The next big thing in outsourcing is legal services. I came across of two reports- one about USA and the other about Canada. The destination of outsourcing is same- India. India has nearly 1 million lawyers who have good skill in English language. Actually, in India if you want to become a lawyer you must have good proficiency of English language. In this entry, I will try to discuss about the pros and cons of this matter.
Pros
1. Outsourcing of legal services will save a lot of money to US and Canadian legal firms. Hourly rate of Indian lawyers is much cheaper than lawyers in USA and Canada. Thus law firms can cut their cost and save a fortune.
2. The turn around time is quicker than USA and Canada. Lawyers in India have a much more flexible attitude towards work than their western counterparts. For example, Indian companies will perhaps be willing to work round the clock and even in weekends.
3. Since Indian legal system is closely related to the British legal system because of the fact that India was under 2 decades of British rule, Indian lawyers are familiar with the basic concepts of western laws.
4. Because of the growing legal bills, many people in North America are finding a way out. That is why, outsourcing of legal services can be an extremely good thing both for the law firms and the clients.
Cons
1. The matters of confidentiality and security are something that matter a lot in legal services. Some or many clients may get worried that their confidential documents may go in the wrong hands. The recent incident involving HSBC is a reminder of the risk involved with outsourcing. For legal services, breach of security can have devastating consequences.
2. If legal services are outsourced to India then many junior lawyers will lose their jobs and will be forced to change their field. That can have a negative impact on the future of legal industry in USA and Canada.
3. If any problem happens then it will be difficult for a North American law firm to come to India and take action against the Indian lawyers or companies.
Outsourcing of legal services has started and whether we like it or not it will see growth in the next few years. However, I just wish that both the western law firms and Indian companies try to build some guidelines regarding outsourcing of legal services from now on. This way, it will minimize the risks associated with it.
What is your idea about it?
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