LawNeeds Legal Professional Partner Agreement
Version: June 2026 (Electronic Acceptance)
This Agreement is entered into between:
LawNeeds Ltd, a company incorporated in England and Wales (Companies House Reference: 15610058), with registered address 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 9JQ (“the Platform”); and
The solicitor, immigration adviser, barrister, CILEX lawyer, law firm, or Access to Justice (“A2J”) partner identified by the name, relevant reference or registration number, and address provided during account registration on the Platform (“the Legal Professional”). The details provided by the Legal Professional at registration, and confirmed as part of acceptance of this Agreement, form part of this Agreement and are incorporated by reference.
Together referred to as “the Parties”.
1. PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT
1.1 This Agreement governs the commercial relationship between the Platform and the Legal Professional. Different provisions apply to different types of Legal Professionals.
1.2 The Platform provides:
- A technology platform and smart-matching system connecting users to independent legal professionals
- AI-generated legal information (non-regulated)
- Payment processing infrastructure via the Platform’s appointed payment service provider (currently Stripe)
- A user interface for scheduling, communication, and service delivery
1.3 The Legal Professional either provides regulated legal advice and services to users, delivered independently and solely in the Legal Professional’s own professional capacity, or in the case of A2J partners, provides free or low-cost legal information or support (e.g. pro bono).
1.4 Nothing in this Agreement permits the Platform to influence the Legal Professional’s professional judgment, advice, or conduct of any matter.
2. PLATFORM ACCESS
2.1 Access to the Platform’s core matching and referral features is free. Premium features, where introduced, will be subject to separate pricing notified in advance.
2.2 Where applicable, LawNeeds earns revenue through the commission structure set out in clause 4.
3. LEGAL PROFESSIONAL STATUS AND USER MATCHING SYSTEM
3.1 Legal Professional warranties
3.1.1 The Legal Professional warrants and confirms that they:
- Are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”), the Immigration Advice Authority (“IAA”), the Bar Standards Board (“BSB”), or the CILEX Regulation where applicable (“the Appropriate Regulatory Body”)
- Where the Legal Professional is an A2J partner, hold appropriate safeguarding or equivalent checks for any staff and/or volunteers delivering services to users, and if unregulated, do not hold themselves out, expressly or implicitly, as providing reserved legal activities or regulated legal advice
- Hold a valid practising certificate or equivalent document, designation or authorisation
- Hold valid and active Professional Indemnity Insurance (“PII”) or the equivalent
- Comply with all applicable regulatory and professional obligations, including the applicable codes of conduct (e.g. the BSB Public Access Rules for barristers)
- Undertake immigration work only through a permitted route or structure in line with the relevant rules and restrictions of the Appropriate Regulatory Body (e.g. the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations for solicitors)
- Where the Legal Professional is a CILEX lawyer, hold Immigration Practice Rights granted by the CILEX Regulation when conducting immigration law work
- Are not subject to any current investigation, intervention, or conditions on their practising certificate which would affect their ability to participate in this Platform
3.1.2 The Legal Professional agrees to:
- Maintain compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements throughout the duration of this Agreement, including requirements relating to immigration work
- Promptly notify the Platform in writing if their regulatory status changes, including any suspension, conditions imposed, or investigation commenced by the Appropriate Regulatory Body
- Where the Legal Professional is an immigration adviser regulated by the IAA, strictly conduct work within the scope of their IAA registration level only (Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3)
- Provide the Platform with relevant documentation regarding their professional status on request
3 3.2 User matching system
3.2.1 The Platform operates a smart-matching system connecting users to Legal Professionals based on:
- Location
- Area of law
- Consultation type and urgency
- User budget and availability
- Expertise, experience, and practice area
- User preferences and platform signals
3.2.2 The Legal Professional agrees that:
- They may be matched with users based on the criteria above
- The Platform does not guarantee any volume or minimum number of referrals
- The Platform does not guarantee that any particular user will instruct the Legal Professional following a match
- The Platform may, in its discretion, prioritise Legal Professionals in matching results based on:
- Responsiveness and availability
- User feedback and ratings
- Platform engagement and profile completeness
- Service quality indicators
- Founding Partner Status where applicable. The Platform may, at its sole discretion, designate certain Legal Professionals as “Founding Partners”. Founding Partner status is a promotional designation offered by the Platform to Legal Professionals who join the Platform during its early launch phase. It does not confer any proprietary interest in the Platform, any right to influence the Platform’s commercial decisions or any contractual entitlement beyond the benefits expressly set out in this clause. The benefits associated with Founding Partner status are as notified to the Legal Professional in writing at the time of designation.
3.3 Client acquisition compliance
The Parties shall ensure that any marketing, introductions, or client acquisition activities carried out in connection with the Platform comply with applicable law and regulation.
4. SERVICES & PRICING STRUCTURE
IMPORTANT NOTE: The fixed prices set out in this Agreement are platform-defined prices for the purpose of presenting a clear and consistent offer to users
4.1 Single-Session Consultations
The following platform-defined prices apply to single-session consultations. No commission is charged by the Platform on single-session consultations. The Legal Professional receives 100% of the fee paid by the user.
| Session Length | Platform Price | Legal Professional Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | £20 | £20 |
| 10 minutes | £50 | £50 |
| 20 minutes | £70 | £70 |
| 30 minutes | £100 | £100 |
| 60 minutes | £150 | £150 |
4.2 Ongoing Guided Legal Support Plans
Platform-defined pricing for multi-session support plans. A commission is charged on these plans as set out below.
| Plan | Platform Price | Commission (Platform / Custom) | Legal Professional Receives |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Day Plan (3 × 30-min sessions) | £300 | 3% (platform price) / 5% (custom price) | £291 / £285 |
| 5-Day Plan (5 × 30-min sessions) | £500 | 3% (platform price) / 5% (custom price) | £485 / £475 |
Legal Professionals may set their own price within a +£200 threshold above the platform price. Where a custom price is set, the higher 5% commission rate applies. Users must set a minimum budget aligned with platform thresholds.
4.3 Casework
4.3.1 Fees for casework (defined as matter-based legal work beyond the session and plan products above) are negotiable between the Legal Professional and the user. Legal Professionals may set their fees based on scope, complexity, and time required, within the price range parameters set out in the table below, which may be subject to change:
| Service | LawNeeds Price Range | Typical Market Range | Gov Fee (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker Visa | £1,600 – £2,300 | £1,800 – £2,500 | £719 – £1,500+ |
| Student Visa | £1,000 – £1,500 | £1,250 – £1,500 | ~£490 |
| Visit Visa | £850 – £1,300 | £950 – £1,500 | ~£115 |
| Ancestry Visa | £1,800 – £2,400 | ~£2,000 | ~£637 |
| Spouse / Partner Visa | £2,200 – £4,500 | £2,500 – £5,000 | ~£1,846 |
| PBS Dependants | £1,300 – £2,000 | £1,500 – £2,000 | ~£719+ |
| Family Reunion | £2,200 – £3,500 | £2,500 – £3,500 | Often free |
| ILR (10-year route) | £2,200 – £5,000 | £2,500 – £5,000 | ~£2,885 |
| Naturalisation | £2,200 – £3,000 | ~£2,500 | ~£1,580 |
| EU Settlement Scheme | £1,200 – £2,200 | £1,850 – £2,500 | Free |
| FLR(FP), Human Rights Applications | £2,500 – £5,500+ | – | – |
| Asylum Applications (Full Support) | £3,000 – £6,500+ | – | – |
| Full Case Management (End-to-End) | £3,000 – £8,000+ | – | – |
4.3.2 For casework, a commission of 10% of the agreed fee is payable to the Platform.
4.4 Nature of the commission
The Parties acknowledge that:
- The commission payable under this Clause constitutes payment for genuine platform services including technology infrastructure, smart-matching, payment processing, and user interface provision
- All commission amounts stated in this Agreement are exclusive of VAT. Where applicable, VAT will be charged in addition at the prevailing rate.
4.5 Right to update pricing
The Platform reserves the right to update its pricing structure and will give the Legal Professional written notice of any changes.
5 PAYMENT PROCESSING
- All payments due to the Legal Professional are processed via the Platform’s appointed payment service provider (currently Stripe).
- Once a Legal Professional creates an account on the Platform, the Legal Professional will be required to complete the Stripe verification process and will be able to view earnings in-app once done.
- Payments due to the Legal Professional are typically received within approximately 3-5 business days following a completed consultation, subject to Stripe’s processing times, payout schedule, payment method, and any applicable verification or compliance checks. LawNeeds does not control Stripe’s processing times and shall not be liable for delays caused by Stripe or the Legal Professional’s financial institution.
- Users pay LawNeeds upfront via the Platform, and confirmation of payment triggers initiation of the applicable service. The Platform will deduct the applicable commission and remit the remaining balance to the Legal Professional.
6 SERVICE DELIVERY
6.1 Delivery methods
Following payment confirmation the Legal Professional shall deliver consultations via:
- In-app chat
- Voice or video call (where applicable)
6.2 Legal Professional obligations
The Legal Professional agrees to:
- Honour all booked consultation times
- Provide services with reasonable skill and care
- Comply with applicable client care obligations
- In the event of a complaint or negative feedback (including negative reviews) from a user, permit the Platform to conduct a review of the matter at its sole discretion. If complaints or negative feedback persists, the Platform reserves the right to restrict or terminate the Legal Professional’s account with 30 days’ notice in line with clause 11.
6.3 Cancellation, no-show, rescheduling
6.3.1 The Legal Professional agrees to comply with the LawNeeds Cancellation, No-Show, Rescheduling and Refund Policy (“Cancellation Policy”) as published and updated from time to time, which is incorporated into this Agreement by reference. In the event of conflict between the Cancellation Policy and this Agreement, this Agreement prevails.
6.3.2 Where the Legal Professional cancels a confirmed consultation or fails to attend without prior notice, the fee forfeiture consequences set out in the Cancellation Policy apply. LawNeeds is authorised to recover any forfeited amount by deduction from the Legal Professional’s next scheduled payout without further notice. Where the forfeited amount exceeds the next payout, LawNeeds may recover the balance from subsequent payouts or invoice the Legal Professional directly, payable within 14 days.
6.3.3 Repeated cancellations or no-shows may result in a reliability strike being recorded on the Legal Professional’s profile, temporary visibility suspension or removal from the Platform in accordance with the thresholds set out in the Cancellation Policy. These consequences form part of this Agreement and are enforceable accordingly.
6.3.4 Where the Legal Professional delivers a Guided Support Plan and fails to attend one or more sessions, the pro-rata fee recovery provisions of the Cancellation Policy apply and LawNeeds may recover the relevant amounts from the Legal Professional’s payout.
6.3.5 Where casework is cancelled after commencement, the Legal Professional must provide an itemised account of work completed to LawNeeds and to the user within 5 business days of cancellation.
6.3.6 LawNeeds will notify the Legal Professional of material updates to the Cancellation Policy by email. Continued use of the Platform following the effective date of any update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.
6.3.7 Where a user cancels a confirmed consultation with less than 24 hours’ notice or fails to attend without prior notice, the Legal Professional is entitled to receive full payment for that session in accordance with the Cancellation Policy. Where a user cancels between 24 and 48 hours before the scheduled start time, the Legal Professional is entitled to receive 50% of the session fee. These entitlements are subject to the Legal Professional having accepted the booking and being ready and available to deliver the consultation at the scheduled time.
7 NON-CIRCUMVENTION
7.1 For a period of 12 months from the date on which LawNeeds first facilitated a connection between the Legal Professional and a user through the Platform (“the Platform Introduction”), the Legal Professional shall not directly or indirectly solicit or accept instructions from that user outside the Platform in connection with any matter that arose from or is directly related to that Platform Introduction (“a Connected Matter”). For the avoidance of doubt, “Platform Introduction” refers to the same event as “first interaction with that professional on the platform” in the LawNeeds Terms and Conditions (Mobile Application — Users). In the event of any dispute about when the Platform Introduction occurred, the Platform’s booking and referral records shall be determinative.
7.2 The obligation in clause 7.1 applies whether the outside contact was initiated by the Legal Professional or by the user.
7.3 Clause 7.1 does not apply where:
(a) the Legal Professional had an established professional relationship with the user that pre-dated and was independent of the Platform Introduction, evidenced in writing;
(b) LawNeeds is unable to facilitate the relevant service through the Platform and the Legal Professional has notified LawNeeds in writing before accepting instructions outside the Platform; or
(c) LawNeeds has given prior written consent.
7.4 Clause 7.1 does not restrict the Legal Professional from accepting instructions from a user in connection with matters entirely unrelated to the Connected Matter.
7.5 Where a user contacts the Legal Professional directly outside the Platform in connection with a matter the Legal Professional reasonably believes to be a Connected Matter, the Legal Professional must notify LawNeeds at support@lawneeds.co.uk within 5 business days of that contact.
7.6 Breach of clause 7.1 entitles LawNeeds to recover from the Legal Professional a sum equivalent to the commission that would have been payable had the instruction been conducted through the Platform, together with any further losses flowing from the breach. The Parties agree that this sum reflects LawNeeds’ loss of the commission it would otherwise have earned on the relevant instruction
7.7 Where LawNeeds has reasonable grounds to believe the Legal Professional has breached clause 7.1, LawNeeds may suspend the Legal Professional’s profile visibility and referral access with immediate effect pending investigation. LawNeeds will notify the Legal Professional of any suspension within 1 business day and will provide a written outcome within 10 business days.
7.8 Nothing in this clause requires the Legal Professional to act in a manner inconsistent with their professional obligations under codes of conduct of the Appropriate Regulatory Body or their duties to their client. Where any conflict arises, the Legal Professional’s professional obligations prevail and the Legal Professional must notify LawNeeds promptly in writing.
7.9 The commission payable to LawNeeds under this Agreement is charged in consideration of platform access, matching services and administrative infrastructure. It does not constitute a referral fee within the meaning of section 56 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
7.10 Where the Legal Professional is a barrister, the Legal Professional and LawNeeds agree that the commission structure is intended to reflect payment for platform services rather than a fee for the referral of instructions. Commission is not calculated by reference to, or contingent upon, the volume, value, or outcome of instructions received by that barrister.
8 LIABILITY
8.1 Any AI-generated information provided through the Platform:
- is for general information only;
- is not legal advice;
- may contain outdated information; and
- should not be relied on without professional legal advice.
8.2 LawNeeds is not liable for:
- advice provided by the Legal Professional;
- disputes between users and Legal Professionals; or
- regulatory issues affecting the Legal Professional.
8.3 LawNeeds shall not be liable to the Legal Professional for any loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss of business, loss of anticipated savings, loss of referrals, loss of goodwill, reputational damage, wasted expenditure or any indirect or consequential loss of any kind, whether or not such loss was foreseeable or LawNeeds had been advised of its possibility.
8.4 LawNeeds’ total liability to the Legal Professional under or in connection with this Agreement, whether arising in contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise, shall not exceed the higher of:
(a) total fees received from you (including commission deducted and subscription fees paid) in the three months preceding the relevant event, or (b) £500.
8.5 Nothing in this Agreement limits liability for fraud, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any liability that cannot legally be excluded.
8.6 The Legal Professional will indemnify LawNeeds against any third party claims, losses or reasonable costs arising directly from the Legal Professional’s own negligence, wilful misconduct, breach of warranties set out in this Agreement, or any other material breach of this Agreement in connection with services delivered through the Platform. Where the Legal Professional is a law firm or other organisation, this indemnity extends to the acts, omissions, negligence, and wilful misconduct of its partners, members, employees, consultants, and any other individual delivering services through the Platform under its account.
8.7 Any claim by the Legal Professional against LawNeeds under or in connection with this Agreement must be brought within 12 months of the date on which the Legal Professional became aware, or ought reasonably to have become aware, of the circumstances giving rise to the claim. After that period the Legal Professional’s right to bring any such claim is permanently barred.
9 DATA PROTECTION & CONFIDENTIALITY
9.1 Each Party acts as an independent data controller for its own activities.
9.2 Each Party must comply with UK GDPR and applicable data protection laws.
9.3 The Legal Professional is responsible for:
- handling client data lawfully;
- protecting confidential information;
- maintaining appropriate security measures; and
- complying with legal and professional confidentiality obligations.
9.4 LawNeeds may process data for:
- matching users and Legal Professionals;
- scheduling and communications;
- payments;
- analytics and service improvement; and
- legal and regulatory compliance.
9.5 Both Parties must maintain appropriate cybersecurity and data security measures.
9.6 Each Party must notify the other promptly of any material data breach affecting shared data.
10 ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING
10.1 The Legal Professional is solely responsible for AML, sanctions, and client due diligence obligations.
10.2 LawNeeds:
- does not carry out AML checks on behalf of the Legal Professional;
- does not verify client identity for AML purposes; and
- does not hold client money.
10.3 The Legal Professional must maintain appropriate AML policies and procedures.
10.4 LawNeeds may suspend or terminate access where it reasonably believes there is fraud, sanctions, financial crime, or regulatory risk.
11 TERMINATION
11.1 This Agreement starts on the date signed by both Parties.
11.2 Either Party may terminate this Agreement on 30 days’ written notice.
11.3 LawNeeds may suspend or terminate access immediately where the Legal Professional:
- loses authorisation by the Appropriate Regulatory Body;
- loses insurance cover;
- commits serious misconduct;
- breaches this Agreement, including by ceasing to undertake regulated work through a route permitted by the Appropriate Regulatory Body;
- creates legal or regulatory risk for the Platform; or
- where the Legal Professional is an A2J partner, ceases to meet the criteria which in the Platform’s discretion characterises the A2J partner as suitable (e.g. loss of relevant charitable status).
11.4 Clauses relating to non-circumvention, confidentiality, payments and fee recovery, liability, data protection and dispute resolution survive termination, together with any rights and obligations which have accrued prior to termination.
11.5 Termination of this Agreement does not affect any Connected Matter, Guided Support Plan or casework engagement already underway. The Legal Professional may continue to act for the user in relation to that matter, and any commission due on fees paid in connection with it remains payable to LawNeeds.
12 GENERAL
12.1 This Agreement is the entire agreement between the Parties relating to the Platform relationship.
12.2 Any changes to this Agreement must be agreed in writing.
12.3 Nothing in this Agreement creates an employment, partnership, or agency relationship.
12.4 If any provision is unenforceable, the rest of the Agreement will continue to apply.
12.5 This Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales and disputes shall be subject to the courts of England and Wales.
12.6 Before starting court proceedings, the Parties will try in good faith to resolve disputes through discussion and mediation. Where a dispute arises, the complaining Party must notify the other in writing setting out the nature of the dispute. The Parties will attempt to resolve the dispute within 14 days of that notice. If unresolved, either Party may refer the matter to mediation before a mutually agreed mediator, the costs of which will be shared equally unless otherwise agreed
12.7 Notices may be sent by email or recorded delivery.
12.8 LawNeeds may assign this Agreement to a successor business. The Legal Professional may not assign this Agreement without consent.
12.9 Neither Party is liable for delays caused by events outside reasonable control.
12.10 Each Party retains ownership of its own intellectual property.
12.11 LawNeeds may use the Legal Professional’s name, logo, and profile information for Platform marketing and operation purposes.
ACCEPTANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT
This Agreement is concluded electronically. By consenting and completing account registration on the Platform, the Legal Professional electronically confirmed that they:
- have read and understood this Agreement in full;
- agree and accept to be bound by its terms;
- have the authority to bind the firm or organisation named on their Platform account (if applicable); and
- confirm that the regulatory details provided during registration are accurate.
LawNeeds agrees to be bound by this Agreement by publishing it on the Platform and accepting the Legal Professional’s registration and acceptance as set out above.
This Agreement takes effect on the date the Legal Professional completes this acceptance step, as recorded in the Platform’s systems.