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w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m J U N E 2 0 1 7 11 S ome lawyers call it unbundling and a new Alberta-based project wants to find out if it really does reduce legal fees, improve access to justice and even boost lawyers' bottom lines. Unbundling involves a lawyer accepting a limited retainer from a client, who only pays the lawyer for the steps the lawyer completes. Advocates say it is the next logi- cal step in providing legal services. But the evidence for those claims is mostly anecdotal. So, in an effort to develop an empirical baseline to gauge just how effective unbun- dling is, a pilot project has been launched in Alberta. It is funded by the Law Foun- dation of Ontario and is overseen by the University of Calgary-affiliated Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family. The study is called The Alberta Lim- ited Legal Services Project. It started this spring and will run for about 18 months. Approximately 60 practitioners have so far agreed to answer a questionnaire related to each unbundled case they handle. They will complete a longer survey at the end of the project. The lawyers are also undertak- ing to ask their clients to fill out a standard questionnaire about their experience with unbundling. The data will be collated and analyzed by the project and results are anticipated in December 2018. The study is thought to be the first for- mal assessment of this kind of scheme in Canada. The project's co-organizer, John- Paul Boyd, says, "Our hypothesis is that providing some legal services is better than providing none at all." And while Boyd believes unbundling is applicable to almost every area of the law, he says the Alberta project will focus mainly on family law where the greatest need exists. Robert Harvie, a veteran Lethbridge family lawyer, is the other co-organizer of the project. He hopes it "will show lawyers that limited legal services are profitable and rewarding and can easily be integrated into the busiest law practices." Sarah Bisbee is a lawyer in Brooks, the heart of south-eastern Alberta's cowboy country. Bisbee doesn't just operate a store- front law firm, she also runs quickclicklaw. ca, a strictly online law business that serves clients all over the province. She is an early adopter of the unbundled approach to legal services. Bisbee says she ensures she delivers "the same level of service as we would provide on a full-scope retainer," as required by the law society. "I can serve people more effectively in a manner that is financially manageable to me but also financially manageable to them." — GEOFF ELLWAND \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ P R A I R I E S \ W E S T REGIONAL WRAP-UP UNBUNDLING PROJECT IN ALBERTA WILL MEASURE SUCCESS W E S T The best just got even better. Canada's trusted legal news source is now delivered daily - online and to your inbox. The Lawyer 's Daily is your home for breaking news, insightful commentary, and deep analysis relevant to your areas of practice. EXTRA EXTRA Breaking news In-depth Vnalysis Insightful commentary Anywhere, anytime access lexisnexis.ca/extra Insightful commentary Anywhere, anytime access The Lawyer's Daily only from LexisNexis ntitled-1 1 2017-05-17 8:07 AM

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