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New scheme to help law firms adopt technology

This article is more than 12 months old

$2.8 million Tech Start for 
Law programme launched

Lawyers will soon be getting support from the Government to adopt technology in their law practices under a new $2.8 million scheme launched yesterday.

The Tech Start for Law programme will fund up to 70 per cent of the first-year's cost for technology products in practice management, online research and online marketing for Singapore law firms.

The scheme was jointly announced by the Ministry of Law, the Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc) and Spring Singapore.

Embracing these basic technologies will help firms improve their productivity and deliver better legal services to their clients, said LawSoc president Gregory Vijayendran.

He cited a recent study commissioned by LawSoc that found that only 9 per cent of the small- and medium-sized firms here used technology-enabled productivity tools.

"The large firms can make changes and ride on the disruption (of technology), but the smaller sized firms may need help to step up," he said, adding that a key reason for the low adoption rate was cost.

ROAD SHOW

He added that the technology programme aims to target the 850 smaller law firms here, with outreach efforts lined up in the next few months, including a legal technology road show next month.

The large firms can make changes and ride on the disruption (of technology), but the smaller sized firms may need help to step up. Law Society of Singapore president Gregory Vijayendran on the usage of technology-enabled productivity tools

The five technology products identified under the scheme include practice management systems CoreMatter, Lexis Affinity and Clio; online legal research tool Intelllex; and online marketing tool Asia Law Network.

These products typically cost firms between $3,000 and $30,000 to adopt.

Law firms can apply to use up to three of these products depending on their needs. The $2.8 million allocated to the programme will be able to help fund up to 380 units of these tech solutions.

Interested law practices can apply to the LawSoc's Secretariat at lpi@lawsoc.org.sg from tomorrow to Feb 28, 2018.

nghuiwen@sph.com.sg

TechnologyMINISTRY OF LAW (MINLAW)Singapore