Anthony Collins is a social purpose law firm. It has over 300 staff and 44 partners, offices in Birmingham, Manchester, Macclesfield and Wolverhampton and a national reputation for advising individuals, charities and other not-for-profit organisations, local authorities, public-sector bodies and businesses throughout the UK. Their social purpose has been recognised with a B Corp accreditation, meaning the advice, culture, and commitments align with the work and aspirations of their clients.
The TiPS Project
The matrimonial team was aware that when people are in the midst of relationship issues, they don’t always want to pick up the phone to speak with a lawyer and may prefer to use an online tool to make an initial inquiry when seeking legal guidance. Therefore, the challenge was to create an accessible and relational platform that provides information and signposting to enable people to understand more about their options and other support services. If they so wish, they can make contact with the matrimonial team via the platform, and a member contacts the client to set up a meeting or will refer to a more suitable legal services provider.
The driving force behind this project is the commitment to embedding access to justice principles into a modern, empathetic approach to matrimonial services. It is designed to support individuals navigating divorce or legal separation. By harnessing AI technology, the platform is designed to be accessible 24/7, providing initial responses to queries and identifying the most appropriate source of advice before engaging with legal professionals. While it may enhance client engagement, its primary purpose is to meet people where they are, offering timely, tailored support and directing users to the most appropriate source of advice, whether within Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP or beyond.
From the firm’s perspective, the platform delivers dual benefits: augmenting their relational and social purpose approach digitally, 24/7 and improving process optimisation. By applying selection criteria based on client profiles, it is hoped that it will direct suitable clients towards the team.
Technology Solution
Based on the advice and support of two external technology consultants, an off-the-shelf software was chosen to build the platform, which was configured to ensure that it captured the Anthony Collins approach and knowledge. Using off-the-shelf software and customising in-house allowed the team to create and test ideas without any extra cost before deciding on the final form of the platform.
Key lessons
Communicate – the value of early and continuous stakeholder engagement should not be underestimated. The Anthony Collins project succeeded in part because of deep and effective engagement with the matrimonial team to develop the original idea, the solution and the case for adoption. This ensured buy-in from the team and allowed them to stay engaged with the project through the different phases of development and implementation. Communication with the firm’s board about the project was also critical in gaining support for the approach taken, addressing concerns about risk and the commitment of resources to the project.
Enhance the firm’s ability to innovate through experimentation. Designing a new concept requires trial and error, testing and iterative development. The Anthony Collins project reveals the benefits of creating an environment in which the goals of a project are clear and there is encouragement to try different approaches to identify the best long-term solution. Building this culture of experimentation helps to support innovation and provides the confidence to take on future projects.
Understand the project & be adaptable. The Anthony Collins project had a clear plan but also encountered unexpected barriers. The twists and turns in the road could not have been expected, but these were embraced, and plans were adapted as an understanding of the project developed. Recognising that technology adoption projects require careful project management that can respond to challenges and opportunities as they arise is crucial. But equally, not trying to plan and anticipate every eventuality is important. Capacity and willingness to adapt and change a key part of successful adoption.
Testimonials
“Being part of the TiPS Accelerator has been incredibly valuable. Thanks to the programme, we’ve developed something I’m not sure we would have ever dreamed of creating (watch this space!). It’s a solution that blends our firm’s relational approach and social purpose with the power of technology and AI…The journey of TiPS has been fantastic. What started as an idea has become a fully formed product for us. The whole concept is about helping access to justice. There are so many people out there who don’t know they have a legal need. We want to get feedback from actual users of the platform, so we are targeting where they are on their own journey”. – Paul Harker, TiPS Graduation Event
“Working with TIPS has been great. It’s been lovely to meet other people on the project, some accountants, some lawyers. It’s been very interesting to hear from industry experts and to meet up on a regular basis to catch up with how people’s projects have been going and to share our war stories.” – Liz Wyatt, Solicitor, TiPS Graduation Event)
Watch the video case study below: