System Requirements Document (SRD)

Project Name: urban-lawyers

1. Introduction

The urban-lawyers platform is a legal-tech marketplace designed to bridge the trust gap between clients seeking legal consultations and verified lawyers. Developed with a focus on the Indian legal services landscape, the platform enables secure, transparent, and efficient online consultations. By leveraging technology, urban-lawyers aims to simplify the process of connecting clients with trusted legal professionals while ensuring a seamless experience for all stakeholders.

This document outlines the system requirements for urban-lawyers, including functional and non-functional specifications, user personas, design concepts, and technical architecture.

2. System Overview

The urban-lawyers platform operates as an intermediary, connecting clients with verified lawyers for online consultations. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice directly. Instead, it facilitates trust, secure payments, and structured communication between clients and lawyers.

Key features include:

• Lawyer verification through an admin portal.
• Transparent pricing and platform fee disclosure.
• Secure payment flow with instant split functionality.
• Chat-based consultations with ratings and reviews.
• Admin oversight for disputes, refunds, and platform moderation.

The platform will consist of three main user roles: Clients, Lawyers, and Admins, each with distinct workflows and functionalities.

3. Functional Requirements

Client Functional Requirements

• As a Client, I should be able to sign up and log in to the platform.
• As a Client, I should be able to search for verified lawyers based on expertise, location, or availability.
• As a Client, I should be able to view detailed lawyer profiles, including their verification status and ratings.
• As a Client, I should be able to book a consultation slot with a lawyer.
• As a Client, I should be able to make secure payments for consultations, including the platform fee.
• As a Client, I should be able to communicate with the lawyer via a chat room during the consultation.
• As a Client, I should be able to rate and review the lawyer after the consultation.
• As a Client, I should be able to raise disputes or request refunds if necessary.

Lawyer Functional Requirements

• As a Lawyer, I should be able to sign up and log in to the platform.
• As a Lawyer, I should be able to complete my profile and upload verification documents.
• As a Lawyer, I should be able to receive booking requests from clients.
• As a Lawyer, I should be able to communicate with clients via a chat room during consultations.
• As a Lawyer, I should be able to mark consultations as complete.
• As a Lawyer, I should be able to view my earnings and transaction history.

Admin Functional Requirements

• As an Admin, I should be able to approve, reject, or suspend lawyer profiles based on verification documents.
• As an Admin, I should be able to monitor disputes and process refunds.
• As an Admin, I should be able to manage platform settings and moderation tasks.

4. User Personas

Client

Description: Individuals seeking legal advice or consultation for personal or professional matters.
Goals:

• Find verified lawyers quickly and easily.
• Ensure secure and transparent payment processes.
• Receive reliable legal consultations.

Lawyer

Description: Legal professionals offering consultation services through the platform.
Goals:

• Build a digital presence and attract consistent clients.
• Ensure secure and timely payments.
• Simplify the consultation workflow.

Admin

Description: Platform moderators responsible for verification, dispute resolution, and overall system management.
Goals:

• Maintain trust and safety on the platform.
• Ensure smooth operations and user satisfaction.
• Handle disputes and refunds efficiently.

5. Visuals Colors and Theme

Color Palette

The urban-lawyers platform will use a modern, professional, and trust-driven color scheme:

• Background: #F5F5F5 (Soft Gray)
• Surface: #FFFFFF (Pure White)
• Text: #2C3E50 (Dark Slate)
• Accent: #3498DB (Trust Blue)
• Muted Tones: #BDC3C7 (Neutral Gray)

This palette reflects professionalism, trust, and clarity, aligning with the platform's mission to simplify legal consultations.

6. Signature Design Concept

Concept: Interactive Legal Consultation Map

The homepage of urban-lawyers will feature an Interactive Legal Consultation Map. This dynamic visual will display a map of India, segmented by states and cities. Each region will have clickable markers representing verified lawyers available in that area.

Features:

• Hover Interaction: Hovering over a region will display the number of verified lawyers and their specialties.
• Click-to-Explore: Clicking a marker will zoom into the region and showcase lawyer profiles with photos, ratings, and availability.
• Real-Time Updates: The map will dynamically update based on lawyer availability and client searches.
• Animated Transitions: Smooth animations will guide users as they navigate the map, creating an engaging experience.
• Trust Indicators: Verified badges and transparent pricing will be prominently displayed.

This concept will make the platform visually captivating while emphasizing its core value of connecting clients with verified lawyers.

7. Non-Functional Requirements

• Performance: The platform must load within 3 seconds for optimal user experience.
• Scalability: The system should handle up to 100,000 users concurrently.
• Security: All user data must be encrypted, and payment flows must comply with PCI DSS standards.
• Availability: The platform should maintain 99.9% uptime.
• Localization: Support for Indian languages (e.g., Hindi, Tamil) should be considered for future updates.

8. Tech Stack

Frontend

• React for Web
• React Native for Mobile App

Backend

• Python
• FastAPI

Database

• MySQL (preferred for structured data)
• Alembic for migrations

AI Models

• GPT 5.4 for user-friendly responses
• Claude 4.6 Opas for academic or coding work

AI Tools

• Litellm for LLM Routing
• Langchain

Orchestration

• Docker for local orchestration
• Kubernetes for server-side orchestration

9. Assumptions and Constraints

Assumptions

• Clients and lawyers will have access to smartphones or computers with internet connectivity.
• Payment gateways like Razorpay will support instant split functionality.
• Admins will manually verify lawyer documents for higher accuracy.

Constraints

• Initial launch will focus on chat-based consultations only.
• The platform will operate within India and use INR as the default currency.
• Consultation availability will be limited to 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM IST.

10. Glossary

• Verified Lawyer: A legal professional whose documents have been reviewed and approved by the admin.
• Platform Fee: A fixed fee charged by urban-lawyers for each booking.
• Secure Payment Flow: A payment process that ensures funds are split instantly between the lawyer and the platform.
• Admin Portal: A separate web application for managing verification, disputes, and moderation tasks.
• Chat Room: A secure communication channel for consultations between clients and lawyers.

This document outlines the foundation for urban-lawyers, ensuring clarity and alignment with the project's vision. Let me know if further refinements are needed, Nand Raj!