By Lee Min-hyung
Lawket, a legal services platform provider, said Wednesday that it has launched what it calls an “online-to-offline (O2O) marketplace for legal services” for the first time in Korea.
Once customers request representation on Lawket’s website, lawyers specializing in the area post detailed information about their experience and fees. Customers can then choose their lawyer, the company said.
“The Lawket.com service is expected to lower costs for legal services and improve service quality as it is in the form of an open market where customers and lawyers can meet their needs,” said Lawket CEO Moon Ju-yong, in a statement.
Expectations are that the new platform will enable low-income households to access legal services as they can choose affordable options from the website. More than 200 lawyers have registered at the site.
“We will set an example of the so-called sharing economy by expanding our contribution to society,” he said.
Customers have to pay 1,000 won ($0.85) to access information about a lawyer, while lawyers pay 50,000 won per month to expose their detailed experiences.
The company said it expects its sales to reach some 10 billion won by the end of next year, with it surging to 40 billion won in 2018.
The local legal services market was worth some 3 trillion won in 2013, according to data released by the Supreme Court. The data also revealed that there were some 18.4 million lawsuits that year.
The company said the new platform will serve as a win-win model for both sides, helping stimulate the legal services market in the right way.
In its efforts to become a more reliable platform, the company has signed a partnership deal with the nation’s leading mobile transaction firm, KG Inicis.
“The partnership will be a stepping stone for Lawket to diversify its businesses into the legal services market,” a KG Inicis official said.