The Hindu : U.K. Law Society against sourcing work to India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 11, 2003

Business

Business

U.K. Law Society against sourcing work to India

LONDON DEC. 10. The Law Society, which regulates solicitors in Britain, has expressed concern over outsourcing of legal document production work to India arguing ``any outsourcing of work has to ensure security and confidentiality, and that liability remains with the U.K. firm.''

The warning comes following sourcing of document production work by some lawyers in England and Wales, the BBC reported yesterday.

A number of law firms are cutting jobs and moving legal document production to India, where transcription centres can offer graduates to do the work.

There has already been concern in the U.K. over the move of thousands of call centre jobs to the subcontinent to reduce costs. The move of paperwork to India could threaten the jobs of some of the estimated 20,000 legal secretaries, it is feared.

Last week insurance giant Norwich Union announced it was moving 2,500 jobs abroad.

The BBC said advances in technology mean that solicitors can drastically reduce the number of legal secretaries they employ, and shift their jobs to India for less than half the cost.

The legal secretaries produce legal documents dictated by solicitors, prepare legal files, and liaise with clients.

Even as some solicitors believe clients might be unhappy about their legal work not being done directly by the firm they employ, those promoting the idea say the cost savings will prove increasingly attractive.

Meanwhile, a union has called for a thorough inquiry by the EU into the move of skilled jobs to India.

UNI

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