Don’t be like Comcast; Legal Services Unbundling Should Aid Clients
Cable is moving towards unbundling their channel selections. Finally, you’ll be able to get Game of Thrones without paying for a premium channel package filled with shows you may not watch.
As cable services begin to deregulate, industry experts are watching the process and comparing it to the deregulation of the airlines in that began in the 1970s and ‘80s. Since that time, flights have gone from well-dressed travelers enjoying cocktails and fine meals on china to crowded Greyhound buses in the air. Air flight has become unbundled.
As the New York Times explains, unbundling has resulted in all the annoying charges that come with air travel now. $50 upgrade for a seat in your airline’s “premium economy” cabin. Food and drinks costs extra. Want to check your bag? That will be another fee. A complete airline experience now costs significantly more than just buying a ticket.
Theoretically, this is supposed to give consumers greater control. It has been effective; more people are traveling via airplane than ever before. What it has also given this greater number is a giant headache. Consumer satisfaction with airlines has been consistently dropping for the last ten years. This is the price for greater access to air travel.
When it comes to unbundling cable channel selection, economists believe that the cost for each channel would more than double compared to what they pay now. And that is for channels without mass appeal. As popular channel, like ESPN or HBO, would cost significantly more than what consumers currently pay. Unbundling is actually bad for consumers, leading to fewer offerings and higher costs.
Why do I spend some much time reading about unbundling in cable and airlines?
Because lawyers have been debating whether or not to unbundle their own legal services for years. The American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services has provided many resources to help lawyers begin offering unbundled services. Steph Kimbro has written a great book on offering unbundled legal services too. The book has chapters breaking down the ethics, forms and provision of unbundled legal services. It’s a great resource for anyone investigating adding limited scope legal services to their practice. The conclusion of experts, like Kimbro, is that unbundling creates a more efficient and affordable offering for clients. They can pay for the services the need from legal professionals and handle a greater portion of their problems on their own. This view of unbundling is of providing greater access, like air travel has done for the masses.
The problem with unbundling legal services comes if the client starts having to piecemeal their way to a full resolution of their legal problem. If a client has to pay extra for services that have become expected, then unbundling has gone off the rails. The legal profession should be wary of efforts to try and break the legal system into profitable and unprofitable parts. The legal system is not a collection channels on a television (no matter how many show Law & Order reruns), but a necessary function of society. Greater access is the goal, not just choosing our favorite parts.
