Small Law tunes in on billable hours

18 July 2018 00:00

Lexis Library Time Select, the new ‘pay as you go’ research pricing package from pioneer content and technology service provider LexisNexis South Africa, will revolutionise the way small to medium legal enterprises in South Africa conduct research, giving them access to up to date and relevant legal content and increasing their billable hours exponentially.

The Lexis Library Time Select package provides an affordable solution for emerging legal practices – based on their needs. Subscribers can choose from three pricing options that provide time-based access to the highly trusted, authoritative and comprehensive Lexis Library online and mobi reference tool. This gives them a preferred number of hours to access legislation, commentary and case law references, saving time previously spent on research via general internet searches or law journals. It also affords these clients the flexibility to allocate their research time across the full range of Lexis Library content, as dictated by the needs of their practices and clients.

“Building and servicing client relationships is a key focus for smaller independent firms, who make up a significant portion of South Africa’s legal landscape,” says Raffael Beires, General Manager of Legal Information and Compliance for LexisNexis South Africa

“These firms engage in challenging, varied work across a broad spectrum of practices, while still juggling the need to keep up with legislation and stay up to date with their profession. Introducing Lexis Library Time Select is about offering the independent or emerging practice more for less according to their unique needs, without all the excess that larger firms would naturally make use of,” he added.

Beires said with 60 percent of new clients relying on referrals when selecting their law firm, Time Select better enables independent firms to focus on what matters most to them. It gives them the competitive edge by providing easier, faster and more reliable research.

The 2016 Review of the Attorneys’ Profession in South Africa undertaken by LexisNexis South Africa in partnership with the Law Society of South Africa revealed that almost 80 percent of firms have fewer than five revenue earners and in smaller firms, most research is done by equity partners or professional assistants. This makes time an even more precious commodity. Similarly, the 2017 Legal Trends Report found that less than 30% of a lawyer’s workday is billable.

While the majority (91%) of those surveyed by LexisNexis said they conduct online research, over a third do not trust free online sources - making embracing trustworthy technology a necessity to drive revenue growth.

Lexis Library’s Time Select provides fast and effective research content with budgetary control resting in the hands of this evolving market.

The three packages on offer, Time Select 10, 20 and 30, and the option to upgrade as needed, gives clients financial control with flexibility to adapt to the needs of their client base as they grow their business.

Included in all new packages is an hour of training telephonically or via a dedicated relationship manager. This ensures that clients can spend their allocated time researching effectively rather than navigating the system with difficulty.

For further information on the new pricing package, prospective clients can email content@lexisnexis.co.za or visit https://www.lexisnexis.co.za/lexislibrary/timeselect/

About LexisNexis
LexisNexis Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of legal, regulatory and business information and analytics that help customers increase productivity, improve decision-making and outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis and Nexis services. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 130 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide, is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries.

In South Africa LexisNexis has been assisting companies and professionals to remain abreast of changing legislation and shifts in the regulatory environment for over 80 years, using leading-edge technology, tools and online solutions.

South African investment firm, Tsiya Group, chaired by Fani Titi, acquired a minority interest in LexisNexis South Africa in July 2012.