FREESERVE founder Ajaz Ahmed is backing a new online legal service.
Deregulation due to take effect later this year will enable non-lawyers to compete for a share of the £23bn a year UK market for legal services – and many large companies have already indicated that they intend to enter the market.
Observers also believe the internet will play a much larger role in the provision of legal services.
Now law firm Last Cawthra Feather has announced the launch of website LEGAL365.com – and plan to make it a major player in the new-look legal market, with Mr Ahmed acting as a consultant.
Huddersfield-based Mr Ahmed commented: “Make no mistake, the internet will change how people buy many legal services. The website offers an enormous range of legal documents aimed at both the consumer and business customer and all for a fixed price.
“This is the future. People don’t want to pay by the hour; they want to be able to use the internet for some of their legal needs at a time that suits them 24 hours a day.”
The website contains many useful documents for everything from disputing a parking ticket to creating a will, getting divorced or chasing customer debt. Some of the documents are completely free and the site is easy to use.
Mr Ahmed added; “All our research shows that customers don’t like paying for legal services by the hour, the lack of transparency, the time it takes to get anything done and the poor customer experience that some law firms provide.
“Our new store is going to change the way legal services are delivered; we are going to offer a fixed price, prompt and responsive service with friendly staff and a great customer experience.”
He said the legal industry had been “an old protected industry that has had little incentive to change”.
Said Mr Ahmed: “Many lawyers are going to find it difficult to adapt and change to a new customer focused world.”
