1. Delivering “Unbundled Legal Services”
Over the Internet: Best Practices
Richard S. Granat
Co-Chair, eLawyering Task Force,
LPM/American Bar Association
President, DirectLaw, Inc.

2. Overview
Part One: Introduction to Unbundling Legal
Services
Part Two: Ethical Considerations
Part Three: Best Practices
Part Four: Use of Technology to Deliver
Unbundled Legal Services
Conclusion: Unbundling and the Future of Legal
Services

3. Part One
Introduction to Unbundled Legal Services
 What are unbundled legal services?
 The DIY client
 The market for unbundled services
 ABA Model Rule 1.2 (c)
 ABA Formal Opinion 07-446

4. What are unbundled legal services?
 Unbundling legal services are a form of delivering legal
services where the lawyer breaks down the tasks associated
with a legal matter and only provides representation to the
client pertaining to a portion of their legal needs.
 The client accepts the responsibility for doing the footwork
for the remainder of their legal matter until it is completed.
 Also termed limited scope representation (LSR) or discrete
task representation.

5. Wikipedia Definition
Wikipedia now defines “unbundled legal services” as
“a method of legal services in the United States in
which an attorney and client agree to limit the scope
of the attorney’s involvement in a law suit or other
legal action, leaving responsibility to those other
aspects of the case to the client.” See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbundled_legal_services
5

6. Legal Services a la Carte
6

7. Is there a market for unbundled services?
 We live in a DIY society.
 Consumers understands that when a product or service has
a DIY component, it tends to be more affordable. This is
seen as an acceptable tradeoff for doing a little or a lot of
the footwork.
 In the current economy, many lower to moderate income individuals
are more than willing to do the extra work to save money on their legal
needs.
 Online legal service companies, such as LegalZoom, have
educated consumers about DIY legal services.

8. Economic Benefits
Expands the market for legal services as price is
reduced.
Enables the lawyer to develop a relationship around
a limited task which can lead to a larger engagement
latter.
Reduces “friction” and “risk” in selecting and
working with an attorney.
Generates legal fee revenue where there maybe
none.
8

9. Benefits of Unbundling
For the public:
 Greater access to the legal system for individuals of lower to
moderate means.
 Lessens burden on court system handling pro se litigants
without guidance
For the professional:
 Attorneys may provide an alternative form of legal services to a
different client base
 Tap into the latent market for unbundled , online legal services

10. Meeting Client Needs
Understanding the needs of your clients enables you
to create a service mix that is responsive to a range
of client needs at prices they can afford.
You don’t have to provide full scale legal services to
every client who wants to use your services.
10
10

11. Why consumers choose unbundled services
 They like to control their legal matter and are the DIY-
personality.
 They cannot afford to pay for full legal representation.
 They want the flexibility and convenience that unbundling may
give them.
 They would benefit from alternative fee arrangements, such as
the fixed fees and value billing that can accompany unbundled
services.
 They are less intimidated and more comfortable using the
Internet to communicate and accomplish their business needs
rather than making an appointment at a traditional law office.
 They live in remote areas or for other reasons do not have the
means to travel to a larger city to visit a physical law office.

12. Un-Bundling as a Response: Reducing Friction
12

13. Sample Unbundled Services
 Ghostwriting
 Drafting pleadings, briefs, declarations or orders
 Document review
 Conducting legal research
 Negotiating
 Making limited appearances
 Advising on court procedures and courtroom behavior
 Coaching on strategy or role playing
 Preparing exhibits
 Organizing discovery materials
 Drafting contracts and agreements
 Providing legal guidance or opinions
 Providing direction to resources such as local and state rules
 “Collaborative lawyering”

14. Part Two:
Ethical Considerations
 Competent Representation (Rule 1.1)
 Limiting the Scope (Rule 1.2 (c))
 Ghostwriting Pleadings (ABA Formal Opinion 07-446 (2007)
 Ethical considerations in operating a virtual law office are
beyond the scope of this program.

15. Ethics: Ground Rules
15

16. Model Rule 1.2 (c)
Revised in 2002, the ABA Model Rule 1.2(c) entitled
“Scope of Representation” provides:
(c) A lawyer may limit the scope of the
representation if the limitation is reasonable
under the circumstances and the client gives
informed consent.”
This rule has been either adopted or modified by
forty-one states since its addition to the model rules.

17. ABA Formal Opinion 07-446
In 2007, the ABA published Formal Opinion 07-
446 which permits ghostwriting. This opinion
states that an attorney could provide limited
assistance to a pro se litigant by helping them
prepare written materials without disclosing their
involvement in the preparation to the court.
The ABA Model Rule does not require that the
lawyer reveal that he or she has provided
assistance to the pro se litigant.

18. Competent Representation
 Model Rule 1.1 states that clients must be provided with
“competent” representation
 The attorney must decide if the limited scope representation is
“reasonable” as required by Model Rule 1.2(c).
 The meaning of “reasonable” can be derived from a number of
court cases where the court found :
 limited scope representation to be acceptable when the client’s
rights and interests were not harmed from the practice and
 when the attorney was not committing any ethics violations from
his or her limited representation of the client’s matter

19. Limiting the Scope
 Model Rule 1.2 (c)
 The client needs to understand the nature of the limited
scope representation from the beginning of the
attorney/client relationship.
 Limited scope engagement agreements

20. Summary
Check state bar rules and local opinions.
Defining What is reasonable Under the
Circumstances.
Clarifying Scope of Representation and Written
Consent.
Rejection letters in writing.
Letter Ending the Client Relationship.
Still check for Conflicts of Interest.
20

21. Part Three: Best Practices
Making the decision to unbundle
Limited Scope Engagement Agreements
Educating Your Client
Termination of Limited Scope Arrangement

22. Design Techniques
 Analyze legal projects into their component tasks.
 Sometimes you can bundle by issue.
 A task becomes a project that you can price separately.
 The legal service should be a stand-alone project or process that you
can
draw a boundary around so that the service is limited.
 Examples from an “Unbundled, Virtual” Family Law Practice
→ Service of process on an unknown spouse.
→ Drafting of a QDRO Order
→ Forms Bundled with Legal Advice for a Fixed Price

23. Can this Case be Unbundled?
 The complexity of the matter: How much litigation is involved or is it a
more clear-cut case? Has the client worked with another attorney before
on the matter before seeking out limited scope assistance?
 The client’s personality: Will this client be able to handle the remainder
of the case following the firm’s instructions and guidance? Does the
client have the necessary education-level to complete the task?
 Would it be in the client’s best interests in this particular circumstance if
the representation were consistent from start to finish? For example, in
a complex child custody matter or a criminal defense case, the client’s
best interests would most likely be served through continuous and
consistent representation rather than unbundling.
 Does the client take instruction well?
 Is the client going to be comfortable communicating with the firm using
the methods that the firm has set up for limited scope cases, such as a
virtual law office or web conferencing rather than in-person office visits?
 Will the client consent to the limited representation?

24. Educating the Client
 Checklists and detailed instructions
Keep Digital Records of your Interactions with the
Client

25. Limited Scope Agreements
Provide client with a handout listing steps involved in
the process of the case.
Compare the full service representation to the limited
scope services that the client will be receiving from the
attorney.
Make sure the client is aware of the risks that may be
involved in their case by not choosing full-service
representation and help them to do a risk/benefit
analysis for this decision.
List exactly what services will not be provided to the
client as well as listing their responsibilities.
 Avoids misunderstandings or false expectations

26. Termination of the Representation
Send the client an email letter or other
communication confirming that the limited
engagement has come to an end
This lets the client know that this is the end of the
services that they paid for

27. Part Four
Use of Technology to Deliver Unbundled Legal
Services
 On-Line vs. In-Office Practice
 Document Automation and Assembly
 Virtual Law Firms
 Using technology to streamline the unbundling process and
prevent malpractice

28. Online vs. Offline Practice
Online:
 Clients have access to their own online case files with limited
control
 Online case and client management tool
 Document Assembly and Automation
 Must follow best practices for online delivery as well as
unbundling
 Offline:
 Lends itself to unbundling in more practice areas and litigation-
based unbundling
 Process of unbundling cannot be as streamlined or automated

29. The Power of On-Line Service
Digital technology is a powerful dis-aggregator,
enabling consumers to pick and choose what they
want, and how and where they want it.
Example is the music industry and how digital
technology changed the value proposition for music.
iTunes “Unbundled” music for all of us.
29
29

30. The Leverage of an On-Line Service
Online:
 Powerful disaggregator enabling consumers to pick and choose
what they want, and how and where they want it.
 A good example is the music industry and how Apple changed
the value proposition by reducing the need to purchase
albums. Most consumers purchase individual tracks.
 You can increase your reach to web-savvy clients throughout a
state.
 You can use target marketing more effectively on the Internet.
You can advertise on Google for a single unbundled service.

31. Document Assembly & Automation
Good example of increasing leverage by automating
a service and delivering it over the web. Once
automated, the service can be delivered over a wide
area.
Lends itself to delegation to a paralegal for more
routine aspects increasing leverage.
Automating document assembly for online clients
Intuitive online forms
Purchased directly by the client after attorney review
or in conjunction with additional legal advice

32. Automated Document Assembly Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
Excepteur sint occaecat sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
Lorem ipsum dolor cupidatat non proident, sunt in do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident,deseruntincididunt utid est laborum. magna
culpado eiusmod sunt in mollit anim labore et dolore
qui officia tempor aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
culpa qui officia deserunt mollit animaliqua. laborum.ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
id est Ut enim
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
ullamco laboris nisi
ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore etDuis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse
dolore magna
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed sint
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
Lorem ipsum
do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna culpa qui officia
occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in
aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Last Will & Testament do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, suntea commodo consequat.
ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex in Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
aliqua.
culpa qui officia deserunt aute irure dolor inlaborum.
Duis mollit anim id est reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim idLorem ipsumullamco laboris consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
est laborum. dolor sit amet, nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse
do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia
deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut laboreExcepteurmagna
et dolore sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed Excepteur sint
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna sunt in culpa qui officia
occaecat cupidatat non proident,
ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud id est laborum.
deserunt mollit anim exercitation
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit inExcepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in
voluptate velit esse
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
culpa qui officia
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia
do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in
ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
Lorem ipsum dolor sitdeserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
culpa qui officia amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse
do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
aliqua.
aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
Lorem ipsum Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse
do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sintUt enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
aliqua. occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia
do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
ullamco laboris deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Lorem ipsumaute irureamet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed esse aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Duis dolor sit dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna Lorem consequat.
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esseincididunt ut labore et dolore magna
aliqua. do eiusmod tempor
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed
ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse
aliqua.
cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
STAR
T


Next question 

Next question 

Next question 

Next question
FINIS
H
You don't just ‘fill out’ an automated document – you create it.
The answers you enter create a custom legal document, built from a library of state-specific and relevant legal
text, that is tailored to client’s specific facts.

33. Web delivery
Customer journey
 Sophisticated process to deliver
law over the web
 Telephone Advice can be added.
 Each document can be reviewed
and approved by the lawyer in
charge.
 Price is based on value add as
distinguished from time spent
which can be very little.
Businessmax movie

34. Intelligent Calculators
Examples
 Child Support Calculators
 Bankruptcy Calculator
 Bankruptcy Debt Calculators
 Alimony Calculators
 Alimony Recapture Calculator
 Spousal Support Calculator

35. What is a virtual law firm?
 A virtual law firm is a professional law practice that is
located online through a secure client portal and is
accessible to both the client and the attorney
anywhere the parties may access the Internet.
 Other terminology: virtual lawyering, VLO, virtual law
firm, web-based or web-enabled law practice, online law
practice, delivering legal services online.
Username:
Password:
LOGIN

36. Case Studies
LegalZoom –not a law firm –
http://www.legalzoom.com
Family Law Practice –
http://www.mdfamilylawyer.com
Wills and Estates Practice –
http://www.granatwills.com
See other examples at: http://www.mylawyer.com
36

37. 37

38. 38

39. 39

40. 40

41. Future of Unbundling in Legal Services
 Fixed priced legal services delivered online will become a dominant
pattern.
 Movement from passive law firm web sites to interactive virtual law
firms. Almost all solos and small law firms will have some form of a
“client portal” in the next five years.
 Law firms delivering personal legal services to individuals will
increase “unbundled” legal service offerings.
 Pressured by change in consumer behavior and competitors like
LegalZoom.

42. The Book to Buy
Limited Scope Legal Services: Unbundling and the
Self-Help Client by Stephanie Kimbro published by
ABA/LPM, March 2012.

43. Other Resources
 ABA Unbundling Resource Center
http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/delivery/delunbund.html
 ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services white
paper, “An Analysis of Rules That Enable Lawyers to Serve Pro Se
Litigants,”
http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/delivery/downloads/prose_wh
ite_paper.pdf
 ABA’s Section of Litigation, Handbook on Limited Scope Assistance,
a Report of the Modest Means Task Force (2003)
http://www.abanet.org/litigation/taskforces/modest/report.pdf
 ABA ELawyering Task Force
http://www.elawyering.com

44. Contact Information
Richard Granat
President, DirectLaw, Inc.
Founder, Granat Legal Services at
MDFamilyLawyer.com
Elawyering Blog:
www.elawyeringredux.com
rich@granat.com
Twitter: @rgranat
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/richard.granat