Startup Makes It Easy For People To Find The Right Lawyers; Earns Rs 1.25 Crore
Shreya Sharma started 'Rest The Case' in 2021, a legal aggregator platform that provides a list of 1,200 specialised lawyers across 200 cities in India. It also provides basic legal templates like rent agreements and explains legal terms that everyone should know.
When Shreya Sharma, a 25-year-old lawyer from Pune, met a woman in her fifties who was facing a property dispute, she realised that there was no one to advise her. The woman was clueless about which lawyer to approach, what the procedure would entail, and this only added to her worries.
There are many Indians who face similar legal conundrums, as legal literacy remains poor. Recognising this gap, and to enable access to the right legal information, Shreya started ‘Rest The Case’, a legal aggregator platform in Pune.
She found her calling when she was working on a project which involved interviewing lawyers as a student at Cardiff University. She searched for legal information online, and found many credible websites offering this, along with a list of lawyers.
But was something like this available in India? The 25-year-old found that there wasn’t.
Rest The Case provides legal information, from basic templates to bare acts, legal drafting, and a list of lawyers. It has also created a network base for lawyers of different specialisations to connect with clients. More than 1,200 lawyers from across the country are already a part of it.
While Shreya doesn’t charge anything from clients, she has created different packages for lawyers, making a revenue of Rs 1.25 crores in the 2022-23 financial year alone.
Her aim, she shares with The Better India, is to provide the right legal information with just a click.
Simplifying legal jargon
The ease of access when it came to finding legal help in the UK is what stayed with Shreya the most. “I found these websites very interesting as I had not seen something like this before,” she adds.
When she looked for similar websites in India, or a single website which would provide a one-stop solution to all legal questions, she was unable to find one. She then decided to solve this problem by building the solution herself.
With initial funding from her father, Shreya hired a few interns and built the website for Rest The Case after returning to Pune, Maharashtra. She ensured that every information posted on the website was written by a lawyer.
“My idea with Rest The Case is to provide vetted information under one roof, which the internet doesn’t provide. I have created one place where you can find everything from basic information, how to file a case to which lawyer to choose. We individually talk to clients before sharing their information with lawyers,” she adds.
The next step was getting lawyers onboard. The then 21-year-old would knock on their doors and explain her vision. Initially, many dismissed her or her idea as a mere ‘college project’. But she persisted and it paid off after she explained how this would be beneficial for everyone involved.
“I would show the lawyers our website and give them detailed explanations. Many were sceptical and believed that this project would shut down in a few months, but it didn’t. Slowly but surely, I onboarded about 30 lawyers,” she explains.
A Yellow Pages for lawyers
On the website, one can find lawyers across 200 cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Goa, Delhi, and more, practising in different legal matters. All one has to do is search for a lawyer in their city and the matter they need help with.
“You can see the lawyer’s profile, where they practise, their experience and get in touch with them. You can also book an appointment with the lawyer you choose,” Shreya explains.
The service is free for customers. For people who need basic information, they also provide information and FAQs.
“My initial idea behind starting this platform was to educate people. Exposure to knowledge and access to basic legalities is sorely missing here. We provide you with all the information that you need even before visiting a lawyer. You want to file an FIR? Here’s a template which you just need to fill in,” explains the young lawyer.
As part of the different packages that Rest the Case provides to lawyers, they allow them to help with leads and display their profile. They also provide a Client Management System (CMS) to help the lawyers manage and document the data.
Siddhant Deshpande, a criminal lawyer practising at the Bombay High Court, states that Rest The Case has helped him with over 10 leads so far, which is helpful for young lawyers to gain a good customer base and handle a variety of cases.
“I found the company through social media. What is unique about them is the fact that they give you verified leads (clients) and help you with all the background information. They give you a pretty good deal and think about the welfare of both the clients and the lawyers,” says Siddhant.
So, how are the lawyers vetted?
“Each lawyer’s information is cross checked with the bar council. We verify their credentials through their bar council number,” states Shreya. The lawyers using the website have an experience of anywhere between three and twenty years, bringing in a traffic of about 200-300 customers every month.
As per their study, most of the clients on Rest The Case are using assistance for either divorce or family law cases, or property disputes.
With a team of 15, the CEO is looking to bring in lawyers from more cities across India.
While most people get frazzled when it comes to matters of the court, the ease and one-on-one help that the platform provides has become their USP. “We’ve made access to legal information as simple as clicking a button,” adds the lawyer.
Why appropriate exposure matters
Belonging to a family of 10, Shreya grew up around entrepreneurial mindsets and conversations.
“I grew up in a joint family where everybody works. My father runs educational institutions and everyone has a tremendous drive, working day in, day out. I have been visiting their workplaces since I was a kid and I used to enjoy it. That’s how an acumen for business was almost ingrained in me,” smiles Shreya.
This training also helped the youngster face challenges when people refused to take her seriously. She even struggled to find employees when she started off, but she made her work speak loud and clear, and found people who understood her vision.
Along with this, she also runs a podcast called ‘Legally Speaking With Rest The Case’ that discusses latest legal developments and decodes the intricacies of law.
So, is there any legal advice that she would give to everyone?
“One should be aware of the laws that concern you. Legal knowledge is just as important as financial education. As consumers, being aware of consumer rights is of paramount importance. Read up on things related to you and your line of work. Know your rights as a tenant or property owner,” she says.
(Edited by Padmashree Pande, Pictures Courtesy Shreya Sharma)
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