“By changing the traditional playbook, we're trying to shake some sense into an antiquated system,” the firm says
The first fully non-lawyer-owned law firm in the US is looking to boost access to justice in Utah.
Law on Call was established by registered agent and corporate filing services provider Northwest Registered Agent. The firm’s goal is to provide legal services to clients at “traditionally impossible speeds and prices,” Law on Call said in a press release on Monday.
“In the traditional legal services world, potential clients have to jump through numerous hoops before they even speak to a lawyer and get their first question answered. Ultimately, many businesses and individuals in the US forego hiring a lawyer because it requires too much work and too much money,” the firm said.
By contrast, the firm looks to offer clients “instant access” to legal experts in business law, end-of-life planning, contracts, employment, housing and real estate.
“Clients have the option to hire those lawyers to do legal work at steeply discounted rates. If additional attorneys step in to help, that help will never come at an additional charge like it might at a traditional firm,” Law on Call said.
Moreover, the firm’s clients will “pay only US$9 a month to receive unlimited phone access to licensed lawyers who can offer legal advice,” the firm said.
“Legal work, if needed, will be available starting at just US$100 an hour – no retainer necessary,” Law on Call said. “This shift in process and priority puts Law on Call at the forefront of a new era in the legal industry – one that's more efficient, less expensive, and geared toward clients' real-world needs.”
The launch of the firm follows a landmark ruling made by the Supreme Court of Utah last August that birthed the two-year pilot program Utah Regulatory Legal Sandbox, managed by the Office of Legal Services Innovation. The program’s objective is to make legal services more accessible.
Law on Call expects initiatives like the Utah Regulatory Legal Sandbox to extend to other US states in time.
“The United States justice system is hard to get access to. By changing the traditional playbook, we're trying to shake some sense into an antiquated system,” said Drake Forester, Northwest’s chief legal strategy officer.
