Mr Furlong said: 'No business model that truly prioritised clients’ interests would entrench the billable hour as its pricing and compensation capstone.' Not only do law firms need to move away from the billable hour, he says, but they need to make major changes to the way they price work in general and to the way they pay staff. The aim needs to be to move away from time-based billing and for rewarding personnel for the number of hours put in.

Client-first market

Mr Furlong will be running a masterclass, 'Integrating New Law into Your Law Firm', at the Australasian Legal Practice Management Association in September. He will tell his audience that clients are dissatisfied at the traditional approach and, in today's 'client-first market', will be able to move away from traditional firms. Source: Lawyers Weekly