LegalQ Intro
By Tim Schuster
This year we’re launching LegalQ, a mobile app that connects users with an attorney who can answer legal questions and help make a plan to move forward with confidence.
There’s another side of the equation, however. Many small-firm and solo-practicing attorneys need a pipeline of new clients in order to grow their business. The LegalQ platform enables attorneys to get paid for helping people get legal advice and build a pipeline of new business.
The impact of COVID-19 and events of 2020-21 touch every area of our lives. Understanding the legal fallouts requires new approaches to how someone finds and obtains legal help.
Whether it’s small business challenges, landlord-tenant issues (including evictions), or unemployment issues, millions of Americans face legal challenges and don’t know where to start.
Prior to the pandemic, researchers estimated “60% of American households deal with a legal problem at any one time.” The access-to-justice gap has never been wider and far-reaching. We believe, in a world where an app tracks your pizza through an oven, everyone should have on-demand, attorney-provided legal advice available at their fingertips.
Here’s the problem: Seeking legal advice feels complex, time-consuming, and overwhelming.
The complexity of the legal system leaves many frustrated and feeling left out. Researchers say “Americans face legal needs at rates comparable to those faced by people in other countries” but “are more likely to take no action to resolve these problems.” They continue: “When they do take action, they do so with fewer legal resources available to them.”
One survey used a probability sample of 1,004 adults age 18+ in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago (the three largest U.S. cities), found that 48% of respondents experienced legal problems in the last two years, but that barriers “prevented 77% of legal consumers from obtaining assistance to resolve their legal problem.”
Getting a lawyer can feel painful, and at a time when one is clearly in pain already.
3 Types of Legal Needs (Knowing When and How to Get Help)
Do all legal situations require an attorney’s guidance? What situations require the help of an attorney? How does someone know when they need a lawyer?
Consider three types of individual or small business legal needs.
-
When a legal need is obvious, clear, and immediate.
In some cases, that an issue is in fact a legal issue may be very clear. The legal ramifications of an event are (sometimes painfully) obvious, such as an accusation of a crime or receiving divorce papers. When receiving an official legal notice or a document for signature, one likely has some inclination that talking to an attorney can reduce risks and increase clarity. These legal issues often come with deadlines.
The term “legalese” correctly suggests that often legal matters require fluency in what for many feels like another language. Attorneys translate the language when traveling into the foreign legal worlds.
And, without a proper, well-informed response or preparation, the potential for negative legal consequences grows. In these moments, one is more likely to know immediately and intuitively, “I need an attorney.”
It’s important to note that not all events are easily categorized as negative, however. Legal questions come up throughout the normal ins and outs of personal and professional daily life. The other day, a friend of mine, who is starting a venture fund, said, “I was just bemoaning this morning how I needed a securities lawyer for maybe 15 minutes and how that wasn’t possible!”
We hear his frustration.
In cases where the legal need is clear, taking action to get help may come relatively easily. This “category 1” legal need presents clear and obvious: get help from an attorney. However, not all situations or issues come with a large banner, “Get a lawyer.”
2. When a legal need is not so obvious.
Sometimes, it’s not until an advisor, coach, colleague, or friend says, “You need an attorney” or “Talking to a lawyer can be really helpful,” it may simply not occur to categorize a situation with legal terms. I spoke with a professional mediator who, due to ethical considerations, refrains from referring his clients to specific attorneys. Rather, he often resorts to, “You really do need an attorney for that.” For his clients, this is the first time that’s occurred to them.
Solving a legal problem with the help of an attorney requires understanding that the problem is, in fact, a legal problem. As LegalQ Founder and COO, Wagma Gharwal observes, “Many legal tech platforms focus on document creation. What about what people really need? How can we build tools to help figure out if they have a legal issue, to begin with?”
At LegalQ, we connect users with an attorney instantly (many users enjoy the ‘schedule later’ feature). Many users simply describe their case or situation to an attorney to get feedback and discern the next steps. “Do I have a legal situation? If so, what is it?” are perfectly acceptable ways to start a productive conversation with a legal professional.
Whether someone will talk to an attorney depends on the severity and clarity of a legal need. Sometimes, it’s obvious. At other times, it becomes clearer later on. Consider, yet, the third category of legal needs.
3. When “self-activation” is required
The two types of legal needs demonstrated above are largely reactive. One needs to form a legal response because without a response, the potential for negative consequences increases.
On the other hand, consider the various legal situations that require an individual to take initiative to prevent potential hardship proactively.
For instance:
-
Taking steps to protect intellectual property
-
Setting up wills, estates, and trusts
-
Planning ahead for guardianships and custodians
-
Prenuptial agreements
-
Small businesses contracts, privacy policies, and terms of use
Each of these requires proactive, self-activation; that is, thinking ahead, making a plan, and taking action on the plan. Instead of reacting, this type of legal need requires forethought and preparation.
In the book “Live Free or DIY,” author and attorney Justin Crawford says, “Ninety percent of everything I dealt with as an attorney could have been avoided with a couple of hours of up-front legal counsel long before a lawsuit ever developed.” He says, “[A 15-minute] call with your outsourced [legal counsel] could probably get you the answers you need.
If only self-activation were that easy. Imagine living in a world where each one of us proactively took measures to prevent the risk of hardship — not just with legal matters, but also with our health, personal finances, professional performance, relationships, and even our environment. How do you inspire people to proactively take action to prevent or decrease the likelihood of negative events?
In terms of legal matters, the willingness to self-activate and take action to prevent legal hardship down the road is a valuable resource that cannot go to waste. Motivation comes and goes.
The furnace repair person at my house the other day asked me what I do for a living. I mentioned the LegalQ app instantly connects users with an attorney. He said immediately, “Oh, that’s great. I have to do some estate planning this year. I’d like to talk to a lawyer, and I don’t even know where to start.” I would guess he’s been thinking about this for a while. At what point will he decide to take action?
Setting aside time to research resources or ask for referrals (usually from a friend who can recommend a lawyer) requires, at some level, “self-activation.” When my furnace repair person works up the motivation to take action, how long will that motivation to self-activate last?
Each of us knows that our levels of energy and motivation vary, depending on the day, our mood, or our sense of purpose. The willingness to take action to speak with an attorney is a limited resource that can’t be wasted. When it’s there, we can’t let it pass.
At LegalQ we want it to be undeniably clear about how someone can connect with an attorney when they are ready. Over the course of time, perhaps more people will feel ready if they know how easy it is to get started.
In many, many cases, obtaining legal information and advice upfront can help prevent legal problems from erupting or ballooning into something unbearable and costly.
For the American legal system to operate efficiently with a bend toward access to justice, we need a go-to resource for motivated legal consumers who are ready to take preventative measures for their legal needs.
Solving the problem ‘behind the problem’
Legal issues bring powerlessness, dependence, and potentially embarrassment, often at the point when action is required. Fear leads to biological responses of fight (getting overly aggressive), flight (run away), faint (take whatever comes, lying down), or freeze (face paralysis).
A legal need reveals two problems. First, the legal issue arises (often a financial or relational hardship, with emotional fallouts). Then, in addition to handling this problem, if someone needs to get legal help, they have a new problem to solve: getting help, advice, and counsel. Finding legal help is complex and time-consuming on our best days, but doing so while navigating whatever painful or uncomfortable events gave rise to the legal issue in the first place leaves many frustrated and afraid.
Getting a lawyer can be painful, and at a time when you’re clearly in pain already. Needing legal advice is one problem; learning how to access an attorney is for too many another problem altogether.
Go-to resources and on-demand platforms to access legal advice solve much more than a legal problem. That is why the value of legal guidance includes intangible, emotional benefits, too.
-
Feelings of confidence
-
A sense of security
-
Perspective; a clearer view of cost, time, and money
-
A plan or course of action to follow
Talking to an attorney about a legal matter not only gives one advice and trustworthy information, but it also helps gain perspective, right-sizing the emotions and thoughts, and clearing the way to take action.
More Information Can Help – Or Hurt
In our interview-based research, we asked people, “Where do you go for legal advice?” We heard over and over, “Search engines.”
When a search engine leads one to up-to-date, jurisdiction-specific, and relevant information, this can be a good place to start. Looking up definitions of legal terms to understand legal concepts helps sort through a legal situation’s complexity. However, without expertise and experience, how can someone be confident they in fact got the best information?
We have more information at our fingertips than at any other point in history. So, why is it so hard to get legal help?
For starters, a world with more information than ever before is also a world of more misinformation than ever before. How does one sort it out? How can we be confident in the information? What is their agenda? These questions are just the beginning, but they lurk behind every web search when we’re dealing with a problem.
Our brains don’t always know what to do with so much information. Too much information can feel overwhelming.
The missing ingredient is trust. Because sorting through the vastness of the information available to us on the internet is mentally draining and exhausting, we are in need of just-in-time guides who can help us get the right information in the right way at the right time.
In other words, enlisting the help of a professional to guide our way through the mountain of information can save time, money, and mental energy.
Legal information can be good. Information from a trustworthy source is much better. Better yet is obtaining the right information at the right time from a trusted and qualified legal professional in one’s state.
At LegalQ, we know how easy it is to get overwhelmed by searching for legal information. Of course, it doesn’t “cost” much financially to use a search engine, but time and energy aren’t unlimited.
LegalQ is free for a 15 minute consultation, always.
Too much information is not the only barrier to getting legal help. Consider barriers of unevenly distributed social capital.
Access to social capital and networks
“Show me your friends, I’ll show you your future,” said my mentor in college.
While wise and on-point, there is so much privilege to unpack in that previous sentence. For starters, not only did I have the opportunity to receive mentorship while earning a college degree, I’ve now had 17 years to act on the advice I received.
That’s just the beginning. At the time, because I was in college and had time to make friends, I met people who were enrolled in pre-law courses. Now, they are practicing law and advancing in their careers. Today, when I have a legal need, I use social media to reach out to them to ask a question or get a referral. Established networks of personal and professional relationships can lead one to legal resources, but this access is not evenly distributed.
What about those who don’t have friends who are lawyers? What if one didn’t go to college with friends who were pre-law? When a legal need arises, attending parties or after-work networking events to meet potential lawyers is not an option.
Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, youth, under-resourced geographies (such as rural populations), and marginalized communities, often lack access to the kind of social circles that can lead to trusted relationships with legal professionals.
Not knowing an attorney is a major obstacle to getting legal counsel. It’s a problem that can be solved with a technology that enables just-in-time, human-to-human interactions.
How would I know if it was the right choice to hire an attorney?
Hiring (and firing) a professional “to do a job” is something very few people do regularly. We may hire someone to mow our lawn or cut our hair, and in those cases, we can determine immediately if that job got done. For larger jobs – like a real estate agent or a general contractor for a home remodel – though more costly, it’s fairly easy to determine the value. Before and after the “hiring,” a consumer or client has good information and criteria for how to determine whether or not the job got done.
However, legal services belong to a category of professional services that economists classify in another way. As the Legal Evolution blog says, legal services are “difficult or even impossible to evaluate even after purchase and consumption, usually, because the customer lacks the domain knowledge or expertise to make a meaningful judgment, or because reliable information on available options is prohibitively difficult to explain.”
As the legal “space” evolves, LegalQ wishes to help provide access, transparency, and education. We want to help provide consumers make an educated decision about hiring an attorney – and we think direct contact with a licensed attorney is a great way to make that happen.
What about Legal Aid and Legal Clinics?
Legal clinics and legal aid organizations play a vital role in helping vulnerable populations obtain legal counsel. We wish we didn’t live in a world that required services like these, but we’re grateful for the nonprofit organizations that help low-income individuals and families. For those who qualify, legal aid organizations are a great place to start.
In addition, we stand by the legal professionals who go above and beyond with pro-bono and volunteer legal work. There is tremendous value to pro-bono work – for client and attorney.
The scalable solution, however, to eliminating the access to justice gap will not result from more attorneys offering more uncompensated legal counsel. As Justice Deno Himonas in Utah said, “We cannot volunteer ourselves across the access to justice gap.”
The events of 2020 have exacerbated the access to justice gap. Adding pressure to pro-bono and volunteering legal professionals to fulfill every legal need is not the answer.
Can business be a force for good?
Business as a force for good
Fifty years ago, the New York Times published an essay by economist Milton Friedman, who argued that business had one – and only one – responsibility: Maximize shareholder profit. Seeking the interests of anything other than its owners was, according to this ‘doctrine,’ unethical.
Reading this we can see why, for many people, the word “business” conjures images of cut-throat corporate greed, institutions pursuing profit-at-all-costs. An unfortunate fallout is a false dichotomy that for-profits make money and nonprofits make a difference.
A new paradigm for business as a force for good is emerging in our world. Consider the “B Corporation” movement: “A new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. This is a community of leaders, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good.”
As of this writing, more than 3,000 for-profit companies carry the B Corp distinction, including a few names you would recognize: Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and Patagonia Clothing.
Impact-investing markets have expanded, too. And many states are adopting legislation that allows businesses to be established as “benefit corporations,” including the legal framework for a company to pursue two bottom lines. One bottom line for profit and another for social and environmental impact.
The emergence of social business in recent decades is built on leveraging the power of market-based solutions to achieve a more just, equitable world. At LegalQ, we want to leverage supply-and-demand to make our contribution. Because business can be a force for good when, in this case, it eliminates market inefficiencies that leave many without access to legal counsel.
Supply, meet demand
Our mission is to build technology that enables on-demand access to an attorney, anytime & anywhere. Our goal is to enable 1 million people to get legal help from 50,000 attorneys in 50 states by 2025. Millions of people at any given moment would greatly benefit from a consultation with an attorney. The demand is there.
However, access works both ways. While millions need access to legal guidance, thousands of attorneys have willingly avoided the big law route because of their desire to work, often in solo practices, to help middle-income Americans with legal issues. The supply side of legal services needs access to motivated legal consumers.
Access to justice can be solved when more potential consumers (humans with legal questions or needs) interact meaningfully with more potential suppliers (humans in the legal profession).
As researchers Gillian K. Hadfield and Jamie Heine say, “[W]hile the U.S. has a robust legal system with nearly twice as many lawyers per capita as most other countries, ordinary Americans have very little access to reasonably-priced legal help in navigating that system.” They go on to say, “Casually, most of us in the legal profession know that the bulk of civil legal services are ultimately provided not to ordinary people but to corporations.”
Many solo practitioners would benefit immensely from one or two more clients per month. When more people with legal needs encounter meaningfully more attorneys, the market demand for legal services can work much more efficiently.
Helping more people, early and often, can help many people avoid mistakes; at the same time, attorneys build their client pipeline with more potential clients. This starts, we believe with an increase in the volume of initial consultations (even if they are just 15 minutes). Imagine an attorney gets paid for 70 or 80 15 or 30-minute consultations in a year; if 5 or 10% become a paying client, we would see an incredible new efficiency across the legal space.
At LegalQ, we connect motivated legal consumers to legal professionals for 15 or 30-minute consultations. We believe attorneys can be – and should be – compensated for answering legal questions within these limited-scope consultations. Imagine the impact if just a handful of these consultations results in new clients.
Growing the attorney’s pipeline
Enabling motivated consumers to get immediate answers and advice from a licensed attorney would unleash the massive potential for both consumers and attorneys. When attorneys receive compensation for helping consumers, they are able to help more people while expanding their client pipeline.
Legal salaries are bi-modal. As NALP research shows, with “19,615 salaries reported for full-time jobs lasting a year or more,” a small percentage of graduates from prestigious law schools working for large law firms earn salaries $150,000+. However, most graduates who work for smaller law firms, government, and non-profit organizations earn between $40,000 to $60,000.
We estimate that 60% of licensed and active attorneys work solo or in small firms (1-9 attorneys). Moreover, as mentor and advisor Michael Quesnell said, “The ABA reported in 2019 that only 5% of lawyers in the US are Black and 5% Hispanic…5% each!” We actively promote inclusivity in our lawyer recruitment and onboarding.
Many attorneys work hard to build their business. While billable hours (understandably!) approach $300+ per hour, what many on the outside of the legal profession don’t realize is a large amount of non-billable hours required to build a thriving legal practice. From speaking to serving on boards to blogging, these activities can be costly, both in terms of time and money.
As one attorney remarked about the constant effort required to feed her client pipeline, “I have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince.” At LegalQ, we believe attorneys who make themselves available to provide on-demand legal counsel to users and customers should get paid for their time, and that when a user becomes a client outside of our platform it’s a good thing for both attorneys and consumers.
It also honors the dignity of the legal profession, which is rapidly changing. One survey found that “84% of legal professionals say they could serve their clients even better if more parts of their practice were automated with technology.”
Generally, much of this technology and automation happens after the retainer is signed – whether it’s through onboarding, document storage, or billing management. At LegalQ, we’re captivated by a question – what if we could automate how attorneys find new clients in the first place? What if getting compensated for providing 15 or 30-minute consultations could simultaneously help people get answers and feed the pipeline of potential clients? At any meaningful scale, this would help both sides of the access to justice gap.
Getting the right legal advice at the right time, personalized for each unique situation, we believe is possible through intentional interaction with a legal professional. We believe it can be enabled by technology designed to enable the just-in-time human connection.
The mission: Build the technology necessary to pursue impactful goals
Our goal is to enable 1 million people to get legal help from 50,000 attorneys in 50 states by 2025. Many people have no idea where to turn for legal help. Without access to legal consumers, many attorneys struggle to build their law practice. But we can’t do it without scalable, technology-driven capabilities. We are on a mission to build technology that enables on-demand access to an attorney, anytime & anywhere.
The scale of our goals requires building a new technology platform that can enable a meaningful, measurable pursuit of a mission that affects millions of Americans and thousands of attorneys.
“In the eyes of consumers,” says the 2020 Clio Trends report, “lawyers have a long way to go in developing the types of services that clients are looking for. The reality is, however, that technology adoption among lawyers has been substantial in 2020—to the point where many in the industry have built a foundation to greatly improve legal services that are more in line with client expectations.”
A new technology platform is required to pursue our mission at a meaningful scale.
Access to justice starts with a 15 or 30-minute consultation
It’s crazy simple. LegalQ users install a mobile app, input their legal questions, select their state, and choose voice, video, or text. By paying upfront for a 15 or 30-minute consultation, users can ask questions and get an immediate response while enjoying fixed, transparent pricing.
-
No back-and-forth with a firm admin or gatekeeper.
-
No waiting until next week.
-
No downtown parking.
What can I ask an attorney on LegalQ?
“I’m facing eviction, but I’ve made partial payments. What are my rights?”
The events of 2020 left many people unable to pay rent. Statewide moratoriums prolong inevitable legal disputes between tenants and landlords. Helping people get to fair and equitable solutions within the boundaries of one’s rights can be made easier with a conversation with an attorney.
“I have a quick question about a securities transaction regarding Rule 144.”
From business to investing, getting quick answers about transactions can keep the day moving.
“I’m on my parents’ health insurance. Will they find out about ____________?”
We don’t need to fill in the blanks. Imagine an affordable, accessible way of getting up-to-date information about privacy as it relates to insurance, health, criminal accusations, and so on.
“I was in an accident, and now the other guy’s insurance company wants me to sign a document. What should I know?”
If you’ve been asked to sign a document and are not exactly sure what you’re signing or if you should sign, talking to an attorney can prevent hardship and difficulties.
“Here’s my situation. Do I have a case?”
Describing the facts and timelines of a series of events or circumstances to an attorney can reveal if someone should pursue a line of action – or devote their time and energy elsewhere. Getting an immediate answer to “Do I have a case?” can help someone live with more peace and confidence than living with that question unanswered.
“I’m facing discrimination at work. What evidence should I gather?”
No one should face workplace discrimination or harassment. If it’s happening, employees deserve a go-to place to make a plan to take potential legal action.
“My attorney is recommending _____, but can I get a second opinion?”
We know this primarily from healthcare scenarios, but getting a second opinion about a legal matter can also help us feel better about a potential or proposed course of action.
Vision: Every Area of Law in 50 States
The LegalQ app is currently available in Minnesota in every area of law.
-
Debt & Bankruptcy Law
-
Business or Corporate Law
-
Criminal Defense (includes DUI/DWI)
-
Employment & Labor
-
General Practice
-
Immigration Law
-
Intellectual Property
-
Personal Injury
-
Probate & Trust Law
-
Real Estate Law
-
Social Security Disability Law
-
Tax Law
Plans to expand to additional states and areas of law in the coming months and years.
What kind of attorneys can join LegalQ?
Recent trends point toward more uncertainty around the economic ROI of becoming a licensed attorney. More than one million Americans serve as active, licensed attorneys, but a small percentage serve large corporate clients.
Many attorneys need a pipeline of new clients in order to grow their practice. Others wish to expand and try other areas of law or are looking for a new outlet for pro-bono hours. Still, others desire a new way to keep their skills or stay active in retirement.
Our team interacts regularly with attorneys who aspire to serve their clients, make a difference, and uphold the ideals of our democracy. In other words, we love attorneys. Many are small business owners, expert practitioners, and professionals who tirelessly work for their clients.
LegalQ is a platform that enables attorneys to get paid for helping people get the legal advice they need to move forward with confidence. LegalQ connects attorneys with users who have prepaid for legal advice, earning money with each 15 or 30-minute consultation.
Providing effective legal counsel requires air-tight integrity, nonstop communication, and life-long learning. Attorneys face the challenge of knowing how to balance allocated limited, non-billable hours to build their practice (whether blogging, networking, marketing, or serving on boards). Underneath, many attorneys are driven to help ordinary, middle-income clients.
By joining LegalQ’s network, independent attorneys can count on:
-
Getting paid for every consultation.
-
Flexibility to turn the platform on and off according to your schedule.
-
Free to use (no contracts or fees).
-
Access to motivated legal consumers.
LegalQ’s network of independent attorneys answer questions and help users get the confidence they need to move forward.
Join LegalQ as an independent attorney >>>
Who made LegalQ?
Based in Minneapolis, we’re a team of web developers, operations experts, designers, storytellers, and, of course, licensed attorneys. We believe Minnesota is the perfect place to launch a new platform for legal services.
We believe the world is ready for LegalQ.
How to Use LegalQ to Get Legal Advice
It’s never been easier to get legal advice from an attorney. Three simple steps:
Step 1 – Install the FREE app
Download LegalQ on your mobile device and create a secure account. Submit your legal question. Select your state and the area of law your question relates to (or select general law).
Step 2 – Connect for FREE for 15 minutes with a licensed attorney.
Choose how you’d like to talk to an attorney – voice, video, or text. Tap ‘Connect with Attorney Now’ to access an attorney instantly (or schedule an appointment)
Step 3 – Make a plan to move forward with confidence.
Understand your situation. Learn your rights. Hear straight from a lawyer how a lawyer can help. Make a plan to move forward with confidence.
Talk to an attorney today >>>
Additional Sources & Citations
In addition to the links above, please see:
Barton, Benjamin H., A Comparison between the American Markets for Medical and Legal Services (June 1, 2018). Hastings Law Journal, Vol. 67, 2016, University of Tennessee Legal Studies Research Paper No. 351, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3183372
Crawford, Justin E.. LIVE FREE OR DIY: How To Get More Customers, Increase Profits, and Achieve Work-Life Balance As A Small Business Owner . Redwood Digital Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Hadfield, Gillian K. and Heine, Jamie, Life in the Law-Thick World: The Legal Resource Landscape for Ordinary Americans (January 9, 2015). In S. Estreicher and J Radice (eds) Beyond Elite Law: Access to Civil Justice in America (Cambridge University Press 2016), USC CLASS Research Papers Series No. CLASS15-2, USC Law Legal Studies Paper No. 15-2, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2547664 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2547664
Reliance on Information Posted.
The information presented on or through the Website and Application is made available solely for general information purposes. LegalQ do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. LegalQ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on such materials by you or any other visitor to the Website or Application, or by anyone who may be informed of any of its contents.
The Website and Application includes content provided by third parties, including materials provided by other users, and third-party licensors, syndicators, aggregators, and/or reporting services. All statements and/or opinions expressed in these materials, and all articles and responses to questions and other content, other than the content provided by the Company, are solely the opinions and the responsibility of the person or entity providing those materials. These materials do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Company. LegalQ is not responsible, or liable to you or any third party, for the content or accuracy of any materials provided by any third parties.