Network based legal services system

• US 6,366,925 B1
• Filed: 01/04/1999
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Envoy Global, Inc.
• Original Assignee: American Services Network, P.C.
• Inventors: Garber, Melissa E., Meltzer, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAM V
• Application Number:
  US09/225,059
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/200, 707/104, 707/10, 705/27, 705/20, 705/7, 705/1, 709/218
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products

Abstract

A system for conducting legal services, including: an interrogative interface via which clients input information relevant to matters in connection with which the legal service is engaged; a retainer acknowledgment interface via which the clients acknowledges engaging the legal service provider to perform a legal service; a query interface via which the clients can post inquiries to the legal services provider; and a database comprising information relating to the status of matters for which clients have engaged the legal service provider.

Claims

1. A network based system for conducting legal services, comprising:

(a) an interrogative interface accessible from said network via which a human client submits information relevant to a legal service matter in connection with which a legal service provider is engaged;

(b) a retainer acknowledgment interface accessible from said network via which said human client acknowledges engaging the legal service provider to perform a legal service, said retainer acknowledgment interface facilitating an offer by said human client for said legal services provider'"'"'s acceptance to form a contract for said legal services provider to provide legal services;

(c) a query interface accessible from said network via which said human client can post inquiries to the legal services provider; and

(d) a database comprising information relating to the status of one or more legal service matters for which said human client has engaged the legal service provider.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrogative interface comprises an interactive questionnaire.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to not receive data via the interrogative interface or a query via the query interface, unless said human client has acknowledged retaining the legal services provider via the retainer acknowledgment interface.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the interrogative interface comprises a plurality of selectable interactive questionnaires which are selectable by the clients.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising an administrative interface comprising a matrix comprising a subset of data from the database, including matter status information.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising another interrogative interface in which clients are presented with a succession of questions wherein subsequent questions in the succession of questions are selected in view of responses to preceding questions in the succession of questions.

18. The network based system of claim 1, wherein said network is a world wide web.

7. A network based system for processing of an immigration/naturalization application by a legal services provider, comprising:

(a) an interrogative interface accessible from said network via which a human client inputs personal data relevant for an immigration/naturalization application;

(b) a retainer interface accessible from said network via which said human client acknowledges engaging the legal services provider and submits a payment, said retainer interface facilitating an offer by said human client for said legal services provider'"'"'s acceptance to form a contract for said legal services provider to provide legal services;

(c) a query interface accessible from said network via which said human client can post inquiries to the legal services provider;

(d) a computer database comprising data relating to various matters for which the legal services provider has been engaged;

(e) an administrative interface comprising a matrix for listing matters for which the legal services provider has been engaged and data including the status of such matters.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the interrogative interface comprises an interactive questionnaire.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is configured to not receive data via the interrogative interface or a query via the query interface, unless the said human client has acknowledged retaining the legal services provider via the retainer acknowledgment interface.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the interrogative interface comprises a plurality of selectable interactive questionnaires which are selectable by the clients.

11. The system of claim 7, comprising an administrative interface comprising a matrix comprising a subset of data from the database, including matter status information.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising another interrogative interface in which clients are presented with a succession of questions wherein subsequent questions in the succession of questions are selected in view of responses to preceding questions in the succession of questions.

19. The network based system of claim 7, wherein said network is the internet.

13. A network based system for providing legal services to immigration/naturalization applicants comprising:

(a) one more servers operatively connected to a said network;

(b) an interrogative interface accessible from said network via which said applicant can submit data useful in completing a governmental form for applying for an immigration/naturalization application visa;

(c) a retainer acknowledgment interface accessible from said network via which said applicant submits a payment;

(d) a query interface accessible from said network via which said applicant can post inquiries; and

(e) an account access interface accessible from said network via which said applicant can view information relating to processing of data submitted via said interrogative interface.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a second interrogative interface via which said applicant can obtain a suggested visa category under which said data can be submitted, said second interrogative interface configured to present a succession of selectable queries to said applicant wherein subsequent queries in said succession of queries are selected by said system based upon responses by said applicant to preceding queries in said succession of queries.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising an administration interface via which a remote administrator can review all information relating to a specified account for said applicant.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising another administration interface via which said administrator can review a summary of an account of said applicant.

20. The network based system of claim 13, wherein said network is the internet.

17. An internet based legal services network system, comprising:

a network;

a database comprising information relating to matters for which a legal services provider has been engaged including queries posed by clients and responses thereto;

one or more remotely accessible servers on which said database is stored;

an administration interface accessible from a world wide web associated with said internet for accessing information in said database, said administration interface being only accessible by said legal services provider;

a retainer acknowledgment interface accessible from the world wide web via which clients acknowledge engagement of the legal services provider; and

a software module accessible from the world wide web which accepts a message submitted by the client and processes same only if a client has acknowledged engagement of the legal services provider and submitted a payment via the retainer acknowledgment interface.