56 | Q2 2021 Apr21784 Most Innovative Legal Tech Start-up 2021 Lawyerup is a legal start-up that has made an impact with its technologically advanced, accountability-centred legal services platform. Changing the ways clients find lawyers – and the ways lawyers present themselves – it is leading the charge in altering the way its industry sees both of these elements and more. “We wanted to have affordable & experienced lawyers who reply quickly and actually care about getting great results for their clients.” - Sonia Gurtata, Founder & CEO In the ever-competitive crucible of law, what it takes to stand out is a set of criteria that is forever shifting and morphing alongside the legislation itself. When one considers which law firm to entrust with their case, there are so many things to keep in mind and elements that could be overlooked; and of course, a lot of the time those with visibility enough to be in the public eye are those banking enough big checks to be able to afford it. Therefore, it can be hard to ascertain which lawyers are worth a client’s trust. Lawyerup is looking to change all that – with a platform built on the basis of transparency and with the goal of creating a portal that benefits both lawyers and clients, it provides all necessary information that a potential client would need to know when choosing a lawyer online. In addition, this provides an incredible opportunity for lawyers, as through Lawyerup they can directly advertise themselves to prospective customers. Skills, experience, areas of expertise, hourly rates, reviews, it’s all provided for the perusal of the end user. Due to the exemplary work that it has kickstarted in building a bridge between clients and lawyers, Lawyerup has been awarded ‘the next start-up to watch’ by Google as it has caused an irrevocable shift in how its market segment thinks about communication. Furthermore, CEO Sonia Gurtata was recently named as one of the Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise in Europe – a title that has been well earned, as Lawyerup has proved its mettle in taking one of the industry’s most daunting challenges head on. Nominally, developing a singular space for professional accountability at the client’s fingertips. To delve a little deeper into what a user can expect from the platform itself, as has been touched upon it boasts comprehensive profiles, but it also has so much more. Its map feature shows which lawyers are online, allowing users to know which are available to get in contact with, and using smart technologies in its dual-release escrow payment method. This, a revolutionary feature, allows the user to deposit the fee online whilst the lawyer works, and then once it is done and the client is satisfied, they can release that fee. Consequentially, client satisfaction is prioritised, and lawyers have the security of knowing that the client will be able to pay them for their efforts before sinking hours of work into their craft. This results in a system that works for both clients and professionals. In addition, lawyers get the added benefit of having a platform out there in the public domain through which they can market their services, without having to break the bank for just the smallest spot of advertising elsewhere. A client in need of their services can find them through its user-intuitive search tool, and result in the professional being able to show off the glowing reviews they collect over time in order to create a kind of highly specific public-facing CV. The anonymous and objective nature of the site when it comes to its users also diminishes any cultural bias. To Lawyerup, good legal defence is not a luxury – it’s a human right, and one that’s becoming increasingly prevalent when the world grows more complicated by the day, especially in an international environment still grappling with the effects of a pandemic. Lawyerup expedited its launch specifically so it could help people who needed legal help most during this time, with a pledged fund towards pro-bono cases where people can apply for support and funnelling a percentage of its profits towards donations to non-profits. In less than a year, this nonprofit has facilitated over many million-pound transactions and registered over 35,000 lawyers; needless to say, its path to further success has only just begun. Company: Lawyerup Contact: Sonia Gurtata Website: lawyer-up.co.uk ...client satisfaction is prioritised, and lawyers have the security of knowing that the client will be able to pay them for their efforts before sinking hours of work into their craft.
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