Want
a lawyer? Try new website
Published
by zdnetindia.com
AdvocateKhoj
is a dedicated case post system for consumers to help people find a
well-qualified lawyer for their legal needs. It was launched April 10. It is a
joint venture between two privately funded firms - India-based Neosys Inc and
US-based Nubia Inc.
"The
online legal market in India is at a nascent stage. So long there was just a
couple of yellow pages, listing advocates from various parts of India but there
wasn't a communication platform like AdvocateKhoj," Anoop Vincent,
co-founder of AdvocateKhoj, told IANS.
"Our
early statistics show it is quite a promising market." There are over
three million cases pending in India's 21 high courts and 26.3 million more
cases pending in subordinate courts across the country.
At
the same time, there are almost a quarter million under-trials languishing in
jails across the country.
"It
is obvious that consumers would embrace this new service as all of us prefer to
make empowered and informed decisions. The search for a well-qualified lawyer
or a good client should be no different," Vincent said.
Unlike
in the West, there has been no authentic legal portal for the Indian public
until now, when across the world four million people go online every month to
get legal advice, Vincent explained.
In
recent years many legal aid websites have come up in Europe and America, he
said. With this new website, people in India who are in need of legal
assistance can present their case by answering some simple questions about
their legal situation free of cost on the AdvocateKhoj website and without
revealing their identity.
Interested
lawyers will also have to register with the website. AdvocateKhoj networks
lawyers from 250 locations in India. According to the Bar Council of India,
there are over one million lawyers in India and about 60,000 law graduates pass
out every year from various colleges in India.
Lawyers
enrolled with AdvocateKhoj can review these cases and send their replies to
each client. The consumer can view the various responses, check their
background information, education and experience, and then make an informed
decision on whom to engage for their case.