Disputes

If the consultation didn't happen as booked.

Payments sit in escrow. If something goes wrong, you can file a dispute from your dashboard within 48 hours of the consultation ending — and our admin team rules within a few business days.

Step 1 Within 48 hours of the consultation end

You file from your dashboard.

Open the booking, pick the reason, and add a one- or two-line note. The lawyer is notified at the same time.

Step 2 48 hours

The lawyer responds.

The lawyer gets 48 hours to add their side of the record — what happened, what was discussed, what they delivered.

Step 3 1–3 business days

Our admin team reviews.

We review the booking record (notes, channel, timestamps, call duration) alongside both submissions. We don't adjudicate legal advice — we adjudicate whether the consultation happened as booked.

Step 4 Same day as ruling

We rule and act.

You're emailed the outcome. Refunds go back to the original payment method; partial refunds split escrow proportionally. Repeat issues against a lawyer trigger re-verification or removal.

What’s covered

Refundable vs. not — clearly.

We adjudicate whether the consultation happened as booked. We don't adjudicate the lawyer's advice — that's their professional opinion, and disagreement isn't grounds for a refund.

Eligible for refund

The lawyer didn't join, or joined more than 10 minutes late without notice.
The booked channel didn't work and a workable alternative wasn't offered.
The matter clearly falls outside the practice areas listed on the lawyer's profile.
The lawyer ended the call before half the booked time without good cause.
The lawyer asked you to pay outside Aaine to continue the consultation.

Not eligible

•You disagree with the advice or strategy — that's a matter of professional opinion.
•The consultation ran shorter than expected because your questions were answered.
•You changed your mind after the consultation completed.
•You missed the call or joined more than 10 minutes late yourself.

Timeline at a glance

Window to file

48 hours after the consultation ends

Lawyer response window

48 hours after notification

Admin review

1–3 business days

Refund processing

5–10 business days back to your original method

The 48-hour window starts when the consultation’s scheduled end time passes. Partial refunds are possible — for example, if 20 minutes of a 30-minute consultation happened, we typically refund a third.

What we look at

The booking record — date, time, channel, fee, length.
The matter context you shared at booking.
The call signal (whether either party joined, duration on the channel).
Both parties’ written submissions on what happened.
Any earlier disputes against the lawyer or pattern of similar issues.

We don’t read or store the substance of the consultation itself unless you choose to share it as part of your submission.

What you can do before filing

Re-check the booking page — sometimes the lawyer sent a follow-up message you missed.
Try the listed channel one more time at the scheduled time.
If you’ve switched channels on the fly, note that in the booking thread so it’s part of the record.

If the lawyer never appeared at all, you don’t need to do any of this — just file. The signal speaks for itself.

What happens to lawyers

Single disputes are decided on their facts. A pattern of upheld disputes — typically three within 90 days — triggers re-verification and a review of the lawyer’s standing with their bar association or law society. Repeat or serious violations can lead to suspension or removal.

Safety issues vs. disputes

Disputes are for what happened (or didn’t) during a consultation. Anything that doesn’t fit that — credential misrepresentation, off-platform payment requests, harassment, impersonation — belongs with the trust team. See Trust & safety for what to report.

Need help with a specific booking? File from the booking page in your dashboard.