Last week in Christchurch I was fortunate to have been invited to see first-hand a demonstration of Ebborn Law’s new VLaw™ system.

The demonstration was attended by a number of stakeholders that work with Ebborn Law. One of the interested parties was the Ministry of Justice, who were eager to see how the new system worked in practice.

What is VLaw™?

VLaw™ is a collection of proprietary systems and processes designed to enable people to access legal services over the internet. The components include –

• Video-over-internet delivery of certain services
• Direct-link video with refuge for protection orders
• Web-based portal for social services
• Scan-to-email functionality for refuges to alert firm of urgent cases
• JEMIMA™ integrated practice management software
• Quality control systems, policies and procedures

Benefits of VLaw™

The anticipation is that VLaw™ will bring advantages to the profession as a whole. The use of a system like VLaw™ has the potential to bring competitive advantages to law firms in how technology can be used in the delivery of law.

Some of the benefits outlined during the demonstration, included –

• Increased access to justice – particularly in areas that are not well served by legal aid providers
• Savings in legal aid budgets due to efficiencies at the point of delivery
• Reduction in the economic cost of people taking time off work to visit with their lawyer
• Significant potential for lowered costs to run refuges (or other social services) as support workers will no longer need to accompany clients to a law firm
• Decreased threat-risk within the firm as JEMIMA™ uses a case management tracking system to ensure nothing falls between the gaps
• Opportunities for B2B and Private-NGO relationships to develop

Who is behind VLaw™?

VLaw™ is the brainchild of Ebborn Law CEO Jarrod Coburn and Principal Solicitor Erin Ebborn. Jarrod was one of the highly regarded speakers from the New Zealand Law and Technology Conference back in March. At the conference he provided a very engaging presentation outlining how technology is challenging the traditional law firm business model and changing the way law is delivered. As I have mentioned on previous occasions, it is always refreshing to see a New Zealand law firm with such forward thinking ideas in how they are using technology and delivering legal services.

There are continued pressures for law firms in New Zealand to look to use technology more efficiently, but this journey also brings with it considerable opportunities for law firms. VLaw™ is a practical example of how a New Zealand law firm is using technology to help them deliver more effective legal services.

It is still early days for VLaw™, but it will be interesting to watch its progress and development, as I am sure it will facilitate greater access to legal services for clients, delivered over the internet.