Humans v machines: does the personal touch keep client confidence high?
A YouGov survey carried out in January 2025, commissioned by the Law Society, has revealed that public confidence in solicitors remains strong, with 80% of clients reporting positive experiences over the past five years.
Making feedback public
At Morrish Solicitors, we have recently made a large investment of time and resources into public-facing reviews by moving all our client surveying to Trustpilot. Internal net promoter scoring was useful for decision-making in-house. However, actively encouraging our clients to publicly share their views has made us much more aware of sentiment and given us the drive to deliver even higher standards of client care.
There has also been an increase in response rate to these surveys. The ability to instantly leave a rating and comments via embedded content in an email makes the process faster and more convenient for clients. And when it comes to decision-making, potential clients can see public reviews, verified from a trusted source, updated in real time from various touchpoints on our website.
Hesitation around AI
Interestingly, the YouGov research found that trust in AI for legal advice is extremely low, with only 1% expressing confidence in tools like ChatGPT. The survey highlights the importance clients place on trust in human solicitors and reveals scepticism towards AI in legal matters.
This hesitation is understandable, given the complexity and nuance of legal work. There is also a need for a personal relationship, especially when considering cases such as clinical negligence or personal injury.
Feedback from our clients has shown that the strength of these relationships, combined with the accessibility of our team members, are some of the main reasons why they would recommend our services.
Technology means convenience and accessibility
The survey found that clients do, however, welcome technological advancements in the legal profession. The openness shown in the survey results to digital case management tools suggests that clients value convenience and accessibility.
A significant amount of our time is now given over to improving technology in the firm to improve client experience, increase efficiency within our teams and maintain the highest standards of data security.
While AI-powered legal advice may not yet be widely accepted, integrating technology such as practice management systems, client record management systems and online documents to streamline client interactions significantly enhances our service delivery. However, in the “humans versus machines” debate, the personal touch still comes out on top for us.
Author: James Ducker, Head of Marketing & Business Development
