Founder says clearer communication on costs can reduce complaints and strengthen trust
A new legal technology platform aimed at improving transparency between solicitors and clients has been launched by costs lawyer Victoria Morrison-Hughes, with a focus on addressing misunderstandings around legal fees and retainer terms that frequently lead to complaints and disputes.
The platform, known as The Legal Lexi, has been developed in response to growing concern within the profession about fee-related disagreements and the increasing number of complaints reaching the Legal Ombudsman. Its central aim is to help law firms demonstrate that clients genuinely understand the financial and contractual terms of their engagement, rather than simply acknowledging them through standard documentation.
Morrison-Hughes, who has worked extensively as a costs lawyer, said the idea emerged from first-hand experience of how easily misunderstandings can arise even where firms act properly and in good faith. The platform seeks to bridge that gap by translating complex legal and cost information into plain English, supported by optional audio explanations and structured prompts designed to confirm client understanding.
The approach reflects wider regulatory and consumer law expectations, where transparency and clarity are increasingly central to the enforceability of retainers and the defensibility of legal costs. By guiding clients through key information and recording their responses, the system is intended to provide firms with evidence of informed consent in a format that can be relied upon if questions later arise.
Accessibility has also been a central consideration in the platform’s design. Morrison-Hughes has emphasised that clearer communication benefits not only vulnerable clients but all users, particularly those who may feel uncomfortable asking for clarification about costs or legal terminology. The objective, she says, is to ensure that clients feel confident in what they are agreeing to from the outset, reducing friction later in the relationship.
Industry backing has accompanied the launch, with solicitor and legal-tech investor Sucheet Amin joining as an investor and non-executive director to support the platform’s growth and development. His involvement reflects a broader recognition across the sector that client understanding and transparency are becoming central to both regulatory compliance and client care expectations.
While positioned as a technology solution, The Legal Lexi is framed by its founder as a practical communication tool rather than an additional compliance burden. Morrison-Hughes argues that improving how legal costs are explained can strengthen trust between solicitors and clients, reduce complaints risk, and support firms in meeting their professional obligations more consistently.
The launch comes amid continuing discussion across the legal sector about consumer understanding of legal services, suggesting that clearer communication around costs may increasingly form part of how firms manage both regulatory risk and client relationships in the future.