A new service launching today, LawZam Consults, allows lawyers to provide 15-60 minute text and video client consultations for a fee via a mobile-friendly online platform.
The new service is being introduced by LawZam, a company launched in 2012 to help consumers find lawyers and enable them to receive free legal consultations by videoconference. I previously wrote about LawZam when it launched and when it unveiled its video consultation app.
While the original intent of the site was to help underserved populations receive legal consultations for free, cofounder Brendan Ludwick, an attorney in Hermosa Beach, Calif., told me last week that many consumers who came to the site were unable to get help because not enough lawyers were willing to offer their advice for free.
So Ludwick and cofounder Claudio Dunkelman, a Los Angeles lawyer, decided to restructure the site to increase the financial incentive for lawyers to participate while still providing a platform where those underserved consumers could connect with a lawyer.
Consumers in need of legal help describe their problem and select an area of law.
With LawZam Consults, a consumer in need of legal help fills out a form describing the legal problem and the area of law, and providing location and contact information. LawZam then sends that lead to attorneys who match the location and practice area.
The dashboard allows attorneys to view leads and respond with a note and hourly rate.
Attorneys can receive notices of leads by email or log-in to the lawyer portal on LawZam to review them. Attorneys set their own preferences for the states and practice areas for which they will accept leads. When attorneys see leads that interest them, they can then offer a consultation by responding with a personal message that includes their hourly rate.
It is up to
