Virtually possible?

Is technology ready to truly enable lawyers to work remotely long-term, asks Dan Taylor, director of systems and security at Fletchers Solicitors.

The demand for homeworking has been on the increase for some time, and in the legal sector – a profession known for its long hours at a desk, working late into the night, and dealing with clients’ most private of matters – there has been the desire to make it work.

However, whether it be culturally, practically – or just from a technological adoption perspective – there has always been a reticence in the law to engage remote working practices more widely.

Within the space of two weeks, all those obstacles had to be overcome to make working from home possible. The coronavirus pandemic pressed the fast-forward button for everyone.

It has brought huge changes in all walks of life, but one of the things it has really thrust into the spotlight for businesses is their ability to enable their people to work from home efficiently and productively.

In 2019, of 32.6 million employed people, around 1.7 million people reported working mainly from home (according to the Office of National Statistics). Once people are eventually allowed to return to the physical workplace, that figure is likely to rise significantly as many companies will have adapted their systems to facilitate remote working.

This pandemic will have created a huge shift in the mindset of many companies regarding remote working, because they have seen that it can work.

Read the full brain training in Briefing May – It’s the screen team, here.