South African startup Get Law has launched its online legal services platform, built by millennials for a consumer that is becoming more and more reliant on online services in this era of micro-transactions.
Launched in May, Get Law seeks to simplify law and enable anyone to access registered attorneys on-demand at a fraction of traditional law costs.
“The entire business is digital, and the savings as a result of not being burdened with the hassles of traditional SME expenses like large rental overheads are passed onto their clients,” said Ya’eesh Cader, who co-founded the business alongside brother Youshaa Cader.
This business was formed in the midst of Level 5 lockdown in South Africa, as many within the founders’ attorney networks were either struggling to work remotely or simply out of contract as a result of retrenchments due to lockdown.
“The business idea of running a digital-only service offering came after studying the local digital landscape and evaluating how other businesses were adapting. These included psychologists giving Zoom consultations, or cooking classes also running off virtual platforms. The opportunity to leverage off digital skills from one of the founders made this a complex concept but one that was fairly simple to execute,” said Ya’eesh.
Twelve attorneys across the country are now offering their services via the platform, which offers legal consultations in 15-minute bundles that can be bought as needed. Self-funded, the company charges for a variety of services.
“We’ve done really well on the contracts and agreements part of the business, whilst the paid-for virtual legal consultations have also been well received. We became profitable in the first month since launch, and have been fortunate enough to maintain that,” Ya’eesh said.
“We are currently operating in South Africa alone, with long-term ambitions to expand across the continent, taking our philosophy of affordable and accessible legal services to those who need it most.”