Legal Marketplace vs Directory vs Referral Service: What’s the Difference?
If you have ever searched online for legal help, you have probably come across three kinds of service that look similar but work very differently: a legal directory, a referral service, and a legal marketplace. Knowing the difference helps you understand what you are actually getting, who is paying whom, and how much say you have over which professional you end up working with.
Legal directory
A directory is a searchable list of legal professionals. You look up a practice area or a location, you get a list of names, and you contact them yourself. The directory does not get involved in the relationship and usually does not take a fee from the work you instruct.
Directories vary a lot in quality. The key questions to ask are:
- Is every listing verified against a regulator, or can anyone pay to appear?
- Does it show the professional’s regulatory body and registration number so you can check them independently?
- Is placement based on relevance, or purely on who paid the most?
A good directory is transparent about all three. A weak one is really just paid advertising with a search box.
Referral service
A referral service takes your enquiry and passes it to one or more law firms from its panel. You typically do not choose the firm yourself; the service matches you, often to whichever panel firm is next in line or has bought that category of work.
The important thing to understand is the money. Referral services are usually paid by the firm – either a fixed fee per referral or a percentage of the fees you go on to pay. In some countries referral fees are restricted or banned for certain types of work because they can create a conflict of interest: the incentive is to place your case quickly, not necessarily with the best firm for it.
Referral services can still be useful, particularly for straightforward matters, but you should always ask: who is paying for this referral, and does the person I have been matched with actually specialise in my issue?
Legal marketplace
A legal marketplace sits between the two. Like a directory, it lets you search and choose the professional yourself. Like a referral service, it gives you tools to describe your problem and be matched to the right kind of specialist. The difference is that you stay in control of the choice, and a well-run marketplace does not take a commission on the work you instruct.
A legal marketplace typically offers:
- Verified listings – every professional checked against their regulator before appearing.
- Plain-language matching – you describe your situation without legal jargon and are pointed to the relevant practice area and professionals.
- Direct contact – you approach your chosen professional yourself, with no middleman in the conversation.
- Transparent economics – professionals pay for their listing; you pay nothing to search, and no referral fee is taken from your matter.
How to tell which one you are using
Ask these questions of any service that offers to help you find a lawyer:
- Do I choose the professional, or does the service choose for me? Marketplace and directory: you choose. Referral service: it chooses.
- Is every professional verified against a regulator? This should be a clear yes, with the regulator and registration number shown.
- Does the service take a cut of the fees I pay my lawyer? If yes, it is a referral arrangement, and you should understand how that affects who you were matched with.
- Can I see the professional’s qualifications and practice areas before I make contact? You should be able to review a profile, not just a name.
Where My Legal Hub fits
My Legal Hub is a global legal marketplace. It lists verified, regulated legal professionals – solicitors, attorneys, barristers, notaries public, legal executives and specialist experts – in 190+ countries, each checked against their own regulator before their listing goes live. You can search the directory free, with no account, describe your matter in plain language, review profiles, and contact your chosen professional directly. My Legal Hub is not a law firm, does not give legal advice, and does not take any commission or referral fee on the work you instruct.
For more detail on how verification works and what it costs, see the frequently asked questions, or browse the directory to start your search.