Using Technology to Make the Legal Industry More Accessible with Ouriel Lemmel

legal firm legal industry legal tech Aug 12, 2021

As with all industries and professions, technology has completely transformed the way the legal industry works. Now, both lawyers and people seeking legal service can take advantage of various platforms and applications for their needs. This accessibility is highly essential in resolving common cases and in educating people about their rights. One of the most common of these cases people would encounter at least once in their life is having to pay for traffic tickets and parking tickets.

In today's episode, WinIt's co-founder Ouriel Lemmel joins us to discuss in detail how the platform works. He explains how both clients and attorneys can use WinIt for resolving concerns with parking and traffic tickets. Using Winit, you can determine if you pay for traffic and parking tickets or you fight them. Ouriel also talks about how they onboard attorneys on the platform, the pricing structure, and what drives people to use the app. Finally, he shares his insights about the role of technology in making justice and the legal industry more accessible.

If you want to know how you can use technology to better access and provide justice, this episode will bring value to you.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode

Learn the process of how you can fight instead of pay for traffic tickets and parking tickets through WinIt.
Find out how technology-based platforms like WinIt benefit both lawyers and clients.
Discover the role of technology in providing people access to justice.

Resources

This episode is sponsored by Smith.ai. Curious how you can use a receptionist service at your law firm? Download the Smith.ai free eBook: Are you Lawyering or Laboring? 7 Steps for Running a Highly Productive Law Firm with Virtual Receptionists.
This episode is sponsored by Get Staffed Up. Learn more at www.getstaffedup.com/VIP
Law Firm Growth Summit Facebook Community
90-Day Law Firm Turnaround Group Coaching Program
2020 Legal Trends Report from Clio. If you’re looking for the highlights, access the summary here.
WinIt: Download it on the Apple App Store or Google Play
Legal Shield
Legal Zoom

Episode Highlights

Ouriel’s Background

Ouriel grew up in Paris, France, and had always wanted to come to the U.S.
He came to the U.S. at 17 to study and eventually worked in startups.
While driving in New York City, he realized the difficulty of avoiding getting tickets.

Ouriel: “That's really where I realized the pain of handling tickets, disputing them, managing them, or paying them. And that's really how the idea of WinIt came, where we realize that there's a real need for a lot of drivers that are being affected by that.”

WinIt is a solution to tackle the ticketing issue that drivers will eventually come across in their lifetime.

How WinIt Works

Moshe: “It's not just streamlining the process, but it's also allowing people to have another option that they wouldn't have had otherwise because just their assumption of how complicated it was going to be would have been a barrier to entry.”

They focus on two kinds of tickets, which work differently: parking tickets and traffic tickets.
For parking tickets: Using the app, you will scan your license plate, show your ticket, and submit evidence if you have any. Then, their team will handle the entire dispute.
Another great feature of the app is its auto-dispute feature, which monitors penalties and keeps users updated on any tickets.
When you pay for traffic tickets, it's usually an admission of guilt and places your license at risk. WinIt helps educate drivers about their rights and how tickets work.
For traffic tickets: Users can directly hire an experienced attorney in the area where they got the tickets to represent them in the court.

Who WinIt Serves

They’re currently in multiple states, but their goal is to be nationwide soon.
WinIt helps both attorneys and clients. Attorneys get to spend more time on what they do best; clients have a clear brand that guides them through processes.
As a tech-enabled service, they match people with motivated experts who can solve their problems.
Their approach is not a full AI route; they only use technology to go faster and optimize the process along the way.

Ouriel: “I think part of our success has been linked to that, where we understand that at the end of the process, you need to have this expert who understands that process and has been doing this for a while.”

How to Pay for Traffic Tickets and Parking Tickets

For parking tickets: Users will only get charged 50% of what the fine would have been if the case wins.
If found guilty, they can then pay the full amount of the fine through the app.
For traffic tickets: Users will have to pay an upfront fee to hire an attorney, which can be very competitive.

Managing Relationships with Attorneys

Attorneys can reach out to them or use the platform's portal to onboard and understand the process.
Once onboard, they can start accessing their case, calendars and communicate with clients.
The company doesn't send leads to attorneys. Instead, the attorney gets notified once a client has hired them.
There are no upfront costs attorneys need to pay when they onboard. The platform is just a tool they can use to get more cases and revenue.

Ouriel: “Sometimes we found that a lot of these kinds of attorneys don't necessarily have huge offices; they're like a few people shop. And having technology really helps them be more efficient at their job, and we're very happy to help them with that.”

What Drives People to Find and Use WinIt

Technology is a key element to it, including a good working website and app and user feedback.
They make sure the product works, and they have the right attorneys on the platform.

Ouriel: “When you have a product that works and delivers, you'll get organic growth that really helps with that.”

When people see that the attorneys on the platform win cases for drivers, they share them with others.

WinIt's user base is highly diverse, from everyday drivers, parents dropping kids to school, truck companies, and electricians, among others.

How Pricing Works with Attorneys in the Platform

The attorneys are in charge of their pricing.

Ouriel: “It's very important that the attorneys on our platform are happy and they are making money. But often, we found that—they're smart people, and they realize that it's a volume business. So by adjusting the price to be competitive, they get more business. So it really varies.”

They can adjust it based on what makes sense for their case volume.

Some attorneys prefer to keep their pricing high, while some prefer more attractive prices.
Attorneys can go to WinIt's website and fill out a form if they want to affiliate with the app.

Technology and the Legal Field

WinIt is looking at other opportunities to use their technology to match people with legal problems with experts.

Ouriel thinks top law firms most probably have people on their team working on building an app for their practice.
There are a lot of adjustments that can be made in the legal field.
Technology can help attorneys with tedious processes that take a lot of time.

Ouriel: "I think most lawyers understand that technology, again, is here, and it's transforming lives. Most aspects of our lives have been transformed or will be transformed by technology."

Providing Access to Justice

As you pay for traffic tickets or parking tickets, your insurance increases as well.
With WinIt, you can fight instead of immediately paying for traffic tickets and parking tickets.
Legal services are becoming more accessible thanks to legal tech.

Ouriel: “We're serving a lot of people from underserved communities, people that don't necessarily have a lot of money, and having access to justice at a normal price was really helpful for them.”

COVID made WinIt realize the importance of its service for both clients and attorneys.

With lesser traffic during COVID, WinIt is also helping attorneys stay in business by bringing the cases directly to them.

About Ouriel

Ouriel Lemmel is the co-founder of WinIt, an app that assists drivers with automotive needs, particularly helping people pay for traffic tickets. The app also offers various options to help drivers learn about traffic defense, leasing and financing options, and auto insurance rates. Since its launch in 2015, WinIt has saved over $10 million worth of tickets on behalf of its users.

To start using WinIt, you may visit their website or download their app on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

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