SA legal tech startup aims to reduce legal bills

A new South African legal tech startup, Legal Lens aims to provide affordable legal fees to companies, state entities, and locals. 

Legal Lens aims to reduce legal bills for locals

The new legal startup reportedly is able to reduce legal fees by as much as 60% but on average will decrease the fee by 10%. 

Legal Lens

Recently founded by admitted attorneys, Catherine-Jane Paulse and Yusha Davidson, Legal lens focuses on providing transparent and error-free legal fees. 

Paulse provides insight into the high levels of unfair legal billing in South Africa. 

“The recent discussion paper by the South African Law Reform Commission regarding its investigation into legal fees also confirms that improper and unethical billing is a reality in South Africa.” 

The legal tech startup has developed an innovative tech-based solution that reviews legal invoices and helps reduce legal fees.  

“We realised that it’s awkward and difficult reviewing legal invoices, as clients fear disrupting the close relationship they have with their lawyers and may not have the knowledge needed to dispute a legal invoice. It’s time-consuming. So, we developed a tech solution to review legal invoices and reduce legal fees,” adds Davidson.

How does it work

To use the innovative service offered by Legal Lens, clients must send their legal invoices and any correspondence regarding fee arrangements and a letter of engagement with the lawyer. 

With the use of optical character recognition, experienced attorneys, and machine learning, the legal tech startup is able to review invoices and identify areas for potential savings. Legal lens engages with its client regarding the lawyer’s fees in dispute. 

All details and engagements are handled professionally to maintain a good relationship between the client and its lawyer. The process will result in a new legal fee that is renegotiated and revised with a new invoice issued on an agreed payment amount. 

Clients are charged 17.5% (including VAT) of the amount saved. If there are no savings, Legal Lens does not charge. 

Future plans

Legal Lens has entered into discussions with the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA), for the LSSA to recommend the offering. The LSSA has stated that this innovative solution has the potential to protect the interests of the public.

Legal Lens is currently in discussion with some of the major banks and insurance companies to offer its service but offers its services to any company, state entity, or individual who would like their legal bills reviewed. 

Read more: SA startup finalist in Global Startup Awards 
Read more: SA fintech partners with TransUnion to increase financial access for locals 

Featured image: (from left to right) Yusha Davidson and Catherine-Jane Paulse, founders of Legal Lens (Supplied)