Anyone who’s taken time out to read my recent Gazette features will know that I’ve received many pieces of legal services and legal market surveys and research down the years.

Sometimes they impress, and sometimes they don’t - and unlike restaurant critics who haven’t worked as chefs, I’ve had to put my credibility on the line by doing surveys that are judged by others.

One finding that caught my eye recently was from a survey conducted by Peppermint Technology, who worked with some of the names that commonly get mentioned in the same sentence as the phrases ‘brave new world’ and ‘legal services market’.

81% of ‘consumers’ (I know, I know, ‘client’ is my preferred word too), ‘are in favour of an out of hours service’ the Peppermint survey found.

Is that a challenge to most practices? No part of the legal profession works notoriously short hours. I think most emails from my solicitor about arrive on Sunday, or in the evening, and I know he isn’t unusual.

So why does a finding like Peppermint’s sound like it might require a change in solicitors’ working habits if they are to compete with newer, larger market entrants? Is this consumer/client preference a ‘challenge’ to a small practice?

Presumably not, though that does not mean that no action is required.

I suspect that this is mostly a challenge of communication. For many solicitors their commitment and availability is there - it just isn’t worn on their sleeve in the way that banks, say, broadcast 24-7 telephone services.

But if a practice can devise a way to state its commitment, and somehow define post-5.30pm availability (ring-fenced and made predictable for reasons of sanity and a home life of course), this is surely an area where smaller practices shouldn’t fear new market entrants?

Eduardo Reyes is Gazette features editor