LegalZoom, the most recognised legal brand in the US, has announced it is set to launch in the UK later this year in an exclusive partnership with leading UK legal brand, QualitySolicitors. The partnership will see a wide range of legal products and services offered online, combining LegalZoom’s technology with QualitySolicitors’ expert solicitors, who will offer local support and advice from over 400 locations across the UK.
A wide range of personalised documents including company formations, employment contracts, wills and power of attorney and even divorces will be available online 24/7 - with local QualitySolicitors on hand to review or help complete the document and provide further face-to-face advice and representation where necessary. Businesses and individuals will also be able to join various subscription based legal plans, providing a range of online services and ensuring easy access to their local QualitySolicitors.
QualitySolicitors Chief Executive, Craig Holt, summarised the move: “Making high quality, personalised legal solutions this quick, accessible and convenient has the potential to completely revolutionise the way people and businesses deal with legal needs in the UK.” “We are confident consumers and businesses will be extremely impressed with the high quality of our online legal solutions” said Edward Hartman, co-founder of LegalZoom, “More importantly, when so few people know where to turn for legal help, this is an ideal way to begin a long-term relationship with a local solicitor; specifically, a QualitySolicitor.”
Hartman continued, “We are thrilled to bring together the largest US legal brand and the largest and most exciting legal brand in the UK. Our personalised, online legal solutions have already helped more than two million customers globally in the past decade as well as helped form over 1 in 5 new businesses in California, the world’s 9th largest economy. Now, in partnership with QualitySolicitors, we will greatly expand the UK consumer’s access to legal solutions by connecting them to one of over 400 solicitors’ offices convenient to them. “
Holt continued, “QualitySolicitors continues to add leading local firms to our network and are now in over 400 locations across the UK. We are working with LegalZoom to research and identify suitable law firms in those remaining areas without a current QualitySolicitors firm, in order to ensure this partnership has comprehensive nationwide coverage. Those firms selected to apply to join the panel will be notified in the coming weeks. This is one of a number of exciting panel opportunities we expect to conclude in the coming months on behalf of our member firms; secured by virtue of being the only legal brand with an extensive local presence.”
The move comes in light of recent reforms to the UK legal market, dubbed ‘Tesco Law’, allowing banks, funeral providers and even supermarkets to offer legal services. Whilst the reforms were intended to improve access to legal services in a market often seen as intimidating and impenetrable, Holt believes QualitySolicitors’ partnership with LegalZoom provides the better solution, “Legal services offered by supermarkets and others will be faceless and entirely remote and miss the crucial local, personal element. This partnership brings the best of both worlds, combining the speed, convenience and value LegalZoom’s technology brings, with the comfort and confidence provided by knowing a local QualitySolicitors expert lawyer is on hand to help at any point.”
Hartman added, “We believe this partnership will significantly improve access to legal services in the UK and some of our more innovative products, in particular, will see significant benefits to consumers and businesses over what is currently available. For example, we will offer personalised contracts for home building projects and contracts of service for au pairs or nannies - just two common examples where currently people tend not to access legal services and, as a result, are often left exposed due to a lack of formal agreement. Equally, we will help new businesses get up and running efficiently, from forming the company to creating tailored terms of business and employment contracts.”
LegalZoom was founded over 12 years ago by lawyers from some of the top law firms in the US. Since then, it has become the leading provider of personalised, affordable online legal solutions for families and small businesses – helping over two million people be protected with legal documents and access lawyers through its legal plans. QualitySolicitors has quickly grown to be the UK’s largest provider of legal services with local law firms in over 400 locations where it promotes a customer-centric approach to legal services including opening on Saturdays and offering a wide range of fixed-price legal services.
LegalZoom is the America’s leading provider of personalized, affordable online legal solutions for families and small businesses. Founded more than 12 years ago by attorneys with experience at some of the top law firms in the country, LegalZoom has helped over two million Americans become protected with binding legal documents. Although LegalZoom is not a law firm, it can help people access an attorney through its legal plans. The company is headquartered in Glendale, California. For more information, visit www.legalzoom.com.”
No comments:
Post a Comment