Contract Legal Work is Cheaper in Ohio than India
Outsourcing legal work to attorneys in the Midwest may be more economical than you'd think, according to a new report by Fronterion.
Firms that outsource work to offshore companies, like those in India, often pay $25 to $35 an hour for basic legal services. Surprisingly, Midwestern attorneys are now charging comparable hourly rates.
This could mean that an increasing amount of legal work could remain bound for domestic attorneys.
There are a variety of reasons why attorneys might opt for domestic legal work over offshore legal work: professional obligations, client comfort, time zone problems, language barriers, and data protection concerns, Fronterion points out in their report.
Plus, giving work to domestic attorneys can feel more rewarding. There have been so many stories of late detailing law school graduates facing mounting debt and unemployment. Increased legal work stateside might mean an increase in jobs for fellow American attorneys.
The Fronterion report also details some other trends that attorneys may see in legal outsourcing. It's expected that firms might be having a tough time with their bottom line, as wages overseas have climbed. The report also predicts an increase in the amount of legal work that becomes automated. Computers may soon replace workers.
For small firm owners, this trend in legal outsourcing may mean a variety of different things. If you relied on offshore outsourcing for some of your legal work, you might want to brace yourself for an increase in the amount of fees you need to pay. And you might want to consider looking into domestic outsourcing companies.
Ultimately, the goal of any law firm or solo practitioner is to provide clients with the best representation. While cost is certainly a factor, it's not the only one that attorneys contemplate when choosing which company to outsource legal work to. Is it time to employ more domestic legal work?
Related Resources:
- Want to Outsource Legal Work? Ohio Can Be as Cheap as India, Report Says (ABA Journal)
- Legal Outsourcing: Is Your Job Moving to India? (FindLaw's In House)
- Outsourcing Law School? Chinese Law School Seeks ABA Accreditation (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)