Finding and Purchasing Legal Services
Legal help shouldn't require guesswork about pricing, quality, or whether you can afford it.
Laymans marketplace transforms how you find and purchase legal services - offering transparent pricing, verified reviews, and flexible payment options including crowdfunding and financing. Browse unbundled legal services (representation for specific tasks) and essential clerical services (e-filing, notaries, process servers) all in one place.
Follow the Guide
New to purchasing services? Follow our workflow: Purchasing Legal Services - From finding services to tracking expenses.
Why Laymans Marketplace is Different
Traditional legal services force you to hire an attorney for everything or handle everything alone. Laymans offers a third path: unbundled legal services - purchase exactly what you need, when you need it.
What makes our marketplace unique:
| Feature | Traditional Law Firms | Laymans Marketplace |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | "Call for quote" or unknown billable hours | Upfront average cost based on actual service history |
| Service reviews | Word of mouth only | Public reviews moderated by independent laypeople |
| Payment flexibility | Pay retainer upfront, hope for refund | Pay average cost + adjustments billed later (like Uber) |
| Funding options | Credit card or personal loan | Campaign funds, case fund financing, Stripe payment plans |
| Service bundling | Full representation or nothing | Choose specific services (review, drafting, consulting, representation) |
| Clerical services | Hire separately | Integrated marketplace (notaries, e-filing, investigators, translators) |
The result: You can afford professional legal help for the parts of your case that matter most, while handling other parts yourself with Leyla AI assistance.
What Services Are Available?
Laymans marketplace offers two categories of services:
Legal Services (Provided by Attorneys)
Professional legal work priced per service, not per hour:
- Document review - Attorney reviews your AI-drafted documents for accuracy
- Legal drafting - Attorney creates custom legal documents from scratch
- Legal consulting - One-on-one advice on strategy, deadlines, or procedure
- Limited representation - Attorney handles specific court appearances or filings
- Full representation - Complete legal representation from start to finish
Clerical Services (Legal Support Services)
Essential services that make your case official:
- E-filing - Electronically file documents with courts
- Service of process - Legally serve documents to other parties
- Virtual notaries - Get documents notarized remotely
- Court observers - Independent observers document court proceedings
- Expert testimony - Subject matter experts testify in your case
- Private investigation - Licensed investigators gather evidence
- Translation services - Certified translations of legal documents
How pricing works
Services show an average cost based on the provider's historical data - how long similar services actually took to complete. When you purchase:
- You pay the average cost upfront (plus a small transaction fee)
- Provider completes the work
- If it took less time, you get a refund
- If it took more time, you receive an invoice for the difference (which you can pay directly or fundraise for)
This model gives you budget predictability while ensuring fair compensation for providers.
Finding the Right Service
Step 1: Navigate to the Marketplace
From the homepage:
- Click "Solutions" to open the marketplace
- OR talk to Leyla AI in Co-Create and ask for service recommendations
Step 2: Filter by Your Needs
Narrow down services using powerful filters:
| Filter Type | What It Does | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Practice area | Show only services for your legal issue (family law, employment, housing, etc.) | You know the general area of law |
| County | Localize to your county for attorneys licensed in your jurisdiction | Court filings or local court appearances |
| Issue type | Filter by specific problem (eviction, contract dispute, custody, etc.) | You need help with a specific situation |
| Price range | Set maximum budget to see affordable options | You have limited funds |
| Service type | Legal vs clerical services | You need specific support (like just a notary) |
Smart filtering strategy
Start broad (practice area), then narrow by county, then by specific issue. This ensures you see all relevant providers in your area before filtering by price.
Step 3: Compare Providers
Each service listing shows:
Service stats:
- Average cost - Based on provider's historical completion times
- Average completion time - How long similar services took
- Total reviews - How many clients reviewed this specific service
- Overall rating - Star rating for this service (not just the firm)
Provider background:
- Firm rating - Overall firm experience across all services
- Practice focus - What areas of law they specialize in
- Laymans Affiliate status - Government departments and organizations with native Laymans integration (fastest response times)
What does "Laymans Affiliate" mean?
Affiliates are organizations with direct Laymans integration - they receive requests instantly and often respond exclusively through the platform. Look for this badge if you want:
- Almost immediate service start after purchase
- Automated status updates
- Seamless document sharing through your casefile
Step 4: Read Reviews
Click "Reviews" on any service to see:
- Full service details page
- Verbatim reviews from other laypeople
- Provider's response to feedback
- Link to provider's social page/profile
Why reviews matter: Reviews are moderated by independent layperson-moderators (not Laymans staff, not the attorneys), ensuring honest, unbiased feedback.
Purchasing a Service
Before You Buy: Create a Case
All services must be attached to a case. Why?
- Context for providers - They review your case to understand what you need
- Document organization - All service-related documents stay with your case
- Financial tracking - Expenses are tracked per case for tax/court purposes
- Clearer communication - Providers can see your evidence, research, and goals
Don't have a case yet? Start a case now - it only takes a few minutes to create a draft case.
The Purchase Process
- Add to cart - Click "Add to Cart" on any service
- Review cart - Click the cart icon, then "Purchase"
- Assign to case - Select which case this service is for (or create a new one)
- Review service summary - See breakdown by organization, service type, hours, and cost
- Choose payment method - See options below
- Proceed to checkout - Complete payment through Stripe
Cart organization
Services are grouped by:
- Layperson (if you're managing multiple people's cases as an attorney)
- Case (each case has separate checkout)
This ensures clean financial records and proper invoice generation.
Payment Options
Laymans partners with Stripe to offer flexible payment:
| Payment Method | Best For | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Pay directly | You have funds available | Standard credit/debit card payment |
| Campaign funds | You've fundraised | Funds from your campaign automatically credited to your bill |
| Case fund financing | You applied for funding | Grant or contingency funding from legal funds |
| Pay-in-four (Klarna) | Smaller services ($100-$1,000) | Split payment into 4 interest-free installments |
| Pay-later (Affirm) | Larger services ($1,000+) | Monthly payment plans with credit approval |
| Credit options | Long-term financing needed | Stripe partner credit products |
Can't afford it yet? Create a campaign before purchasing - your raised funds will automatically apply at checkout. Learn how to create a campaign.
After Purchase: What Happens Next
Provider Review & Acceptance
- Provider receives notification - They review the case you attached
- Provider accepts or declines - Based on their expertise and availability
- Service status updates to "in-progress" - You'll see this in your case dashboard
- You receive notifications - Automatic updates through the Power Bar and Co-Create
Why would a provider decline?
Providers may decline if:
- The service requires expertise outside their practice area
- Your case location is outside their licensed jurisdiction
- They have a conflict of interest
- Their schedule is fully booked
Don't worry - you'll receive a full refund and can purchase from another provider.
Communication & Collaboration
Once accepted, providers can:
- View your case materials - All casefiles, documents, and research you've attached
- Communicate securely - Through encrypted messaging in your case
- Collaborate with other providers - If you hired multiple services, they can coordinate
- Add documents to your casefile - Drafts, filings, correspondence
If you purchased full representation, you'll also get:
- Access to secure chatrooms with your attorney
- Noonlight whistleblower services (for safety in sensitive cases)
- Additional clerical services at attorney's discretion
Tracking Your Expenses
View all service expenses in your financial dashboard:
Access: Click Laymans (top menu) � Finances � Transactions
What you'll see:
- Transactions grouped by case and service
- Current status (pending, in-progress, completed, adjustment needed)
- Invoices and receipts
- Stripe Customer Service Portal link (for payments and disputes)
Full guide: How to view your legal fees and expenses
Service Adjustments & Invoices
Remember: You pay an average cost upfront, but the final price depends on actual work completed.
If the service cost less than expected:
- Provider marks service complete with final time
- Laymans calculates the difference
- You receive an automatic refund to your original payment method
If the service cost more than expected:
- Provider submits an invoice for the difference
- You receive a notification with invoice details
- You can:
- Pay directly through Stripe Customer Service Portal
- Contest the adjustment if unreasonable (Laymans reviews disputes)
- Start a campaign to fundraise the difference
- Apply for case fund financing to cover the gap
Fair pricing guarantee
Laymans monitors average completion times across all providers. If an adjustment seems unreasonable compared to historical data, you can dispute it and we'll review with the provider.
Smart Strategies for Purchasing Services
Strategy 1: Start Small, Scale Up
Instead of: Hiring full representation immediately ($5,000-$20,000)
Try:
- Draft documents yourself with Leyla AI
- Purchase document review ($200-$500) to check your work
- If you hit roadblocks, purchase legal consulting ($300-$800)
- Only purchase limited representation for critical court dates
- Upgrade to full representation if needed
Why it works: Many cases can be handled pro se (self-representation) with strategic professional help at key moments.
Strategy 2: Bundle Clerical Services First
The problem: Courts won't accept improperly filed or unnotarized documents.
The solution: Purchase clerical services to make your self-drafted documents official:
- Draft complaint with Leyla AI
- Purchase virtual notary ($25-$50) to notarize
- Purchase e-filing service ($50-$150) to file correctly
- Purchase service of process ($75-$200) to serve defendant
Total cost: $150-$400 vs $3,000+ for attorney to do the same work.
Strategy 3: Fundraise Before You Purchase
Why wait? Campaign funds automatically apply at checkout.
How to do it:
- Create a case documenting your legal issue
- Create a campaign sharing your story (without revealing strategy)
- Share with your community, social media, or litigation financiers
- Once funded, purchase services - funds apply automatically
- Only pay remaining balance (or get refund if over-funded)
Who contributes?
- Individual donors who believe in your cause
- Litigation financiers who invest in strong cases
- Grants and loans from institutional funders
Strategy 4: Use Movements for Shared Resources
If your issue affects many people, check if there's a movement:
- Browse or search for relevant movements
- Apply to join
- Access free shared resources (legal templates, research, strategies)
- Benefit from collective purchasing power (bulk services at lower rates)
- Participate in shared funding pools
Tracking Service Performance
Monitoring Progress
In your case dashboard:
- Service status badges (pending, in-progress, completed)
- Last update timestamp
- Provider contact information
- Attached documents and deliverables
In notifications (Power Bar):
- Provider acceptance/decline alerts
- Document delivery notifications
- Invoice and adjustment alerts
- Service completion confirmations
Reviewing Your Experience
After service completion, you're invited to review:
- Rate the service (1-5 stars)
- Write detailed feedback - What worked, what didn't
- Help future laypeople - Your review appears on the service page
Why review?
- Holds providers accountable
- Helps others make informed decisions
- Improves marketplace quality over time
- Providers respond to feedback and improve
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a refund if the provider declines?
Yes, automatically. If a provider declines your service request, you receive a full refund to your original payment method within 5-7 business days. You can then purchase from another provider.
What if I can't afford any services?
Several options:
- Use Laymans free tools - Build your case with Leyla AI, use templates from briefcases
- Apply to a case fund - Some funds provide grants or contingency financing
- Start a campaign - Crowdfund from your community
- Join a movement - Access free shared resources
- Look for pro bono - Some attorneys offer free services for qualifying cases
How do I know if a provider is legitimate?
Multiple verification layers:
- All attorneys verified against state bar records
- Reviews moderated by independent laypeople
- Laymans monitors service quality and completion rates
- "Laymans Affiliate" badge indicates deep platform integration
- Providers must maintain good standing to list services
Can I hire multiple providers for one case?
Yes! Common scenarios:
- Hire one attorney for document review + another for court representation
- Hire attorney for legal strategy + hire clerical services for filing/notary
- Hire multiple expert witnesses for different aspects of your case
Services are grouped by case in checkout, and providers can see/coordinate with each other.
What happens if I dispute an invoice adjustment?
Dispute process:
- Click "Dispute" in your financial dashboard
- Explain why the adjustment seems unreasonable
- Laymans reviews: provider's time logs, service averages, complexity factors
- We mediate to reach fair resolution
- If provider was unreasonable, adjustment is reduced/removed
Laymans monitors average times to ensure providers can't overcharge.
Do services expire after purchase?
No expiration, but communicate proactively. Services remain "pending" until the provider accepts or declines. If you don't hear back within 72 hours, contact support at www.laymans.app/verify and we'll follow up with the provider.
Getting Started
Ready to find legal help you can actually afford?
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Create a case - Required to purchase services |
| 2 | Browse the marketplace - Find services that fit your budget |
| 3 | Set your county - See providers licensed in your area |
| 4 | Consider fundraising first - Campaign funds apply at checkout |
| 5 | Purchase services - Follow the workflow for step-by-step guidance |
| 6 | Track your expenses - Monitor spending and invoices |
Start with the workflow
Follow Purchasing Legal Services workflow for a guided experience from finding services to tracking expenses.
Legal representation doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. Laymans marketplace gives you the power to purchase exactly what you need - whether that's a $50 notary service or $5,000 full representation - with transparent pricing, flexible payment, and community support every step of the way.