You can save up to 20% in legal fees by using a comparison website

A new price comparison site for legal services - Compare Legal Costs (http://www.comparelegalcosts.co.uk/) - delivers up to 20% of savings on the cost of legal services.

“Our customers can save as much as 20% in legal fees for the same level of service,” said Michael Welsh, founder of Compare Legal Costs. “This is because the customer is in control and can compare services by price before committing to work with a solicitor.”

“There is a universal fear when picking up the telephone to a lawyer, a constant question nagging in the back of your mind… „How much will this cost me?‟” continued Welsh. “The lack of transparency around legal fees has meant that the power has been by and large in the hands of lawyers and the legal profession. But this is changing.”

New research by Compare Legal Costs shows that the Internet is shifting purchasing-power from the legal profession to the general public. The quantitative study of more than 1,000 nationally representative adults in the UK shows that 32 million Britons consider the Internet as the most appealing way to source legal services. The main reasons stated are „I can find legal services at any time‟ and „I can compare services without any pressure to buy'.

“Interestingly, this is echoed across those people who have never used a legal service before and 80% of those who have used a legal service in the last year,” said Welsh. “This suggests to me that people are fed up with the current legal system and are using the Internet to empower themselves and take control.”

Transparency around cost is the biggest issue.

• 82% of the UK population are more likely to take legal advice if they know the fixed costs up front.
• Nearly 75% of Britons 'feel anxious about the cost when using legal services'.

Mr Barry Sexton, who runs a small accountancy firm in London, said: “I once needed a lawyer to represent me before a tribunal and the cost got completely out of control. Now, I don‟t use a lawyer unless I know exactly how much it will cost me upfront.

“I used Compare Legal Costs to get help for a court hearing. I was able to compare solicitors by cost and quality before committing to them. It saved me time and money. In fact, I got more than I expected as the price also included barrister fees. I will definitely be using the service again.”

Evidence also shows that half of the population will consider using the new legal services provided by a supermarket like the Co-op. The perception being that they provide convenience and lower prices. People who have used legal service in the last five years are more likely than those who haven't to consider a supermarket for future legal services. Greater London leads the way with nearly 70% of Britons considering supermarkets as an alternative.

Welsh: “The public is clearly looking for alternative ways to meet their legal needs. We – in the legal profession – need to catch up with the times and embrace the internet and fixed costs.”

The UK survey was commissioned by Compare Legal Costs and hosted by Toluna.

ENDS

For more information please contact:

Judith Schunke
Phone: 44 (0)20 7937 3793
Mobile: +44 (0)7557 676 752
Email: judith.schunke@totalmedia.co.uk

Emma Jeffers
Phone: 44 (0)20 7937 3793
Mobile: +44 (0)7787 418 252
Email: emma.jeffers@totalmedia.co.uk

About Compare Legal Costs (www.comparelegalcosts.co.uk)
Compare Legal Costs is the UK‟s first fixed-fee legal comparison service for consumers and businesses.

Operating in a market space that is seen by many consumers as ambiguous, Compare Legal Costs‟ value proposition lies in providing customers with fixed cost legal leads through its network of legal partners.

The service is free of charge and requires no obligation for users. Once a customer has submitted an enquiry they can expect up to five fixed quotes within 24 hours from solicitors and barristers in either their local area, city or nationally – depending on their requirements.

For solicitors and barristers, the platform presents a cost-effective legal marketing service to reach potential clients.

About Michael Welsh (Solicitor, MBA, FCIPD)
Michael is the inspiration behind Compare Legal Costs. Always pushing the boundaries, he is passionate about making the legal industry more accessible to people. His vision is to provide trust and transparency around costs in the legal space, making the online portal a leading marketplace for fixed cost legal services.

Michael qualified as a solicitor in 1991. Following completion of his MBA, and several successful years with private practices Osborne Clarke and TLT (“leader in his field” Chambers Directory 1996) as partner, he took up a role in commerce.

Michael was appointed commercial and legal director for a fast-growing telecoms business, which listed on AIM in 2005. The experience only accentuated his entrepreneurial spirit, and in 2006 Michael set up his own legal practice.

With deregulation in the legal services market, consumers increasingly cost conscious and digitally savvy, Michael had an epiphany in 2010. This moment of insight quickly evolved into what we now know as Compare Legal Costs – an online marketplace which connects law firms and customers around fixed-fee, quality legal services.

Michael lives with his wife and two children in Hertfordshire. An enthusiastic Formula 1 fan, he was thrilled to have been a guest of the Marussia F1 team at the recent British Grand Prix at Silverstone.