Outsourcing, offshoring and managed services have all caught the interest of law firms over the past five years. The incentives vary, but typically cost savings and increased flexibility are high up on the list.

But while firms in the financial sector and those with a high number of customer-facing activities have been noticeable in their readiness to embrace such options, law firms are, for the most part, less affected by the growth in the use of such services.

But research suggests the tide is turning. A recent Legal Week/ EJ Legal survey of more than 100 partners found that 20% were in firms that were currently considering outsourcing support functions to another country. Sixty percent of those polled had no offshore activities at all.