Document-assembly pioneer launches LASPO-compliant referral scheme

Digital document assembly pioneer Epoq is branching out into the referrals market with a new LASPO-compliant plan aimed at helping independent personal injury law firms connect lawfully with potential clients introduced by claims management companies.

Signing up to the LegalGo plan is a two-stage process, with referrers first registering client details on a joint platform but requiring individuals to provide full details and confirm their membership separately after receiving an email from LegalGo. Clients with a personal injury claim are then free to contact directly one of the panel lawyers who are part of the scheme.

"We can see that smaller firms, which don't have the capacity to do joint ventures or become ABSs or set up larger regulatory structures with third parties, struggle because they can't compete in the personal injury market. There is a significant market base of road traffic accidents and slip-and-trips, and we are providing access to that market base in a way that complies with the ban on referral fees," solicitor and Epoq co-founder Richard Cohen (pictured) told Solicitors Journal.

Only last week, Minster Law found Adrian Christmas, who sold his firm to Compare The Market owners BGL Group, warned that the personal injury market would likely consolidate around a few large players, putting even specialist niche firms under increasing pressure.

The LegalGo plan will be distributed by a referrer who may be working regularly with one or more firms, and because the referral is made through a platform where clients, not referrers, send their details, it is lawful under the ban in section 56 of LASPO, according to Cohen.

Andrew Hopper QC, who was asked to give an opinion on the scheme, said there was "no doubt that this is not a referral for the purposes of section 56 of LASPO and payment may be made by the law firm to the introducer without offending the statutory prohibition".

The 12-month plan will be free to consumers, with law firms paying an introduction fee to the referrer, and referrers being charged a "modest" flat fee by Epoq. "It's part of the referrer's marketing armoury, which includes access to legal services", he said.

Epoq already provides white-labelled legal documents to brands such as MoreThan, Saga, the AA, NatWest, RBS, and Allianz, as well as to a few hundred law firms including Slater & Gordon.

Under LegalGo, personal injury claims will be handled by independent law firms while other non-personal injury enquiries will be dealt with by MyLawyer Solicitors LLP, the new firm set up by Cohen and solicitor Michael Symons, who is also non-executive director at Epoq.

The firm has been contracted to provide services to LegalGo through its legal call centre, based in Hinckley, which is staffed with nine lawyers and is headed by former First Assist legal services manager Mark Bramwell.

The service also includes access to the bank of legal templates and precedents developed by Epoq.