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Lawdingo Makes It Easy To Find And Instantly Consult A Lawyer Online

30 points by OJKoukaz 14y ago

useflyer 14y ago
It will be interesting to see more ZocDoc-like industry verticals take off.
- derwiki 14y ago
  I was just telling my doctor this morning how ZocDoc has made me substantially more likely to book an appointment because I can do it without a phone, and using an interface that was well designed (instead of what hospitals themselves would probably come up with).
nirmel 14y ago
I'm looking for any and all feedback. Thanks guys! nikhil, founder - nikhil@lawdingo.com
- latchkey 14y ago
  205 attorneys * $92/mo = ~$19k/mo. Not bad. Why focus just on attorneys? Why not make it more generic for any type of consulting that would fit this type of model? Accounting/CPA/Taxes seems like the next fit.
  - nirmel 14y ago
    Stay tuned for that. I think vertically-oriented sites make more sense than a generic platform. Also to note, not all lawyers are paying.
- rprasad 14y ago
  How do you plan on competing with Avvo, RocketLawyer, and LegalZoom (all of them also offer attorney referral services)? Or are you planning on not competing with them and serving more of a niche market?
  - nirmel 14y ago
    I think focussing specifically on facilitating the initial consultation means the product can create a better experience for people looking for legal advice - scheduling, video chat, free consultations, and a bunch of other little details. We'll leave the DIY document creation to others.
rprasad 14y ago
How do you find a lawyer? Go to your nearest Starbucks and ask for any of the baristas. In this economy, that's not even a joke... (http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_school_by_the_numbers_300k_additional_law_grads_by_2020_73k_new_jobs/ http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_school_by_the_num...).
- notdrunkatall 14y ago
  Which makes this particular idea even better.
- westicle 14y ago
  I know your comment was facetious, but having completed law school and being a lawyer are not the same thing. If the barista at Starbucks tried to give you legal advice they would likely be breaking the law themselves.
patrickmay 14y ago
A dingo ate my lawyer?
chpolk 14y ago
Good stuff Nikhil!
hncommenter13 14y ago
Are you or do you plan to be certified by the CA State Bar as a lawyer referral service? http://rules.calbar.ca.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mKEKxX4ytUA%3d&tabid=1149 http://rules.calbar.ca.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mKEKxX4... [pdf] Note that a lawyer referral service is defined as: "'Lawyer Referral Service' means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, or any other entity, or a service or agency of an entity, which operates for the direct or indirect purpose of referring potential clients to lawyers, whether or not the term 'referral service' is used." I imagine other states have similar licensing requirements.
- nirmel 14y ago
  My understanding is that the company does not need to register as a referral service, in the same way that Yelp or the Yellow Pages are also not referral services. We're making a point not to recommend any particular lawyers so as not to qualify as the type of service we would need to register for.
OldSchool 14y ago
'It depends.' Now online.

30 points by OJKoukaz 14y ago

useflyer 14y ago

It will be interesting to see more ZocDoc-like industry verticals take off.

derwiki 14y ago
I was just telling my doctor this morning how ZocDoc has made me substantially more likely to book an appointment because I can do it without a phone, and using an interface that was well designed (instead of what hospitals themselves would probably come up with).

nirmel 14y ago

I'm looking for any and all feedback. Thanks guys! nikhil, founder - nikhil@lawdingo.com

latchkey 14y ago
205 attorneys * $92/mo = ~$19k/mo. Not bad. Why focus just on attorneys? Why not make it more generic for any type of consulting that would fit this type of model? Accounting/CPA/Taxes seems like the next fit.
- nirmel 14y ago
  Stay tuned for that. I think vertically-oriented sites make more sense than a generic platform. Also to note, not all lawyers are paying.
rprasad 14y ago
How do you plan on competing with Avvo, RocketLawyer, and LegalZoom (all of them also offer attorney referral services)? Or are you planning on not competing with them and serving more of a niche market?
- nirmel 14y ago
  I think focussing specifically on facilitating the initial consultation means the product can create a better experience for people looking for legal advice - scheduling, video chat, free consultations, and a bunch of other little details. We'll leave the DIY document creation to others.

rprasad 14y ago

How do you find a lawyer? Go to your nearest Starbucks and ask for any of the baristas. In this economy, that's not even a joke... (http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_school_by_the_numbers_300k_additional_law_grads_by_2020_73k_new_jobs/ http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_school_by_the_num...).

notdrunkatall 14y ago
Which makes this particular idea even better.
westicle 14y ago
I know your comment was facetious, but having completed law school and being a lawyer are not the same thing. If the barista at Starbucks tried to give you legal advice they would likely be breaking the law themselves.

patrickmay 14y ago

A dingo ate my lawyer?

chpolk 14y ago

Good stuff Nikhil!

hncommenter13 14y ago

Are you or do you plan to be certified by the CA State Bar as a lawyer referral service? http://rules.calbar.ca.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mKEKxX4ytUA%3d&tabid=1149 http://rules.calbar.ca.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mKEKxX4... [pdf] Note that a lawyer referral service is defined as: "'Lawyer Referral Service' means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, or any other entity, or a service or agency of an entity, which operates for the direct or indirect purpose of referring potential clients to lawyers, whether or not the term 'referral service' is used." I imagine other states have similar licensing requirements.

nirmel 14y ago
My understanding is that the company does not need to register as a referral service, in the same way that Yelp or the Yellow Pages are also not referral services. We're making a point not to recommend any particular lawyers so as not to qualify as the type of service we would need to register for.

OldSchool 14y ago

'It depends.' Now online.