New website streamlines legal process
Wednesday 3 August 2016
A graduate from the University of Salford has used his skills to help design a website which could revolutionise the legal profession.
LawBid, which launched earlier this month, aims to streamline the process of finding a solicitor for those looking for legal representation. It is the brainchild of Kid Harwood, Director of Wildings Solicitors, who was driven to improve the client experience by creating a new system.
Prospective clients post their legal issue anonymously on the site and legal professionals signed up to the service can view the case. Solicitors can pose questions to the client with their responses being visible, to save the client having to answer the same questions multiple times.
The solicitor can then bid for the case by quoting their price to the client, confidentially. Only when a client has chosen a solicitor and accepted their offer are their personal details disclosed the solicitor. Clients are invited to post any type of case, from divorce through to more serious criminal cases.
Kid, who has been the legal profession for 18 years, explained how he came up with the idea. He said: “Over the years I have listened to clients say they find the process of finding a solicitor time consuming and sometimes daunting.
“Search engines like Google will display a long list of solicitors when people search for solicitors in their area. Often clients will speak to or visit several firms, answering the same question multiple times, plus they have to travel and find parking. It’s arduous and takes a lot of time and the process can put people off.
“LawBid was created to make things easier for the client. The pioneering aspect of this system is that solicitors come to the client, not the other way round.
“This website is aimed at saving clients time. The client only posts their case once, and dozens of solicitors will be alerted to view it. Solicitors can also ask more questions of the client to establish further details about their requirements. It’s all anonymous for the client until both parties agree to take the case.”
Abdallah AlQareh, who graduated from Salford last year with a Masters degree in marketing and started as an intern at Wildings, has been working with Kid on the website. He said: “This project has really given me a chance to put my skills into practice. I helped with front end development, the technical aspects and also the user interface and the brand development. It’s a really exciting time seeing it get ready to launch.
“Working on LawBid has put my skills to the test. It will look great on my CV to have some real world experience to go with the skills I learnt on my course. I think its key to have the combination of the skills taught on the course and then that experience. I now have so many opportunities.”
Kid added: “Wildings believes, as demonstrated by our CSR work, that making a difference on a local level is important and we have worked to develop a strong relationship with the University through its Business school. We have worked with Salford on a graduate entrepreneurial competition for which Wildings provided sponsorship, I have lectured on Entrepreneurship and attended boot camps to advise students. I have been so impressed with the Salford interns that we have extended our intern programme at Wildings to LLB students next year, giving more graduates the chance to test their theoretical knowledge in a practical, real life business setting”
The launch of LawBid marks a new direction for the legal profession and the way in which legal services are provided. Kid Harwood’s revolutionary LawBid has created an open and competitive arena making legal services accessible to all sectors of the public in a convenient, easy to use service that is certain to improve the client experience. Visit the LawBid website www.lawbid.co.uk to learn more, it is free to register and post a case.
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Sam Wood
0161 295 5361
