The Legal Stamp! A solution to your never-ending legal procedures and paperwork
By Amrit Mann
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Hassle-free documentation is an alien concept for us. The thought of getting a legal document, be it rental agreements, contracts, MoUs, registration can be a nightmare. The never-ending procedures
and paperwork makes many criticize the cumbersome process, with many trying to find out ways to jump the queue. Figuring out the need for a smooth documentation process, LegalDesk.com, a two-year-old start-up has solutions for this pain point. A do-it-yourself platform, LegalDesk.com offers a "review, print and deliver with stamp paper' service to ease out the tedious work. The services are currently available across India and over 3,000 users visit the website everyday. Entrepreneur talks to its co-founders Ashok Kadsur & Krupesh Bhat to find out more.
How have you evolved as a legal start-up?
We initiated about two years ago and assembled few simple, but most commonly used forms including rental agreement and affidavits. Within six months, we added 50 documents to our pool ranging from HR policy to Power of Attorney and personal will. We evolved from bare shell "downloadable soft copy' service to complete "review, print and deliver with stamp paper' service, which is currently available across India. About 12 per cent visitors are from outside India.
How aware are start-ups today about legal aspects of entrepreneurship?
The start-up boom has led to mushrooming of entities. Budding entrepreneurs lack awareness about the legal process and documentation involved in incorporating an entity and the formalities involved after incorporating the same. This gap further escalates as hiring a law firm or in-house legal team is an expensive affair.
How does the DIY platform, offered by you, work?
We have initiated a new model called "Do-it-Yourself Legal Drafting'. LegalDesk.com provides guidance at any stage of the document-making process. Subsequently, we print out the document on stamp paper and deliver it to the individual. All the services available are economical, comparably much cheaper to the feeotherwise charged by lawyers.
What is the e-signing product all about?
We are planning to launch an Aadhaar-based e-signing product to verify legal documents. The eSign concept is basically an electronic signature powered by Aadhaar. Now, multiple parties can sign the document instantly anywhere, anytime. Your eSign is as authentic as your regular signature. Even the Government of India has authenticated its usage. Once you sign an agreement using eSign service,you can invite other parties to sign the document online instantly to make the agreement legally binding.
What are the legal packages for startups?
At LegalDesk.com, we offer two Legal packages for start-ups – first, Business Documentation Pack and second, the Incorporation Pack. The Business Documentation Pack caters to the need of entrepreneurs with respect to Business documentation. This pack is segregated in three different sections which can be selected asper requirement. On the other hand, the Incorporation Pack caters to the requirements of entrepreneurs who want to get their entity registered.
This article first appeared in the Indian edition of Entrepreneur magazine (August 2016 Issue).