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We have tried to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about
the LawRex network.
About LawRex: Q: What is LawRex all about? A: LawRex provides a forum for connecting lawyers to other lawyers, with the aim of helping lawyers exchange referrals. This forum simply takes what lawyers are already doing offline or are doing in an inefficent and ineffective means via state- or ABA-run list-servers and provides a forum for them to do it more efficiently online. To this end, LawRex uses a unique but simple point system and rating system, both of which are described below. Q: I belong to a list-serve, so why should I use LawRex? A: List-serves are simply not an effective or efficient means for lawyers to exchange referrals with other lawyers. Most attorneys do not participate in list-serves. Even if the attorney you are looking for does participate in list-serves, it is unlikely that he or she will participate in the same list-serves or in list-serves for a particular jurisdiction and/or practice area. Even if the attorney that you are looking for does participate in your list-serve, he or she will probably not notice your posting becuase the posting will be lost in the other list-serve noise. This is especially true becuase postings on list-serves are one shot opportunities. Thus, the chances are high that they the attorney you are looking for will not notice and not respond to your inquiry (at the exact moment you submit your request the attorney you are looking for will probably be in court, taking depositions, or busy throwing pencils at the ceiling). Assuming that the attorney that you are looking for participates in the list-serve and he or she is paying attention at the moment when you submit your request and the attorney submits a reply, you will find yourself in the position of sending out referrals and not receiving any in return. Sending out clients without receiving in clients does not help you or your firm's bottom line. As an attorney you are selling your time, thus, it is imperative that you have incoming referrals to fill that time. Relying on list-serves to receive incoming referrals is too much of a long shot, especially since your livelihood is on the line. Moreover, list-serves are generally used to pass cases that other lawyers have rejected, possibly due to the client being difficult or not having the ability/desire to pay or that were refused by other lawyers for other reasons. List-serves do not allow the receiving lawyer with any recourse or way to tell other lawyers that the referring lawyer's referrals were of low quality. Spending time to consider list-serve cases of doubtful quality is also not a cost effective use of a lawyer's time. In addition, for lawyers in those states that permit referral fees, list-serves do not present lawyers with an effective means for asking for and agreeing to referral fee terms. Thus, if your state permits referral fees, LawRex may help you get referral fees in cases where you might not have otherwise received anything. Q: How does LawRex work? A: The LawRex process can be summarized as follows: lawyers sign up for particular geographic and practice areas and each lawyer is awarded 100 LawRex points upon approval of their LawRex application. Participating lawyers can then search for and view referrals posted by other lawyers for their geographic and practice areas and they can use their LawRex points to express their level of interest in particular referrals. If a lawyer expresses an interest in a referral, the referring lawyer is awarded the points listed by the highest bidder. The lawyer bidding the highest points will be provided with the referring lawyer’s contact information, and may contact the referring lawyer to learn more about the referral (or the referring lawyer can pre-enter all of the pertinent information and have LawRex automatically deliver it to the high bidder). The referring lawyer can then use the points to bid on referrals listed by other lawyers. Thus, the points are the grease in the engine that helps the parts move. They do not guarantee that any lawyer will receive future referrals. You can find out more about how LawRex functions by viewing our How it Works page and reading the rest of these FAQs. Q: What types of referrals would I list on LawRex? A: LawRex is ideal for legal cases which a referring lawyer is not competent to handle the case, does not have time to handle the case, the case requires licensure in a jurisdiction which the referring lawyer is not licensed in, or the lawyer decides not to accept the case for other reasons. Q: How much does LawRex cost? A: LawRex is a 100% free service provided to the legal community. Q: Do LawRex ratings compare to Martindale.com's or other lawyer rating systems? A: No, LawRex’s ratings are not comparable to Martindale.com or other company’s lawyer rating systems. Those other systems rate a lawyer’s reputation in the legal community in general; whereas, LawRex’s ratings only rate the quality of referrals that are sent out by participating lawyers. Thus, LawRex ratings cannot be used to judge the quality or character of individual lawyers; however, they can be used to judge what types of referrals individual lawyers have referred out in the past. Getting Started Q: How can I join the LawRex network? A: You can join the LawRex network by submitting an application using the Join LawRex page. Completing the application takes only minutes. Applications are typically reviewed within one to two business days. We most likely will contact you via phone to verify that you are who you say you are and we may ask for other types of verification where we cannot ascertain your identity with a reasonable degree of certainty. Q: Can multiple lawyers in one office or firm join LawRex? A: Yes, multiple lawyers in one office or firm can join LawRex. Each lawyer will be given a separate account and awarded seperate points. LawRex will try to ensure that members of the same firm do not inadvertently use points for referrals submitted by members of their own firm; however, LawRex cannot guarantee this. Q: Can I sign up for more jurisdictions or practice areas? A: All LawRex members can sign up for up to 5 practice areas (and no more). You can add an unlimited number of additional states or territories to your profile; however you must be licensed and in good standing to practice in all jurisdictions you select. To add additional states or territories, simply login to LawRex, select "Update My Profile" from the main navigation menu, and then select "add additional states." You will gain access to referrals submitted for added jurisdictions immediately after your request is approved. Q: When will I be billed for my subscription? A: Never. Your subscription is 100% free. Q: Is it permissible for me to participate in LawRex? A: Because the laws vary from state to state, LawRex expresses no opinion on whether it is permissible to participate in LawRex. LawRex has not sought to qualify as a not-for-profit entity and it is not registered as a lawyer referral service with any state or political subdivision. It is imperative that participating lawyers review the ethics rules and regulations of their particular licensure states to ensure that they may participate in LawRex. Using LawRex: Q: When will points be available to me? A: As soon as you complete the sign-up process and your application is approved, you will be awarded 100 points. Your member points will carry over to subsequent months while your account is active. Points other users submit for your referrals will be available to you as soon as the time you set for your referral ends (assuming that someone bids more than the minimum amount you set for the referral). Extra points that are purchased will be available to you immediately upon purchase. Q: Can I purchase additional points? A: The best way to gain additional points is to submit referrals over the network. You can also purchase additional points. Additional points are $9.99 each. Please use the contact us form (the link is at the bottom of every page), to request additional points. Q: How do I view the referrals available to me? A: Once you login to your LawRex account, simply click on the 'Live Referrals' link on the main navigation menu. This will pull up the current referrals that match your practice area(s) in the jurisdiction(s) you selected. You can select each referral to learn more specific details about the referral, and express your interest in the referral. Q: How do I express an interest in a referral? A: Once you login to LawRex using your username and password, click on the 'Live Referrals' link on the main navigation menu. This will pull up all the referrals for your jurisdiction(s) and practice area(s). Click on the title of a referral to view the details about that referral. If you are interested in the referral, you may enter the number of points you are willing to bid for the referral and click 'submit.' If no other member expresses a higher interest in the referral, you will gain access to the specific contact information for the referral when the specified time expires. Q: Can I ask questions about a particular referral before I express an interest in it? A: Yes, LawRex has a built in messaging system, so you can ask the referring member questions about a referral the member has posted before you decide whether to pursue the referral. The referring lawyer may or may not respond to your question. If the lawyer does not respond, then you can simply not express an interest in their referral. You can access this messaging system by viewing the particular referral you are interested in, and selecting the "ask referrer a question" icon. Q: Can I change my mind after I express an interest in a referral? A: No, once you express your interest in the referral, you cannot 'remove' your interest level. There is a chance that another user may submit a higher bid or the referrer may cancel the referral before the referral time expires. Q: Will I be notified if another lawyer expresses a greater interest in a referral than I did? A: No. Once you express an interest in a referral, you should note the time for the referral to expire and check back to view the status of the referral. You can increase your interest in a referral if needed by visiting the referral detail page for the particular referral and submitting a higher number of points. Q: If I get a referral, how will I be notified of the referral? A: LawRex will send you an email letting you know you have won access to the referring lawyer's contact information. Simply login to LawRex, and you will find a link on the 'My LawRex' area giving you full access to the referrer's information. You can then contact the referrer (or the referrer's assistant) to gather the rest of the case details or, if the referring lawyer specified, you may view the other case details on the LawRex website. It is incumbent on each member to periodically visit the LawRex website to view any referral activity that may have taken place. As a member, you should make sure that your email provider or email software is not blocking LawRex email messages from reaching your inbox. Q: If I get a referral, must I follow up on the referral? A: Yes. If you receive a referral you must attempt to follow up on the referral or contact the referring attorney to let him or her know that you are not interested in the referral. This does not mean that you have to accept the case, it just means that you must try and contact the referrer. If you contact the referrer and/or attorney and opt to not undertake legal representation, you may re-enter the referral into the LawRex network in an effort to recoup some of the points you expended on the referral. Q: If I get a referral, can I have another lawyer contact the referral? A: Yes. LawRex provides a forum for exchanging referrals between lawyers. LawRex has no control over what participating members do with their referrals. Q: How do I submit a referral to the LawRex network? A: Once you are logged into the LawRex system, click on the 'Post a Referral' button on the main navigation menu. Simply fill out the referral information form and confirm. The general details of the referral will then be available to other members for viewing. Q: Will my contact information be disclosed to other LawRex members? A: Yes, but only to those members who express the greatest interest, using LawRex points, in your referrals. There are some other times, which are outlined in these FAQs and in the Privacy Policy (such as when members submit and place referrals over the LawRex network which require payment of referral fees), when your contact information may be disclosed. Members are not allowed to contact each other regarding the referral outside of the LawRex messaging system before the expiration of a particular referral. Any member who does so is violating the subscription agreement and LawRex terms of use, and LawRex may suspend or revoke the member's membership. Q: Can I receive a referral fee for referrals submitted to LawRex? A: Yes. LawRex provides a field for listing referral fee requirements, which are a part of the information viewable in the "view referral details" by participating members. This information can be entered along with the rest of the referral information in the "post a referral" area of the website. When submitting a referral that requires a referral fee, the referring lawyer must enter the referral fee terms or contact in the appropriate box. LawRex encourages members to not use their personal or firm name in these agreements, instead, LawRex recommends that members use their LawRex usernames to identify each party (by using the LawRex network, users consent that using LawRex usernames is definite and sufficient to identify the parties for purposes of contract formation). Members should use their own judgment in this regard, as LawRex is not responsible for any disputes arising out of or associated with this issue. LawRex is not a party to any referral fee transaction and is not responsible if participating members fail to pay the referral fee or comply with any related terms. LawRex may disclose the identities of the referrer and the referral recipient to each other upon request of either party. You should be aware that not all jurisdictions allow referral fees and not all lawyers are willing to pay them. Requiring a referral fee may decrease the chances that others are interested in the referral. Q: Can I withdraw or modify a referral once it is submitted? A: You can withdraw a referral at anytime. To do this, login and go to the 'My LawRex' page. You can see all the active referrals you have submitted under 'My Active Referrals'. Simply click on the 'cancel' button next to the referral you wish to withdraw. You cannot modify a referral, since modifying a referral might change another member's level of interest in a referral. Instead, you would need to withdrawal that referral, and resubmit with the new information and terms. Q: When will the referrer's contact information be disclosed to other LawRex members? A: Only the member who has expressed the most interest in a case (using the LawRex point system) will have access the referrer's contact information. All LawRex referrals are exclusive, and only the winning member will have access to the contact information after the 'end date and time' for the referral has passed. Those receiving referrals are responsible for following up with the referring lawyers about cases they have received. Q: Will I be notified of information about the other lawyer? A: You can view the referring member's feedback score as well as feedback comments to make a decision regarding the credibility of the referral. You can also ask the referring member a question about the referral using the LawRex messaging system. Contacting the referring member outside of the LawRex system about pending referrals is prohibited. Users should view the LawRex Privacy Policy and these FAQs for further information and exceptions. Q: What if no one bids on a referral that I submitted? A: After the 'end date' for the referral you have posted is reached, if the reserve is not met, or if no members bid on the referral, then the referral simply becomes inactive and you will receive a message on your "My LawRex" page which indicates that the referral expired. You can resubmit the referral for bidding if you choose. Q: How can I rate a referral that I received? A: If you win a referral, you will receive a message on the My LawRex page letting you know you have won the referral with a link to the specific details of that referral. At the bottom of the referral details page you will find a link allowing you to leave feedback regarding the referral. Simply click this link and leave your feedback. Q: Can I respond to a negative referral rating? A: Yes, you can respond to negative feedback ratings. Responses are limited to a sentence or two. Simply click the 'Update My Profile' link on the navigation. On the 'update my profile' page, click the 'view my feedback' link. This will list all the feedback related to your account. You can respond to any of the feedback by clicking the 'respond' button next to the feedback to which you wish to respond. Q: What if I receive a referral but the referring lawyer refuses to give me the client contact information? A: If you receive a referral using LawRex and the referring lawyer refuses to give you the client contact information, you should report the referrer to LawRex by: (1) providing a negative referral rating for the referral; and (2) sending LawRex an email notifying LawRex of the referring lawyer's conduct. LawRex may or may not investigate the matter. Repeated complaints against any one lawyer will result in the lawyer's LawRex account being terminated. In particularly extreme cases, LawRex may, but in no event shall LawRex be required to and LawRex attorneys should not expect LawRex to, award or adjust LawRex points between participating lawyers. Participating lawyers should understand that not all referrals placed using LawRex will pan out. We all take a gamble in every transaction that we enter in to. As such, lost points are just that: lost points. Q: What if the potential client's contact information is inaccurate? A: First, you will want to message the referring member via the LawRex messaging system to obtain the correct contact information. If the member does not have this information, the member should have not posted the referral in the first place. You can then give the referring member the appropriate feedback score for the referral (most likely negative). You can also contact LawRex if you feel it is necessary; however, LawRex does not guarantee that any particular referral has merit and LawRex will not restore points to any member. Repeated complaints or negative feedback may result in LawRex prohibiting a member from submitting future referrals or terminating the member's account. Q: What if the details of the referral were inaccurate? A: Please contact the referring member via the LawRex messaging system to obtain the correct contact information. You can also leave the member negative feedback to let other LawRex members know that this particular member has low-quality referrals, and help other members avoid experiencing a similar situation. Customer Support: Q: How can I report objectionable content? A: Please contact LawRex through the 'contact' button on the footer navigation menu. Enter the title of the referral, the member's name, and a brief description of the objectionable content. Please be as detailed as possible. LawRex will respond to objectionable content and other complaints as soon as practicable. Q: Do I have to receive notices via my email account? A: No, you can change this preference within the 'update my profile' area on the main navigation. LawRex offers email as a convenience: we do not want to send you any email you do not wish to receive. If you opt not to receive emails from LawRex, you must periodically review the LawRex website to participate in the network. Q: What if I move or my contact information changes? A: You can update your information by logging into the LawRex website, and then going to the "update my profile" area from the LawRex main navigation menu. Here you can change your contact information, as well as any billing information. Q: Can I change my username? A: No, once you select your assigned username you may not change it. This is to prevent members with a negative feedback rating from modifying their username to avoid detection. Users are encouraged to select usernames that will not tip off other users as to their identities (e.g., if your name is spelled in an unusual way, you might not want to use your name as your username). Q: What if I cannot remember my username or password? A: If you cannot remember your password, simply click on the 'Forgot your username/password?' link in the login box located on the LawRex homepage. This will allow you to request that LawRex email a new password or your username to the email address you used during the sign-up process. Once you login to LawRex using the new password, you may update your password in the 'update profile' area. If you no longer have access to the email address used during sign-up, please contact LawRex. Q: Can I cancel my membership? A: Yes, you can cancel your membership at any time. Just send us an email and we will take care of that for you. Q: What if I didn't find my question listed here? A: Please contact us and we will do our best to answer any questions you may have. |
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