February 14, 2014
Laura Vickers, Nest Legal
At a Glance
Bio The path that led her to this point
I home-deliver legal services to busy people, outside business hours. Using the internet, Nest Legal offers wills, conveyancing and legal advice at a time and place that suits, but with the level of personal attention that you’d expect from a top boutique firm. People can get started with our webforms at any time and we state all our fixed costs on our website.
Having practiced law for eight years in everything from conveyances to High Court appeals, I started Nest Legal after I had my son and realised what a headache it was for working parents to see a lawyer.
Anything that depended on me making an appointment during business hours was a nightmare, whereas items on my to-do list that could be done online once my son was in bed were quickly crossed off. But I didn’t want to compromise on quality for the important things like professional advice so why would anyone else?
I brainstormed all the things that annoyed people about traditional lawyers (inaccessibility outside business hours, unclear pricing, poor communication) and designed a service that I would want to use.
Prior to Nest Legal, I worked as a Principal Solicitor with the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office, where I represented the State of Victoria in the constitutional challenge to chaplains in schools and was the legal advisor to the Victorian Floods Review, assisting former Chief Commissioner Neil Comrie AO, APM.
I've also worked for top 20 firm Maddocks and Clifton Hill law firm Elliott Stafford & Associates, taught undergraduate law at La Trobe University, chaired the Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee at the Law Institute of Victoria and volunteered with the Fitzroy Legal Service. I have first class honours in Law from the University of Melbourne.
Q&A Insider advice & tips
What's been your greatest achievement to date?
Starting Nest Legal whilst caring for my baby full time. Is there anyone more productive than a mother who knows she only has two sleep cycles to smash a to-do list? Second greatest achievement? Securing childcare in Melbourne's inner north!
What's been your biggest challenge so far?
The legal profession is not known for innovation. Whilst online law offices are increasingly common in the US, I was charting new waters in Australia in finding ways to make my practice meet the regulatory, accounting and ethics requirements of a Victorian law firm without compromising on the convenience, fixed prices and top notch communication that I wanted to provide.
Best lesson you've learned along the way?
Know your limits. I'd designed business cards only to have a marketing friend tell me how shabby they looked and walk them to the bin! She also confirmed that my very comprehensive tagline "The online law office for Victorian parents and busy people" (ever the lawyer, I wanted to cover all eventualities!) really sucked and to have another go.
A website, book or resource that has helped you in your business or inspired you and why?
I use Skype or FaceTime to chat with clients, Google+ Business for email hosting, Squarespace for my website, YouCanBookMe to schedule Legal Strategy Sessions, Formsite to allow clients to provide Wills and conveyancing instructions using a secure web form, LEAP Cloud for file management, and a little notebook because no computer program beats crossing items off my to-do list.
Which person or brand do you most admire and why?
My old boss Dennis Paphitis of Aesop (where I worked through uni). He turned the skincare industry on its head, creating products that are a pleasure to use but value the customer’s intelligence, not trying to please everyone, providing exceptional customer service, and having fun whilst staying true to the values of his business.
What advice would you give someone starting an independent business in your industry?
Do it! Access to quality legal services for ordinary Australians keeps decreasing, as legal aid is cut and traditional lawyers refuse to adopt innovations that allow more affordable pricing and services that are convenient to people. The more lawyers who think creatively about how to provide legal services, the better for everyone.
Finish this sentence
Everything changed for me when…
I was visiting an accountant whilst juggling a screaming six-month-old and the accountant spent 10 minutes slowly typing my details off a paper form into his computer. It made me realise how unsuitable the traditional model of professional services was for parents and other busy people.
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