Justice for All—at a Price More Can Afford

NEW YORK, June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Just three months after the launch of Shpoonkle.com, the online legal marketplace whose slogan is "Justice You Can Afford," a survey shows that its users are paying lawyers—who compete for casework in a reverse auction—an average fee of $207 an hour or 27 percent less than the $284 national average calculated by Lawyers.com. The same survey also reveals that attorneys found on Shpoonkle are accepting contingency fees below the industry standard of one-third of any future settlement.

"Our goal is to make attorney's fees more reasonable and we are succeeding," said Robert Grant Niznik, Shpoonkle's founder and CEO. "While it is still expensive to hire a lawyer, a savings of nearly $80 an hour can make the difference between having representation or none at all."

Shpoonkle works by having lawyers and law firms place bids on requests for legal work posted by potential clients. In standard auctions people bid against one another, forcing prices up so that the highest bid wins. But in reverse auctions, prices are driven down by individuals bidding to win at the lowest price. For example, a small business owner or someone needing a legal document, such as a contract or a will, can fill out an online questionnaire and post it on Shpoonkle.com. Interested lawyers then place bids by specifying the lowest fee they would charge for that service. The process is completely confidential and the listing is free.

Niznik believes that as Shpoonkle continues to attract more lawyers and users, the increased competition will drive down fees even more. "In our society the poor can rely on legal aid but the middle-class are often left vulnerable without a lawyer; Shpoonkle helps give them the opportunity to have proper representation," he said.

So that as many people as possible can benefit from Sphoonkle.com's promise of lower legal costs, it has been translated into Russian, French, Italian, Chinese, Spanish and German. For more information visit www.shpoonkle.com or send e-mail to [email protected].

SOURCE Shpoonkle.com