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New funding service aims to ‘remove uncertainty’ for litigants
Litigation, Mark Paton muses, “turns people’s lives upside down from both a financial and personal perspective”. Juel Litigation Finance, he says, intends to address this.
Jerome Doraisamy
Juel Litigation Finance has launched, aiming to support those struggling to balance the personal and financial impacts of litigation.
Speaking about the launch, Juel executive director Mark Paton (pictured) said that the funder had been created to support people during difficult times by taking a more holistic view of their financial needs.
“No one likes going through litigation. It turns people’s lives upside down, from both a financial and personal perspective, which can take a huge emotional toll,” he said.
“Many people who are going through litigation have lost their job, their source of income or their business; they had built their lives around these things and to lose them brings an incredible amount of uncertainty.
“We want to remove that uncertainty so litigants, and their lawyers, can focus on achieving a fair resolution of their case.”
In most cases, the funder said in a statement, Juel loans are secured by the case itself with funds repaid at the conclusion of the litigation.
“We see ourselves as a partner through the legal process and work with clients right through to the end of their legal process. We also partner with legal firms to deliver a more manageable litigation journey for their clients and their operations,” Mr Paton said.
Juel, he continued, has been designed with input and feedback from lawyers to ensure the funding packages address the real issues that they experience every day.
“The feedback was that the challenges faced by lawyers and their clients were much more complex than the simple question of ‘How do I pay the fees?’” Mr Paton said.
“Often it is a case of, ‘How do I live?’ while we go through this.
“People have mortgages, school fees and some everyday necessities that need to be looked after while they progress through their case. We wanted Juel to be able to support clients’ legal costs, but also their everyday living costs, so everybody’s focus is on achieving a fair resolution.”
Moreover, Mr Paton went on, Juel will allow litigants to pursue their cases for longer and more effectively by taking the pressure off other parts of their lives.
“We all know somebody who has had to settle for less than they deserve, simply because they could not afford to go on with litigating any longer. This is extremely unfair for the litigant and their legal team,” he said.
“Where a client has a strong case but limited resources, a Juel loan can tip the scales of justice and create a level playing field.”
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
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