New Online Legal Service to Increase Consumer Choice and Reduce Legal Costs

Melbourne, June 2009: A revolutionary free online legal service, Legal Tender, promises to drive down legal costs by introducing greater transparency and competition into the legal industry.

Just launched, Legal Tender aims to help ordinary Australians and small to medium businesses make better, informed choices about the right lawyer for their legal needs.

The brainchild of Melbourne lawyer Emily Peterson, Legal Tender is set to shake up the industry by radically changing the way Australians choose their legal representatives.

Legal Tender demystifies what has traditionally been a closed, costly and confusing industry by asking law firms to “tender” for work by providing an estimate of costs and information on experience, skill and suitability.

Ms Peterson said using Legal Tender gives consumers greater choice, more knowledge and helps them get a better deal. With more than 80 legal firms currently on the books, the service is free to consumers. The only cost is a flat fee paid by the successful law firm when
it wins a tender.

Ms Peterson said the lack of knowledge about legal services and the costs involved when hiring a lawyer were big issues for consumers. Data collected by Victoria’s Legal Services Commission supports this view: of the 2,033 complaints received by the Legal Services Commission between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008, a staggering 41% pertained to complaints about legal costs and bills and 23% about negligence.

“With the GFC in full swing anything that engenders competition and stimulates business is a good thing for the legal industry,” Ms Peterson said.

“As a lawyer I saw a massive gap in the market for a service that gave power back to ordinary mums and dads and helped them find the right lawyer at the right price.”

“What clients really need to know before choosing a lawyer is, how much will it cost me and what skills does the lawyer have? There was no independent broker purely focused on the legal industry people could turn to for help.”

“Clients are demanding value for money. Legal Tender provides all the information required to make an informed decision such as the relevant skills, history, reputation, experience and most importantly the costs involved,” Ms Peterson said.

Prominent QC Julian Burnside has acknowledged the difficulty many people face finding the right legal representation, and commented on the Legal Tender service.

“Many people don’t know how to find a lawyer, they have no idea how much it will cost, and have no idea how to choose one that best suits their needs. Services that assist people to find the right lawyer for their needs are a positive development,” Mr Burnside said.

Visit Legal Tender for more information.