Section 8 - Interesting Examples from Other Countries (so far, just the USA and Australia)
Last updated September 22nd.
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Attorneyfind is a
directory of law firms in 70 categories is. There are over 1,200 firms
with listings here, paying $100 each to be on the list.
Apparently, more than 50,000 viewers come to the directory each month, brought by
banners and listings throughout the internet.
elawforum is a USA site which matches businesses needing legal services
with law firms. The corporations post their need for bulk legal services on the site and interested law firms
can provide quotes. Apparently 2,000 firms are registered; the firms cannot view information on other firms, and
the corporations cannot view information on other corporations. Staff at elawforum guide the process at all
stages to ensure security of information and also the appropriateness of the firms who apply. There is quite
a lot of information on the process provided on the site itself.
Incorporator.com.au is an
Australian system which generates limited company formation documents online.
The system operates on a question and answer
basis to obtain the information needed for the forms, providing full explanatory notes
at each stage so that the user is in effect "coached" in the process of preparing the
documents, and taking account of the relevant Companies Act provisions.
There is also a considerable amount of free information available on the site
relating to the incorporation process for people to use whether or not they are using
the system on a paid basis. At the end of the generation process, the user can decide whether
he or she wishes to go ahead with the formation and pay the charges required for the finished documents and delivering them automatically.
All content has been written by the directors of the company who are also solicitors. The system can be used
directly by the person wanting to set up a limited company, or by a solicitor wishing to
carry out the process quickly and efficiently on behalf of clients.
(There is now a UK version of this system called UK Corporator.)
Law Central is a document-generating site set up by Australian
solicitors Brett Davies. Documents offered include Self Managed Superannuation Funds, Demand and Summons for Debt,
Div 7A Loan Agreements, Employment Contracts, Family Trusts, POAs, Wills and Binding Financial Agreements (Prenuptial Agreements).
Documents are built dynamically whilst the client answers a series of questions online. There is also a legal dictionary
and a "law tutor" online.
Lawyers.com.au is a marketinhg directory of solicitors
in Australia. You can search fcor the type of law speciality needed, by name or by post code.
Firms pay a fee to be included in the directory.
Legalmart is a potentially
international "umbrella" organisation, based in Queensland, Australia. It has
been set up by lawyers from Janssen Mitchell Solicitors and offers viewers
the ability to prepare documents online for a fee, including wills, powers of attorney and confidentiality agreements.
The site is now offering conveyancing online with documents which can be personalised online and lawyers available
for "handholding". The company is looking for UK lawyers to join the scheme.
Legal Match is a USA site which allows
potential clients to put details of their problem on the site and attorneys to put in "bids"
for the work. Both Clients and Attorneys have to register before being able to use the
site. In due course, attorneys will have to pay to use the service but it seems to be
free at the moment. The service is described as "three easy steps":
1. Answer confidential questions
2. Receive offers from attorneys
3. Review qualifications and choose.
Legal Survival is a USA site
for individuals which looks informative and well designed and which provides marketing
facilities for attorneys. "It features a quarterly online newsletter, online bookstore, law FAQs,
checklists, prepaid legal plans, find a lawyer, attorney marketing services, useful forms,
helpful links and an articles forum. It has extensive information
on consumer, debtor/creditor, divorce/family, DWI/traffic,
e-commerce, elder, estate planning, health care, immigration,
landlord/tenant, municipal, personal injury, real estate, small
business and tax law." Apparently it has been on the web for 5 years - a long time
in the internet world!
Mylawyer.com is a new USA service for
supplying and generating legal documents, set up by our very own Epoch
Software, author of Desktop Lawyer (seeming to indicate that the UK is ahead
in this field). The site is nice and "clean" in design and fast to load.
It contains a great deal of free information on legal topics and a state-by-state
set of Frequently Answered Questions as well as the documents to be generated.
There is also a very useful, straightforward set of links to USA legal resources.
U.S. Legal Forms provides
over 25,000 legal documents and forms including contracts, deeds, divorce, wills, name change and real estate.
There are areas of the site focusing on special topics and different ways to locate the forms.
WorldLawDirect is a site offering
viewers direct access to lawyers in the USA and (supposedly) 26 other countries.
However, the only UK lawyer available is Eversheds. The site says that
initial responses are free
and quotations are given for further work.
Note to solicitors and others who are selling legal services from their web site - let me know
and I will add you to this list!
email
delia@venables.co.uk
Selling and Marketing Legal Services Online