Abstract
Affinity and Partnership Marketing in UK Legal Services provides the first ever comprehensive analysis of the development of affinity and partnership marketing of legal services in the UK, drawing attention to both existing initiatives and the scope for new ventures across a variety of different sectors. Based in part on a survey of 1,805 actual and potential partner organisations, the report and associated PartnerBASE™ database offer an exhaustive review of the activity in this field of both providers of legal services and an array of viable distributors. In addition, the research simultaneously acknowledges the fact that the legal services market is itself composed of an extremely broad variety of services offered both to individuals and to small, medium-sized and large businesses and other organisations.
Moreover, in order to illustrate the opportunity for affinity and partnership marketing to develop in the market for legal services acquired by consumers, a sector that is estimated to be worth in the region of £8 billion in annual revenues in the UK, the study also presents the results of new research investigating the buying behaviour of consumers when it comes to utilising different types of legal service. These include residential conveyancing services, legal services related to personal injury or accident, legal services related to wills or inheritance tax, and other legal services relevant to individual clients. As such, in tandem, the report and associated PartnerBASE™ provide the most definitive published study to date of the current and future potential of affinity and partnership marketing of legal services in the UK.
Table of Contents
0.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Affinity and partnership marketing is already happening in the UK legal services market
- … with initiatives having been set in motion to target both individual and business clients
- … and with the types of legal services offered falling into a variety of different categories
- The competition for promoting legal servs. through affinity and corporate partners is fragmented
- Consumer research suggests that individuals are open to contracting legal servs. in new ways
- … with over a third of those acquiring a legal service in 2007 doing so on an intermediated basis
- Deregulation signifies that the market for legal services in the UK will be subject to radical change
1.0 INTRODUCTION
- UK affinity and partnership marketing publications
- Other UK consumer research publications
- PartnerBASE™
- Definitions
- Rationale
- The Legal Services Act finally received Royal Assent in October 2007
- … paving the way for radical changes in the way in which legal services are offered in the UK
- The market for legal services acquired by consumers is likely to be influenced the most
- … with a range of alternative distributors already beginning to exert an impact on this sector
- … and with new competitors potentially set to emerge from a variety of diverse fields
- Methodology
2.0 MARKET OVERVIEW
- Affinities and partnerships in UK legal services
- Finaccord' s research identifies almost 400 current affinity schemes for distributing legal servs.
- … embracing a wide variety of initiatives targeted at both individual and corporate clients
3.0 CONSUMER RESEARCH
- Introduction
- Utilisation of legal services, 2007 and 2003-6
- Almost one third of consumers have utilised a legal service during the last five years
- Types of legal service contracted, 2003-7
- … with over one third of these making use of residential property conveyancing services
- Distribution interfaces - 2007 and 2003-6
- There is evidence of a declining trend for contracting legal servs. in a face-to-face environment
- Face-to-face contact is most likely to be needed for legal servs. related to wills or inheritance tax
- Distribution channels - 2007 and 2003-6
- Overview
- It is possible that there is a trend in favour of intermediation in the distribution of legal services
- … with web-based intermediaries, not-for-profit affinities and the worksite all appearing to benefit
- Most legal services related to personal injury or accident are sold on an intermediated basis
- Detailed analysis
- Several types of intermediary offer significant potential as partners to providers of legal services
4.0 TRADE ASSOCIATIONS
- Introduction
- Well over a third of all trade associations have organised legal services on behalf of members
- … with the rate of penetration likely to exceed 40% by the end of 2008
- 4.1 Agriculture and forestry
- Introduction
- Over a quarter of associations in this category have organised legal services for their members
- 4.2 Business and personal services
- Introduction
- Over 40% of bodies in the business and personal services group offer legal services to members
- Only Croner lays claim to more than one exclusive relationship in this class of trade associations
- 4.3 Construction and engineering
- Introduction
- Croner and Wedlake Bell are the most frequently used providers in this industry grouping
- … although a further 11 providers of legal services lay claim to one exclusive relationship each
- 4.4 Food, drink and healthcare
- Introduction
- 26.5% of trade bodies in the food, drink and healthcare category have organised legal services
- 4.5 Manufacturing and packaging
- Introduction
- Croner has built up an impressive roster of relationships with trade bodies in this category
- … although Clarkslegal and FirstAssist each lay claim to three exclusive partnerships each
- … and many other providers of legal services have secured one relationship each in this field
- 4.6 Media, marketing and entertainment
- Introduction
- Over 50% of bodies in the media, marketing and entertainment have arranged legal services
- 4.7 Mining, minerals and utilities
- Introduction
- Trade associations in this category are least likely to have organised legal services for members
- 4.8 Retailing and distribution
- Introduction
- This industry group is distinguished by a high rate of provision of legal services by trade bodies
- FirstAssist is one of five external providers with two or more exclusive relationships in this field
- 4.9 Technology and telecoms
- Introduction
- Croner is the only provider with more than one exclusive partnership in this industry sector
- 4.10 Transport and tourism
- Introduction
- Over 40% of trade bodies in this industry category offer legal services on behalf of members
- 4.11 Other miscellaneous
- Introduction
- Abbey Legal Protection holds an important relationship with the Federation of Small Businesses
5.0 CONSUMER AFFINITY GROUPS
- Introduction
- 5.1 Estate agents
- Introduction
- Almost a half of major estate agents have a formal means of offering conveyancing services
- … with over a half of these operating through a panel of solicitors branded in their own name
- … although other operating models are in evidence in what is essentially a fragmented market
- 5.2 Professional associations
- Introduction
- Over 50 professional associations possess in excess of 5,000 individual members
- Slightly over one third of professional associations provide legal services to their members
- Law Express achieves a prominent position by virtue of its relationship with Parliament Hill
- 5.3 Trade unions
- Introduction
- The vast majority of trade unions are active in the provision of legal services to their members
- Thompsons is the most commonly used provider of legal services to trade unions in the UK
- … although Capita, Morrish & Co and Russell Jones & Walker are used by more than one union
- 5.4 Other consumer affinity groups
- Introduction
- A variety of other consumer affinity groups have begun participating in the legal services market
6.0 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
- Introduction
- 6.1 Banks
- Introduction
- Most banks engaged in mortgage lending have formal approaches to conveyancing services
- enact is one of the largest affinity and direct conveyancing companies in the UK
- A variety of operating models for providing conveyancing services are in evidence among banks
- 6.2 Building societies
- Introduction
- The provision of conveyancing services by building societies adds up to a fragmented sector
- … with only four providers laying claim to more than one exclusive building society link
- … and other relationships spread thinly among a diverse range of legal services companies
- 6.3 On-line aggregators and brokers
- Introduction
- Few on-line aggregators or brokers have yet diversified into the provision of legal services
- 6.4 Specialised lenders
- Introduction
- LMS and London & European are prominent as provs. to firms engaged in specialised lending
7.0 LEGAL PROVIDER SNAPSHOTS
- Aaron & Partners
- Abbey Legal Protection
- Absolute
- Amicus Legal
- Anderson Fyfe
- Anderson Strathern
- Associa
- Backhouse Jones
- Balfour & Manson
- Barnetts
- Berrymans Lace Mawer
- Clarke Willmott
- Clarkslegal
- Clifford Chance
- Coaster Legal
- Composite Legal Expenses
- Connells Home Conveyancing
- Consult GEE
- Convex Conveyancing
- Conveyancing Direct Property Lawyers
- Co-operatives UK Legal Services
- Countrywide Property Lawyers
- Croner
- Curtis Parkinson
- DAS
- Davies Arnold Cooper
- DLA Piper
- Drummonds
- easier2move
- eConveyancer
- Employment Law Advisory Services
- enact
- epoq
- Eversheds
- Fast Track Legal Services
- Field Fisher Waterhouse
- FirstAssist
- Fladgate Fielder
- Flint Bishop
- FreeClaim IDC
- Freeth Cartwright
- Gaynham, King and Mellor
- George Green
- George Ide Phillips
- Goldsmith Williams
- Gross & Co
- Halifax Legal Solutions
- Hammonds Direct
- Harding Evans
- HBJ Gateley Wareing
- HC Solicitors
- Hill Dickinson
- HL Interactive
- Hodders
- Howells
- Ingrams
- Irwin Mitchell
- Jacobs Allen Hammond
- Judicium
- Kennan Benjamin Kay
- Knowles
- Latimer Hinks
- Law Express
- Lawpack
- Laytons
- Lee Bolton & Lee
- Lees Lloyd Whitely
- Leigh Day & Co
- Lester Aldridge
- Lewis Silkin
- LG Lawyers
- Lloyds Employment Law Consultancy
- LMS
- London & European
- Lovells
- MacRoberts
- Manches
- Martineau Johnson
- Mason Bullock
- McKeags
- McKeowns
- Morrish & Co
- Morton Fraser
- Motor Industry Legal Services (MILS)
- Neves
- Olswang
- O' Neill Patient
- Optima
- O' Reilly Stewart
- Orkell
- Pellys
- Peninsula Business Services
- Pinsent Masons
- Poppleston Allen
- Prettys
- ProfessionalWills
- Reed Smith
- Reynolds Porter Chamberlain
- Rochman Landau
- Royds
- Russell & Russell
- Russell Jones & Walker
- Salans
- Shakespeare Putsman
- Shoosmiths
- Simpson Millar
- Steeles
- Stephen Mason Solicitors
- Stephenson Harwood
- Taylor Vintners
- Temple Heelis
- The Will Writing Company
- Thompsons
- Tinsdills
- Tozers
- Tunnard & Co
- Turbervilles
- TWM
- Watson Burton
- Wedlake Bell
- Whitehead Woodward
- Will Drafters
- Wilson & Co
- Wilson Nesbitt
- Withers
- Workplace Law Group
- Yugin & Partners
GRAPHICS / TABLES
- The affinity and partnership marketing universe in the context of legal services
- Entities contacted for the research, segmented by broad category
- Affinity and partnership marketing schemes for legal services in the UK: penetration by type of partner
- Affinity and partner. marketing schemes for legal services in the UK: segment. by op. model and competitor
- Sample breakdown by age group, household income band and geographical location
- % of consumers contracting legal services, 2007 and 2003-6
- Types of legal service contracted by consumers, 2003-7
- Analysis of distribution interfaces used for contracting legal services, 2007 and 2003-6
- Analysis of distribution interfaces used for contracting legal services, 2007 and 2003-6 (data)
- Analysis of dist. interfaces used for contracting legal services segmented by type of legal service, 2003-7
- Analysis of distr. interfaces used for contracting legal services segment. by type of legal service, 2003-7 (data)
- Overview of distribution channels used for contracting legal services, 2007 and 2003-6
- Overview of distribution channels used for contracting legal services, 2007 and 2003-6 (data)
- Overview of dist. channels used for contracting legal services segmented by type of legal service, 2003-7
- Overview of dist. channels used for contracting legal services segment. by type of legal service, 2003-7 (data)
- Detailed analysis of distribution channels used for contracting legal services, 2007 and 2003-6 (data)
- Ranking of the top 50 trade associations in the UK by actual or approximate number of members
- Trade assocs. in the ag. / forestry cat. offering legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the bus. / prs. svs. cat. offering legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the const. / eng. cat. offering legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the fd. / dnk. / hth. cat. offering legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the man. / pack. cat. offering legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the med. / mkt. / ent. cat. offer. legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the min. / mns. / uts. cat. offer. legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the retail. / dist. cat. offering legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the tech. / tel. cat. offering legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the trans. / tour. cat. offering legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Trade assocs. in the other misc. cat. offering legal services: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares
- Estate agents offering legal services to customers: pen., operating models and partner market shares, 2007
- Ranking of professional associations in the UK by actual or approximate number of members
- Ranking of professional associations in the UK by actual or approximate number of members (continued)
- Professional assoc. offering legal services to members: pen., operating models and partner mkt. shares, 2007
- Ranking of trade unions in the UK by actual or approximate number of members
- Trade unions offering legal services to members: pen., operating models and partner market shares, 2007
- Other consumer affinity groups offering legal services through partnerships
- Banks offering legal services to customers: penetration, operating models and partner market shares, 2007
- Building socs. offering legal services to customers: pen., operating models and partner market shares, 2007
- On-line aggs. and brokers offering legal services to customers: pen., op. models and ptr. mkt. shares, 2007
- Specialised lenders offering legal services to customers: pen., operating models and ptr. mkt. shares, 2007
