clients familiar with the firm’s existing website and potential clients will use the VLO technology to communicate with their attorney, pay their outstanding legal fees online, and keep client data updated among other features. At the same time, the firm may attract new clients with the expanded features of the VLO website and increase client intake from a broader field of potential clients.

Can I collaborate on a VLO with another solo or small firm?

Yes. There are a variety of different attorney collaborations that might arise with the use of the VLOTech application. For example, an attorney in one city may join up to form one VLO with a group of attorneys all practicing in different areas of the law. The network would be able to pool their resources to fund advertising for the VLO. As clients registered online requesting different legal services, the attorneys handling that specific area of law would handle that client or refer to another in the network. Communication between the attorneys would also be handled through the VLO.

What prevents unauthorized practice of law with a VLO?

VLOTech will not set up a VLO for a client until we have verified to the best of our ability that the attorney contacting us is licensed and in good standing with their state(s) bar.

What access would VLOTech have to my VLO data?

We will not access your VLO unless you contact us and request that we handle something specific on the site for you. If at any time we need to access a customer’s VLO, each customer will be notified ahead of time and the data will not be altered in any way. VLO data remains encrypted during software updates.

How well does the service operate? Can I try it out for free?

VLOTech has test sites available for attorneys interested in viewing the software from both the client and the attorney sides. We cannot offer a trial basis of the software because each VLO must be customized for each individual attorney and his or her practice of law and this would be too costly to set up on a per trial basis. The test sites showcase all of the features of the service and allow an attorney to try out both the attorney and client functions of the software. Please contact us at launch@vlotech.com if you would like more information.

© 2008 Virtual Law Office Technology, LLC