Business

Lawyers Note Changing Business Patterns Amid Pandemic

Published

5 years ago

February 5, 2021

As we approach a full year spent contending with the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are wondering about the impact of the virus on different industries. In response, we’ve seen plenty of coverage of restaurants and retail and even healthcare, but there are plenty of sectors that have received less coverage. For example, what’s currently happening in our country’s courtrooms and law offices? While certain issues have undoubtedly continued being adjudicated, including personal injury law services and criminal cases, the pandemic has significantly shifted other patterns.

Lawsuits In The Workplace

At the start of the pandemic, one of the biggest changes we saw on a national scale was the shift to remote work wherever possible. For those who couldn’t work from home, though, every day became uniquely risky, and many employers failed to act with their workers’ best interests in mind. The result was a spike in the number of workplace lawsuits, covering concerns ranging from failure to provide a safe work environment to discrimination, retaliation against whistleblowers, and wage and hour disputes caused by COVID-19 related work changes.

Decline In Divorces

While there may be a significant number of workplace lawsuits going on at present, there’s another core legal function that’s seen a significant decline: divorces. This may be surprising, given the interpersonal conflict the pandemic has caused, but it makes sense in other ways. Over the past year, both marriage and divorce rates have dropped largely because of inconvenience. Barring serious dangers like domestic violence, couples are contending with the reality that divorce is expensive and involves life transitions that are too hard to make right now.

Of course, the current depression in divorce rates is sure to be short lived, and may actually increase post-pandemic, a trend that was seen in China after their initial national shutdowns. Indeed, as divorce lawyer Rowdy Williams observes, “Divorce lawyers should expect to see a steady flow of clients in the months after the pandemic, especially once the economy begins to rebound.” People aren’t going to get divorced until they feel they have the financial resources to take care of things properly, and while Williams suggests we aren’t there yet, the spike could be coming soon.

Healthcare Suits

Healthcare providers have played an important role in our national survival throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, working on the frontlines of what has felt like a never-ending war, but they haven’t done it alone. Rather, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers like personal care assistants have operated in conjunction with insurance companies, who have changed numerous policies to accommodate new needs. Still, despite everyone’s hard work and most groups’ best efforts, not everything has gone as planned and the result is that insurers and nursing homes have been on the receiving end of numerous lawsuits.

Perhaps more than any other type of healthcare facility, nursing homes have been charged with a failure to protect their patients and staff, including through a failure to provide appropriate PPE and to test and isolate vulnerable patients. Even as the national death toll climbs above 400,000, more than a quarter of those can be linked to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Families are grieving and they are holding those facilities accountable for these untimely deaths.

We’re unlikely to be able to discern the full patterns underlying COVID-related lawsuits for some time, but already some trends are clear – and current demand, while different, can certainly keep lawyers busy. There are a lot of complaints to contend with at present as every industry deals with unprecedented conditions, but they all exist within the bounds of the law.

Business

Click for Counsel: YesLawyer Wants to Make Lawyers as Accessible as Wi-Fi

Published

6 days ago

April 1, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Photo Courtesy of: YesLawyer

Byline: Andi Stark

For many people facing a legal problem, the most difficult part is not understanding their rights but finding a lawyer willing to speak with them in the first place. Long wait times, unclear pricing, and administrative hurdles often delay even the most basic consultations. YesLawyer, an AI-enabled plaintiff firm operating across all 50 states, is testing whether technology can shorten that gap.

Founded in 2024 by 25-year-old entrepreneur Rob Epstein, the platform offers free intake, automated screening, and, in many cases, same-day conversations with licensed attorneys. The idea is simple: reduce the friction between a client’s first request for help and an actual legal discussion. In this interview, Epstein explains how the system works, where artificial intelligence fits into the process, and what problems the company is trying to address in the broader legal system

Q: When you say you want lawyers to be “as accessible as Wi-Fi,” what does that mean in practical terms?

A: It’s a way of describing speed and availability. Someone dealing with a workplace dispute, a serious injury, or an immigration issue should be able to move from an online form or phone call to a real conversation with counsel in hours, not weeks. YesLawyer is structured so that a client begins with a free case evaluation, goes through automated conflict checks and basic screening, and, in many instances, speaks with a lawyer the same day.

Q: How does the process work once someone contacts the platform?

A: We use a structured workflow. It starts with a short questionnaire and an initial conversation to capture basic facts. That information feeds into conflict checks and internal review. The system then proposes a match with a licensed attorney and provides a calendar link for a virtual consultation, often within 24 hours. After the meeting, the client receives a written legal plan outlining next steps, deadlines, and estimated fees.

Q: Where does artificial intelligence fit into that process, and where does it stop?

A: AI is used for organizing and routing information, not for giving legal advice. It helps with conflict checks at scale, case categorization, and structured summaries so attorneys can focus on the substance of the matter. Every consultation is conducted by a licensed lawyer, and all decisions about strategy or next steps are made by humans.

Q: What problem is this model trying to solve in the current legal system?

A: Delay and cost are still major barriers. Many civil plaintiffs face long waits just to get a first appointment, along with high retainers and hourly billing that make early legal advice risky. We try to respond with faster consultations, flat-fee options, and financing. The idea is to remove administrative friction so lawyers spend less time on logistics and more time speaking with clients.

Q: Some critics say platforms like this blur the line between a technology company and a law firm. How do you describe YesLawyer?

A: We describe ourselves as a national, AI-enabled plaintiff firm that connects clients with independent attorneys. That structure does raise regulatory questions, especially around responsibility and oversight. We focus on licensing verification, attorney-written case plans, and clear communication about fees and services.

Q: You’ve said the main bottleneck is “systems” rather than people. What do you mean by that?

A: The issue isn’t that lawyers don’t want to help more people. It’s that the systems around them make it hard to scale their time. Intake, scheduling, and document handling take hours. Automating those parts means attorneys can handle more matters without being overwhelmed by repetitive tasks.

Q: Does this model risk favoring only the most profitable cases?

A: That’s a real concern in legal technology. Automation often works best for repeatable, high-volume disputes. Our view is that lowering administrative cost can actually make it easier to take on smaller or more complex cases that might otherwise be turned away. Whether that holds over time depends on the data.

Measuring Impact Over Time

YesLawyer’s attempt to compress the timeline between inquiry and consultation reflects broader changes in how legal services are being delivered. As artificial intelligence becomes more common in administrative work, firms are experimenting with new ways to reduce wait times and clarify costs.

The company’s early growth suggests that many clients value faster access to an initial conversation, even before considering long-term representation. Whether this platform-based model becomes widely adopted or remains one of several emerging approaches will depend on regulatory developments, lawyer participation, and measurable outcomes for clients. For now, YesLawyer’s experiment highlights a central question in modern legal practice: how quickly can help realistically be made available to the people who need it.