Legal Awards 2020

10 Acquisition International - Legal Awards 2020 Sep20640 Best Family Law Firm (South of England): LIL In 2014, Legal Intelligence London Limited, otherwise known as LIL, was born as a paralegal law firm that offered pro bono legal services in the London Borough of Hackney. In what later turned out to be a major career move, a friend of founder Jon Feld asked him to assist in a Child Arrangements matter, as this family could not afford regular legal services from an SRA Regulated solicitor. Join us as we unearth the rest of the story and discover how LIL has become one of the best family law firms in the South of England. ollowing on from the request to help in a Child Arrangements matter, Jon agreed to help and was responsible for a hugely successful outcome. Legal Intelligence London quickly followed, and was duly registered at Companies House in 2014. Since then, it has been assisting litigants and barristers for a number of years. More recently, in accordance with the new rules brought in by the Legal Standards Board and the SRA, LIL now employs several freelance solicitors, barristers, and paralegals. LIL has also forged and cultivated an excellent reputation with its burgeoning client base, particularly in matters involving Child Arrangements. Family is synonymous with unity and togetherness, and LIL’s services are aimed at maintaining that sense of bond between families that it serves. In correspondence with opposing law firms, especially in the Child Arrangements sector, the ethos of LIL has always been to be as co-operative and tolerant as possible, and to advise clients that understanding and patients are important tools in regard to the welfare of children. LIL works on a fixed fee basis, therefore ensuring that there is no conflict of interest. This is of particular importance in Child Arrangements matters. The culture of LIL is also exceptional, and is one of a consistent work ethic where quality is preferred to quantity. As a paralegal law firm, the company fulfils its obligations of supervision and the company’s overall work is supervised by prominent barristers, including several QCs. Mindful of its own roots, LIL always seeks to employ legal personnel from all walks of life, all creeds and colours, and prejudges no one. The company directors personally interview all prospective personnel in great depth, and there is usually a trial period of several months where a trainee works within the company and seeks to embrace it’s ethos. All training contracts are paid also, with Jon and his team abhorring stories of training contracts which are completely unpaid by some large solicitor firms. As for who actually gets hired, LIL looks for self-starters who are able to grasp the mettle of a specific case, and do not necessarily wait for instructions before liaising with a client. It prefers people with legal qualifications, however this is not a must insofar as if a candidate displays the relevant quality to work in the legal sector, then they will rightfully be considered. As has been the case for many industries across the world, COVID-19 has played a major role in the legal industry this year. Prior to the virus taking over, the legal profession was undergoing a dynamic transformation. This has been greatly exacerbated by COVID-19 because, as was the case in World War Two, digital technology has F developed dramatically in a short period of time. Judges are operating more fluidly, there is less formality, and there is a recognition that the cost structure of the legal industry has to change if people are to continue to get access to justice. Therefore, paralegal law firms can now be armed with the ability to directly hire solicitors and barristers, and are proving to be serious competition for more traditional firms. This competition will only increase, and LIL are spearheading the drive towards more de- regulation of the industry in the quest for access to justice for the general public. The judiciary have recognised that the litigant in person model is not really working, and paralegal law firms may turn out to be the happy medium. Despite the wealth of competition, the main asset that stands LIL apart from the others in the industry is its interpersonal client relations. Seeing as the firm does not work on hourly rates, no client feels afraid or worried about incurring extra charges by picking up the phone, sending a text message, or writing an email in pursuit of answers. If necessary, the team at LIL will also work out of hours to solve problems. The fact that some of the team do not hail from a legal background ensures that a degree of common sense applications are built into the company ethos, and it does not attempt to blind clients with science or jargon they do not understand. Furthermore, LIL always supports Direct Access barrister instructions with cost-effective paralegal support at court, and this has proven extremely popular with legal counsel, and with clients. All of the staff are encouraged to pay attention to industry developments, such as the impact of Parental Alienation in family matters. The legal advocates and staff at LIL are encouraged to read and monitor all such developments in the family and civil sectors, and as a company, it regularly forwards details of new developments so that everyone is at the cutting edge. In addition to the Finance and Clerking team, Dilara Artuc is the company’s Senior Paralegal. She works closely with clients and is responsible for all aspects of client case management under the supervision of company director Jon Feld and Counsel. LIL have Devilling style contracts with several leading barristers and Dilara and her team liaise directly with these legal advocates. On a technical and technological level, LIL also stands out by ensuring all its client’s database and files are stored securely on a Company: Legal Intelligence London Limited Address: Registered Office, Unit 1-2, Field View, Business Park, Bicester, OX27 7SG Contact: Jon Feld – Mobile: 07904517802 Website: www.legalintelligencelondon.co.uk