Tech in the last couple of years has evolved from just TV sets, calls, lightbulbs, to being applied in different sectors like Healthcare, Media, Government and Law.
Today, to support and advance legal services, new technologies through legal tech companies are applied.
These legal tech companies are usually startups founded just for the purpose of improving the legal tech space and tackling the issues of regulations and compliance.
What is Legal Tech?
Legal tech is basically the application of technology and software to provide legal services to the populace.
Legal Tech has had tremendous progress from physical documentation, billing, accounting to allowing easy digital access to legal resources and advice over the last two decades.
It has presented the opportunity for many firms trying to improve their overall efficiency in order to adapt to a progressively popular working environment while saving cost.
In 2019, Legal tech generated 17 billion United States Dollars (USD) worldwide and the legal tech startup market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 28% and achieve revenues of 2.5 billion USD by 2025.
Legal Tech In Nigeria.
In Nigeria, access to physical legal aid was limited to the rich and elite. There was also the issue of fraud, overcharges and accessibility.
In a recent report by premium times, court officials connived with touts and vendors to bypass issuance of affidavit to Nigerians, despite the judicial strike.
But with the digitization of law today, anyone with a smartphone and internet can access a lawyer and other legal services without any of these hassles.
Monica Bay, a fellow at Stanford Law School Codex said “As computational technology and artificial intelligence matures, more people will be able to have better access to justice”
One of the legal tech companies in Nigeria using tech to bring law closer to the people and eliminating the issues of easy access to legal services is Legal Naija.
About Legal Naija.
Legal Naija is an online platform that allows users access to legal services and information.
With just 500 naira, this legal tech startup offers services like issuance of affidavit in case of loss of personal items, change of identity, amongst many others by drafting tenable documents which is taken to the court for the judge’s assent.
On its website, users can access legal resources and important information at little to no cost.
Lawyers can also register to work with the company.
It also has a chat bot feature that allows users interact and ask legal questions which oftentimes, aren’t answered by an actual attorney, but a bot.
With each new technological development, the legal profession undoubtedly becomes easier and more accessible, hence, resulting in increased capabilities and efficiency.
Law and technology produce, together, a kind of regulation of creativity we’ve seen before.
Lawrence Lessig
